Ductwork

Thu, 08 May 2008 01:15:54 -0500

I can't remember if this floor is called the feed level or the bin level, but either way, here're two shots taken there.]]>

Roberts Sunk Him (And Us)

Tue, 06 May 2008 02:28:37 -0500

Writing on the wall inside the marine tower.]]>

Hop to It

Mon, 05 May 2008 00:24:16 -0500

One of the storage bin hoppers in the basement of the American grain elevator.]]>

Driving American

Fri, 02 May 2008 01:20:40 -0500

The central motor drive at the top of the American grain elevator's marine tower. I've always wanted to shoot this piece of machinery but always gave up because I could never figure out how to do it in a way that would do it justice. In this case, the late afternoon sun helped a lot. The foreground elements, which I'd usually avoid having in a shot, don't hurt too much either. ]]>

Open Elevator

Thu, 01 May 2008 10:26:31 -0500

This is an extension of the first grain elevator in Buffalo to benefit from the transmission of electricity from the previously mentioned Adams power station in Niagara Falls. The original portion of the (appropriately named) Electric Elevator was demolished roughly 25 years ago, leaving only this section built in the 1940s. Unlike most grain elevators where the interior is divided up into a number of cells (or silos) the Electric is quite open inside and not unlike a cathedral. Kind of surprising, actually. I had walked straight past this one about a half dozen times, dismissing it in favour of the larger elevators, figuring it could only be dark and boring inside. Turns out I was wrong.

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Get Up

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:08:42 -0500

Ok, enough underground stuff for now. Here's a shot looking up through the stationary marine tower (or leg) of one of Buffalo's oldest surviving grain elevators. Everything's still in relatively good shape, despite the fact that it's a century old and has been out of operation for close to fifteen years.

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Diversion

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:36:07 -0500

I got sidetracked by this lowly culvert while looking for a way into another drainage system North of Montreal.]]>

Horseshoe Falls

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:03:55 -0500

The Adams station discharge tunnel is essentially the grandaddy of the three that were constructed around Niagara Falls. Built over the course of three years in the early 1890s, it was the first of its kind in the world, pre-dating the other two by close to a decade. The tunnel runs for a mile and a half underneath the city of Niagara Falls, NY to the wheelpits of two powerhouses situated upstream of the Falls, both of which were demolished back in the 1960s. Only the station's transformer house, a couple of foundations and a few other underground components still exist today.

Kowalski and I always considered this tunntl eto be unexplorable due to a torrent of water coming out of it that appeared to be too dangerous to walk through. A wastewater treatment plant located at the start of the tunnel where the power houses used to be currently makes use of the 115 year old tunnel to discharge effluent. From a distance the flow always seemed a bit too daunting.

Well, it turns out it wasn't as bad as we thought. Up to a point, anyway. We still had to keep to the side where the water was shallowest and this was the first time I've had to keep my hand on the tripod while taking pictures to ensure it wouldn't get washed away. We made it about a third of the way through before having to turn back because of choppy water, poor visibility and a sinking feeling that the condtions would only get worse if we ventured any further.

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Slowly I Turned

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 01:54:56 -0500

Inside the Edward Dean Adams discharge tunnel underneath the city of Niagara Falls, New York. This is the grandfather of all tunnels and the one we always thought would be impossible to get into. Turns out it wasn't so impossible after all. More details later..]]>

Pipe Up

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 01:48:14 -0500

Another section of my favourite sewer.]]>

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