This looks more like a science project gone bad then a working steam locomotive–but I was attracted by its complexity.
The #111 locomotive was built by the American Locomotive Company around 1922, sold to the Stewart-Jones Company of Great Falls, SC in February 1922 and the Wateree Power Company (later Duke Power Company) on July 7, 1924. Duke Power used the locomotive at their Mt. Holly and Cliffside plants along with the Buck Steam Plant on the Yadkin River north of Spencer, NC. Not much is known of its service before 1942 or after 1953.
The years have taught me the best design is one that combines functionality while maintaining a high level of simplicity. This is true for supplication interfaces, electronic devices, cars we drive, homes we live in or cameras we take photos with.
It should also apply to how we approach photography. There’s enough of a challenge to photography without the need to make it artificially more complex then it already is. :-)
You know, I find this picture like the incredible drawing by him who inspired the makers of Alien, I don’t remember his name. Anyway, his paintings had this surreal and gritty metallic surfaces in those types of colours you have here.
I wonder what it could be, that thingy…. Steam comes in, pressure seems to be made (it needs cooling, clearly). Maybe it is for the brakes if the locomotive pulls the carriage… It certainly stimulated the thinking. :)
@Ove: I’m not sure what the purpose is. The plumbing is so complicated it’s hard to tell how the flow goes. This photo is only one side–there’s another identical “device” on the other (left) front of the engine. I agree with the Alien concept! :-)
It does look “Alien” like! It is interesting to draw parallels – it seems the more we grow, the more we learn – the more simple we like things to be – and they are all the more effective for it.