coal economy – LLOYD'S LENS PHOTOGRAPHY LLC

Keeping The Lights On

Hello Friends!Tonight’s feature image is titled “Barges And Coal” and is available for purchase by using the instructions at the bottom of the article.

On the far shore of the Kanawha River the grumbling growl of diesel engines shakes the earth. The bulldozers and loaders shift black mountains from the yard to boats. It’s believed that our world runs on coal but that’s a mistake.

Our world runs on the energy of men and women who keep the coal moving.

Our world is powered by afternoons covered with sweat and grit and diesel fuel.

Our world runs on the turn of the wrench that replaces another hydraulic hose.

Our world is powered by bonding and laughter in the downtime.

Our world is kept lit by the heavy equipment operator who knows the difference between arrogance and confidence as he moves a multi ton machine up the gob pile to dress it.

And at the end of the day when the sun sinks low all of that sweat and effort welcomes them home as a light in windows and a hot shower before dinner. All wrapped up in the arms of a loving family.

Hello Friends and thank you for your support of my page. If you have enjoyed the photos or the writings please let me know by commenting and sharing my work on your social media. I also want to invite you to Follow Lloyds Lens Photography on Facebook

If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

https://www.facebook.com/aviewfromthelens/

If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

I’m now using Zazzle to fulfil orders. What this means for you is a secure way to place an order, discount codes & a broader product selection! Simply message me on Facebook oruse the contact form on my websiteand tell me which image you want and I’ll reply with a direct link to where you can place the order.

Clicking on the photo takes you tohttps://www.zazzle.com/lloydslensphotos?rf=238248269630914251

Lastly, all of the photos and writings are my original work unless otherwise specified and are not to be copied or reproduced without expressed written permission from the photographer.

Thank you again for your support of my page! 😊

Curiosity About The Life Of A Towboat Crew

Color Photography

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Towboat 31219” and is available for purchase by following the instructions at the bottom of the page.

The morning sun is climbing high as I stopped by the Kanawha River for a few minutes of peaceful contemplation. Above me the large trucks are shifting gears as they slow down for the stoplight on the Chelyan bridge. I stopped here for two reasons. One, to catch a few breaths on the water’s edge and to look for a photo op. It wasn’t long before one of the Towboats came powering upstream. For me time on the river is a way of getting out of the office chair and enjoying life as God intended. But for the crew of a towboat the river is their office. It’s kinda surprising to me that I never considered a job as a deckhand since I like being on the river. I have to admit that I don’t really know much about the job. I presume there’s much more to it than waiting to reach the delivery point. As I understand it the boat is their home and that they’re on duty for long hours. I’m told that it’s as dangerous as being an underground miner. Not only is there a danger of falling into swift current but there’s stories about people slipping into a void in the payload of coal and being burried alive. However I do find the idea of traveling down the Kanawha River to the Ohio River and beyond interesting. Aside from the actual work that goes along the river jobs the views they have of spots seldom seen from the highway must be amazing if they have time to see them.

As the towboat maneuvers itself into position to accomplish the task at hand I am thankful for the work ethic of people in the coal industry. The fuel they provide not only keeps the lights on but also becomes the steel and aluminum in our infrastructure.

I’m also interested in the stories that a towboat crew might have. So if you’re reading this and happen to work on one these boats I’d love to hear about your memories in the comments section below.

If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

https://www.facebook.com/aviewfromthelens/

If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

I’m now using Zazzle to fulfil orders. What this means for you is a secure way to place an order, discount codes & a broader product selection! Simply message me on Facebook or use the contact form on my website and tell me which image you want and I’ll reply with a direct link to where you can place the order.

Where Are The Mountains Moving To?

Color Photography, Railroad

A light breaks through the morning mists as if it is plowing a pathway for travel. The long mournful sound of horn in combination with the thunder of wheels proceeds the screeching of the brakes as the train pulls into the tipple. I ease my big blue truck into the wide spot near the berm. A mountain is waiting to be loaded onto the train and moved to the power plants and steel mills. If the miners are the men who pull light out of the darkness then the railroad workers are the men who move mountains.

One of local engines CSX 7979 was recently spotted in California by my fellow blogger Russel Ray. Russel is real train buff who was able to track CSX 7979 back to Huntington West Virginia. I never really expected that any of our trains would be found that far West!

I suppose that it shouldn’t surprise me. Our coal goes into the grid as electricity and into the iron that becomes steel. It’s almost as if there is a little piece of our mountains in almost everything that is either made from steel or uses electricity. Look around. You probably have a piece of Appalachia in your home too.

Little But Mighty

Color Photography, Thoughts and Musing, West Virginia

Today is a busy day on the Kanawha River. The coal barges were all over the water moving massive amounts of coal up and down the river. The little tug in tonight’s feature image was pushing three barges and all three are the size of office buildings. The ones here are riding high on the water which means that they are empty but I’ve seen these little boats move full barges and more than three of them at once. I’m told that the men who work the river live on the boat for months at a time and are home for a couple of weeks before embarking on another journey. In a previous post I remarked that electricity is delivered by train but it travels by boats too! It impressive to see the little tugs at work moving huge amounts of mass with ease. And that brings me to the point of tonight’s post. Never judge anyone by their size. Especially yourself. When a person pushes their limits they might fail the first time. And the second and third and so on. But eventually something happens and the weight budges. That’s when you really dig in and push with all your might. Once the weight is moving it’s easy to keep it moving. Once it’s been done it’s easier to do it again. And it’s all in the heart. Not the muscle but the spirit. The core of our being that empowers us to never give up. What’s more is when two tugs team up and work in synchronicity. They don’t just move twice as much but three or maybe even four times the mass. Like the little tugs we are capable literally moving mountains when we’re equally yoked. Two people who are in sync compound their strengths. They can cheer each other on and keep that spirit energized. I was encouraged to watch the little tugs at work today and I hope you are too.

Early Mornings

West Virginia

Early mornings are a way of life in the Appalachian mountains. Many of us chose to live well away from where we work. I remember when I was a kid lying in bed and hearing the door close and then the car start before daylight. My dad was off to work. (My dad was a telephone lineman. He didn’t work with trains or coal.) I pass by this railyard every day and every time I do it looks like the morning crew had been at work for hours. I’ve never worked for railway but I know the kind of work that’s done there. It’s hot and grimey in the summer and bitter cold in the winter. I imagine that the coal dust gets into every little crevice of your skin as the coal comes off the beltline and pours into railcars. I have been told that one of the more dangerous tasks is keeping the chute clear of “clinkers”. Clinkers are large clumps of coal that clog up the chute and have to removed by hand. The work is hard and dangerous. The train here is a short one. It’s only about three quarters of a mile long. (A little more than 1200 meters) once it’s full it’s probably heading to a power plant where it will boil the water that drives the turbine that makes electricity that powers the servers that runs the internet that makes our lives so much easier. It all happens because someone got up before daylight and did the dirty work.