RailPictures.Net Photo: Untitled Lifting Locomotive at 50 miles West of Socorro, New Mexico by Eric Williams

Community Response

Locomotive Details

Location/Date of Photo


Views: 18,894 Favorited: 102
Since added on January 25, 2011

+ Add to Favorites

+ Subscribe

+ Add to Photo Album

+ Post a Photo Comment

» Untitled (more..)
» Lifting Locomotive (more..)

» Very Large Array
» 50 miles West of Socorro, New Mexico, USA (more..)
» November 22, 2010

Locomotive No./Train ID

Photographer

» Unknown
» Unknown

» Eric Williams (more..)
» Contact Photographer · Photographer Profile

Remarks & Notes

In a remote part of the New Mexico desert is a double track railroad that radiates in three directions to no-where. This railroad carries the dishes of the Very Large Array radio telescope network into the various configurations needed to probe deep space. The dishes are moved by a lifting locomotive that has four trucks in a side-by-side arrangement and transports the dishes to the various pre-set footings along the 13 mile mainline. There are 9 of the 80” diameter dishes per line and they move in and out much like a lens. When in the close configuration, they act in unison like a wide-angle lens, when in the furthest spread configuration, like a telephoto lens. As well as another lifting locomotive, the line also has a track-mobile and several hoppers to spread ballast along with a ballast tamper.

Photo Location Map

Photo Comments (15)

View Larger Map

User Photo Albums Containing this Photo (8)

+ Add to Album

Desert & Sci-Fi Trains Album created by member Tieplate	Album Views: 884
Trains in deserts, and/or trains that look science fiction-y

Exotic + Album created by member Steel Central	Album Views: 12,949
\| The more selective fan-made subsidiary for the rarest of the rare. \|

At The Diamond Album created by member Steel Central	Album Views: 2,512
\| Where our paths will cross \|

Would you believe it? Album created by member RP Archives	Album Views: 2,967,347
Now featuring 2800 unbelievable to merely surprising - or even funny - pictures

DreamTrains Album created by member coco13cos	Album Views: 4,168,991
Over 50.000 of RP's most appreciated and beautiful photos.

Special Railway Pictures Album created by member Pete Boor	Album Views: 43,567

Unseen Aspects Album created by member ckeefer58	Album Views: 1,401,717
Pictures of things often unseen in the world of railroading. Interesting equipment, operations, and people that help the railroad go around.

Trains on Mars Album created by member RP Archives	Album Views: 180,739

Add to Photo Album or Get Your Own Photo Album

EXIF Data for this photo: [What's this?]
- Hide Data -

ApertureFNumber	f/11.0
Make	Canon
Model	Canon EOS 50D
ExposureTime	1/50
ISOSpeedRatings	125
Flash	16
FocalLength	10/1