Around Covinton, VA

farlymac

PF McFarland
Local time
5:15 AM
Joined
Jan 1, 2009
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With only a few frames of Fujifilm Neopan Acros 100 left in the Zorki-3 with Jupiter-8 2/50 after the ICCD shoot, I headed up to Covington, VA the next day to get some shots of the West-Rock paper mill. You can smell the place many miles before you ever get there. If the wind is right, we can even get a whiff of it down in Roanoke.

Other than the previously documented problem with the rangefinder (vertical way out, and can’t be fixed), it handles quite nicely. My Zorki-6 is like a tin can compared to the Z-3, even though that is just in feel, not operation. And the Jupiter-8 is a fine lens. Check out the center crop from the last image.

I must say, as much as I don’t care for the smell of the place, a paper mill is still fascinating. Miles of piping, tanks of who knows what all over the place, and the huge blocks of buildings that house the machinery that makes the things we cannot do without. But I could do without the smell.

Coming into view as you roll down US-220

US-220 in Covington, VA by P F McFarland, on Flickr

Big industry needs big power. Note the electrical sub-station for just this section.

West-Rock View 1 by P F McFarland, on Flickr

The JacksonRiver bisects the plant, supplying water for processing wood pulp, and cooling the machinery.

West-Rock View 2 by P F McFarland, on Flickr

The cranes are needed to replace old machinery, or for new installations.

West-Rock View 3 by P F McFarland, on Flickr

Last frame on the roll, and this antique fire truck came roaring by. I had to wait for it to clear the trees first, so this was the best I could get of it.

Antique Covington FD Truck by P F McFarland, on Flickr

However, a crop from the center shows just how good the Jupiter-8 is.

Antique Covington FD Truck Cropped by P F McFarland, on Flickr

PF
 
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