Train Gravesite in Kusadasi Turkey

#Train_Gravesite_Kusadasi_Turkey
The Turkish rail companies imported their engines from Germany, England, France & the Unites States as they relied on a proven design because of the demanding geography of this country & the changing weather per seasons
The rail network would have had to navigate mountainous regions with steep gradient & with sharp curves, plus the summers would have be hot /dry & winters very cold / much snow

KeyTip; The museum is located around a 30 minute taxi ride from the port of Kusadasi to the town of Camlik   So i got the roundtrip price of $50 Euro with a 2 hour wait ( feel free to negotiate as the locals like to do this)  plus it is a 3 Euro entrance fee  (hours are 8am-8pm)
 

Did you know there is only one place left on earth where steam locomotives are still widely in use
It is in China, so now rail enthusiasts are travelling there to witness the last gasps of the engine that created the modern world

Steam locomotives were first developed in the United Kingdom during the 19th century & in use until the 1980s when most railways fully converted to electric or diesel power
Interesting Fact; an average Steam Locomotive would consume 20 tons of coal & evaporate 100,000 lbs of water per hour
So in the name of Climate Change i am glad these machines are retired 😉

 

Linke-Hofmann-Werke had its origins in 1832 with its railway wagon factory in Breslau Germany  (this city returned to be a part of Poland in 1945 & back to its original name of Wroclaw with the result of territorial changes after World War 11)

Starting in early 1900s it employed over 50,000 workers & manufactured 3,000+ locomotives which as you see some ended up in Turkey

During the Second World War Turkey remained neutral  so as it expanded its rail network it kept importing locomotives from both Germany & England 

The Camlik Railway Museum is the biggest in Turkey & contains one of the largest steam locomotive collections in Europe
It was established in 1997 & contains 33 Steam Locomotives, 9 Passenger Cars, 7 Freight Cars & other Railway Vehicles 
The museum is located on the oldest line in Turkey & uses the original tracks built in 1866 plus sits on the property of the Turkish State Railway

Most of the passengers cars were of the George Pullman design
He was an innovative entrepreneur who had an extremely uncomfortable overnight train ride from Buffalo to Westfield New York
It caused him to realize the opportunity of a vast market for comfortable railcar service so 25+ years later he had factories in the United States & Europe 

The Pullman Company manufactured the Pioneer......which was the ultimate in sleeping cars with hand finished woodwork, silver trimmed fixtures etc & at a cost of $20,000 per car

The Pullman name lives on today in Europe as a symbol of elegance & luxury 

The manufacturing years of the steam locomotives located here range from 1891-1951 with the oldest one built was by the Robert Stephenson Company of England ( first corporation in the world that was created to specifically build railway engines)

TCDD is an abbreviation for The State Railways of the Republic of Turkey
Also the numbers serve a purpose;
A) #3 the number of driving axles, B) second #3 is the total number of axles in the engines, C) #55 the engine serial number

TCDD celebrated its 150th anniversary recently with the I-zmir to Aydin line in 1856.
After that countries of England & Germany arranged licenses with the Turkish Government for railway construction 

A total of 8600 kms of rail was laid during the Ottoman Empire between 1856 -1922 
Because of the weight of Steam Locomotives the rails had to be improved also.....thus since the 1870s the track has been made of steel 

There are no guides for this tour so do your research before heading here but a bonus, you are allowed to climb aboard ( using the engine ladders ) to get inside the railcars, cabs etc

The maximum speed for these locomotives was 190kms (120 mph) but it was never this fast as the railroad line was not designed for this  

I know car collectors that would pay big money for this patina 😃

Part of the coaling tower that replaced the early years of shovelling by hand 
These coaling stations were first built in Britain in 1847 & at first from wood, then steel or reinforced concrete plus used the gravity fed method

Collection of all modes of transport made for the rails as we leave the museum & its salute to the Golden Age of Steam 

Black & White Photos from my Travels

#Black_White_Photos
Touring the Inside of Georges Island  located in Halifax Harbour  (Canada) 
 It has served many purposes from a prison, a fort protecting the city, anchored submarine nets during the World War etc.
 Now open for tours from June to October

 

I am near Siberia Russia & not allowed to say why i was in this area 😎

Was staying on a Hobby Farm ( 60,000 of them) in the Australian Outback.
 The farms are required to be between 50-100 acres to qualify & once there as a paying guest you will launch yourself into the local culture plus perhaps working the farm
My fondest memory of my stay was how the night sky was so black with no light pollution from any manmade artificial illumination in the Outback 

Looking Up in London England 
Notice the gargoyle (which a more fun reason was) that it was placed there with the power to ward off evil spirits
A simpler answer is,  it acts like a spout to carry water away from the wall

Walking one of the 4500 narrow streets of Barcelona Spain 

Stockholm Sweden & i photo of a street light you ask 😂
Well some history, in 1749 the government asked property owners to keep their lanterns lit during the dark months from dusk to midnight

There are over 100 districts in Marseille France but still a walkable city as i found out

Loved the workmanship of this Restaurant Sign in Stockholm Sweden

Trinity Church in Boston Massachusetts has been designated as one of ten most important buildings in America & was completed in 1877 
Tours are available 

York Redoubt was built in 1793 & was part of the Halifax (Canada) Defence Complex to protect the entrance of the harbor for over three hundred years 

In the theme of B&W Photos.....one of my charcoal drawings of a random church 

Getting ready to ride on one of 150 canals running through Venice Italy
Interesting fact; back during the founding of Venice in the 5th Century it was a large lagoon with several small marshy islands separated by natural canals, so these natural canals were made more wider & deeper ( 3 to 4 meters 10-15 feet) during the expansion of the city

Walking the Magnificent Mile (13 city blocks of  450+ high end stores) in Chicago & came across this piece of fashion 😀

As i walk the streets of Toledo Spain & no that is not photoshopped 

Santorini Greece & the Fira to Oia hike

#Fira_Oia_Hike_Santorini
As my travel blog is about tips on where to visit & saving money doing so
(Case in Point) i read this hike is listed at $140.00 PP in small groups.
 Now my fellow travelers, you can do this on your own for 2 Euros (bus fare on the return to your starting point)
 All i ask from you is to wear proper footwear (you will see why with my photos) bring water / snacks, sunscreen & a hat

 

Although we are in Greece, it was the Romans who first invented cobblestone streets & paths but soon it will become loose gravel & dirt as we trek towards Oia

Now as we walk around the caldera you realize the massiveness of the volcanic eruption that occurred here 3500 years ago, (which today gives us these amazing views)  as it was one of the largest eruptions in recorded history that created a tsunami that wiped out the Minoan civilization on the island of Crete 200kms or 125 miles away   

Before tourism Santorini was a major trading hub that brought visiting & local vendors to the markets that featured crafted pottery, woven textiles, wines, spices & herbs

Why are a lot of the buildings in a dome shape
It was for simple reasons; basically for the low cost
As they were sometimes dug partially or entirely into the volcanic rock then its design was to have narrow, dome covered facades & windows to bring in the natural light 

This the part of the hike had some fencing up, so i assume either its private property or for safety reasons as the footing is very loose

As we can see Santorini is full of natural beauty & wild scenery but it is still considered an active volcano.....because its last eruption was only in the 1950s

A beautiful view of the Aegean Sea from the caldera (from Latin caldaria meaning cooking pot) 
   As in its meaning; a large depression formed when a volcano erupts then collapses, so basically when the magma chamber empties it leaves no support for the walls

Some challenging parts of the hike but also notice the black rocks, these are older volcanic stones from past eruptions being put to good use as you walk on history 

From above you can see the white washed structures as we make our way away from Fira
(which is the Capital of Santorini)
 As in its history; it first started out as a settlement in the late 18th century, eventually coming under the rule of the Turks (which because of their military) finally did not have to worry about the pirate raids on the island

Along your hike you will find vendors setup selling water, fruit, sunscreen etc.....but again please bring these essentials yourself , as these pop up stands are not consistent 

The main reason most buildings are whitewash ( made by mixing lime, water & sea salt ) the color is a reflector of heat so it works perfectly to keep the dwellings cool & fresh

We make our way up to the The Capel of the Assumption of the Virgin as this is the last climb before Oia 

Now having a few Adult Beverages for a job well done in Oia 😃

The local government was looking for a more elegant name so chose Oia  (Doric dialect meaning far)
as the village was so far from all the other settlements at this time  

The whitewashed walls & the blue domes of Santorini was not always colored this way
It was right-wing military regime (1967-1974) that imposed that all buildings be painted in this color scheme & was to inspire patriotism / attract more tourists
Moving forward; as you can see some structures change it up to stand out from the rest

Back in Fira & heading to the Old Port where the 588 Karavolades Stairs awaits me..... hey why not add it to the hike you just did 😀
 (Or as you can see in the distance the Cable Car for 6 Euros for adults / 3 Euros for children)