This is why we do it....The Glass Sky Project

By Kevin Vollmer; posted May 15, 2017

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One of the things that I love the most about hunting in the wild is tranquil serenity of the by-gone times. Being out in the middle of the countryside in isolation around all these poles is, to me, intoxicating. Something about these relics of the past decaying in the middle of nowhere with shiny glass treasures on them just gets under my skin, and I'm sure it gets under some of yours' too. I love being out here. I'm addicted. These polls aren't going to be there forever. Either they decay to the point they don't stand, or the railroad comes around and cuts them down. In an effort to preserve the beauty of these now forgotten communication/distribution lines, I have made it a personal mission to capture as many photographs as I can. It is a project I know I will enjoy, and I hope the rest of you enjoy what I bring to the table. I present to you the Glass Sky Project.

This particular stretch of track on the Canadian National railway just west of Burlington, IL, was interesting. At first the poles had almost no insulators on them, and the ones that did were all broken. After walking for about bit I was starting to think I was wasting my time in this particular area. Then I found the promise land. The poles stretched on for as far as the eye could see, with the shimmering colors of the insulators glistening in the sun. To make it even more special, there is the contrast between the old telecom poles next to brand new high voltage transmission lines coincidentally with glass sediver suspension disks. As I was on my way back to my car, another pleasant surprise came: a freight train. It added a much sought after addition to the photos. At one point I even found a poll with 3 baby signals on it, a welcome change from the usual CD 154s, 155s, 145s, and 152s. More to come at a later date.

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