There used to be a large abandoned power plant in a town not too far from me. I visited once, eleven maybe twelve years ago and I must have decided it was sealed up pretty tight because I didn't go back until this past summer. The power plant was gone of course, but the mills it used to power were still there. Built by separate interests over time, they were eventually subsumed under one massive conglomerate. The plant I unwisely sat on so long was meant to consolidate hydro-power on one site, and generate steam. Miles of steam pipes connect the site and they are absolutely worth a visit just on their own -the bridges especially- but there's more to the story.
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2. Most of the former mill houses have reverted to new uses, but a few are at least partially abandoned.
3. These buildings looked very interesting. The only problem is that they are on the opposite side of the river. In back of them, there is a large and very active industrial complex. It stretches around on three sides. I could hear the employees.
4. So I tried my luck with one of the bridges.
5. I'm not very high above the river here, but the footing is tricky.
6. I eventually opted for a different approach; wading through the river.
7. When I got to the far side, I was faced with a different obstacle; I was on the wrong side of the tail race canal and let me tell you, it was one of the murkier tail races I've seen. There was also something decidedly menacing about that half-submerged tree floating in it.
8. Getting around it meant substantially more climbing, much of it with my back to that horrible water. Eventually, I made it up to the old headrace. I guess the damn used to be much higher. Only problem is there's no way down from here.
I'm quite tantalized at this point too because this building, straddling the tail race and separating me from the rest of the complex is the wheelhouse and that means turbines and yes, I am absolutely still on a turbine kick, thank you very much.
9. One of the old gate control mechanisms is still in place
10. After quite a bit more climbing, I find myself at the bottom of the head race. Thanks to whoever managed to scrap the entire six foot diameter penstock, there was a gap between the concrete walls of the headrace and the building where I could squeeze in.
11. But instead of turbines, what do I find? Well it looked a lot like three, maybe four 1980's living room sets, pushed through the windows from outside. Its also a dead end because the only door leading from here to the rest of the complex is locked.
12. I had much better luck finding turbines on a different day in a different part of the the complex. All I had to do was follow this incredibly dicey looking wooden penstock.
13. With the pressure mounting, the wood switches over to cast iron. I'm almost there.
14. Finally, the reward. A cozy, little wheelhouse in the trees. Look at that turbine!
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16. What a view!
Thanks for looking!
