The Dining Cars Cafe is one of those rare sights along Highway 101 that is both supremely depressing and beautiful in its own right. What has remained serves as a testament to our changing culture. As an optimist I believe that our perceptions of past relics are changing, and our appreciation for these things will […]

These Detroit Rotograte Stokers work great at continuously discharging ash from the burning of coal. These stokers at the Great Western’s Longmont refinery were part of a much larger system of boilers that fed steam power for the entire factory (photo copyright Jon Haeber).
Editor’s Note: This is the final section of the series, “Sugar Refineries […]

This is the historic Longmont Refinery today. Captured from the ground floor, this large format image shows exactly how many pipes, catwalks, and tanks occupy a typical refinery. Walking through a sugar refinery fills your mind with conjecture, shock, amazement, and curiosity — all at once (photo copyright Jon Haeber)

Editor’s Note: From the founding of […]