I found a wikipedia page on Buckingham Branch railroad:
"Buckingham Branch Railroad (AAR reporting marks BB) is a Class III short-line railroad operating over 200 miles (322 km) of historic and strategic trackage in Central Virginia. Sharing overhead traffic with CSX and Amtrak, the company's headquarters are in Dillwyn, Virginia in the former Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad (C&O) station, itself a historic landmark in the community."
More about BB: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckingham_Branch_Railroad
[Scroll down to the bottom of this page to see nice pictures of a few Buckingham trains!!]
I will be posting some of my shots of Buckingham 5 soon.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Thursday, January 10, 2008
sound samples
Before last Thanksgiving, I got a chance to talk to Don at the station. He introduced me to Buckingham 5 when the train engineer was working on it. They explained that the percussive sound to which I'm most attracted is produced by the spitter valve. The spitter valve releases the moisture in the engine, usually at the end of the day when the engine is shut down.
I was able to collect two samples of the spitting sound from Buckingham 5. Thanks, Don!
Closeup: mp3 file [30 seconds]
Afar: mp3 file [2:46 minutes]
I was able to collect two samples of the spitting sound from Buckingham 5. Thanks, Don!
Closeup: mp3 file [30 seconds]
Afar: mp3 file [2:46 minutes]
project inspiration and statement
As a resident of the Belmont neighborhood in Charlottesville, I walk
across the Belmont Bridge next to the Charlottesville Downtown Mall,
one of the sites where Buckingham trains sit for the purposes of loading and
unloading. Over past few months, I've become very attuned and
attracted to the sounds made by a particular train - Buckingham 6 -
while it rests on weekday afternoons. From an experimental
musician's perspective, Buckingham 6 makes the most rhythmically and
texturally compelling sounds that musicians could hardly generate
using ready-made technologies.
My artistic vision is to gather a few musicians to set up near the
site - most likely under the Belmont Bridge - and improvise along
Buckingham 6 live. This event will then be documented and become a
part of the series "On-Site Improvisation with Trains."
As of now, I'm generating interest from the community. My hope is that
with enough institutional support, I can convince the train company to
collaborate with us. If you're with me, send me an email: wendy.f.hsu@gmail.com.
across the Belmont Bridge next to the Charlottesville Downtown Mall,
one of the sites where Buckingham trains sit for the purposes of loading and
unloading. Over past few months, I've become very attuned and
attracted to the sounds made by a particular train - Buckingham 6 -
while it rests on weekday afternoons. From an experimental
musician's perspective, Buckingham 6 makes the most rhythmically and
texturally compelling sounds that musicians could hardly generate
using ready-made technologies.
My artistic vision is to gather a few musicians to set up near the
site - most likely under the Belmont Bridge - and improvise along
Buckingham 6 live. This event will then be documented and become a
part of the series "On-Site Improvisation with Trains."
As of now, I'm generating interest from the community. My hope is that
with enough institutional support, I can convince the train company to
collaborate with us. If you're with me, send me an email: wendy.f.hsu@gmail.com.
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