Travel a few miles east of Louisa and the next stop on the former Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad's Piedmont Subdivision is the small town of Mineral, Virginia. The town was originally called Tolersville Station but after the discovery of copper, gold, mica and sulfur in the 1880s, the town was renamed Mineral.
The station was built in the mid 1880's and is still standing and is reasonably well maintained. Passenger service was discontinued in the 1950s and freight service ended in 1979.
Thanks to the Chesapeake and Ohio Piedmont Subdivision website. This is a privately run site that is not affiliated with the C&O, but provides a wealth of information on the history of the Piedmont Subdivision.
I'm not sure, but this looks vaguely familiar. We lived in Mineral when I was about 2 1/2 - 3 years old, in the '50s. I was looking for pictures of the town to see what it is like now, and maybe find out what it was like then. I think it was pretty rural with a population under a hundred at the time, but I don't know.
ReplyDeleteWhat are you using camera and lens wise? Your pictures are so crisp - even the colors.
Pat, I have a friend who grew up in Mineral and remembers the town during the 1950s. I think, like most small towns these days, that Mineral has declined since then. You are right, this is a very rural area, although it is not too far from Charlottesville and Richmond.
ReplyDeleteThis picture and most of the other photos were made with a Pentax K10D digital SLR. This shot of the depot was made with the Pentax FA 35mm lens.
Thanks for reading Photography In Place. I hope you will visit again.
You know? I'd forgotten all about Pentax! It had not come up on any searches. I am trying to figure out which set up would work best for me. I only, but gratefully, have a Canon Powershot is10x. Digital opens so many possibilities. Now that I have gotten used to it, I really want to go back to SLRs, but this time digital.
ReplyDeleteYour photos make a very good case for Pentax :)
I have been shooting Pentax since around 1984, when I bought an Pentax MX SLR which I still use. When digital came along, Pentax was a natural choice for me because my collection of Pentax lenses could be used on the digital camera. You say you are looking for the setup that will work best for you, which I think is the right approach. Pentax has worked well for me, but everyone's needs and preferences are different. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the DSLRs currently on the market.
ReplyDelete