Winter Has Arrived

Photo: Ice Sickles & Snow Field - Jerome Illinois 12.09.05


Photo: Snow on Tree Branches - Horace Mann Plaza Springfield, IL - 12.07.05


Photo: Saint John's Hospital - Downtown Springfield, IL - Frigid Night 12.07.05

Winter changes much, but snow changes everything! Tonight I noticed the fiery golden sun splash its rays across the snow covered roads, and fields. The sky crystal clear above in varying shades of blue. Tree branches catching the sun's last rays lit up in darkening tones of burnt orange. Totally deadly, yet incredibly beautiful can be a winter's day in the Midwest.

All photographs included in this post were taken over the last several days in Springfield, and Jerome, Illinois.

Union Station Spiral Stairway to Heaven

Photo: Union Station Clocktower Gets A Spiral Stairway


Photo: ALPLM Union Station Spiral Stairway Awaits Crane Lift


Photo: Springfield, Illinois Union Station Stairway Prior to Installation

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum includes Union Station which is undergoing a rehabilitation project. The most exciting aspect of the Union Station Rehabilitation Project certainly must be the addition of a one hundred foot tall clocktower to the station.

The clocktower's steel frame can be seen in the photograph above. Running up the center of the clocktower is an amazing spiral staircase! The staircase as of yet, is not entirely installed, as the photographs above illustrate.

Hopefully, once Springfield, Illinois' Union Station opens to the public the spiral staircase will be available for anyone wanting the challenge of climbing up its winding spire. I imagine the view from any window atop the clocktower will be well worth the climb! Looking down upon the Union Square Park once it is finished, and down upon the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Complex will have to be be an exciting, and beautiful scene to behold. I wonder if a webcam will be installed atop the clocktower?

Union Station Roofing In Progress II

Photo: Union Station's Roofing Progress Continues


Photo: Union Station Roofing Project - Springfield, Illinois 11.29.05


Photo: Work Planks Installed to Southeast Face

Rehabilitation work on Springfield, Illinois' Union Station continues in earnest despite frigid temperatures, and dangerously cold winds. As the photographs in this post illustrate the application of roofing tiles to the station's south face of its east wing is nearly complete.

Wooden planking has been secured onto the southeast face of Union Station's roof. The planks are aproximately four inches wide which is just enough room to allow roofers to scale along the angled slope of Union Station's roof without slipping. Roofers must prepare masonry roofing tiles with powersaws equiped with blades designed for cutting masonry. The roofers then wedge the masonry tiles into place row by row.

The roofers have been working in cold temperatures, dealing with strong winds for many hours at a time high above the ground. It is obvious that a fall would result in severe injury, or death, and therefore there is no room for mistakes.