Tehachapi, CA Windmills and Serious Brush Fire

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Bob Buchanan

Bob Buchanan

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Joined
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Location
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Have been wanting create a Windmill or Wind Turbine Album on my Flickr photo site - but only had a few pics so far. Then this weekend driving over the Tehachapi Summit on the 58 freeway was blessed with clear skies and some nice clouds behind the mountains and windfarms.

Then on Labor day a few days later, a small plane crashed just behind where I had taken the initial shot. You may have heard about it on the news. It caused a very serious brush fire that is still raging as I look that way from my rig here in Mojave.

Armed with my Canon 50D and 100-400mm lens I drove to the West side of Mojave the evening of the 4th and was able to capture a shot of the colors of the smoke from the fire against the silhouette of another windmill farm. I was probably about 35 miles from the location of the fire (I love this lens :) ).

HERE is the beginnings of my "Windmills" Flickr album - with only a few images so far. The best way to view is to first left click the first image thumbnail, then left click the resulting image again to enter a black background viewer. OR -- you can just click the slide show button to the upper right.

All of my albums (called Sets in Flickr) are displayed HERE.
 
Interesting Bob, thanks for sharing. Having lived in Livermore for 10 years, and having traveled over Patterson Pass for 25+ years en route to the Delta (from Livermore and San Jose), we've seen our share of wind turbines generators. Since we're usually passing through, I've rarely attempted to take any pictures, although our overseas visitors are always "impressed".

I've worked in power generation (steam turbine), but not wind generated, and could only imagine the size of those blades. But, seeing the blades on the railroad flatbeds in one of your pictures really gives them a dimension.
 
Where's the picture Robert? All you had to do was pull out the iPhone and press a button, right?
 
Tom said:
I've worked in power generation (steam turbine), but not wind generated, and could only imagine the size of those blades. But, seeing the blades on the railroad flatbeds in one of your pictures really gives them a dimension.
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The first time I saw the blades I did a double take myself, Tom. Then it took me about 4 hours to get the shots I wanted. Seems the tracks were fenced in both directions - mostly by the airport. Actually, the Space Port as they call it.  I finally found a break in the fencing and was able to get the shot I wanted.

I took another "through" the fence earlier that I have just added to the album. I like it as well because it shows how they link the flatbeds together so one blade end is higher than the other to handle the curves along the way. Plus it has about 12 jumbo jets in the background.

Took another long shot of the mountain area that they were fighting this afternoon. It gave me a lot of color from the smoke and sun trying to get through plus another segment of the wind turbine farm in the foreground. I also placed that one in the same album.

And finally, I took THIS IMAGE at about 2:30 this afternoon. There was not a cloud in the sky - just brush and tree fire smoke hiding the sun over the mountains. However, the sun "was" trying it's best to get through - and in so doing created some great colors to the smoke. Do a left click on the image -- it looks great framed in black.

It's nice having a lens that allows me to take pictures from Mojave of a fire Southeast of Tehachapi.  :)
 
Bob,

As usual, some great shots! We've passed several blades on the highway heading for new homes. They are truly amazing in size! Even turning at slow speeds they could cause a lot of damage!
 
Nice shots! Ever wonder what the inside of one of those pedestals looks like?
 

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Even turning at slow speeds they could cause a lot of damage!
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Turning at 20 RPM, the tips of those blades are going over 120 MPH.

I was heading towards the Western Railway Museum a couple of years ago, and decided to stop for lunch on CA 113 where it makes the zig-zag between CA 12 and Dixon.  There's a seldom used weigh station there, so I pulled over and started making a sandwich.

Just as I was about to take my first bite, a CHP car pulls next to me with his lights on.  He suggested if I was going south I might want to get moving, as he was the lead car on a caravan of three large windmill blades making their way towards the windfarm.  I thanked him and finished my sandwich when I arrived at the museum.
 
Pierat said:
Nice shots! Ever wonder what the inside of one of those pedestals looks like?
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Thanks!! They have a holding area in Mojave for "Parts" on these turbines that arrive by rail or truck. At first I didn't realize what those huge tube sections were until I got further into photographing the windmills. They can barely get one pedestal section on a flatbed truck - then need wide load vehicles in front and rear to move them. Am going to try to get some images of one of construction sites south of Mojave this evening. I drove out this AM but the sun was exactly where I didn't want it to be.  :(
 
Jim Dick said:
Bob,

As usual, some great shots! We've passed several blades on the highway heading for new homes. They are truly amazing in size! Even turning at slow speeds they could cause a lot of damage!
Click to expand...

Thank you, Jim. Was watching a few of the really big ones this AM. As Lou pointed out, the outside tips of the three blades are covering a lot of ground in a single revolution. I recall my Dad explaining to me why the horses on the outside of the carnival merry go round wer going so much faster than the ones closer to the center. A little study in angular velocity for a six year old.  :)

I added a few more images to my Windmill Flickr album yesterday and this AM. Look at the size of THESE TWO and consider how far and fast the tips travel at 20rpm.
 
Bob,

Interesting shots. I noticed when I zoom in there are red and blue circles that rotate within a "sight glass" in the photo.
 
Molaker said:
Bob, if you ever get over on the East coast, you may want to check out the Maple Ridge windmill farm in New York.  I don't know how it might compare with the one you photographed in CA, but it is, nonetheless, impressive.
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I made a web page of the towers & turbines arriving at the Port of Oswego & the trucks making the deliveries to the Maple Ridge Wind Farm:

Oswego Port Authority & the Maple Ridge Wind Farm

It was interesting watching the longest truck/trailer combinations (150' long) going around corners - a pick up drove along behind them with a radio control used to steer the rear wheels on the trailer.
 
Jim Dick said:
Bob,

Interesting shots. I noticed when I zoom in there are red and blue circles that rotate within a "sight glass" in the photo.
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Jim, that appears to be a buffer refill as you move from one image to the next. One reason I like Flickr is that I have unlimited storage so can upload high resolution for better viewing. Notice above the image the various sizes you can view. As you know, real photographic value is not seen until you look at a full screen high res printable image.

BTW, Jim -- every time I see a potential winner in my viewfinder now, I wait a second or two hoping a Moose will step into the scene.  :)
 
In May 2010 we stopped at the Fargo ND Flying J and Jerry took pictures of some trucks carrying these monster windmill propellers.  Even though we had passed California's windmill farms numerous times it was still mindboggling to see the propellers up close!  Imagine driving one of those trucks!

ArdraF
 

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Those four lined up fascinated us.  Wished we had seen them pull in because they must have backed in - unless someone knows that Flying J well enough to tell us there's another entrance for a pull through maneuver.  That's the second time we've seen them there so they must have an arrangement with Flying J.

By the way, Bob, I was so busy getting those photos attached that I forgot to tell you how neat your photos were.  The red background is amazing!

ArdraF
 
Bob Buchanan said:
BTW, Jim -- every time I see a potential winner in my viewfinder now, I wait a second or two hoping a Moose will step into the scene.  :)
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Bob,

I hope it happens soon! :)
 
Have just about completed my Tehachapi Wind Turbine album. Initially called it Windmills and was going to begin with an image taken of the windmill at Anderson's Restaurant in Santa Nella, CA. However, have since gotten wrapped up in these giant turbines I have found in the Mojave/Tehachapi area.

Wanted to get an image showing how these huge blades actually bend in the wind - by design. They are carefully designed that way to allow higher winds to move them faster - but care had to be taken in the design to keep them from bending to the point of hitting the pedestal as they turn. Some are pre-bent in the opposite direction to allow them more bending room against the wind.

Yesterday afternoon a typical high wind blow started here in Mojave so I drove out to the nearest farm with the big guy turbines and was able to get THIS image (left click for black background) at a slow enough hand held shutter speed to show some movement. The wind was probably in the 35mph range. They do shut down when the wind gets to the design limit - plus the blades then turn horizontal to the wind direction.

I may add one or two more after a visit tonight - but for the most part, HERE is a slide show of my time here in Mojave this trip. Most likely will head toward Laughlin in the AM.
 
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