Hi all,
I stumbled upon an architect's blog that contained a photo of this fascinating trackside structure:
The blog doesn't mention anything about this structure specifically, but the photo tag says "gauging station"-- can anyone enlighten me further about this?
Phil
Generaly, a gauging station has to do with monitoring depth and flow of a body of water.
Not sure about this one. Hard to tell from the picture, but to the far right, it looks like the area around the station might have a system of canals for irragation.
I guess a location, and a satalite view would help determine what is going.
Mike.
My You Tube
I googled "gauging station" and then I google-imaged gauging station and learned all sorts of interesting stuff. Try it. It would seem this might more correctly be called a gauge house at a gauging station.
https://www.trenchlesspedia.com/definition/3053/gauging-station
Dave Nelson
Thanks! Yes, it's hard to tell if there's a water body nearby-- I had wondered if it had a function related to being trackside, but I doubt that's the case after doing more searching.
This is in the San Luis Valley, CO-- lots of farmland, so monitoring irrigation flow would make sense.
This is on one side of a river, likely the Rio Grande. Notice the cables stretching off to the left. These would span the river to another tower. A weighted propeller flow meter would traverse the cable being lowered to various depths at each location and the flow velocity recorded (based on revolutions per minute of the propeller). The process was repeated across the river. From this data, collected periodically at different river stages, the flow at any given depth could be determined and graphed. Once calibrated, you only had to measure depth to know the flow rate. The Rio Grande in the San Louis Valley is unstable and meanders over a large floodplain. It's likely that after a major flow event that the gauge would be recalibrated.
Ray
I am with Colorado Ray and pt74 on this one. Just behind the structure there is that bare earth embankment. I bet it is the far bank of either an irrigation ditch or the Rio Grande if Colorado Ray is correct. I opt for irrigation ditch, because if it was the Rio Grande, the USGS would have modernized the building.
Bear "It's all about having fun."
Colorado Ray Notice the cables stretching off to the left.
Notice the cables stretching off to the left.
I've been an electrician for most of my life. Those are electrical wires delivering power to the building. Notice the three attachment insulators.
Ed
7j43k Colorado Ray Notice the cables stretching off to the left. I've been an electrician for most of my life. Those are electrical wires delivering power to the building. Notice the three attachment insulators. Ed
Ed, you are more observant than I. I hadn't noticed that the cables go in front of the tower, not into it. Wonder why they need three phase power if it's just a guaging station? Could be a pump house with the tower used as an enclosed derrick to pull up the casing and/or pumps.