[Leica] Baku Rail Yard

[Matt Kollasch]

Thanks Gerry. Baku does provide some interesting photo ops.

G*andy dancer* is a slang term for a rail worker... one who works on the
tracks toting ties and rails, shoveling rock, aligning track, tamping-up
ties, and pounding spikes. On the rails, wearing sequins might have been a
problem with my fellow "dancers." But you never know. I didn't test those
waters.

Here's some more info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gandy_dancer

Also, here's a great song that refers this rail work: "Tamp 'em up Solid" a
traditional song performed by Ry Cooder:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPCYBtx39EE

/matt

On Thu, Aug 20, 2015 at 1:19 PM, Gerry Walden <gerry.walden at icloud.com>
wrote:

> Nice one Matt, and I envy your opportunity. Please explain what a ‘gandy
> dancer’ is because I now have visions of a Leica-toting guy in a sequinned
> and lurex jump suit, which isn’t great!
>
> Gerry
>
> Gerry Walden LRPS
> www.gwpics.com
> +44 (0)23 8046 3076 or
> +44 (0)797 287 7932
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > On 20 Aug 2015, at 08:58, Matt Kollasch <narbutta17 at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > On a recent walk I ended up on the back side of Baku rail yard where they
> > maintain and clean the wagons that are dispatched, for example, with the
> > night train to Tbilisi. I like rail stations, trains, and rail yards
> > despite (or because?) having working three stints as a gandy dancer when
> I
> > was a young man. I wanted to see what it was like in that rail yard so I
> > walked in.
> >
> > With those first steps I wondered how long it will take them to kick me
> > out. I immediately met a "chief" who spoke German so we talked despite my
> > meager German. I stopped to take a photo and he walked on so I was then
> > without an escort. I soon passed two police officers and kept walking. So
> > far so good. I then met a woman cleaning the wagons who wanted her photo
> > taken and then she took me over to her friend where I took some more
> shots
> > (I will return to give them prints).
> >
> > Soon the same two cops I had met before we there telling me to leave the
> > rail yard. They were friendly about my expulsion and didn't have me
> delete
> > photos. I was in the rail yard for twenty minutes.
> >
> > In addition to the shots of the workers, I managed to get this shot:
> > http://www.kollarfoto.com/azerbaijan/  :::   M240 | 35 Summarit
> >
> > /matt
> >
> > .
> >
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