Machines

The life of the modern human is tightly related to machinery of all kinds. Be it cars or telescopes, spaceships or cameras, we live with them, and they live around us. And they die, too.

Freshly coated mirror

Astronomical telescopes use mirrors instead of lenses, because of their many advantages. These mirrors need to be cleaned and re-coated with aluminum (or sometimes other metals) every few years. This picture shows the 3.58 meter mirror of the ESO New Technology Telescope, just emerging from the aluminization chamber.

Past glory

Once an locomotive maintenance shop, the demise of steam engines led to the closing of this facility.

Failed port

It should have become a mayor seaport. But politics are seldom stable. Changes of priorities allowed time and sand to take possession of this structure.

Old iron

A detail of the above. Decades of rain and saltwater have eaten through many parts of the steel structure. Much of it now looks almost like wood!

Out of service

This machine was last used for building the Digua dam. It has an interesting reversible engine. Which does not keep it from slowly rusting into history.

Dirty grave

For some time the Rocuant channel in Talcahuano enjoyed the doubtful honor of being considered the world's most polluted place. It was a thick, incredibly stinky soup of industrial waste, spiced by entire cars and other trash discarded here. Fortunately, the situation has dramatically improved in the years after this photo was taken.

Fiery death

When the mountain lodge at Choshuenco Volcano burned down, this Willys Jeep was trapped in the flames. Its charred remains are rusting away, amidst a breathtaking landscape. So ended a long history of dependable service. The fate of machines.

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