"Sketching Big Pasco"

The USkTC group met up along the east side of Pasco, Wa., along the Columbia River, in an industrialized area once known as Big Pasco, but now the Port of Pasco.  During World War II, Pasco hosted the second largest Naval Base in the country as a place to train Navy pilots.  We still have a road here called, "Bombing Range Road," which is populated with homes and at least one large city park. I am assuming much of the equipment was delivered via river traffic from Portland, and by rail from probably Chicago.  Remnants of the old warehouses still stand; many still in use.  Also located at this site is Lampson International Crane.  When the nuclear reactors were in full construction and production mode, Neil Lampson, a local man with an idea, developed the large cranes needed for their construction.  His company, now run by his son, Bill, produces the largest cranes in the world. Their yard is filled with thousands, if no millions, of pieces of equipment and opportunities for sketchers.
   

Sketchers Dave Pointer, Patty Gardner, Patti Kirch, Jim Bumgarner, Gail Roadhouse,
Nancy Thurston, and newcomers, Katharine Rice and Harry McVicker joined us.

These two sketches are mine.  The old Mack truck languishes amongst the Lampson Crane yard's detritus, rusting and withering away in the weather. The other is a composite of equipment that caught my eye in the yard.  Both the yellow piece and the brown hook were close to six feet high, the green tank with tubes and pipes was about four feet high.