Earlier this year I added a portfolio of images of the new Link light rail system in Seattle. That system is an electrically powered train that travels above, within and under the city, providing a handy alternative to getting around.

This current system is the modern equivalent of one that existed in the late 1800s and early 1900s. At that time Seattle had a horse-powered (literally) street car system that served the same purpose. In 1906, the Seattle Electric Company built the Georgetown Steam Plant to provide electricity to power the street cars.

These images show the equipment in the engine room of the Georgetown Steam Plant which is all that is left of Link’s predecessor. Seattle City Light decommissioned the Steam Plant in 1997 but continues to preserve it as a historical community resource. It’s quite a contrast to the sleekly modern Link system operating today. But it’s also an inspiring subject for photographs that are indicative of the Steam Plant’s former glory.