Spent a good part of today at the Winston Link Museum in Roanoke's old Norfolk & Western Railway Passenger Station.

Link, a New York-based commercial photographer, spent eight years of his life documenting the final days of steam locomotives on the N&W, the last major railway to switch to diesel.

He paid for the project out of his own pocket even though N&W gave him access to the trains, yards and facilities and even stopped trains to accomodate his shooting schedule.

His fascinating photos of trains passing through communities at night provide not only a history of the final days of steam railroading but captured a way of life that no longer exists.

Link inspired Amy and I to launch the Our America Project in 2001, documenting the first decade of the new century.

Afterwards, we wandered down to the Market on the Square and bumped into Floyd's Jayn Avery selling her pottery. Amy decided to share the wealth with one of the local galleries as well.