He’ll sleep well tonight
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Final images from the longest walk I’ve been able to take since the ‘orthopedic incident’ hobbled your humble narrator are on display today.
After walking through one of Pittsburgh’s central corridors, and visiting a brewery found alongside some train tracks, one began the journey back to HQ in nearby Dormont.
It’s quite a small ‘shlep’ to get to the light rail station from this spot.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As is my habit, I kept shooting while in movement. I’m planning on doing some ‘proper’ night shooting excursions in the spring, by the way. By proper – I mean tripod and full gear. For this walk, I was carrying my ‘minimum’ kit, and everything was hand held.
The day after this walk – snow, rain, and freezing temperatures returned to the Paris of Appalachia. That began a long cycle of ‘no bueno.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I haven’t been pursuing the low light dealie during my recovery period from the busted ankle, for obvious reasons. Frankly, it’s taken a lot of effort to just walk around during the afternoons, but there we are.
Also, I need to restate the fact that I’m not doing any historic research about Pittsburgh at all. None. My ignorance is curatorial.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Although I regularly pass through this Station Square Light Rail Station, I’ve remained inexperienced regarding the bus stops which are found there as well. As is often intoned, I’m planning on getting familiar with how the buses here work in the near future. It’s ’next.’
I had to cross a pretty busy street, so I hit the ‘walk’ arrow on the talking lamp post and it began telling me to wait.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
You see these talking lamp posts all over Pittsburgh, Philly too, so it must be a PA thing. I presume they’re accommodations for people with sensory deficits. It’s all pretty civilized, if you ask me. We didn’t have talking lamp posts like this back in Queens. The NYC version would probably tell you to ‘hurry the ‘eff up and get the ‘eff across the street, what are ya? An icehole?’
At any rate, this icehole chicken crossed the road, as I truly needed to get to the other side. That’s where the station is.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The T reliably got me back to Dormont, where my favorite local Pizza guy also happened to be open.
Turns out that the there’s this guy in Pittsburgh named ‘Antknee,’ who also grew up in the world’s only ‘true’ place – known as Brooklyn. He learned how to make pizza in Greenpoint, on Manhattan Avenue. It’s a proper NYC slice he offers, as far as the napolitan. His Sicilian slice is a bit smaller than the NYC standard, but it’s covered in charred pepperoni. Mmm.
Back tomorrow with something different – at this – your Newtown Pentacle.
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Two pints worth of ‘Hey Now’
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Triskedecaphobic? Don’t worry, your humble narrator got extremely lucky in terms of timing regarding these shots, so hopefully some of my good fortune will rub off on you during this Friday the 13th.
After a marathon scuttle through the heart of Pittsburgh, one had arrived at the Sly Fox Brewery and the Pittsburgh Subdivision Tracks of the CSX RR outfit in the South Side Flats section. I hadn’t ordered my drink yet, as I was some 40-50 feet over the tracks on a causeway, hovering.
CSX #5464 came through the pass first. I’m told it’s an GE ES44DC model locomotive.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Just as I was fixing to head downstairs and buy a drink, a Towboat was spotted navigating on the Monongahela River and under the Liberty Bridge.
There’s a flight of stairs here, but as is my practice, I decided to audit the elevator’s service instead. I’ve got legit reasons to use the elevator although it’s an elective, mind you, but I think it’s important to see how the ‘other half’ lives.
By the other half, I mean people with mobility issues. Everybody forgets about them, all the time.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Next up was CSX #5456. It was heading ‘away from Ohio.’
I had a lovely stout, if you’re wondering. Tasted almost like licorice.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Also moving ‘away from Ohio,’ the next train was CSX #7422.
This one came through as I was finishing my second pint of stout. That was my limit for the day, so I headed inside and resolved my bill.
Trains come through here in the late afternoon and early evening about every 20-30 minutes. Sometimes it’s an hour. This isn’t a hard rule, just an observation. Isn’t true all the time, but when it is – they just keep on keeping on.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Just as I was leaving the brewery, CSX #5429 hurtled through as well.
I boarded that elevator again, and used it to bring me back up to the causeway, which connects at sidewalk level to the street which leads back to the T station and my ride back home.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This is what the brewery looks like, for the curious. Out door tables, train tracks, beer, food, a bathroom… what else could you ask for?
Back next week – at this – your Newtown Pentacle.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
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Gazing, a ride, and then a ‘hey now’
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This shot involves the ‘gazing’ part from the title. Downtown Pittsburgh, with its shadow casting monoliths.
They don’t seem to do ‘set backs’ out here, so the massing of the upper floors of these towers mirror their bases. This causes a permanent sense of ‘dusk’ for these downtown streets, except for those narrow stripes of sunlight which somehow manage to beam past them. No Bueno.
This walk had been a pretty involved multi hour effort, but I wasn’t done yet.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The T light rail stop at Gateway Center was entered. I used the elevator to get down to the platform level, just to see how well it functioned. Your humble narrator will often go out of his way to see what people who are less abled might be experiencing in these sorts of municipal systems. But for the grace of god…
I boarded the first T that came into the station, and merrily sat down. First time I had sit down since I was moving through Skunk Hollow about two hours prior.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It would only be a few stops on the T, and all in the ‘free zone.’ The light rail runs for free at the City’s core. It’s all very civilized.
The light rail unit made its underground stops, then emerged back onto an elevated causeway at First Avenue Station, whereupon it then proceeded across the Panhandle Bridge spanning the Monongahela River.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The transit service vomited me forth and onto the mean streets of the South Side Flats section, at the Station Square stop. Soon, I was kicking dirt again.
My plan for the rest of my day involved reward for the effort.
The brewery which I haunt is a 15 minute walk from this spot, and I was powerfully thirsty by this point. Hadn’t had a drop of liquid pass my lips since leaving the house, and I’d pretty much walked here from all the way over in East Liberty.
I’ve had to break my usual rule of not carrying water with me on photowalks in Pittsburgh during the summer months, but during the winter months? Not so much. If you drink liquid, you’ll need to pee. That creates a logistical problem, even in a place which routinely deploys Porta-Potties around the city for use as public bathrooms.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The light was pretty great, so I cracked out a shot or two of the Liberty Bridge. This bridge is the ‘other side’ of West Liberty Avenue and the Liberty Tunnels which I showed y’all recently.
A quick call to HQ revealed to Our Lady where I was and served well enough as ‘confirmation of life’ for her to say ‘Have Fun.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It had been about a month since I was able to grab a beer and hang out by the CSX tracks here on the South Side. Missed that.
Tomorrow – lotsa Choo Choo.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
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Double time
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The last phases of a recent, and quite long, walk occurred along familiar territory. After debarking the Herron Street Bridge, one ‘hung a left’ onto Pittsburgh’s Penn Avenue. My next destination was off in the distance, where those tall buildings lurk.
As mentioned at the start of this multi week series of posts, the weather was on my side for once. It was fairly warm, with mild winds, and no precipitation was forecast.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A rail trestle, one that connects to the 33rd street rail bridge, was observed on Penn and then one moved on after cataloguing its location. This would be a great spot for getting shots of that ‘white whale’ rail service – the one which I can never seem to reliably catch shots of – the Allegheny Valley RR.
I kept on keeping on.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Some of that new construction cracked me up while walking along. Antics… wonder if this one passed inspection… I’ll bet it did.
This section is kind of a boring walk, with shops and stores selling stuff. Former warehouse buildings, some converted over to U-Haul dealerships or strip clubs, with some still warehouses still functioning according to their built purposes. There’s a few auto mechanic, and services, oriented businesses and at least once every two blocks there’s an opportunity for you to buy some branded Steeler’s ‘merch.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The 40th street Bridge was passed by next.
At this stage, I was mainly carrying the camera rather than wielding it, as I had just passed through this section a mere week before this occasion.
Along the way, conscious arrangements of my feet on the pavement were conducted, vouchsafing the gamey ankle and working on improvements to ‘gait.’ Can’t run before you can walk, all that.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Next up was the 16th street Bridge.
The short time goal for this section of my day involved getting to one of the T stations, to grab a quick ride to the South Side, and thereby save myself a couple of extra miles of walking and gain an hour of daylight.
By the time I got back to HQ, and checked, it seems that I had broken well through that noisome ten mile barrier which has defied me since the orthopedic incident.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Finally, the last bridge on this section of the walk, and it was the approach trestle to the Fort Wayne Rail Bridge. Whew.
Back tomorrow.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
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Sweets, and sours
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Continuing with a fairly long walk that began a few miles away in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty section and continued towards and through Bloomfield, snaked long the rim of a ravine called Skunk Hollow, and then continued onto Polish Hill which brings us here, to the Herron Avenue Bridge.
As detailed in the link above, this bridge carries pedestrian and vehicle traffic over the East Busway and several railroad rights of way. Apparently, it was closed off for emergency repairs during much of 2025, but then again so was I.
The bridge touches down at the angle between Bloomfield and Polish Hill, The Strip District, and Lawrenceville. I’ve had only topical contact with these places, as of yet.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The bridge provides a front row seat to the former Pittsburgh Brewing Company campus, wherein Iron City brand beer was brewed. If I’m reading the source material correctly, this structure dates back to 1866.
The rail tracks are shiny, indicating regular usage.
Iron City beer is brewed north of Pittsburgh these days, in a converted glass factory. Word has it that there’s a development project underway on this historic landmark, but that it’s been stalled for quite a while.
I am not doing any historic research. None.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The brewery itself seems to be in deleterious condition. One walked back and forth on the bridge for a few minutes, taking in the scene. I’d love to get the camera inside of that place sometime, but that would require me having to engineer the opportunity. I don’t want to talk to anyone anymore, ever again. Lone wolf, me.
I’m sure there’s a way to sneak in, but that just ain’t my style.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This building with the Hershey’s branding confused me, but a quick bit of online sleuthing suggested that this part of the PBC campus was recently used during production of a biopic movie about Milton Hershey, which was recently shot in and around Pittsburgh.
After thoroughly staring at everything, I began to move on.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This shot looks towards Downtown, and the East Busway. The steel truss is the 28th street bridge, which I’ve walked and commented upon in the past. As I keep saying, there’s a systematic method to all this madness.
One headed back down to street level,
– photo by Mitch Waxman
That’s a long shot of the Herron Street Bridge, in the middle of the shot above, just for the sake of completeness. Not sure what was going on with all that mud and the heavy trucks, but there’s an amazing amount of new construction going on nearby, so it’s probably related to all that.
Back tomorrow.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
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The Newtown Pentacle 