Archive for September 14th, 2022
fourth harangue
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A final post from the excursion I was invited to join in on to the NY Central Railroad’s abandoned Glenwood Power Plant in Yonkers.
These shots are from the boiler building, where coal fired furnaces were stoked, which heated the boilers that steam powered the generators in the building next door, which then electrified the NYC RR Hudson Line tracks leading south into Grand Central.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As mentioned in earlier posts, this 1907 plant was abandoned in 1971 by its new owner – MTA – after they took over the commuter and rail service on the Hudson Line from the bankrupt NY Central (which had merged with its longtime rival Pennsylvania Railroad into the unwieldy PennCentral RR), due to an MTA preference to buy the electricity from suppliers like Consolidated Edison rather than generate it themselves.
The plant went feral. It’s rumored to be one of the sites where the long rumored “Son of Sam cult” would meet up.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The fellow who was guiding us was the engineer responsible for shoring up and making these structures habitable again. Due to it being exposed to the elements for five decades, there’s a lot of rot he and his crews have to deal with – rusty and water damaged structural steel, shifting foundations, you name it.
I kept on shooting while he was talking about the immensity of the task.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It’s in places like this that you’re reminded that giants used to stride the earth in New York City and it’s surroundings.
The day trip was beginning to wind down, and as the group began to filter towards the exits, I kept on shooting.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Whenever I have limited or one time access to a location, this is my practice. Keep the camera busy until the very last moment.
Finally, that moment came.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
We gathered outside, and the rest of the group became interested in some pile of rusty steel, so I kept on keeping on.
Something somewhat different tomorrow – at this – your Newtown Pentacle.
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“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
The Newtown Pentacle 