Archive for February 18th, 2026
Polar Xpress?
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As described yesterday, after a recent social engagement your humble narrator decided it would be a good idea to take a walk during a ‘Snow Squall’ here in Pittsburgh, just to see what that’s like.
Verdict: It sucked.
Cold, windy, wet. My grandmother always said ‘you’re put on this earth to suffer,’ but she had a Slavic mentality. I had arrived nearby the Sly Fox Brewery which is often mentioned here, and took up position to wait for a train to pass through. I allocated no more than a half hour of ‘hanging around’ time before I’d move on and start heading back to HQ.
Lucky…
– photo by Mitch Waxman
First CSX traffic moving through the pass was a work truck, riding on one of those cool rigs which allow them to follow the rails. Always a good sign when you see these guys driving by, as the odds increase dramatically that something big will be approaching soon.
My ‘minimum kit’ bag does not include the ‘railfan’ scanner radio which allows me to spy on the RR company’s radio traffic. Everything in the minimum setup is about weight, and reducing ‘the carry’ as much as is possible out of the bag. My normal camera bag, a 32 litre knap sack, weighs about thirty pounds when fully loaded. This ‘minimum kit’ bag weighs about five pounds, with most of that due to a 24-105 zoom lens.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
CSX #5462 made all my suffering go away when it appeared. It was still snowing, but it wasn’t the ‘white out’ photo condition I was hoping for.
Nevertheless, here’s a Sunday afternoon ‘Snow Squall freight train photo’ for you, lords and ladies. Choo-Choo.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I wasn’t planning on hanging around the brewery, or to even order myself a drink on this occasion. Wasn’t that kind of day. Heck, I’d just had brunch with friends about 90 minutes previously.
As soon as # 5462 passed through, I headed up and onto a causeway that eventually meets back up with and t level with Carson Street, where where this scuttle had began a couple of miles behind.
One of the more ‘freeing’ things about being able to properly walk again also revolves around not spending an absolute fortune on cabs. I’d head over to the light rail station and catch a mass transit ride back to HQ.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One last shot from up top, and then the camera and bag straps received a quick policing. The ‘warm’ coat I was wearing, as opposed to the normal filthy black raincoat, is kind of ‘bubbly.’ It’s a lot like wearing a bed’s comforter, with a good inch to an inch and a half of insulation. It does make me feel like the cartoon character which the Michelin tire company uses as their mascot. Clumsy, but warm.
A quick few blocks of walking occurred next, and then I was at the Station Square stop on the T light rail waiting for my ride.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Luckily, I didn’t have to wait long and soon I was walking through the front door of HQ, where Moe the Dog was surprisingly happy to see me. My dog can be kind of a jerk, but it’s swell when he’s in a good mood.
Back tomorrow with something different – at this – your Newtown Pentacle.
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