Archive for the ‘Pennsylvania’ Category
Peanuts & Crackerjacks, yo
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
After having ridden the T light rail into Downtown Pittsburgh from HQ in Dormont, your humble narrator hit the streets. Pictured above is (what I’m told) the former home and 1893 vintage ‘flagship’ department store of the Joseph Horne Company at Stanwix Street and Penn Avenue.
There was an event going during this particular afternoon, a couple of miles away, meant to be taking place on the North Side of the Allegheny River which seemed like it was going to be quite silly, and was the sort of thing I normally would like to point a camera at. When I got there, no event. It was, in fact, silly.
My footsteps were nevertheless being loosely organized in that general direction.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The Pirates were three innings into a baseball game with the Reds, directly across the Allegheny River.
It was positively sultry out, with temperatures in the low 90’s and a fair amount of humidity. A steady breeze was blowing, however, and whenever shade could be found – things were existentially tolerable.
Saying that, it was hot, and this ended up being one of my ‘short walks.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As an aside, I have managed to survive all of the tests and ministrations which my team of doctors have insisted upon in the last four weeks.
After having to delay several prescribed things due to the ankle situation, I can report that your humble narrator has now been analyzed fully. Just visited the dentist too, so I can honestly say ‘head to toe.’ Not ‘exactly’ a clean bill of health came back to me from all the tests, but then again, I’m in my late 50’s so… you ain’t gonna get no good news from the blue pajamas and white coats crowd after 50.
As is usually the case with me, just keep walking, that’s the curative for everything. When you stop moving, that’s when you’ve started to decay. Get out of the house and go see something, ya lazy…
My entire philosophy is based, suffice to say, on this: Put one foot in front of the other… (There’s also ‘What would Superman do’ of course.)
– photo by Mitch Waxman
On game days, such as this particular Sunday, the city closes the Roberto Clemente Bridge to traffic so that the baseball fans can use it as a pedestrian ramp to the stadium from downtown. No way am I not going to take advantage of that – as it’s a very interesting situation.
No shade, though, and did I mention it was HOT. Saying that, I seem to possess an ability which most do not these days.
I can sublimate temporary discomfort for a while, without freaking out about becoming dehydrated within three minutes or worrying about my electrolyte balance. Yeah, it was uncomfortable, but it’s the world. You want comfort, stay home.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There were a steady stream of Baseball fans leaving the stadium, and I overheard one of them telling his wife on the phone that it was just ‘too damn hot to sit in the stands.’ That’s probably why so many people were sitting in those shady ‘nose bleed’ seats at PNC Park.
I attended a Pirates game here in 2024, check out the views from inside the stadium here if you like.
The earphones came out shortly after starting the walk on the Clemente Bridge, which is one of Pittsburgh’s iconic ‘Three Sisters Bridges.’ Full sensory and situational awareness was required.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A heel spin, and looking back at the pathway I’d walked.
An old habit, born in NYC, to see if anyone is following me. Let me tell you, the camera gets instantly noticed by the street people here. Usually, I’ll stand there staring at their eyes so when the gaze retreats off the camera and up to the ‘size the victim up’ phase, they see me intently glaring at them and sometimes smiling. That’s usually enough in Pittsburgh, but… everybody besides me is packing a pistol in Pennsylvania. Concealed carry is kosher here.
I can do the Bene Gesserit voice from Dune, as a note. Just tell people what to do and they start doing it without realizing.
Back next week with more, from the Paris of Appalachia, at this – your Newtown Pentacle.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“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.
To zee T
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The T light rail runs directly through Pittsburgh’s Dormont section, where Newtown Pentacle HQ is found. It’s one of the reasons that Our Lady and myself decided to settle here when we relocated out of NYC. It’s awesome having a car and being able to drive all over hill and dale, but your humble narrator doesn’t always want to be burdened by having to be responsible. It also ties my hands as far as wandering about goes, since you need to loop back to where you started.
Additionally: You cant really ‘see’ things from inside a motor vehicle that you’re operating, or from a moving bike, as you’re moving too fast and are distracted by road rules and hazards. Recent endeavor, thereby, saw me scuttling up the steep hill which HQ is at the bottom of, and then up to the tracks of the T at ‘Potomac Station.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This is the actual T unit which I rode into town on. The system uses (amongst other fare collection methods, apps etc.) a ‘ConnectCard,’ which is either pre-loaded up with cash or connected to a credit card or bank account. You pay upon boarding, when heading into the city, and when debarking on the ‘away from Pittsburgh’ side of the station. It’s a zone system they use, for the T. You’re just sort of expected to know the way that the system works, a part of the presumed Pittsburgh ‘vernacular knowledge’ thing which I mention a lot.
These light rail units are electrically powered, by suspended catenary wires.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This shot is actually from a completely different walk/day, but I wanted to show what it looks like when a Pittsburgh bound T is leaving Potomac station. Normally, I’d be on board that train, so…
Back tomorrow with where I was going – and all that – it’s photowalk time.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“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.
Six mile scuttle, fin
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I had to kill an hour or so before the next CSX train showed up, on their Pittsburgh Subdivision Tracks, but at least I had a place to sit down.
If this shot looks familiar, it’s because you’ve seen it dozens of times here but from a different POV. In this instance, I was high above the Sly Fox Brewery, whereas I’m normally down at ground level.
The building that the brewery is located in is a former railroad terminal and warehouse called ‘The Highline,’ by its owners. There’s a former vehicle ramp which overflies the scene below, hence ‘Highline.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I had drank a pint glass of ice water, and then two beers, while waiting. Honestly, I had given up hope and remembering the very productive day which saw trains, and a smokey incline, and then bridges and even tugboats appearing in front of the camera – I didn’t want to be a glutton.
I then headed up to the Highline, with the intention of walking back out to the street side of the property and summoning a rideshare home. Then the signal arms started chiming…
– photo by Mitch Waxman
What am I supposed to do, not take pictures? Sheesh.
I was fairly tired at this point. Six miles is about all I can get out of the ankle at the moment, although my stated goal for this stage of recovery from the injury is ten miles. What can I tell you? I’ll get there when I can.
Saying that, it did pretty well when I was back in NYC in June.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As quickly as I could walk, the other side of the Highline ramp was attained, and what I would call ‘fetching shots’ of the train were captured.
Really lucky with light on this particular day. There was a not inconsiderable amount of heat distortion to deal with, but it’s summer.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The CSX train cavorted off towards Ohio, and your humble narrator officially declared his day as done.
A quick car ride saw me back at HQ, reunited with Our Lady of the Pentacle and Moe the Dog.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Glad that I decided to have a second drink, would have missed out on that last train if I hadn’t.
Back tomorrow with something different, at this – your Newtown Pentacle .
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“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 Coke Express
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The track signals told me something was heading my way, along the Pittsburgh Subdivision tracks of CSX, so a position under the Fort Pitt Bridge was taken up, and I figured out my exposure settings in advance of the subject barging through the scene..
HEY NOW, that’s CSX #3297 passing by.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Normally, it’s fairly impossible to guess where one of these trains is coming from, but given the direction it’s coming from and what it was hauling – it was either PA’s Clairton or Irvine.
That’s where you’ll find two of the three huge US Steel plants which remain in the Pittsburgh area. One is designed to manufacture coke from coal, the other to harvest the gas from the process. If I had to bet, this train is coming from the first one in Clairton.
This ended up being a great day for trains. Go, Monday!
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The CSX train was heading westwards, towards… Ohio.
Funny to me is how the Pittsburgh people react when you mention Ohio, offering the same sort of reaction that a Brooklynite displays at the mention of …Staten Island… or ‘Joisey.”
That’s the West End Bridge in the distance, which I had walked over and described in posts last week. Scroll down if interested.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
My audiobook listening had continued after completing “The Lurking Fear,” and I was now knee deep into “The Thing on the Doorstep,” both audiobooks based on stories by H.P. Lovecraft and read by Wayne June.
Y’know, I wonder if there’s any interest in a list of all of my fave audio books? Let me know in the comments, and if so, I’ll build a list with links to where you can find them.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
An almost imperceptible glimmer of black vapor was trailing out of the coke express cars. It was moving too fast for the smell of coal to permeate out, but there was still a vague petrochemical ‘taste’ in the air.
There you are.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Towboat Vulcan was spotted, heading back the other way from the direction it was traveling in when shown in an earlier post. They were also ‘sans barge’ so it must have been delivered to a nearby customer. My guess would be one of the two concrete plants on the western side of the Birmingham Bridge.
Back tomorrow, with even more trains. I know…
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“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.
Six mile scuttle continues on, and on
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As one may recall from last week’s mishegoss, your humble narrator took a lovely walk in Pittsburgh on a summer day and saw lots of cool things. Many photographs were collected along the way, and now you’re all caught up.
The Duquesne Incline is pictured above, descending from the heights of Mount Washington to its lower station. I refer to this incline as ‘the red one,’ as there’s also a ‘yellow one.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Whilst picking my way along the shoreline, the sound of rock being cut or drilled into began to echo. A cloud of white smokey dust began to billow from beneath the incline’s tracks, and then the incline was being run right through it. Neat!
There weren’t any fire people or cops running around, so I figured that there was no reason to panic. Atmospheric!
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I felt obligated to crack out a few shots of this scene, with the one above being my favorite. Glad that I had outfitted the camera with the ‘all in one’ Zoom lens that has a range of 24-240mm. Long reach, that.
This was roughly the half way point on this scuttle, which started on Pittsburgh’s North Side at the terminal stop of the T light rail.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The Towboat Vulcan appeared, towing a very low in the water barge.
In the background is the Allegheny River, and the Fort Duquesne Bridge.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The Fort Pitt Bridge would be where I next ‘took up station,’ but I mean beneath it not above. Troll, me. Under bridges, that’s where I can be found. Really, it’s also quite shady down there.
The signals over the rail tracks indicated that something was coming towards me, and there’s a spot I like under the bridge for rail photos, so I walked as fast as I could to it. Post broken ankle, I still can’t run, so I started heading towards that spot as fast as I could manage.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A tourist boat, The Gateway Clipper, gave me something to point the camera at while I was waiting for the next train to arrive. It navigated under the Fort Pitt Bridge and away.
Back tomorrow with more from the Paris of Appalachia – at this – your Newtown Pentacle.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“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 