Posts Tagged ‘allegheny commons park’
Locomoting back in Pittsburgh
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
After getting back home from ‘home,’ your humble narrator settled back into his normal pattern of life. Yeah, I took a few days off from everything to rest up, before jumping back on my bandwagon. My ankle was pretty swollen for a couple of days due to all the walking back in NYC.
I’ve unfortunately got a bunch of doctor oriented stuff which needs accomplishing during the month of July, and so does Our Lady of the Pentacle. On my side of things, I had to postpone various tests and other ‘Doctor’s Orders’ because of my ankle situation, so I’m trying to pack all of that in during July – partly in the name of just getting it off my menu. This post is being written during the first week of July, incidentally.
Our Lady had to visit a doctor for a routine examination, and while she was being poked and prodded by the blue pajamas and white coat crowd, I headed over to Allegheny Commons Park where a locomotive trench carries Norfolk Southern traffic through the park.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This is an ‘autumn shot,’ incidentally, captured during high summer. I got the autumn shot the year before last. The Ginkgo Trees lining the tracks drop their leaves – which then turn yellow as they decay. That gives you a black locomotive moving through a golden yellow path – very Pittsburgh, huh?
After the train passed out of view, I decided to walk a couple of blocks over to another ‘POV’ which I’ve exploited in the past.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Just as I hoped, those Norfolk Southern engines had soon coupled up with a train’s worth of cargo cars, and were just starting to proceed forward as I got there. These tracks, in the direction the train was heading, lead to either a spur that goes to the Fort Wayne Railroad Bridge over the Allegheny River and then through the Amtrak station downtown on their way east, or they can also lead to a different line that sits on the northern shore of the Allegheny River and more or less follows Route 28 in a roughly northeasterly direction. Exciting, no?
Yes railfans, I’m going to drive out to Conway Yard sometime this summer, probably in August.. Additionally, it’s likely I’m going to visit Altoona and the Horseshoe Curve in August as well. Word has it that Altoona has finally finished repairing its incline, after all.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The train, led by #6317 – an EMD SD40E model locomotive engine – or so I’m told – started moving towards the Allegheny River. I cracked out a few shots of the thing, and then followed it, as least as far back as where I had parked the car.
I encountered and starting chatting with a very cool lady who had emigrated from Jamaica to Pittsburgh via Brooklyn at this particular juncture. When she heard I was from Brooklyn, and specifically Canarsie/Flatbush, she was ebullient. We talked about Flatbush Avenue, and meat patties, and scotch bonnet peppers. That’s when my phone rang and it was Our Lady, who was nearly done with her appointment. I bid my new friend good fortune and moved on.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
On my way back to the Mobile Oppression Platform, a Toyota, I cracked out a couple of shots of the train moving through the trench. It was a mixed up bunch of cargo cars.
I made my way to the car, after stopping off at the ‘Porta-Potty’ for a tinkle. It’s so nice living somewhere where you’re not just expected to piss in the street like a dog.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There’s remnants of what looks like a masonry bridge over the tracks which still exist here. Boy, that must’ve been some point of view from that one, huh? Wonder when it was condemned and closed?
Back tomorrow with more from Pittsburgh.
“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.
Square peg, octagonal hole
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Another occasion whereupon I found myself acting as interlocutor for Our Lady of the Pentacle’s transit needs occurred. After dropping her off where she needed to go, providence soon found a humble narrator lurking about in Allegheny Commons Park, and waiting for a train, here in Pittsburgh. This is a spot which I’m somewhat enamored by, and one has lurked about at this POV more than once.
Norfolk Southern #617 appeared. A quick look around at various rail sources indicated this as being a ‘rebuilt road slug,’ which apparently indicates that Norfolk Southern’s Juniata shop, in Pennsylvania’s Altoona, built the unit out of spare parts they had in stock. I’m told this is a ‘thing.’
Who knew?
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This choke point of tracks is a pretty active rail location, and the trains that drive through here are likely heading for either the set of tracks which follow the north side of the Allegheny River, or for the Fort Wayne Railroad Bridge (crossing the Allegheny) which provides access to a set of tracks that go through downtown Pittsburgh, and the old Pennsylvania RR station which also hosts Amtrak.
Can’t tell you where it went after it left my sight though, and I’m just barely able to speculate on its path. Such speculation indicates somewhat major progress for me, in understanding the many, many sets of rail tracks and ‘rights of way’ you’ll encounter while moving about in Pittsburgh. I’ve been paying attention.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Luckily, I was able to scuttle across the street without being struck by a car, and get a shot or two of #617 heading on the way towards wherever it was going. My phone chimed right then, and it was time to retrieve Our Lady from her assignation and return to HQ.
A quick scuttle over to the Mobile Oppression Platform ensued, followed by a drive, and then our reunion with Moe the Dog.
Back tomorrow.
“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.
Rinse and repeat
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Yet another doctor’s appointment, and post surgical checkup, was endured by Our Lady of the Pentacle at Allegheny General Hospital. Thus – her loyal husband, your humble narrator, and journeyman chauffeur – had some time to kill. The Mobile Oppression Platform was piloted over to an opportune parking spot nearby Pittsburgh’s Allegheny Commons Park West Park after dropping her off. I went to a spot where a four tracked trench exists, one which allows rail egress through the city which avoids ‘at grade’ road crossings. One exploited this location previously, as displayed in a post from last week.
That’s Norfolk Southern’s locomotive engine #4705 pictured above. I’m told it was built in 1980 as a ‘EMD GP50’ model, but Norfolk Southern rebuilt the thing, refashioning it into a ‘EMD GP33ECO’ model at its Juniata Locomotive Shop in Pennsylvania’s Altoona. It complies with EPA’s ‘Tier 3’ pollution standards, in its modern configuration.
4705 has got 3,000 HP going on, under its hood, which provides some 64,200 lbs of tractive power. It was quite loud, as its engine sounds were bouncing around, on and off of those masonry walls.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There was a delay at the Doctor, so Our Lady was stuck in the hospital for an hour or so later than we anticipated. Luckily, there’s a pizza shop nearby which is operated by a fellow named Anthony Badamo who learned his trade in GREENPOINT, BROOKLYN. After capturing these shots, I drove over to the North Side Badamo’s location (he has another one in Dormont, nearby HQ) and quaffed a couple of properly made slices of pizza. You people back in NYC have no idea how bad most Pittsburgh pizza actually is.
There’s an abrogation of all that’s holy called ‘Ohio Style’ which one of my neighbors back in Dormont is a devotee of. Avoid it. At all costs, avoid it. ‘Philadelphia style’ is also nasty, and makes the Mama Celeste frozen supermarket stuff seem palatable, but Y’know… Philly… everything about America’s consolation prize – Philly – just sucks. You’ve also got a few joints here that offer up the tomato and meat casserole which Chicago people will tell you is pizza.
It’s not pizza, it’s just a mess.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The block which the Badamo’s pizzeria is found on is also one where a lot of the North Side’s homeless street people spend their days, and a humble narrator standing alongside the car while eating out of the pizza box started attracting their attentions upon me.
The first guy who beggared me got a slice of pizza, as he told me he was hungry and a slice was only a couple/three bucks, and I don’t like the idea that anyone is hungry when a bit of my pocket change can fix that for at least a little while. I’ve been buying bagels for bums my whole life. My one condition is that they eat the food in front of me, so I know they won’t turn around and trade it for other ‘substances’ with one of their crew.
His opportunist compatriots, however, then began sizing me up and figuring out how much they could get if they were to boil me down for base elements, so I hopped in the car and drove to another spot closer to the hospital to finish lunch. Being charitable is one thing, being predated by addict scumbags is another.
While I was waiting for Our Lady nearby the hospital, a helicoptor ambulance appeared. It seems that the Allegheny North people have a helipad that I didn’t know about, so see – you actually do learn something new every day.
Back tomorrow.
“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 