Posts Tagged ‘CSX’
Third of Syacamore
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Continuing with a scuttle down Pittsburgh’s Sycamore Street, in today’s post. Your humble narrator found his ‘bad ankle’ left leg cramping up midway through a walk down the face of Mount Washington, and a quick sit-down was enacted. When the symptom subsided, I took advantage of a singular POV – above – and back to being in movement.
If you stop moving, you’ll stop moving.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Sycamore Street is composed of a series of sharp switchbacks which conquer the verticality of route for motorized vehicles. The overflying ramp is part of the PJ McArdle Roadway, which follows a gentler path across the face of Mount Washington and allows vehicular egress from ‘down there’ to ‘up here.’
Get out of the house and experience something real, don’t look at your phone for as long as you can.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A ‘Bernie Hole’ was discovered in the fencing along Sycamore Street, which provided for an interesting point of view, including a cat seat over the Norfolk Southern RR tracks, and a fairly familiar area.
At the right hand side of the shot is the Liberty Bridge, nearby that brewery where I photograph CSX RR traffic frequently, for context. The flowing water is the Monongahela River.
Don’t stand in the past, it was prologue, and you’ve only got today.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Luckily, I had the ‘super zoom’ lens on for this particular outing, and was able to get all the way in on CSX #893 transiting beneath the Panhandle Bridge, which the T Light Rail uses. As it turns out, this particular ‘Bernie Hole’ offered me a POV on several cool features.
(It’s actually a surveyors hole, cut into the fencing. My old pal Bernie Ente was notorious for ‘opening’ fences back in Queens along the LIRR and all around Newtown Creek, so any fence hole is thereby a ‘Bernie Hole.’)
All the world’s evils begin with loneliness.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A cool work train appeared on the Norfolk Southern tracks. The locomotive is pictured, but it was hauling multiple cars worth of lumber ties, and they had an entire car devoted to the heavy equipment used by this crew. Those are photo links to Flickr, by the way. Neato.
Everybody sleeps alone, even when sleeping next to someone.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This one is from the base of Sycamore Street, showing how crazy steep this street actually is. When driving up, you really need to step on the gas to get past all those crazy switchbacks. Cool pathway.
Back tomorrow, with something pretty different.
“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.
Hey Now! and auld acquaintances be forgot
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Mountain Avenue to Yard Way part four/ ‘fin.’
After a fairly fun scuttle, through the South Side Slopes section of Pittsburgh, one found the stinking pre-corpse that his brain is trapped within shambling forth unto the South Side Flats region. The flood plain of the Monongahela River is how I’d describe this area – quite atypical for Pittsburgh – which is a patch of absolutely flat ground.
My plan for the remainder of the day was a simple one.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
First, I walked out onto the South 10th street bridge to see if there was anything going on, as far as maritime traffic goes.
Allow me to teach you an Italian American slang word here – ugatz. That’s what I got, as far as boats go, ugatz.
No bueno.
Second, that brewery I used to mention all the time, that one which is nearby the railroad tracks and had been closed, has reopened – with a new owner operator occupying the space.
It had been a few weeks since I had drank a beer, so I set out to rectify that situation. I walked about six or seven blocks worth of Pennsylvania to get there, using one of the nearby waterfront trails.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Soon, while drinking a Pale Ale, CSX #3100 appeared, heading east.
After quaffing the brew, I returned my glass to the bar and then ‘inspected their porcelain.’ Refreshed, I was soon heading up a flight of stairs and towards the second level of this so called ‘Highline’ location, which the brewery is based in, towards a truss/ramp structure which offers a higher POV.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One had a bit of time left to me, so I found a spot to sit down and then just sort of waited for something to happen. Time was passed by shooting the various T light rail units moving back and forth over the Panhandle Bridge, spanning the Monongahela River.
In the distance, to the west, a train horn sounded.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Hey Now! CSX #4793 appeared, hurtling through the scenery. Hooray!
It was definitely time to head back to HQ afterwards. One began scuttling towards the T’s nearby Station Square stop, to catch a ride back to HQ in Dormont, found about five or so miles from this spot.
That’s when I saw it. Conspicuously displayed in an area which I move through regularly, and have published multiple posts about doing so.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Cobbler? The Queens Cobbler?
Single shoes have been noticed recently, alongside pathways that I frequent here in Pittsburgh, starting back during the winter. Chalked this up to coincidence… something which I chuckled about… but… it’s odd.
I haven’t mentioned this to anyone, really, but I’ve been seeing cast off singular shoes, on prominent and conspicuous display for a few months now, scattered along the roads here in Pittsburgh. Can it be?
Back tomorrow… with something different… I hope…
“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.
Monongahela style, Hey Now!
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
After a harrowing and honestly terrifying walk alongside the west bound vehicle lanes of Pittsburgh’s East Carson Street, specifically between Becks Run Road and South 33rd street, your humble narrator began to relax a bit.
Couldn’t chance that ‘one of my turns’ might occur, wherein I fall to the ground – crying and quivering while kicking my feet at the sky – consumed by paroxysms of physical cowardice, and raw animal fear, while squealing in a high pitched manner.
Just like every time I see the full moon. The horror…
Once I felt nice and safe again on normal streets, and shortly after quaffing a Gatorade purchased at a nearby gas station convenience store, a few quick steps saw me walking alongside that waterfront trail which mirrors the Monongahela River’s shoreline through Pittsburgh’s ‘South Side.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There’s an ‘after’ and ‘before’ dealie going in that shot above. To me, at least.
Time was growing short, as I was meant to be meeting up with Our Lady of the Pentacle later on in the afternoon. Had the equivalent of about thirty city blocks to walk, a mere stumble for one such as myself.
Leaned into it, thereby.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Soon, I was walking past the Birmingham Bridge, firmly on my way.
Naturally, I walked too fast, and got there nearly 45 minutes early.
I’m pathologically early, by habit. My Mom used to screech at me: ‘get there early, at least they can’t hold that against you.’ I also think that it’s a sign of respect for whomever you’re meeting that you got there ahead of time. Tardiness should be added as an ‘8th sin’ to the list of deadlies.
Luckily, there was a big pile of rocks that I could sit down on and wait.
A man needs a random pile of rocks, every now and then.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
While sitting on that pile of rocks, I waved the camera about.
This is a familiar location, nearby that brewery where I often shoot trains from. Different establishment for this particular evening’s diversion, but same neighborhood.
The signal bells then began to chime, and the barrier arms lowered.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Hey Now!
It’s CSX #3380!
– photo by Mitch Waxman
That shot above was at the end of this particular scuttle.
Forthcoming, I went back a few days later to that starting point on Mountain Avenue, up on Mount Oliver, and walked in the correct direction for the ‘cool walk’ I had meticulously planned… sigh.
You’ll see all that fairly soon, so get ready!
Back tomorrow, with something different.
“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.
Hey Now!, Bottoms Up
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Topsburgh to Bottomsburgh part seven:
Your humble narrator has been keen to capture a shot of a CSX train running through that little bridge seen above for quite a while now.
The Carson Street Rail Bridges is what this dual span is called, just for the curious.
Really, this was a pretty lucky shot to get. I was hoping for it, but… Y’know… it’s just like fishing.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
That’s CSX #3141, incidentally.
It was hauling minerals, probably coke or coal. These are the same course of CSX tracks which I often shoot along, whether it’s from that recently shuttered brewery, or from up on the West End Bridge, or along the trails which line the banks of the Monongahela River. When pointing out that a train is heading north-westerly, that means it’s heading in this direction.
Hey Now!
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I stuck with the train for a minute. The light was good.
Saying that, this was the final ‘wish’ on my shot list for the day.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One still had to ‘walk out’ of the industrial area and find a safe spot where I’d be able to ‘chill’ while waiting for a ride home. Another three or four miles to the east was a T light rail stop, but the walk there would involve walking along the side of a highway, and marching my mud covered butt right through another scary vehicle interchange.
I consider myself lucky for having not gotten squished by a truck back at that Ohio River Blvd.’s crossing, onto the McKees Rocks Bridge.
Nope.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Here’s a closeup of the rail bridge. Neat.
An amalgamation of adolescents were observed, who were congealing into a mob of unfocused energy nearby, so one skipped along his path a bit quicker.
Teenagers… brrr… no impulse control.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Finally, that’s Chartiers Creek, which winds its way through the South Hills on its way to the Ohio River. Just out of frame, a couple of guys were fishing.
About a block away is a car wash, where I summoned a rideshare cab to come scoop me up and carry the bloated monstrosity my brain is trapped within back to HQ, where Our Lady of the Pentacle and Moe the Dog awaited.
Back tomorrow with something different.
“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.
More car business, and Hey Now!
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As mentioned yesterday, one recently had to endure a trip to a mechanic for a recall part replacement, and just a day later there I was waiting for more routine automotive maintenance to occur. My car is an ‘all wheel drive’ model, which necessitates a tire rotation after approximately every 5-6 thousand miles of travel. I had bought a new set of tires at Costco last autumn, and one of the things which sealed the deal as far as the purchase went was their offer of free rotations and flat fixes for the lifetime of the tires. That’s how I ended up in Pittsburgh’s ‘Homestead’ section at nine in the morning at a Costco.
I figured on spending the waiting time buying massive amounts of toilet paper and kitchen towel paper, but was told that my membership level wasn’t allowed within the building until ten. They then tried selling me an upgrade to an ‘executive class’ membership which would allow me in at nine, which I found hilarious.
One walked out of the store, crossed the parking lot towards a set of RR tracks, and that’s when CSX #7226 appeared.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
From the look of things, the people who buy ‘executive’ level membership, which includes an exclusive hour of shopping between nine and ten a.m. to this elite group of Costco customers, looked old enough to remember the Presidency of Roosevelt.
I mean Teddy, not Franklin.
The CSX train, on the other hand, which was hauling a variegated cargo train (cargo boxes, tankers, all that) behind it, is a Millennial in age. Built in 1996 as a ‘CSXT 204 (AC44CW)’ model locomotive, its since been rebuilt as a ‘GE CM44AC.’
Frankly, I have no idea if any of that information is good or bad. I just like taking pictures of trains.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A fairly rare three image post is on offer today.
Tomorrow begins another one of the multi-day ‘adventures’ series of posts, and explores a part of Pittsburgh which I haven’t seen much of.
Come with?
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.
