Posts Tagged ‘CSX’
Catching, and backing, up
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Shots from the archives populate today’s post.
I’m a bit behind schedule at the moment, with literally hundreds of new shots on my computer’s hard drive awaiting processing. Rather than rush the photos out, and since all of my deadlines here are basically self imposed, this post is instead carrying a few shots of trains captured as they were moving around Pittsburgh. Taking a breath, me.
Your humble narrator has been busy preparing for some light travel, which will involve returning to NYC for a few days in early June. Tugboats, Newtown Creek, and whatever happens directly in front of me are what I’m planning on shooting in between visiting friends and family.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I’m traveling as light as I can, and will be flying in this time. Last time I came to town, I drove in from PA and having the car with me was like dragging a cross around. It kept me from doing a few things as I couldn’t park the damn thing just about anywhere I wanted to be. At the bottom of my camera bag will be a few t-shirts, skivvies, and socks. A toothbrush and basic toiletry kit will also be needed, but beyond that it’s all camera gear in there. This will be a mission.
A statement of priority that is. I’m planning on returning to Pittsburgh with hundreds if not thousands of photos. Can’t wait to see what’s changed for better or worse ‘back in the old neighborhood’ in the last three years. I actually have no plans to visit Astoria.
Also – as a note – if I was still in Astoria/LIC they never would have gotten away with demolishing the fountain in front of the court house. I would have forced the electeds into action and marshaled a protest or ten. I’m disappointed, but not surprised, at the apathy for the history of the place in the modern population and elected officials of LIC. Y’all should really pay attention to this sort of stuff, in between arguing about bike lanes and subjecting each other to political purity tests.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I’ll be back next week with another series of posts describing the random places which draw my interest, of course.
In the meantime, I’m pruning my camera bag down to its maximum efficiency, and planning the NYC trip in granular detail. When I return to PA from NYC, I’m feeling a certain curiosity about nearby West Virginia for some reason, and intend to visit Weirton – which is somehow only a 40 minute drive from where I dwell. You can park there, I’m told.
I’ve also got a few day trips I want to do as summer arrives – a return to PA’s Oil City, and to Maryland’s Cumberland, also – there’s an ex coal mine which does tours nearby Pittsburgh… lots and lots of stuff. I’ve watched a few videos about the PA Trolley Museum, and thereby it’s drifted fairly low on my list. I’ll get there, but the whole thing seems remarkably unexciting.
Back next week.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
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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.
Remains of that day
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
After a four mile walk, your humble narrator was waving around a wide angle lens, for a last few shots before heading back home to Dormont. I did stop off at the nearby brewery I like, the one alongside the CSX train tracks, and had a recovery lager before summoning a ride back to HQ. The ankle was pissed off.
Pictured above is part of Colors Park, where graffiti and street artists are invited to add their flourished to the place. Great spot this.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Another CSX train shot past me, and I’m sorry to say that running over to and climbing on top of a series of concrete jersey barriers to get the shot isn’t in the cards at the moment.
When crossing streets or just moving around the world right now, I have to constantly say ‘Mitch, you can’t run right now’ to myself. You know things are serious when my inner voice addresses me by name.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The end of this scuttle, and the last shot from this particular excursion. At the right is the City’s jail. The Liberty and Panhandle Bridges are in the center, and Downtown Pittsburgh is in the background. That’s the Monongahela River, of course.
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.
Wide angle scuttling
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
After scuttling down quite a steep hill, and traipsing across an urban flood plain, your humble narrator finally arrived at the waterfront trail adjoining the Monongahela River here in Pittsburgh. This was the final leg of a constitutional walk, and right around here is where my legs transmogrified from meat into being composed entirely of lead weights.
I will work harder. Push, push, push.
For some quirky reason, I decided this would be a great spot to change lenses, and loaded a 16mm wide angle prime lens onto the camera gizmo.
Gotta have some fun every now and then, ay?
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A CSX train appeared on the other side of some verge, but because I had just added the wide angle thingamabob to the equation, there was no zooming in on it or anything. Saying that, I think that’s kind of an interesting shot above, but I don’t know why.
Along I limped. It was getting quite warm out, and as mentioned above: this was the section of the walk where I ran ‘out of gas.’ Fatigue doesn’t exactly sneak up on me in this post broken ankle interval, but when it does arrive, swinging your leg out for the next step becomes a bit of an act of will. My intention for the day was to exercise, and that tends to bring a some soreness into the equation.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The South Tenth street bridge, lurking along the trail, used to be the center of a rather large homeless colony, just last summer. It’s an election year, however, and Pittsburgh’s Mayor (who reminds me a LOT of the Dope from Park Slope, Bill de Blasio) is being primaried. Don’t know enough about Pittsburgh politics to even try and understand or comment on the situation, but it’s interesting to watch how things play out.
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.
316,800 inch long scuttle, part 5
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The last leg of the longest walk I’ve been able to execute, and really the first one which I’ve truly enjoyed without pain or discomfort (ok, there was a bit of swelling), since breaking my ankle last fall.
I was walking on one of the rail trails, chosen for its flat character, and along the Monongahela River shoreline after having crossed the West End Bridge. Pictured above is the underside of the Fort Pitt bridge with downtown Pittsburgh in the background.
Fort Pitt is sort of the ‘master cylinder’ for traffic flow here in Pittsburgh. On one side it leads to a tunnel which feeds traffic to the south onto an interstate roadway (I-376), whereas in the other direction it feeds traffic either to downtown, another high speed interstate roadway heading eastbound, or onto the Fort Duquesne Bridge which offers connections to the west and north. Approaching this bridge at the high volume times of day is a major mistake which drivers should avoid.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The rail trail proceeds through the Station Square area, and it follows the coast of the Monongahela River and the CSX Subdivision Tracks which parallel it. Onward, soldier, onward. I opted to continue on towards that brewery I like, which was maybe a mile or so beyond the position where the shot above was captured.
Wasn’t planning on making a ‘night’ of it, rather I was desperate to use the bathroom and a pint of beer or two would definitely reignite my flagging energy levels. It’s been a long long time since I walked five miles, and the atrophy suffered in the upper legs due to the wheelchair interval is something I’m assiduously working on reversing.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Along the way, a somewhat unoccluded view of the ‘colors’ house I showed y’all at the start of March appeared, and I gathered a shot of it for the archives. So quirky.
The pavement gets a bit difficult in this area, as it’s all busted up from trucks parking on the sidewalk, and the underlying Appalachian soil beneath the road is absolutely legendary at producing potholes. Had to be a bit cautious here. Remind myself that I’m still no where near ‘100%.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Normally, I’d be walking along that fenceline dividing the CSX tracks from the trail, but in that direction the trail is blocked by a gigantic pile of railroad ballast stones. It’s only about four feet high, and fairly easy to surmount – if you’re not concerned about the recovery of your shattered ankle. Discretion being the better part of valor, I opted to go with the broken sidewalks and pothole scarred street path instead.
Missed a couple of trains, but there we are.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
While scuttling through, a T light rail unit exited the Golden Triangle and crossed over the Monongahela River via the Panhandle Bridge, and it began the climb up Mount Washington via Arlington Avenue.
Finally, I reached the Sly Fox Brewery. After ‘dewhizzulating,’ which is how I colloquially refer to the act of urination, I ordered a lovely O’Reilly’s stout and decided to sit inside at the bar for a while. Met a nice bloke named Jimmy, who was a retired pilot, that regaled me with tales of his travels. Nice guy.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It was time to summon a rideshare car to carry me home, and the Lyft service was engaged in that pursuit. Whew.
Five miles is 316,800 inches, in case you’ve been wondering all week.
Back next week 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.
316,800 inch long scuttle, part 4
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Continuing with the longest walk I’ve been able to perpetrate since breaking my left ankle and dislocating my foot back in September…
After debarking the West End Bridge and its PTSD inducing staircase, the path followed the waterfront of the three rivers back to the southern shoreline of just the Monongahela River. There’s an arterial street which runs along this path, called Carson Street. In this area, it’s called West Carson, and offers connections to several bridges and a tunnel or three. From what I understand, everything between Carson and the water used to be part of a giant rail yard in the glory days of Steel.
I was amused that they closed the sidewalk and set up protection for the barrier. No accommodation whatsoever for pedestrians. To be fair, the protected barrier was sitting on top of a manhole cover, so the construction people were probably trying to vouchsafe the utility shaft.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
About 3/4 of a mile’s worth of scuttling found me on a waterfont trail that more or less parallels the CSX Pittsburgh Subdivision tracks and which also leads towards that Beer Brewery I haunt. That’s one of the inclines, which I colloquially refer to as ‘the red one,’ but which is properly called ‘The Duquesne Incline.’
The ankle was holding up pretty good. I seem to have put the whole ‘walking like the Batman villain Penguin’ behind me. I was definitely ‘feeling’ the exercise, but it wasn’t painful at all. That’s also a first.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There were a few trains transiting by on the CSX tracks, which provided me with moments of joy. Well… joy is too strong a word, as it would imply that I somehow have started experiencing the sort of emotional highs and lows which ‘normal’ people do. I really don’t get all that.
My normal existential and emotional state is best described as being a cold gray in color, with the buzzing sound of old florescent bulbs omnipresent, and punctuated by brief flashes of annoying drama and bold colors. I’m all ‘effed up.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I was very pleased with myself, regarding the shot above. As I was scuttling along, I kept looking over my shoulder to see if anything might be coming my way and saw this train being held in place at a signal all the way back at West End Bridge. That’s the aforementioned bridge in the background, btw.
These are amongst the last ones from this set of locations you’re going to see for a while, regrading the CSX tracks hereabouts. Now that I’m on my feet again, even with the limitations, it’s time to get out and explore again.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A few people (railfans) have told me that it’s frustrating to them that my interest in trains mainly focuses on the locomotive at the front of the unit. An effort to satisfy these traction enthusiasts will be made.
Look, the train was hauling drywall.
Paint drying, for me. The ‘drama’ shot is in the engine, not the caboose.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A series of tanker cars followed the drywall. According to what’s indicated on the tanks, they were carrying Butadiene. Others were hauling Isopentane. There you go, railfans.
Back tomorrow with the last shots from this scuttle 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 