Posts Tagged ‘CSX’
‘Flat’ isn’t necessarily easier
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The final leg of my ‘leg work’ day occurred just as I reached the shoreline of the Monongahela River. One of my ‘sit down’ spots is nearby the entrance to the Three Rivers Heritage Trail, which also happens to be right along the ballasted tracks of CSX’s Pittsburgh Subdivision.
Now I was happy, as I had caught a train shot. Thanks #3473.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Spring like weather has arrived in Pittsburgh, and despite a couple of anomalously cold days randomly popping up, the birds have returned and the trees are starting to bud. I entirely missed autumn and most of the winter due to the broken ankle, so I’m really looking forward to the next couple of months – photography wise.
This shot looks across the ‘Mon’ to the ‘Uptown’ or ‘Bluff’ area where Duquesne University is found.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The last time I walked through here, which must have been in July or August, this trail had become a very well populated homeless colony. It wasn’t just regular camping tents here, some of the people who set up shop here had erected shanties and there was one woman who had set up a catering tent which shielded a sofa and chairs from rain.
The current Mayor of Pittsburgh is entering what’s meant to be a difficult reelection campaign, one wherein he’s being primaried by his own party. One imagines that step one of his campaign was ‘doing something about the homeless.’ That takes the same shape here as it does in NYC – send in the Cops and Sanitation trucks.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
That’s the South 10th street Bridge pictured above, spanning the Monongahela. It’s a minor bridge, but it’s visually interesting to me for some reason. At any rate, the light was nice.
My ultimate destination was that Brewery alongside the CSX tracks that I’ve mentioned a million times, but the only train I saw on this walk was the one in the first shot of today’s post.
This time around, I rewarded myself for the walking effort with a couple of pints of stout and a personal pizza for dinner.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
South 10th street Bridge again. Would have loved to creep out onto the abutments and shoreline a bit further, but I still need to remain conservative regarding the ankle. Getting there, but not there yet.
During these walks, the ankle swells up a bit. Nowhere near as much as it would have a month ago, mind you, but on the whole – its gains about 20-30% in volume. The Docs told me this sort of thing is normal and that I can expect it to happen for about the next year. Luckily ice bags when I get home are no longer required, I just need to sit back in my La Z Boy chair and let the limb relax afterwards. It still hurts.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There was a singular tent remaining. Don’t know if it was ‘occupied’ or not. Last summer, there had to be a couple of hundred people sheltering along this trail.
At any rate, this was the end of my ‘leg work’ walk along Pittsburgh’s South 18th street. Not a bad afternoon, and I’m definitely going to head back to St. Michael’s Cemetery at the top of the hill when I’m driving the MOP (Mobile Oppression Platform), a Toyota. Interesting POV.
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.
Subdivisions, Monongahela Style
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Yes, that is a Rush reference for the title, but Mr. Peart and his fellows have no other connection with this post.
These captures are from midway along a short walk I was taking, after riding on the T light rail to the center of things. Everything just kind of lined up for me when that CSX freight train appeared, just as a T train set was transiting over the Panhandle Bridge from the South, heading toward the so called Golden Triangle of Pittsburgh.
This felt great, especially since I had taken a ten minute sit down on the Smithfield Street Bridge, after experiencing a bunch of discomfort in the healing but still quite tender ankle, and I would have missed the shot if I hadn’t needed to sit down. I’m as sick of experiencing this ankle business as I’m sure most of you are hearing about it, but this injury taken a fairly central position in, and had a substantial impact on my life for the last six months. I try to ‘keep it real’ here, and as the ankle has been and will continue to be a big part of my deal right now… Y’know…
Oww!
– photo by Mitch Waxman
These are the same tracks along the Monongahela River which have become kid of regular players since I moved out here to Pittsburgh. CSX’s Pittsburgh Subdivison is the official name for this infrastructure. The lead locomotive is CSX#789, and it had another ‘DPU’ (diesel power unit) in line right behind it. I had used my snazzy scanner radio to listen in on the fog of radio communications, and when I heard an automated defect detector (which is about a mile away, I reckon) describe #789 as having 335 healthy axles, I got busy figuring out the proper exposure and all the other stuff too. That’s exactly why I bought the radio, darn it!
CSX #789 was built as an ‘SD70MAC’ but was upgraded to an ‘EMD SD70MAC’ by GM’s Electro-Motive Diesel division. It’s all a bit confusing, but as far as I’ve been able to work it out, the thing was created in the 1990’s.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I’ve got a few odds and ends from this walk which I’ll show you next week, but I’m going to end this week on the shot above. Before you ask, automobiles. That’s likely what’s in the train’s cargo cars – automobiles.
Back next week.
“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.
How many axles, now?
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The last test which I subjected my newly solid ankle to was walking down a street covered in pavers. Many refer to this sort of street cover as ‘cobble stones,’ but that’s anachronistic and incorrect – they’re called Belgian Blocks by the traffic engineers. Suffice to say that they’re also challenging to walk on for someone regaining his feet after a long medical recovery period.
This scuttle ended up being just shy of about 7,000 steps, according to the somewhat inaccurate reporting offered by my phone. I’m happy to report that I wasn’t suffering in the manner that I was after attempting a similar path just a couple of weeks previously. Progress, lords and ladies, progress. That huge brick structure is the former terminal warehouse building which houses the brewery nearby the CSX tracks, so after a trip to the loo, logic dictates that I soon had a beer in hand and was waiting outside for the signal arms along the CSX Pittsburgh subdivision to start chiming. I didn’t have to wait long.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
CSX #3235 appeared first, hauling what looked like empty coal ‘bucket’ cars. These trains were heading ‘away from Ohio’ and ‘deep into Pennsylvania in the direction of West Virginia and Maryland.’ I’m still learning all of this train stuff, I’d remind. 3235 is an ‘GE ES44AC-H’ model locomotive, part of General Electric’s Evolution series of products.
I had ordered a pint of Stout, and it was delicious. After #3235 passed, I went into the brewery, ordered a sequel, and then paid my tab. Two are enough for me these days, I’m a lightweight these days, after not drinking a drop of alcohol during the entire ankle recovery. Last thing I needed was to add alcohol into that mix of pain killers and fog.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Regarding the title of this post, as mentioned yesterday I’ve recently added a new gizmo to my camera bag, a radio scanner which allows me to listen to the transmissions between train operators and their towers. One of the things which pops up, amongst all the squelching, is the automatic defect detector equipment which counts the number of axles that the engine is pulling or pushing. If the number suddenly changes, the operator knows there’s a problem, possibly a derailment. The train pictured above reported 318 axles at work shortly before arrival.
The 318 axle train was CSX #3184, pulling a train composed of container cars – some automotive, some cargo boxes. #3184 is a GE B23-7 model locomotive and it’s almost as old as I am.
Me? I was pleased with my day. Pain was at a minimum, I kept moving (one of my credos), and at the end of the day the memory card on my camera was nicely packed with all the images you’ve seen this week.
Back next week, hopefully, 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.
Placeholder, too
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Still under the weather, your humble narrator is, but new material will be occurring again here tomorrow and beyond. I’m still struggling with getting the schedule back to normal on this publication, but it’s a one man show and what with a) the ankle, b) the flu, c) the weather – it’s been a bit difficult to get ahead of the deadlines. Normally, I’m operating at least a week or two away from what’s going live here, but these days it seems like the pixels are still wet when published.
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.
Hey now, a train’s a-coming…
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
So, this is how I wrapped up the first scuttle of the post broken ankle period, back at the brewery alongside CSX’s tracks in Pittsburgh’s South Side Flats neighborhood. I don’t have to wait long before the signal arms began chiming and CSX #7589 appeared.
My plan didn’t involve much more than grabbing a quick beer and then summoning a car to drive me back home. According to the not entirely accurate ‘health’ app on my phone, I had taken 7,742 steps since leaving the PT appointment, and then boarding a T light rail, which brought me to this area.
Not bad, really, and with all things considered.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The combination of the PT appointment and the walk had inflamed the ankle and the thing had swole up a bit. That’s normal, the surgeon tells me, and I can expect to be dealing with swelling after exercise for at least the next year. When the cab dropped me off at HQ, your humble narrator was absolutely spent. I oozed into my reclining La-Z-Boy style chair and just sat there moaning for about thirty minutes.
Eventually, I managed to unpeel the shoes off of my feet. When sleepy time arrived, I hit the pillows and was out for nine straight hours. Surprisingly, the next day I was pretty ok. Sore, but ok. Progress!
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It’s going to take me a bit of time to get back to normal, that’s for sure. Rebuilding muscle and stretching out all of the internal rubber bands in the foot and ankle is not going to be fun, but pain is the oldest and best friend I have, after all. I can always count on pain, who never turns its back on me. Pain also doesn’t betray or gaslight, it’s loyal.
Pain is family.
Back next week with more tales from a broken and enfeebled man, and his busted ankle, 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 