Posts Tagged ‘Freight Train’
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.
All lines end
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As asserted, every place worth a damn on the east coast of the United States offers a ‘Railroad Avenue’ or a ‘Railroad Street’ into its equation.
Back at Newtown Creek, it was the former, whereas here in Pittsburgh, it’s the latter. Two plans were warming my frigid soul, and luckily they overlaid with each other.
There’s a couple of sets of tracks laid into the asphalt here. One set of these rails are obviously not being maintained, whereas the secondary spur is definitely active and has somebody looking after it. It’s Allegheny Valley RR turf in this zone, and I’ve had people who live locally tell me that the service is actually quite active here, and particularly so in the small hours of the night.
Also, the rails here are shiny and not terribly corroded, so active.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I followed Railroad Street, and enjoyed its various tableaus.
Based on the sort of building stock hereabouts, this section used to be where warehousing occurred. Enormous buildings are everywhere. Pittsburgh’s film industry bases itself nearby, and I’m fairly sure I once saw Jason Statham getting into his car somewhere along this route.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Big footprint properties abound hereabouts, but what I was focused on were those railroad tracks. They lead right through an area of ongoing hyper gentrification, and then towards the ‘Strip District’ which is also experiencing a ‘build out.’ Said ‘Strip’ used to be where grocery stores bought their wholesale produce, with said cargo being brought into the city via the rail, or by barges over at the riverfront just a few blocks north of this spot.
Again, I am doing absolutely zero historic research at all. None. How dare you accuse me of doing so. The past doesn’t matter, only the future, onwards and upwards. Ignore the man behind the curtain.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
That mound of dirt is a bold architectural statement, primitivism given a prime location and in a popular area. It harkens back to the burial mounds of those who once controlled this land, long before the Seneca or the Americans… and the referential structure just turns me on.
Those tracks… where could they possibly be going?
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Finally, the end of that line was spotted, with a refrigerated car sitting at the train stop on a spur. It’s parked in front of a warehousing outfit called ‘Consumers Fresh Produce,’ which seems to operate in the ‘B2B’ space.
This is a long rail spur with – seemingly – a single customer.
Wow. I’ll find out when the AVRR makes regular street running deliveries here (as mentioned, I’ve been told ‘middle of the night’) and try to get some shots of that in the future. Wow.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This is what I was looking for, the ‘train stop.’ End of the line.
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.
Hey Now! In Skunk Hollow
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As described last week, your humble narrator found himself scuttling through a ravine in Pittsburgh that’s called ‘Skunk Hollow.’
Mostly deserted, but I like that, as it makes me wonder whether or not I’m a ghost. This scuttle was originally meant to revolve around just scouting, but I ended up back at HQ with hundreds of shots from the walk.
I knew rail moved through here, but this was a Sunday afternoon and I wasn’t expecting to see anything.
As I’ve stalked the various RR’s, a bit of experiential knowledge has begun to infest the brain box, and discernment of the movements of rail through Pittsburgh has creeped in – just a bit. I’ve found several ‘choke points.’
‘When’ they’re likely on the move, and ‘where’ to look. It’s pretty much the same mentality as hunting and stalking a game animal, really.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Out of nowhere, Norfolk Southern #4012 appeared. Prey!
As intoned in the past, you hear a freight train before you see it. Sometimes you’ll get faked out by a heavy truck’s engine while it’s going up a hill, but there’s an unmistakable shimmer of vibration in the air when a freight train gets close to you.
Given the location, my guess would be that this train is heading straight through the ‘Golden Triangle’ peninsular section of Pittsburgh, and will then be rolling through the Amtrak/former Pennsylvania RR station downtown on its way to points north and west via the Fort Wayne rail bridge, but that’s a surmise and an assumption too. Guess.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The Norfolk Southern unit was hauling mineral cars, presumptively full of coal or coke, but I can’t say for sure.
I’ve been doing no historic research at all here in Pittsburgh, of course, but have been doing some light reading on the coal industry. Fascinating world, that.
I’ll be talking about that subject here in about a month, which should let you know that once again these posts are going to be scheduled well in advance of publication date. I allowed my ‘lead time’ to evaporate a bit to catch the photos up with the seasons so you’re not looking at snow in April, and whereas these photos were captured on the first of March, the words being attached to them are being typed on the 16th of the month.
I’ve had three distinct ‘adventures’ since then.
Lots and lots of cool photos are in the pipeline, and I think I’ll have most of April’s ‘content’ covered pretty soon.
No intention exists for rehashing those routes I was forced into by the ice and snow anytime soon, although I did walk through that ‘north side near Allegheny Commons Park’ side of the city just yesterday. Had to get home via the Light Rail, and that’s where the nearest station is.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
At this bend in the road, Lorrigan Street transmogrifies into Neville Street for a spell. It’s uncommented upon by signage. There’s a contracting company down here, and based on what’s was in their vehicle fleet, I’d guess that they’re in the earth moving business.
One was as happy as I could be, it was all downhill from here, after all. I had just seen a train, which I was hoping for… so ‘win.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I had resigned myself to just waving the camera around, when I heard it coming, over my shoulder.
The air started to vibrate, a thrumming sound pulsed into the local vicinity, and a screaming high pitched metal sound echoed.
‘Steel on steel, the worst sound around,’ is another of my little aphorisms.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Hey Now! That’s the White Whale! Allegheny Valley RR in the house!
I should mention, regarding the shots in tomorrow’s post, of this rail unit, that I was very pleased with myself soon after this particular interval.
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.
Hey Now! Squared
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
First… the bad news: That brewery along these railroad tracks, which I’ve been haunting since moving to Pittsburgh from NYC, has closed its doors.
It seems that me showing up once every couple of weeks to photograph CSX trains, while drinking the two beers they sold me, wasn’t enough to keep them open. That’s why these shots are from ‘above’ instead of the usual ‘down there.’ The good news is that the brewery immediately changed hands and a new operator for the space is currently moving into the property. Whew!
Your humble narrator was ensconced upon an elevated causeway which forms a bridge over the rail tracks, a trestle structure designed with heavy trucking in mind. This entire area used to be part of a rail yard operated by the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie RR.
The building that the brewery, and this very ramp upon which I was standing is based within, used to serve as an intermodal facility where cargo could be unloaded from rail cars, warehoused, and then loaded onto trucks for local delivery.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It’s empty offices and residences, mainly, these days. It’s owned and operated by one of the big real estate players from South Brooklyn who have had their hooks in the Bush Terminal along the Gowanus for a long time. Same set of problems here, as they have created there.
The riverfront trail is nearby, along with with Colors Park, but observationally the retail levels of this property are disastrously underutilized, and I barely see anyone coming or going from this structure who isn’t a security guard or maintenance worker. There’s an office of some kind in there, as you’ll notice ‘professional looking’ people exiting the place while wearing lanyards with ID’s on them at about five in the afternoon. Other than that – it’s usually quiet as a tomb. Perfect for me, but not so much for all 3 of their retail tenants.
I’ve been struck, incidentally, after watching a series of documentaries about Pittsburgh which were crafted back in the 1980’s and 90’s by a fellow who works for the local PBS station (WQED) named Rick Sebak.
It’s startling to see ‘that’ Pittsburgh, before the suburban diaspora really kicked in, when the Downtown section was pulsing with life and the ‘Station Square’ area surrounding this ‘Highline’ building was absolutely popping with both daytime and nightlife activity.
These days, it feels like there was a plague…
oh… wait…
– photo by Mitch Waxman
CSX #5381 was hauling some sort of mineral – which looks like coal – but I’m assuming that one there so let’s use ‘mineral.’
That isn’t some sort of political statement, by the way. I’ve caught crap from the local boomers, on social media, about this verbal stand of mine, but they’re the same people who use the word ‘Democrat’ like it’s an accusation.
It may walk like one, and quack like one, but I’ve learned over the years not to pronounce something as being a duck if I don’t know for sure that it is indeed a Duck. Looks like coal, probably coal, I don’t know for sure.
Pronouncing something as being ‘something’ without any sort of proof or knowledge of the subject you’re commenting upon may be enough to get you elected to the Senate as a Republican, but otherwise that’s just how you end up with egg on your face. (that’s a political statement)
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One walked back over to Station Square for a ride back to HQ on the T, and son of gun if Norfolk Southern didn’t make an appearance too.
This was a red letter day for rail, in the end. Admittedly – not a great POV for Norfolk Southern #9813 up there, as it rode along their elevated trackage on a berm set against the foothills of Mount Washington, but beggars and choosers – huh?
The Sebak documentaries are charming, folksy, and betray a real love and appreciation for Pittsburgh and its unique cultures. If you can find them without paying PBS… well… why don’t you just donate to PBS instead?
What struck me while watching these Sebak films is the visualization of the depopulation of the central node of Pittsburgh’s business districts. In the 1980’s, films of ‘Downtown’ reveal a thriving metropolis with thousands of people walking the streets and interacting with retail level shops.
Modern Pittsburgh’s Downtown ain’t like that.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Several times on this short walk, I asked myself ‘where is everyone?’
Not in the sort of areas I’d normally inhabit, where the answer usually is ‘no, and why in the name of hell are you here at a sewer plant or waste transfer station?’ No, I’m talking mid afternoon on a weekday, in the business, political, and administrative center of an American City.
The difficult part about capturing this sequence of photos involved getting the camera’s focus to land on the train, rather than on the web of wires and tree branches surrounding it. Other than that, I was just sitting on a station bench, waiting for a T light rail ride back to HQ.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Tomorrow, we’ll start a much longer walk – an actual adventure of a scuttle, if you’d indulge me. I had a great time at least.
At last… the long threatened return to Skunk Hollow! The things I saw… wonders… wonders…
Back tomorrow – 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.
Two Hey Now!’s and a bridge
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
‘Hey Now!’ that’s… that’s… that’s the WHITE WHALE. The WHITE WHALE!
It’s actually called Allegheny Valley RR’s #6004. I use the ‘white whale’ as the service is seldom observed, and when it is – usually it’s far away or occluded form the lens by some sort of intervening scenery.
Bah!
Allegheny Commons Park is Pittsburgh’s oldest, and it happens to sport a rail trench running right through the middle of it. This is the view from ‘Ridge Avenue.’ I’ve been wandering around this ‘zone’ quite a bit recently. Easy to get to by mass transit. A fascinating and lovely historic district surrounds the park, as well.
Check out this ‘zone’ in Google Maps, it’s neat.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Believe it or not, I actually managed to run across the street to get this shot! Me, Mr Busted Ankle Boo-Hoo-Hoo guy… running! Running…
The white whale was heading towards the same Merchant Street Bridge tracks which Norfolk Southern #7001 was shown transiting along just yesterday. I felt rather full of myself at this moment, but my day of serendipitous rail photography in Pittsburgh was just getting started.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Another Norfolk Southern train was spotted just a few blocks away, riding upon the concretized berm which carries their tracks. There’s a construction project underway, one which sees crews of laborers chipping at and working on that berm, which is no doubt why the train was ‘on hold.’
An expectation that some sort of movement might occur caused me to adopt a linear path under the highway ramps to try and get a decent POV if any action started to occur. I really wanted to get the puff of exhaust when they gunned the engine to break inertia and start moving.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One lingered about, walking block after block and stalking the train like a middle aged cheetah, until I was more or less across the street from the thing but they were just sitting there idling. I’ve instituted a rule for this sort of situation, no more hanging around and waiting for something to happen after about twenty minutes or so.
I headed south, and back into the sunlight. Hiss!
– photo by Mitch Waxman
That’s the Rachel Carson bridge, one of the ‘Three Sisters’ bridges over the Allegheny River which connects local traffic to Downtown Pittsburgh and ‘The Strip.’
Gaze…
These are actually great bridges for pedestrians and bikes, I’d mention. Wide side paths, which are completely separated from the vehicle traffic.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The plan from here would involve getting through and out of Downtown Pittsburgh with a minimum of fuss by hopping onto the T light Rail – this area is within the service’s ‘free zone,’ after all – and heading over to more familiar territory on the South Side of the Monongahela River.
The T path was decided upon as I had walked this route multiple times in recent weeks, and didn’t want to ‘spend’ my energy rehashing it.
Back next week with more, 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 