Posts Tagged ‘Freight Train’
Hey Now! West End edition.
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As described last week, your humble narrator was perpetrating a constitutional scuttle, around the titular center point of the Pittsburgh Metro area. My horrific footfalls carried me from a T light rail station on the North Side over to the West End Bridge, whereupon I’d squamously cross the Ohio River and enjoy a point of view or two from the other side.
Midway across the span, a CSX freight train appeared, one which was moving directly towards my point of view.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
That’s CSX #3430, pictured above. I’m told that it’s a ‘GE ET44AH’ model locomotive, which you can read more about here. Right about this moment was when the other train, the one which had been held in place for a bit, began to move. Fun.
Did I mention that it was cold and windy?
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The train passed over an outfall which allows Chartiers Creek to express itself into the Ohio River, quite close to the confluence of Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers which form the headwaters of the Ohio.
I kept on keeping on.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I’ve always thought that if you really want to hide something, and you’ve got a budget, that the best place would be a train cargo car. The budget would be required to keep the thing you’re hiding constantly moving, and if there’s enough cash available you could theoretically keep the hidden item on the move indefinitely. Connecting it to one random freight train after another, you eventually send it to a train yard in either southern Mexico or Boreal Canada where your secrets can be forgotten.
Theoretically, the same approach would work with a semi trailer, and leave behind a far sparser paper trail.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Just before it was time to deal with my terrifying descent down a flight of stairs on the south side of West End Bridge, a tug caught the eye.
Yeah, I know… it’s a Towboat out here, not a Tug. I know.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The Gale R. Rhodes has been mentioned here before, in this post from 2024, which was published about a couple of weeks prior to the ‘orthopedic incident.’ That’s how I’m referring to the broken ankle situation from this point out, so just get used to that one, lords and ladies.
Back tomorrow.
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Cold and lonely, always afraid
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Continuing with a forced march around Pittsburgh, in today’s post.
Simple plan. I’d follow the headwaters of the Ohio River to the West End Bridge, cross over to the southern shore, then track back up the shoreline towards that brewery I hang around, nearby the train tracks on the South Side of Pittsburgh. Drink wasn’t on the menu for this particular day, but I was very interested in capturing a few shots of freight trains.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Hey Now! Norfolk Southern was getting up to something on their elevated trestle tracks. The static train in the foreground was CSX’s, and they seemed to be held up by signals. These train shots are all telephoto ranged ones, with the zoom lens dialed all the way out to its maximum objective.
One kept on keeping on.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
My cursed footsteps pollute the waterfront trails with intransigence, but nevertheless did your humble narrator navigate his carcass to the West End Bridge. This part of the walk exposed me to stairs, which the rotting worms in my skull box have devoted a phobia about, an afterimage of the ‘orthopedic incident’ which defined my life for most of last year.
I’m all ‘effed up.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It’s not the going up that affects me, it’s the descent. In particular, it seems, the steel steps that are painted with Pittsburgh’s ‘brand color’ of PPG brand ‘Aztec Gold’ seem to really excite the old amygdala, especially so when descending them. ‘Mustn’t grumble.’
After urinating on a nearby bush, your humble narrator moved upward and onwards, and ascended the scary steps.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This walk has become one of my ‘stations of the cross’ routes. That’s what I call easy to reach areas that are ‘pregnant,’ in terms of photo possibility, but which also offer long stretches of mostly flat terrain that I can lean into. The ‘easy to reach’ part is kind of important.
Back in Queens, I’d head south – out of Astoria – for a Dutch Kills walk which served a similar function and ‘reachability.’ Down Steinway to Northern, where it becomes 39th. 39th to Skillman and Sunnyside Yards, Skillman to Hunters Point Avenue, and then I’d hang a left towards Dutch Kills. After visiting a few spots along the water, I’d then scuttle back out to 43rd street and turn north for the walk back home to Astoria.
That walk was often referred to as my ‘patrol area.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Hey now! That’s a ‘heading away from Pittsburgh’ CSX freight train appearing on the second track, alongside that train from the Norfolk Southern shot which was being held by signals. Lucky!
Back next week with more.
“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.
So many axles
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Your humble narrator had to hang about for around about a half hour on a pedestrian bridge over their tracks before Norfolk Southern’s #1181 thundered past the lens, here in the South Side Slopes section of Pittsburgh.
According to the AI at Google – ‘Norfolk Southern locomotive #1181 is a 2019 GE EMD SD70ACe model that was formerly a Progress Rail unit designated as “EMDX 7239”. It is one of the newer locomotives in the Norfolk Southern fleet and was converted to the #1181 number around 2019.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
That’s the pedestrian bridge I was standing on, one of several which provide pedestrian egress from the ‘Slopes’ section the ‘South Side Flats’ below. I’ve waved the camera about at this spot a few times, most recently in the post ‘Cage Match, baby.’
Also from Google’s AI, which is now offering up one of my shots in its results… grrr…
Overview
The Norfolk Southern (NS) tracks are located at the base of the South Side Slopes, spanning the area known as the “Flats”. Pedestrian bridges, like the one at S. 10th Street, were built to reconnect the Slopes and Flats after the railroad was established, providing a crucial link for residents to cross the tracks and access either side. These bridges are a response to the steep topography and the physical barrier of the active rail line.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
#1181 was hauling garbage and sewer solids, which – god help me – is something I knew just from looking at the type of containers loaded onto its rail cars. It was heading ‘towards Ohio.’ That bridge is part of the PJ McArdle roadway, as a note.
At any rate, got my NS train shot, so then I moved on and headed down to the South Side Flats area and over to the Sly Fox Brewery, where a bathroom visit and then a pint of beer awaited me.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
CSX was unusually not busy on this particular day, and only one of their trains appeared while I was there.
It was #7211, which I’m told is a rebuilt GE CM44AC model locomotive. There you are.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I ended up hanging out and chatting with somebody for a while, and after a couple of more beers, it was time to start heading back to Dormont. It gets dark about 4:30-5:00 p.m. out here, at the moment.
Night kind of snuck up on me, but to be fair – I was having a nice time and also drinking beers, so…
– photo by Mitch Waxman
On my way back to HQ, I noticed a tugboat navigating its way under the Liberty Bridge on the Monongahela River. One last shot.
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!, times three
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
At the end of a medium length scuttle down through and around Pittsburgh’s South Side Slopes neighborhood, detailed in prior posts, your humble narrator now found himself in a quite familiar setting: drinking a pint of beer while at Pittsburgh’s Sly Fox brewery, and photographing passing CSX freight trains.
First up was CSX #3284. Heading northwesterly, towards Ohio, and away from the steel plants found along the Monongahela River, West Virginia, and or Maryland.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This was a Saturday afternoon, which made it kind of surprising just how much rail traffic there was during my relatively short visit. I’ve started working out the timing of their operations, and have observed that there seems to be a long interval in the late morning and early afternoon when nothing is rolling through. After about 3 p.m., CSX seems to get a lot busier. I’m seldom if ever here in the early part of the day, so…
After the train passed through, I marched into the brewery, put my glass on the counter and said ‘reload.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
In addition to the bartender, CSX seems to heard me say ‘reload.’
Next up was #430, which was heading in a southeasterly direction (away from Ohio). One of the things I like so much about this spot is there are two grade crossings with signal arms here. I get plenty of notice that something is going to be coming through, and an idea of what direction it’s coming from, based on which one of the signal arms triggers first.
They do blow the train’s horns while approaching, but that sort of sound isn’t necessarily ‘directional,’ due to it bouncing around off of buildings and the geology, if you know what I mean.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It had been a pleasant early autumn day in Pittsburgh, weather wise. I was quaffing Helles branded draft Lager at the brewery. Intervals between train sets were about 15-30 minutes on this particular day.
After #430 passed through, I headed inside, demanded another ‘reload,’ and also paid my tab.
Big difference between ‘having a drink’ and ‘getting drunk’ for me is volume related, and these days alcohol in excess just makes me want to go take a nap. I always figure that I’m ‘paying rent’ for the train photo opportunity and am obliged to buy a drink in return for the seating, but this spot is ‘a public park area with a brewery’ rather than the other way around. I usually don’t mention the pints of water I’m also drinking, but there you go.
I could just sit and wait, but I like access to the bathroom and your humble narrator really enjoys a nice cold pint on a warm day.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Last up – for me, at least – was CSX #7086. It was headed in the westerly direction, towards Ohio, and it was the last thing I’d end up photographing on this particular day.
After a little while, I summoned a rideshare to pick me up, and carry my carcass back to HQ. That habit is something I’m going to be (and have been since the time of this writing) attenuating.
Made sense in terms of the ankle situation, all these months, but I’m back to riding the T light rail again, and using it as my mass transit springboard into various situations and spots. The T has limited range, however, which is why it’s a ‘springboard.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
So, that’s the end of my tale of the walk down the Sterling Street Steps, through the South Side Flats, and then gathering train photos at a familiar brewery. Nice time, for a Saturday in October.
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! Friday Edition.
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
HEY NOW! I had arrived at the Sly Fox Brewery outfit’s ‘Highline’ location, and started a tab. I’ve seen these tracks referred to as either the ‘Pittsburgh Subdivision’ or as the ‘Keystone Subdivision.’
Just as I was sitting down outside the brewery, with a lovely pint of stout, CSX #2656 thundered through while heading in a westerly direction.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Hey now! Emanating from the west, #7411 hurtled past next. It was quite a busy afternoon, I should mention, for the employees of CSX. I was only there for about two hours, but the hits kept on coming.
I’m going out of my way not to look up the make and models of these trains, as a small section of my soul seems to die everytime I do.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Hey now! Next up was CSX #7391. Really, it was a very busy afternoon for the CSX folks.
As I’ve been learning about rail here in Pittsburgh, one of the things I’ve gleaned is that ‘getting the shot’ is all about finding where the railroad choke points which they have to pass through are. It’s just like fishing.
Luckily, this particular choke point is found alongside a decent bar with outdoor seating.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
#7391 is either brand new or it’s just been repainted. That’s one of the highest quality ‘finishes’ I’ve ever seen on a freight train. Shiny and all specular, with actual reflectivity. Wow.
I went inside to the bar and paid my tab, then headed back outside to start my journey back to HQ in Dormont.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Hey now! The signal arms began to chime again just as I walked back outside, and this time it was CSX #7563 that was flowing towards me.
This train’s finishes were in the sort of corroded and scratched up condition which most freight trains usually are observed in.
All beat up, and quite a counterpoint to #7391.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It had been a nice day, really.
Back next week 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.
The Newtown Pentacle 