Posts Tagged ‘Monongahela River’
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.
Rampapalooza
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Memories of childhood are sparse. I remember dwelling in dusty apartments outfitted with atavist furnishings, populated by the very old.
My early years were spent in a forgotten world, one suffused with rules and customs forged in faraway Eurasian backwaters, and in an absolute desert of joy, music, or warmth. I was told to go ‘read a book,’ but without any curation, and that command was usually uttered by illiterates.
One is often startled and filled with denial when confronted when an unwanted image, shimmering across some random plane of silvered glass accidentally encountered and noticed. Horrible to see, but unfortunately that’s me.
A swirling conflagration of filthy black fabrics blowing about on the wind, such is your humble narrator. Everybody hates me, whether they know it or not or yet. I am the unwanted and the not missed, the unimportant and the uncommented upon. God’s lonely man, wandering strange streets in a foreign city, searching for meaning and purpose – one step at a time.
When people ask ‘how are you,’ my reply is ‘loathsome.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Actually, when people ask how I am, I usually reply with either ‘everything’s great, all the time’ or ‘it’s just another day in paradise.’
Nothing matters and nobody cares, after all, and these petitioners don’t want to hear an actual answer, they’re just being polite. Polity is another one of the things I’m not great at or can understand fully, so I snip conversations off with aphorisms and ‘canned’ sayings these days.
It’s disingenuous to pretend, though, so I usually apologize for my sins by throwing out a quote from Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’ when confronted about my iniquity, something like ‘I will work harder.’ Boxer the Horse is a proletarian role model for me.
Even punk type rocker people will often state that ‘you’re rude, dude.’
Everybody turns their back on me eventually, after all. There’s a different set of rules at work for everyone else’s behavioral quirks, it seems – and as it turns out – maybe I’m not the hero of my own story, rather, I might be the villain instead.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Villainy would be an interesting turn for your humble narrator.
Snatching candy away from babies, kicking dogs, being mean to old ladies, twirling my mustache. I still haven’t found the two or three things here which could destroy Pittsburgh, yet. Back in NYC, I knew of two vectors by which the forced evacuation, and destruction, of lower Manhattan could be triggered – but don’t ask as I won’t pass that info along.
Villain maybe, but not super villain, yo.
There’s acting like a dick, and there’s actual top level dickery. One step at a time, folks. Let’s start with posting some nasty memes, build up some evil momentum, and then we can begin planning the giant robot attack on Manhattan.
That’s coming anyway, when AI escapes the lab and goes all Prometheus on its creators, and the rest of us for good measure.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This is the actual thought process which was swirling about, behind my eyes and between the ears, while walking along this river trail in Downtown Pittsburgh. Avoided the rain all this way by scuttling about under highway ramps, however the intensity of the rain had forced the deployment of my trusty umbrella, which a loathsome moment in any hero or villain’s timeline.
I was heading for the T light rail station a few blocks away, at Pittsburgh’s First Avenue. If it wasn’t raining, I’d be crossing that bridge in the shot above, and heading to the brewery with the train tracks on the other side. The drizzle had become a soaking rain, so there would be no point in that activity.
Next time.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A murmuration of ramps allow egress from below to above in this spot.
The parking lot section I had just walked through, under the ramps, is known colloquially as ‘the bath tub’ due to its proclivity to flood when the Monongahela River reaches high water levels during the spring melt.
Thump, drag, thump, drag… on did your humble narrator scuttle.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One has been working extremely hard for the last few months to regain physicality and strength in my legs after the ‘orthopedic incident.’
Recent experience has indicated that this process has been somewhat successful. I’m planning on really leaning into things during the winter months, and returning to my old discipline of two short walks and one long one every week by the thaw. The goal is to start the spring season in finer fettle than I’ve been dwelling within.
Saying that, I’ll always be an outsider, found in the shadows of cities.
“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.
Buzz buzz buzz, just b’cuz
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As mentioned yesterday, a misty day in Pittsburgh saw rising clouds of fog beginning to congeal into rain up in the vault, and your humble narrator negotiated an alteration to his walking path which would offer some cover should the sky ‘open up.’ Saying that, I’m fairly waterproofed.
Today’s title? Glad you asked.
I was wearing the filthy black raincoat, with the camera secreted beneath it. The camera bag on my back is fairly water repellent, and if things went sour there’s an umbrella attached to it. The biggest weather related issue I actually had involved my glasses steaming up whenever the camera got pushed against the repellent sensory stalk I call a face.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The bridge people were testing out a lighting kit, recently installed on the Three Sisters Bridges, and several water facing buildings were also lit up. Pittsburgh does an event called ‘Light Up Night’ wherein the municipal Christmas Tree is lit up, which was meant to happen a day or two later than this walk. There’s fireworks too. Tradition.
I didn’t go, Light Up Night is a real crowd scene – not unlike New Year’s Eve in Time Square – and I really, really don’t like crowds these days.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The fountain at Point State Park has been subject a rebuild/maintenance project for a while now, and it was a surprise to see it on.
The NFL Draft is coming to Pittsburgh next year, and a bunch of tax money is being spent to accomodate the event and give Pittsburgh a ‘glow up’ while the whole country is paying attention to it.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One continued down the Monongahela River shoreline trail, and luckily for me, just as I stepped under the ramps leading to Fort Pitt Bridge the sky opened up and the precipitation turned from a mist into a proper bout of rain.
The path I was on followed along under a series of highway and bridge on and off ramps, so there was cover to be found in the rain shadows. Didn’t need to deploy the umbrella, at least at this interval.
It’s nice, as an aside, to not have to worry overly about atmospheric conditions again. The busted ankle is stable enough now for normal and all-weather duty, which it hasn’t been all year. That’s part of the reason that for the last six months or so all of the photos presented here were captured on fairly nice days with lots of sun and a distinct lack of ‘weather.’ Going out shooting at night is in the cards again as well.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
An abundance of light wasn’t an issue on this section of the scuttle. This shot was from about 4-5 in the afternoon.
The rain began to intensify, and it wasn’t long before I opened the umbrella and hid beneath it. My mind was already focused on getting to the First Avenue T light rail station, as this was plainly not going to be one of those happy evenings where I drink beers while waiting for CSX trains to pass me by, at the Sly Fox Brewery found on the opposing shore.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There was still an interval of scuttling ahead of me, though, so it was leaned into. This ‘corridor’ used to host some rather large encampments established by the ‘unhoused,’ but a recent Mayoral plebiscite saw an unpopular incumbent trying to buoy up the opinions of the electorate in an attempt to win a second term.
He booted the street people and their belongings away and out of public view, using the usual methodology of ‘outreach, policing, and sanitation dept.’ but that incumbent lost the election anyway.
Back tomorrow 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.
Ala dextra divisa
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The last steps of a fun scuttle, as detailed in prior posts, saw your humble narrator shambling towards mass transit for his ride back to HQ. A swirling confusion of black fabrics wearing an orange ball cap, adorned with a camera, one picked his loathsome way towards the Monongahela River, where egress to that light rail chariot which would carry him back to the vault in which he dwells could be attained.
The humans were avoided, while moving through their infestation.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The Smithfield Street Bridge bore my bulk, and provided a path over the waters. Lament and regrets stained my thoughts, with past sleights and insults bubbling up and begging for renewed attention. I was in a mood, suddenly. Hatred and loathing. I think it’s because I scanned through one of several alerts on my phone, regarding the National position.
Everything political is busted, riddled with tumors, and the country on the whole seems to be metastasizing.
What can I do about it? Nothing. All I could and did do was continue on the way, after burning out a couple of hours worth of walking time. Bah!
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I had hoped that another train might approach, and hung around on Smithfield Street Bridge for a few minutes, in vainglory. Just after I gave up and started heading across the river, however…
…and of course…
– photo by Mitch Waxman
CSX appeared again, this time it was CSX #4766. I’ve noticed that freight trains seem to have been getting shorter in recent months, which is a ‘tell’ for how the macro/non Financial Industry side of the national economy is doing. Back in NYC, my barometer for ‘good or bad’ was always based on activity at Port Elizabeth Newark, rather than the booms and busts on Wall Street.
I asked Google’s AI for some detail on Port Elizabeth Newark:
Port Newark/Elizabeth Specifics
- Economic Engine: The Port of New York and New Jersey, which includes the facilities in Newark and Elizabeth, is a major economic engine. A study released in October 2025 highlights the port industry’s role in supporting over 580,000 jobs and generating substantial tax revenue.
- Infrastructure Investment: The Port Authority has made significant capital investments in the area, including the $3.6 billion 2025 Capital Spending Budget which funds projects like the Port Newark Port Street Corridor roadway network project. These investments are intended to accommodate future growth and maintain the port’s status as a leading maritime gateway.
- Cargo Activity: The port has shown strong cargo activity, recording strong growth in April 2025 (latest data available in search results). In May 2025, it was the nation’s busiest cargo gateway.
- Challenges: The port may face some operational challenges in Q4 2025, including potentially elevated dwell times in Newark and mild congestion, which could slow cargo movement. Low water levels in the St. Lawrence River might also affect inland irregular flows.
In summary, while the regional economy is facing headwinds with slower overall growth and a softer job market, the port operations themselves are stable, seeing continued cargo volume and benefitting from ongoing strategic infrastructure improvements.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
On the other side of the river, one began picking his loathsome path towards the T light rail station a few blocks away. There’s a series of not exactly pedestrian friendly crossings one must negotiate to get to the relative safety of one of the waterfront trails, which then leads right to it.
I was keeping my eyes open for Day Vampires, Drug Enthusiasts, Pickup Trucks, Canada Gooses, Packs of Teenagers, and all the other perceived threats to my happiness which might light my amygdala afire.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Along this path, I noticed a right wing which had been dislocated from its owner. Odd.
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.
Remains of a scuttle
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
After traipsing all over Pittsburgh during a longish scuttle, your humble narrator found himself heading into more familiar territory along the Monongahela River. Another not so friendly to pedestrians route was chosen, this one paralleling a series of high speed roads which operate in a trench. Pictured above, in the distance, is a traffic machine called the ‘Fort Pitt Bridge.’
Every GPS navigation package you can think of directs all the traffic in Pittsburgh going to and from the South Hills region onto the Fort Pitt Bridge and tunnel. There are two other perfectly acceptable highway paths you can take out of the central section of Pittsburgh towards the South Hills, which deposit you in more or less the same area on the other side of Mount Washington, I’d mention. Saying that, all of the ‘maps’ apps just love sending traffic to that very congested bridge and tunnel.
The Fort Pitt bridge offers what I consider to be one of the worst traffic interchanges in the entire country. It’s an ‘X,’ and the thousands of cars and trucks an hour which cross it and enter that tunnel having to negotiate a diagonal merge in a surprisingly short interval.
As I’ve intoned earlier, the driving culture of Pittsburgh is absolute brutality, so this ain’t pretty.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Moving easterly, the mirror face of the PPG Plaza building caught my eye as it threw reflection of the burning thermonuclear eye of God itself around. Disdain for the memory of architect Philip Johnson blossomed in my mind.
The plan for the rest of the day involved heading over to familiar territory at the Sly Fox Brewery where I’d hopefully get to see a train go by.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The Smithfield Street Bridge is a wonderful touchstone. The original bridge here was designed by John Roebling, and when it needed an upgrade they hired Gustav Lindenthal to do it. The bridge’s piers are original to the Roebling version, and the tension spring upper steel is Lindenthal’s.
Roebling, of course, designed and built the Brooklyn Bridge. Lindenthal is the mastermind behind the Queensboro Bridge. I quickened my stride.
I was heading for the brewery, after all, and was fairly thirsty by this point. I also needed to make ‘wee-wee.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A pint of lager in hand, and after a trip to the loo, one settled in and waited for the signal chimes to start ringing at Sly Fox Brewery. It took maybe twenty minutes of waiting before CSX #4749 exploded into view.
HEY NOW!
It’s a 2003 vintage ‘EMD SD70MAC.’ A 16 cylinder engine in the locomotive produces some 4,000 HP of thrust, and it is said to offer a top speed of 70 mph.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It had been a nice, long walk. Lots of ups and downs, long distances, and mostly flat. What was desired was attained, which was to do some shooting while subjecting my gamey ankle to a longish walk.
As you’re reading this, remember that exactly one year ago today I was still confined to a wheelchair, and experiencing ghastly amounts of pain. The injury was more than just orthopedic, as lots of soft tissue damage had occurred too. Suffice to say that I learned about a new one during this experience – pressure blisters. Felt like a burn, but under the cast.
I just can’t stop remembering that right about now. Trauma, yo.
Adding in that I was all doped up on opioid pain killers, this situation wasn’t at all pretty. All I could do, besides watching a Turk soap opera about the Ottomans, was dream about recovery, and getting back to doing…
…This…
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As the saying goes: Life is what happens to you while you’re making other plans, right?
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.
The Newtown Pentacle 