Posts Tagged ‘Monongahela River’
A real nowhere man
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A very productive constitutional walk, during which I had scuttled out somewhere in the neighborhood of about five to six miles (or – as I call it – a short walk) and then loitered around the Great Allegheny Passage’s ‘Whitaker Flyover’ pedestrian bridge – where the trains just kept on coming – was accomplished and one had reversed course for the walk back to the car.
Saying all that, it was that time of the day which I describe as ‘solar maximum’ and the weather was getting ‘shvitzy.’ I began heading back to the lot where I had parked the Mobile Oppression Platform, adjoining the Homestead Pumphouse site. From there, I’d start the roughly thirty minute drive back to HQ. One last thing, though…
I had planned on making a quick stop to wave the camera around, at this 1900 vintage ‘Union Railroad Rankin Hot Metal Bridge #35 (aka the Carrie Furnace Hot Metal Bridge)’ and to commit some photography upon it while on my way. I’ve mentioned this structure before.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Quoting from the post linked to above:
“This span was used as a rail bridge, is some 483 feet long, and is supported by three stout masonry piers. It was built to connect the Carrie Furnace and Edgar Thomson works on the northern shore to the rail network found on the south side of the (Monongahela) river, and it also served as a connection to nearby U.S. Steel plants in Homestead and Clairton, as well as offering ingress for incoming rail shipments of coal and coke, which fueled the various operations.”
Y’know, I hope to never have to rewrite that paragraph.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Saying that, the methodology I’ve been talking about since moving to Pittsburgh is now entering a different phase. There’s still an infinity of experiences that are novel and still unknown, but I’m also starting to choose certain subjects which I’ve found intriguing and will be returning to explore them a bit more deeply.
To analogize all this in an very, very NYC sort of manner, where I’m at is – ‘I figured out where some a dem subway stations is’s, now’s I’s gotta go ridin on da friggin train to see’n where’s dose mothaflowas go… feel me?’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The photos in this section are roughly from the middle of the bridge. I was walking approximately south to north here, and the approaches of the thing have been cut and demolished on the Carrie Furnace side of the Monongahela River.
This really must have been something to see, ‘back in the day.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Pretty epic views from up here, but this bridge is in an advanced state of decay. I recently had a Tetanus Booster, so I was feeling pretty good about myself right about here, but there’s all sorts of trip hazards and rusted out decking that you can easily get hurt by. Me? I’ve inhabited places like this all my life and know how not to get hurt around this sort of thing.
It’s nothing crazy, but be careful if visiting because medical bills suck.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There’s a decayed wooden walkway on the outside superstructure of the bridge, which looked just like a Darwin Award waiting to happen. No Bueno.
The section I was walking on was concrete and steel, and still pretty solid. Heavily rusted steel that you could probably punch a hole in with a screwdriver (or just your finger) was everywhere, but it’s still steel.
Back tomorrow.
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More, more, more…
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
After witnessing four trains in a row, at the end of a long walk, I felt pretty sated and started heading for the T light Rail station which would carry me from the center of Pittsburgh back to HQ about five miles distant. It had been a fairly good day.
That’s when the start of this show made an encore appearance.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Just as I was leaving the waterfront trail and reentering the street ‘grid,’ the Miss Ivy Brynne Towboat shown in Monday’s post reappeared and was entering the maritime channel which would allow passage under the Smithfield Street Bridge.
Truth be told, I almost didn’t shoot these as I was quite pleased with myself and the day’s effort at this point, but did so anyway.
I had walked about eight and change miles, a distance which included multiple bridges and two rivers.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
That’s the end of the story for this series of posts.
Next week, a return to Carrie Furnace, at this – your Newtown Pentacle.
“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.
Train, three
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Wow, what a scuttle I was experiencing.
A third CSX train entered the frame while I was walking along, heading westwards, CSX #7504. As mentioned a couple of days ago, I’ve spent as long as two hours waiting for something – anything – to appear on these tracks in Pittsburgh in the past and ‘nada.’
In the interval of about thirty minutes, one observed a Towboat maneuvering fifteen mineral barges, two CSX trains, and then a second Towboat at work. Sometimes you get lucky. Most of the time, I don’t.
There’s a reason I don’t buy lotto tickets.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
# 7504 screamed past me, and in the distance, I saw a plume of exhaust shoot up out of the CSX # 7289 unit, which had been sitting inert while these other two westerly trains passed through.
A shooting position was taken up, and another lens change iniated.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
That’s the Fort Pitt bridge framing the shot above, and which I was standing in the shadow of. It was a bright and sunny day, and a bit of cover was required at this point, as I was beginning to feel the effect of having been exposed to the radiates of the Burning Thermonuclear Eye of God itself for several hours at this point.
My day wasn’t actually finished yet, I’ll point out. I was already an hour late in terms of a social engagement later in the evening, but when the universe is sending this much in the way of cool stuff your way – you keep shooting until the show is over.
Back tomorrow with even more.
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Train, too
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
While walking a waterfront trail, found along the south bank of the Monongahela River here in Pittsburgh, one had spotted a train sitting entirely still while pointed eastwards (described yesterday). The signal boards which govern the movement of such transportation units indicated that ‘something’ was likely going to be heading westwards shortly.
CSX #1899 ending being one of the somethings, but it ended up not being the only something. Such occurrences bring joy to one such as myself.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
On the actual river bank found on the other side of the tracks, a towboat was tying up to a series of mineral barges. Most of the time, nothing happens when passing through here. When something is happening, a lot of other things seem to also be happening. This is sort of ‘the way of things’ when you’re in the habit of following a camera around.
This spot is right about the point where the Three Rivers of Pittsburgh commingle, and form the headwaters of the Ohio River.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
CSX #1899 is what’s known as a heritage unit, painted up all ‘old timey’ special and it’s christened as the ‘Pere Marquette.’ Read all about it here.
Were I a railfan rather than just some ‘icehole who likes taking pictures of trains,’ I’d likely be jumping up and down with joy at this capture, but that would puncture the numbed down and dire outlook on life which I pride myself on. Nothing matters, and nobody cares, after all.
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.
Train, one
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
After witnessing a Towboat maneuvering an amazing fifteen mineral barges, while walking over the West End Bridge (discussed yesterday), my scuttling path saw a humble narrator encountering a series of CSX trains along the Monongahela River, here in the heart of Pittsburgh.
I’ve experienced multiple hour long intervals where there isn’t a hint of activity along these tracks, but this time around I got lucky.
CSX #7289 was just idling there, held up by signals, on my left.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
On my right, as the Monongahela Incline was rising up towards the summit of Mount Washington, and a Norfolk Southern train was transiting under its cantilevered trackway.
On did a humble narrator scuttle.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
CSX #7289 is a bit of mystery to me, although a bit of googling suggests that it had recently been renumbered from an earlier classification. It was sitting there at a dead standstill, and a glance down the tracks revealed that the signal boards for this track were red in coloration, whereas the second track’s signals revealed a yellow light.
Another lens change ensued, as I guessed that the yellow light meant something was coming my way and heading west.
More on that 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.
The Newtown Pentacle 