Posts Tagged ‘Norfolk Southern’
Little trees and Two Hey Now’s
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
‘Everytime you leave the house it doesn’t have to be the Odyssey,’ that’s what I keep telling myself.
Now that the busted ankle has transitioned to ‘more or less reliable’ again – I’m additionally trying to make my ‘old’ exercise schedule of ‘two short walks, and one long one, 20-30 miles every week’ habitual, again.
…so… do what you say and say what you do?… These aphorisms of mine really do bind me into jams…
This time around, it was the South Side Slopes section of Pittsburgh, for a short walk of around five to six miles, and the first thing that caught my attention was this tiny tree growing out of a concretized sidewalk seam.
Neat.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
After negotiating an interesting downwards course involving a couple of sets of Pittsburgh’s ‘City Steps,’ my target for the next section of my day involved the ‘PJ McArdle Roadway’ – a busy vehicular pathway, cantilevered out from the face of Mount Washington and providing diagonal egress between the ‘flats’ below and the prominences above.
The section of the roadway I was visiting additionally provides, for those of us who are wandering mendicants wielding cameras, an overlook opportunity for the trackage of the Norfolk Southern railroading outfit.
Hey Now!
Norfolk Southern #1099 was coming through.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This is a relatively safe spot to hang out and wait for trains to come and go, I’d mention, with stout concrete and steel separation between the pedestrian path and the vehicle lanes. It’s also a kind of photogenic spot, since you can see the tower buildings of Downtown Pittsburgh from it.
My old pal Bernie always said ‘make sure you get something in the background to give it a sense of place.’ He was referring to Newtown Creek, of course, and how compositions with the Empire State Building in frame instantly ‘placed’ the waterway and told an implicit story.
Norfolk Southern #1099 was hauling a long train of cars that were carrying a black mineral. Probably coal, but unless I know what something is, I stay general.
Take a look (Flickr link). What do you think it is?
– photo by Mitch Waxman
In between trains, I was entertained by the antics of the local fauna, but I’m a man/boy simpleton. Ask anyone.
One was traveling light again on this walk. The camera was wearing the 24-240mm zoom lens, and the only spare lens I had with me was an 85mm one, which I can use to shoot through chain link fences.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One of the advantages of this spot is that you can see the RR signal lights from up here, and thereby I knew to hang around as ‘something else was coming.’ You can look that one up, the codes for the lights, btw.
About twenty minutes behind #1099, along came Norfolk Southern #6955.
Hey Now!
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Norfolk Southern #6955 was pulling a line of train cars similar to those that were behind #1099, but these particular contrivances were loaded with large quantities of – what seemed to be – metallic slabs.
Most likely these were slabs of steel, as this is – indeed – Pittsburgh.
That’s a guess, though, and as in the case of the black minerals being hauled by #1099 above – if you don’t know what something is – for sure – speak about it in ‘general terms.’
What do you think it was? Take a look (Flickr link).
Back tomorrow with something different – 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.
Self imposed
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
While descending a set of dissolving city steps, found beneath Pittsburgh’s Mission Street Bridge, one observed Norfolk Southern #9898 hurtling past on an elevated trestle. Hey Now!
This scuttle began on Sterling Street, as you may recall from Thursday of last week, and my plan for the day mainly involved kicking my feet about and moving at a good clip while walking.
Ultimately, I’d be looping back to the Light Rail station here on Pittsburgh’s ‘South Side’ on my way back to HQ in nearby Dormont.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Places like this are unusually welcoming to me.
As a reminder, the Newtown Pentacle time warp continues to flux.
These photos are from the last week of August, and the post itself is being written on the 7th of September. If my scheduling is correct, right now you’re fairly close to overdosing on Pumpkin spiced latte.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The path I was walking must be a familiar one to regular readers by this point. The transit service I utilize – a light rail outfit called ‘The T’ – leads me back towards a nearby station.
The South Side Flats section is built up on the flood plain of the Monongahela River, nearby an area along its waterfront which was once highly industrialized with rail yards, and steel mills, and iron furnaces. The packed together housing here in the ‘flats,’ and up in the ‘slopes,’ were where the workers of those businesses dwelt.
Lots of churches hereabouts, too.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Along with not having any desire to visit a casino or gamble in general, one of the bits of emotional software which many of you possess and which I do not involves religiosity.
Not putting it down, faith, for those of you who indulge in the worship of some allegorical sky father that counts up all the times you’ve masturbated and then holds that number against you, but here we are.
To use the word ‘atheism’ would indicate a certainty of belief in a null state rather than a supreme being, which means to me you enjoy an irrational ‘belief’ which I would describe as being somewhat religious in nature. There’s a lot to be said for not thinking about the supranatural at all, and embracing the ‘ultramundane,’ instead – as I do. The ultramundane is what your sky father or mother installed you into, so appreciate the setting.
Non-secular humanism, anyone? Hey now?
Gotta love all the religions – though – as after all, I’m a fan of ‘man.’
As I often say: Whatever… you do you, boo… I’m just passing through.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One seems to actually pass through here a lot, due to two reasons.
First is that aforementioned light rail station, the other is a set of CSX tracks nearby a brewery I frequent.
As a note: ‘Drinks’ offers a much smaller ‘lure’ to me than the ‘sure thing’ shots of railroads, at arms length, which this location offers.
One fears that I’ve introduced a narrative here over the last couple of years which suggests I’m drinking a lot more than I actually do. These days, in my dotage, two beers are plenty for me and a third is sleep inducing. Additionally, weeks often go by without a drop of the stuff passing into my mouth hole. Just saying…
Nearby pedestrian bridges over the Norfolk Southern tracks are also a ‘sure thing’ location for me- RR spotting wise.
At both locations, however, you need to ‘hurry up and wait’ for those trains to come to you, and the location (by the brewery/CSX) that I was heading for is a hell of a lot more comfortable to wait around in.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Saying that, this wasn’t a ‘have a drink day,’ as it was something like 11 in the morning when I started my ‘out and about.’ It couldn’t have been much later than one in the afternoon by this particular point in the day.
Couldn’t help but get a shot of those two painting over graffiti.
Back tomorrow with Choo-Choo’s.
“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 you kids, say ‘Hey Now’
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
These locomotive shots were gathered during various summer outings in Pittsburgh, and likely captured sometime around the end of July or early August. Mostly during short walks that I was taking here and there, or while waiting for something else to happen and killing some time.
On CSX’s tracks, along the southern shore of the Monongahela River, I spotted a BNSF train set – which is extraordinary to my experience in Pittsburgh.
Normally, you just see CSX blue and gold rolling through here.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A Norfolk Southern unit, seen from the same South Side Flats area as the BNSF train above, but transiting on an elevated trestle along the face of Mount Washington. The ramps surrounding it are vehicular roadways, specifically the PJ McArdle Roadway at the top and Sycamore Street directly above the train.
The business of life finds me visiting many sections of the city, not just the areas where which I particularly like waving the camera about, such as here on the South Side.
When I’m out for walk, however, I like scenery.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Over on the north side, during one of those walks in the Manchester/Chateau neighborhood, this Norfolk Southern unit seemed to just be aching for something to do.
You’ll often see a double engine like this just sitting there idling at rail yards, with this one dubbed as being the Island Avenue Yard.
It was difficult angle to shoot from, over fences and through surveyor holes, so a move was busted and I found a better POV.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There we are.
I wasn’t satisfied yet, and so began scuttling South. Towards Allegheny Commons Park, and that cool rail trench it hosts.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Hey Now!
These shots were captured during that brutally hot interval at the end of July. and the beginning of August. Was not fun being out, and especially not so with the burning thermonuclear eye of god itself staring at my back. Always keep the light source behind you, or just to the side…
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Not going to lie, this T light rail shot was captured in the same session as the BNSF one at the top, but it does illustrate my mass transit journey back to HQ.
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.
Catch as catch can, yo
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Our Lady of the Pentacle had a doctor’s appointment on Pittsburgh’s North Side, and thusly I had a couple of hours to kill while she was interacting with the white coat brigade. Her assignation was at that hospital building featured on that HBO show ‘The Pitt,’ as an aside.
What to do, what to do? Gotta stay busy and not be bored, for even a minute, me…
Allegheny General Hospital, as it’s known in the real world, is directly across the street from Allegheny Commons Park. Said park is the one which has that rail trench cut into it that I often visit, so…
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Hey Now! That’s Norfolk Southern’s #3663 chugging along in that rail trench. I caught a bit of derision on one of the Facebook groups centered around Pittsburgh’s railroads, referring to this set of tracks as the ‘trench.’
Somebody on there said ‘I used to work for the RR, and nobody ever called it a trench.’ I asked ‘what is the proper name of this section of tracks then’? No answer.
Now, there’s around a dozen other photographers on that group who newly refer to this as ‘the trench.’
My phone chimed, a text had been received, and Our Lady was done with her business. I packed up the camera and picked her up, and we then headed back to Dormont for a fairly quiet afternoon.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The next day was an ‘exercise day,’ and this time around somebody else was driving. Specifically a ride share driver named Furkat. As soon as I heard the name, I asked if he was Uzbeki when I got in the car. There’s a sizable refugee population of Uzbekistani, Kazakh. and Afghans here in Pittsburgh who are also new arrivals to the area.
Furkat was taking me to Pittsburgh’s ‘Greenfield,’ where a medium long scuttle would begin. I took the opportunity to shoot out the window of his car, and try to get ‘the view’ from the city side of the Fort Pitt Tunnel.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
For reference, yesterday’s post had me walking across the Fort Pitt Bridge, with the walkway found on the bridge’s lower deck. The POV above and below is one which has been heavily romanticized, and is directly above the shots from yesterday. The upper deck of Fort Pitt Bridge is also ‘fablungered,’ but it’s nowhere near as horribly designed as the lower deck and its approaches are.
This is a difficult exposure, btw, due to part of the shot offering bright daylight, and the rest of it being inside of a fairly dark tunnel.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Furkat seemed a little concerned about what I was doing, but didn’t object. As long as somebody else is driving, I love the challenge of these sorts of high speed captures. It’s a real test of how well you know what your camera can do.
This was a fairly nice July day, incidentally, with temperatures struggling to hit 80 and about 60% humidity. I’d be irradiated by the burning thermonuclear eye of god itself for the entire walk, mind you, as it bobbed horribly about in the sky – so this wasn’t ‘sweater weather’ or anything…
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Someday, there’ll be a parade or some event which closes this bridge and allows pedestrian access for a spell. If that ever happens, I swear that I will be present somehow, camera in hand.
Back tomorrow with where I was heading to, and what was observed.
“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! and the Big Boy
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
July 11th was a wicked hot day, with high humidity and temperature. The Union Pacific ‘Big Boy’ locomotive was scheduled to be rolling through Pittsburgh. Wasn’t exactly a secret, and thousands of people lined the Norfolk Southern tracks to get a look.
I headed over to one of my favorite perch’s and got busy. A few Norfolk Southern trains were transiting though in the run up to the Big Boy. While waiting, a crowd showed up.
Hey Now! Norfolk Southern #4251 rolled through.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Hey Now! Norfolk Southern #7651 was next up through the pass.
There were a few dozen people on the pedestrian bridge with me, over the tracks here. They showed up with chairs and food and bottles of wine.
I had a bottle of water and my camera bag with me, and some gum, and ended up standing around up there for close to four hours.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
You knew when Big Boy was on its way, and not just because of the tracker that the Union Pacific people were running on their website. A trio of Cops showed up and shooed all the lookie loos off of the ballast below in advance of the passing.
Part of the reason that I chose this particular elevated spot involved planning on ground level Police activity, as a factor.
Also: I’ve been mentioning the ‘Newtown Pentacle Time Warp’ all summer, wherein I’ve somehow managed to maintain at least a month of ‘lead time’ on these posts, and that’s the causative ‘why’ behind you seeing shots from early July in early September.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Big Boy finally arrived, spewing smoke and steam as it went.
To be honest, it all felt kind of anticlimactic, but… good clean fun.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
My focus was actually on ‘focus.’
Shooting photos through a chain link fence has a high failure rate. As mentioned, I use this spot all the time for rail shots, so am thereby fairly well practiced at getting my shot through that fencing here.
Hey Now?
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A long line of ‘heritage’ locomotives with patriotic paint jobs were attached to Big Boy, as well as a couple of modern diesel powered engines.
My understanding of the nature of this ‘heritage’ steam engine event is that whereas the head of the snake was – indeed – producing steam and smoke, it was actually a diesel engine further back in the chain which was providing motive power to the assemblage.
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.
