Posts Tagged ‘Pittsburgh’
Locomoting back in Pittsburgh
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
After getting back home from ‘home,’ your humble narrator settled back into his normal pattern of life. Yeah, I took a few days off from everything to rest up, before jumping back on my bandwagon. My ankle was pretty swollen for a couple of days due to all the walking back in NYC.
I’ve unfortunately got a bunch of doctor oriented stuff which needs accomplishing during the month of July, and so does Our Lady of the Pentacle. On my side of things, I had to postpone various tests and other ‘Doctor’s Orders’ because of my ankle situation, so I’m trying to pack all of that in during July – partly in the name of just getting it off my menu. This post is being written during the first week of July, incidentally.
Our Lady had to visit a doctor for a routine examination, and while she was being poked and prodded by the blue pajamas and white coat crowd, I headed over to Allegheny Commons Park where a locomotive trench carries Norfolk Southern traffic through the park.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This is an ‘autumn shot,’ incidentally, captured during high summer. I got the autumn shot the year before last. The Ginkgo Trees lining the tracks drop their leaves – which then turn yellow as they decay. That gives you a black locomotive moving through a golden yellow path – very Pittsburgh, huh?
After the train passed out of view, I decided to walk a couple of blocks over to another ‘POV’ which I’ve exploited in the past.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Just as I hoped, those Norfolk Southern engines had soon coupled up with a train’s worth of cargo cars, and were just starting to proceed forward as I got there. These tracks, in the direction the train was heading, lead to either a spur that goes to the Fort Wayne Railroad Bridge over the Allegheny River and then through the Amtrak station downtown on their way east, or they can also lead to a different line that sits on the northern shore of the Allegheny River and more or less follows Route 28 in a roughly northeasterly direction. Exciting, no?
Yes railfans, I’m going to drive out to Conway Yard sometime this summer, probably in August.. Additionally, it’s likely I’m going to visit Altoona and the Horseshoe Curve in August as well. Word has it that Altoona has finally finished repairing its incline, after all.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The train, led by #6317 – an EMD SD40E model locomotive engine – or so I’m told – started moving towards the Allegheny River. I cracked out a few shots of the thing, and then followed it, as least as far back as where I had parked the car.
I encountered and starting chatting with a very cool lady who had emigrated from Jamaica to Pittsburgh via Brooklyn at this particular juncture. When she heard I was from Brooklyn, and specifically Canarsie/Flatbush, she was ebullient. We talked about Flatbush Avenue, and meat patties, and scotch bonnet peppers. That’s when my phone rang and it was Our Lady, who was nearly done with her appointment. I bid my new friend good fortune and moved on.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
On my way back to the Mobile Oppression Platform, a Toyota, I cracked out a couple of shots of the train moving through the trench. It was a mixed up bunch of cargo cars.
I made my way to the car, after stopping off at the ‘Porta-Potty’ for a tinkle. It’s so nice living somewhere where you’re not just expected to piss in the street like a dog.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There’s remnants of what looks like a masonry bridge over the tracks which still exist here. Boy, that must’ve been some point of view from that one, huh? Wonder when it was condemned and closed?
Back tomorrow with more from Pittsburgh.
“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.
Memorial Day Parade
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The various municipalities and Boroughs of the South Hills region of Pittsburgh participate in a Memorial Day parade, including Dormont where Newtown Pentacle HQ is found. Our Lady has been hanging out with a local arts outfit, and was marching in the parade with the group.
I volunteered to get shots of her when she appeared, but what? I’m not going to shoot everything and everyone? Pfah. Selects are in today’s post, if you want to see the whole magilla, click here for the Flickr album.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
That lady is apparently Miss Pennsylvania. I had no idea.
It was, at least, a perfect late spring morning with bright sun and temperatures in the mid 60’s. We’ve had a series of weather systems dumping rain on Pittsburgh for the last few weeks, so the fact that the skies were perfectly clear was astounding.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
All of the volunteer fire departments sent representation. There were marching bands and classic cars, old men wearing military uniforms, lots of happy kids and dogs. The parade marchers were throwing wrapped candies at the cheering crowds. The whole town shows up for this.
I kept on shooting.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The Air Force national guard did a flyover, in what I think is a ‘C-17 Globemaster III’ cargo plane. From a branding point of view, Boeing really went over the top with ‘globemaster,’ if you ask me. Saying that, were I to be sitting behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, my totally unhinged executive orders would include reverting the Air Force’s logo back to the bicycle wheel with bird wings that they started out with.
I’m all ‘effed up.
On with the show…
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Does this happen to anyone else? As soon as someone in a mascot suit spots me with the camera, they focus in and do a little dance for me. I find anthromorphised stuff like this off putting, but I also don’t like interacting with anybody in a full mask. Can’t look ‘em in the eye…
Our Lady appeared and I joined her in the marching, essentially as far as where I had parked the car in a municipal lot.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Just before we split, all the old soldiers rolled through. Military is a common experience for Pennsylvanians, the state has one of the highest enrollment rates in regular military and national guard, and a tremendous population of Veterans.
Also, the first American Civil War was largely fought in Pennsylvania, and that ‘leaves a mark.‘ First, you ask? I think 2026 is going to be a very interesting year in this country, and probably not in a cool form of ‘interesting.’ Hope I’m wrong.
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.
Carothers Avenue Bridge
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
You see variants of that design of bridge above all over the place in Pennsylvania. It’s called a Warren Pony Truss style bridge. The span is some 146 feet long, and it was erected in 1927. The Carothers Avenue Bridge is its name, and it spans Chartiers Creek pretty close to what could be called ‘Downtown Carnegie’ or at least ‘Main Street Carnegie.’ Actually, the commercial street in Carnegie is called ‘Main Street,’ so…
This link will take you to historicbridges.org, where all of the details and the story of this span are revealed. Personally, I think it’s neat.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I visited the Carothers Avenue bridge on Memorial Day weekend, and Carnegie itself was buzzing with back yard BBQ’s. Felt like it would be ostentatious to set up the whole tripod and filters dealie, so I just circumnavigated the thing and did handheld shots. Definitely coming back at some point to get all artsy fartsy here. I dig it.
As mentioned, Carnegie is one several communities neighboring Dormont, where Newtown Pentacle HQ exists currently. All of life’s little missions see me driving around a bunch, and I pass through this area at least once a week in pursuance of whatever minutiae controls the day.
Have always been intrigued by it while passing by, and thereby I desired a closer look at the bridge. Luckily, Our Lady’s schedule allowed me the opportunity to do so. Yay.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A last look, as I circled around the thing like a predator. After this, I headed back to the car and negotiated my way towards picking up Our Lady for the drive home. About 15 minutes, but you have to watch out for deer. It seems that during this time of the year, young deer go exploring in search of new greenery to devour. This often leads them onto roads.
It’s not the carnage you’ll notice in late autumn and early winter during ‘rut,’ when love crazy stags chase after does to ‘get busy.’ Those horny stags often find their way onto the highways, and… suffice to say that the crows and vultures are well fed in fall and early winter here in Pittsburgh.
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.
Kicking dirt in Carnegie
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The region of the Pittsburgh Metro which HQ is located in is called ‘The South Hills.’ In the past, I’ve already established that Dormont where HQ is specifically located, is part of an area once known as Lower St. Clair.
Practically next door to Dormont is the municipality of Carnegie, which is about a 15 minute drive on local streets away from HQ. Water runs through Carnegie, specifically Chartiers Creek. I’ve brought the camera here before but there’s a lot to see in Carnegie.
Luckily, Our Lady of the Pentacle had scheduled a class she wanted to take in Carnegie, on a recent weekend day. I drove her to her deal, and then I went to work on visiting several waypoints I had dropped onto a Google map the night before. I do a lot of remote scouting this way, using street view to figure out if there’s opportunity in unknown spots.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Since I was in the car, I was traveling heavy. Tripod, all the lenses, etc. one of the waypoints I had coded into my ‘Carnegie Map’ was the Wheeling & Lake Erie RR’s Rook yard. A nice history of how this rail yard got sited here, and why it’s called ‘Rook’ can be experienced at hmbd.org.
Turns out I didn’t need to have all that gear with me, but since I didn’t have to carry it – who cares? Also, I got lucky. The W&LE RR people were getting busy and moving trains around when I randomly drove up, and on a Saturday no less.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
#6996 up there was functioning as a DPU, Diesel Power Unit. Everything you might want to know about the W&LE outfit – its rolling stock, rights of way, corporate structure – can be gleaned here.
It was a beautiful day in Carnegie, PA. Mid 60’s in temperature, with a strong breeze. The Rook Yard was one of several places which got a quick drive by and lookie loo.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
#3049 was in the lead, and after coupling to a train of tanker cars, began moving away from my position. Not entirely sure where they go after this. I have vague ideas, but finding out is one of my summer projects.
I had my little railfan radio scanner with me, and was listening to the conversations between tower and engineer, but it might as well have been Greek they were talking. I’ve got to learn to speak railroad.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I had a couple of hours to myself while in Carnegie, and spent about a half hour or so of it right at this spot watching other people at work. Definitely coming back here in the future. No fences!
There were a few other spots which I wanted to take a good look at, but it was also Memorial Day weekend. When I got to a some of those other points of interest (tomorrow’s post), in the residential sections, back yard parties and BBQ’s were going on and I was sticking out like a sore thumb.
Next time, it’ll be a weekday morning visit, when the streets are a little less populated.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Chartiers Creek runs through Carnegie on its way to the Monongahela River which it is a tributary of. This post shows where that admixture occurs nearby the West End Bridge.
There’s all sorts of ‘desire paths’ along the water which fishermen use to get down to the shore. I plan on following a few of those this summer as the ankle situation continues to improve.
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.
End of the line
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Shlepping through Downtown Pittsburgh, after what ended up being a fairly long walk by my current standards. Started on Rialto Street in Troy Hill way on the other side of the Allegheny River, and here I am scuttling south towards the Monongahela River.
This post is being written and scheduled for publication during the week leading up to my trip back to NYC during the first week of June, so hopefully I didn’t get pushed in front of a subway or suffer an aneurism or something while there.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It’s funny, people tell me Downtown Pittsburgh is dangerous. Homeless people, drug addicts, the mentally imbalanced – all that. I don’t feel imperiled at all, but definitely maintain a ‘street posture’ in this zone. Junkies are unpredictable. The last time a junkie came at me, it was in LIC and during the pandemic at night. He didn’t like it at all when I jammed my right thumb into his eye, not one bit. Brooklyn, 1980’s, right here.
Saying all that, you’ve seen worse in NYC and elsewhere. I certainly have.
Anyone remember Larry ‘Wild Man’ Hague from Manhattan’s upper west side in the 90’s. I do. That was a dangerous ‘creature of the streets’ if ever there was one. I can attest to the news article’s reporting that he would set fires under parked cars, for fun, on 96th bet Amsterdam and Broadway.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Nearing the Smithfield Street Bridge over the Monongahela River, and for some reason a truck passing by on the highway below (I-376) caught my eye. This road leads to both the Fort Duquesne Bridge and the Fort Pitt Bridge and tunnel, which are sort of the ‘master cylinders’ for traffic in Pittsburgh. A slow down at either span ripples forth and miles outwards in minutes, affecting the entire city’s traffic.
Of course, I was on foot while shooting and at that moment couldn’t have given two shits about traffic problems. I wanted to drink a beer, damnit! Priorities!
– photo by Mitch Waxman
After crossing the river, I was making my way to my favorite little brewery when a train appeared on the Norfolk Southern tracks high above. It wasn’t a Norfolk Southern locomotive, and its color way branding could indicate either the white whale Allegheny Valley RR or another seldom spotted local rail outfit. Couldn’t tell.
Life is a bit sweeter with some mystery in it, I always say.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A film crew had blocked my normal path to the beer taps, so a course correction was instituted. That alteration led to a set of city steps, which is somehow fitting since this walk started with another set of steps back on Rialto Street. PTSD was absolutely singing an aria in my head during this moment, and I was grasping at the bannister like my life depended on it.
I will get over this, as it just ‘mishegoss.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Finally, with a glass of cold lager in front of me, I got to sit down and wait for the trains to come to me. The CSX Pittsburgh Subdivision tracks seldom disappoint. My drink was soon finished, the tab paid, and a rideshare car was summoned to return me back to nearby Dormont.
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 