Posts Tagged ‘railroad’
South Side Train
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A humble narrator is taking the week off from the usual folderol, and on offer are single shots captured sometime in the last year since relocating from ‘Home Sweet Hell’ back in NYC to Pittsburgh.
Pictured above is a CSX freight train at a grade level crossing on the South Side section of Pittsburgh, with the Birmingham Bridge behind it.
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Kwazy Kwanzaa, and Happy New Year to you all. 2024 is going to be a real whopper, I think.
“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.
That train’s ‘Da Bomb’
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
While a humble narrator was checking out a section of the Montour Trail in Pennsylvania’s Cecil Township, a ‘rail to trail’ public space which follows the right of way once enjoyed by the now defunct Montour Railroad, the still active rail tracks which mirror the trail’s path suddenly sprang to life.
That’s the Wheeling & Lake Erie RR’s #6353 pictured above. It’s an EMD SD40-2 model locomotive, built sometime between 1972-1989 when the model was in general production and apparently it was originally built for the Burlington Northern RR.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Part of my mission here at the trail was to find fresh ground for Moe the Dog to tear across, in pursuance of bleeding off some of his boundless puppy energy. The sections of these trails closer to HQ are fairly well populated with people and dogs, both of which Moe is displaying a high amount of reactivity to.
By ‘reactivity,’ I mean that he loses his damn mind and becomes a snarling/snapping icehole that is very difficult to keep under control. This is a problem we’re working on, and have been since he came to live with us, but it’s a real bugbear. Thereby, I’m searching out relatively depopulated areas within a certain driving distance of HQ to take him to, where we can work on his training.
This section of the trail seemed fairly ideal, as the surrounding municipality is fairly small in terms of population. There were certainly other people on the trail, but nowhere near as many as you’d encounter closer to center of Pittsburgh.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A couple of days later, Our Lady of the Pentacle and myself had packed our four footed problem child into the Mobile Oppression Platform (our car, the MOP) and headed back to this section for a long training walk with the dog. The little monster did fairly well for most of the excursion, but when somebody passed by with a couple of other dogs Moe flipped out. Sigh…
We had just wrestled him back into the MOP, and I was driving us out of the parking lot when I spotted another train approaching from the opposite direction it had been heading towards previously.
That’s Wheeling & Lake Erie #3048. It’s a (rebuilt) EMD SD40-3 model locomotive, but it was originally manufactured sometime between 1966 and 1972 by the General Electric Electro-Motive division and General Motors Diesel.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
W&LE RR were hauling tanker cars designed to carry hazardous cargo, specifically ‘Liquified Petroleum Gas, Non Odorized.’ My friends back in NYC at the Riverkeeper outfit coined the term ‘Bomb Train’ for this sort of cargo. There’s a largish fracking operation nearby this spot, which the W&LE people were likely working for.
When I saw the train a-coming, I reversed the car back into the parking lot, grabbed the camera, and ran across the road prior to the signal arms actuating. Our Lady was comforting Moe back in the MOP while I got busy.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
At the end of the assemblage, there were two locomotives acting as ‘DPU’ or Diesel Distributed Power Units (addendum added post facto, thx to Michael and Daniel for pointing out error). My understanding of this role is that the engines are essentially slaved to the main locomotive at the front of the train and are there to provide extra ‘oomph’ when needed.
That’s W&LE #6992 pictured above. It’s a EMD SD40-2, and quite similar to #6353 in the first shot. It was functioning as a ‘DPU’ or Diesel Power Unit and controlled by wire from the front of the train.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
At the back of the train, W&LE #6386 was also helping the traction operation move along. I guess that it’s the nature of the cargo of some specific about the location, but this train set was moving quite slowly, which is apparently how you move ‘bomb trains’ around for safety’s sake.
#6386 is the same make and model as #6992, an EMD SD40-2.
While learning about trains, I’ve learned a few things. One is that Hobo’s prefer to ride on the DPU units when they’re catching a ride as the interior cabins are climate controlled and there are electrical outlets which can used to charge their phones.
Back tomorrow with something else.
“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.
Thanksgiving Choo-Choos
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Happy Turkey day, all. As described in prior posts, one was executing a long walk across the municipal center of Pittsburgh when it started to rain. It was absolutely pissing down, and I deployed my umbrella. The section of the city I was scuttling around is absolutely lousy with passing trains, so I decided to capture some of the Choo-Choo action.
That’s Norfolk Southern #1162 in the shot above, which is a location and composition I’ve wanted to capture for a while now. It’s an EMD SD70ACe model locomotive and relatively young by railroad standards, coming online in April of 2004.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
In what’s surely become a familiar location to long time readers by now, I headed down to a reliable grade level crossing for the CSX outfit nearby a brewery. I ordered a drink, and sat at an outside but sheltered table while waiting for a few trains to arrive.
CSX #868 came roaring through first. It’s also a fairly modern setup, having come online in April of 2008. That’s an ES44AC-H model, built by General Electric.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
CSX #3173 was next. Same model and make as the #868 mentioned above. It was raining significantly at this point, so the big difference is that this one was all wet from the rain.
Taking photos at night is old hat for me. Taking photos of enormous things moving at 30 mph is another matter. You’ve kind of got to focus and then track them as they’re going by twisting the waist. Challenging.
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.
Scuttling with trains
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
On the south side of the Monongahela River, where a scuttling narrator found himself walking on the Three Rivers Heritage trail, and CSX #2720 was framed up all nice against the Fort Pitt bridge after it hurtled into the frame, here in Pittsburgh. I knew 2702 was coming, as I had heard signal arm alarm bells ringing from about a half mile distant, and one was desirous of making sure that I ‘got the shot.’ I had ceased experimenting with my two new lenses for a moment, and installed an ‘old reliable’ onto the camera – the 35mm f1.8.
This sort of ‘photowalk’ catch as catch can thing is a whole lot easier when you’ve got a zoom lens on the camera, but that wasn’t the point of what I was doing on this particular day. Test the new glass and get some exercise, that was me.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There wasn’t any cargo being moved around on #2720, instead it was one of several locomotive engines that were coupled together and moving westwards on the tracks. I continued along the trail’s path, with the ultimate goal of arriving at that brewery I’ve been enjoying hanging around at, and rehydrating myself with a pint of Pilsner.
After quaffing my glass of beer, there were a few more lens tests which I wanted to perform in low light, and my plan was to ride the T light rail back towards HQ. I absolutely treasure the days when I don’t have to drive and can leave the Mobile Oppression Platform back home, in the driveway. The pluses of owning a car are many, but there’s also the whole responsibility thing and sometimes I just want to be ‘foot loose and fancy free,’ if you know what I mean.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Another CSX train – #4228, pictured above – came roaring towards me. Where this shot was gathered, there’s a grade crossing of the tracks and a couple of those signal arms with the bells. That gave me the time and warning required to swap out the 35mm for the 16mm, and test out its focus tracking performance.
Where the shot above fails for me revolves around the wide angle distortion, which distracts me. The big discovery, mentioned earlier in the week, about this particular lens is that your subject needs to be in the dead bang center of the frame or the image distorts oddly. Live and learn, huh? That’s the whole point of testing a gizmo and seeing what it can do and where it fails.
Back next week with more – from the Paris of Appalachia, 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.
Rinse and repeat
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Yet another doctor’s appointment, and post surgical checkup, was endured by Our Lady of the Pentacle at Allegheny General Hospital. Thus – her loyal husband, your humble narrator, and journeyman chauffeur – had some time to kill. The Mobile Oppression Platform was piloted over to an opportune parking spot nearby Pittsburgh’s Allegheny Commons Park West Park after dropping her off. I went to a spot where a four tracked trench exists, one which allows rail egress through the city which avoids ‘at grade’ road crossings. One exploited this location previously, as displayed in a post from last week.
That’s Norfolk Southern’s locomotive engine #4705 pictured above. I’m told it was built in 1980 as a ‘EMD GP50’ model, but Norfolk Southern rebuilt the thing, refashioning it into a ‘EMD GP33ECO’ model at its Juniata Locomotive Shop in Pennsylvania’s Altoona. It complies with EPA’s ‘Tier 3’ pollution standards, in its modern configuration.
4705 has got 3,000 HP going on, under its hood, which provides some 64,200 lbs of tractive power. It was quite loud, as its engine sounds were bouncing around, on and off of those masonry walls.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There was a delay at the Doctor, so Our Lady was stuck in the hospital for an hour or so later than we anticipated. Luckily, there’s a pizza shop nearby which is operated by a fellow named Anthony Badamo who learned his trade in GREENPOINT, BROOKLYN. After capturing these shots, I drove over to the North Side Badamo’s location (he has another one in Dormont, nearby HQ) and quaffed a couple of properly made slices of pizza. You people back in NYC have no idea how bad most Pittsburgh pizza actually is.
There’s an abrogation of all that’s holy called ‘Ohio Style’ which one of my neighbors back in Dormont is a devotee of. Avoid it. At all costs, avoid it. ‘Philadelphia style’ is also nasty, and makes the Mama Celeste frozen supermarket stuff seem palatable, but Y’know… Philly… everything about America’s consolation prize – Philly – just sucks. You’ve also got a few joints here that offer up the tomato and meat casserole which Chicago people will tell you is pizza.
It’s not pizza, it’s just a mess.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The block which the Badamo’s pizzeria is found on is also one where a lot of the North Side’s homeless street people spend their days, and a humble narrator standing alongside the car while eating out of the pizza box started attracting their attentions upon me.
The first guy who beggared me got a slice of pizza, as he told me he was hungry and a slice was only a couple/three bucks, and I don’t like the idea that anyone is hungry when a bit of my pocket change can fix that for at least a little while. I’ve been buying bagels for bums my whole life. My one condition is that they eat the food in front of me, so I know they won’t turn around and trade it for other ‘substances’ with one of their crew.
His opportunist compatriots, however, then began sizing me up and figuring out how much they could get if they were to boil me down for base elements, so I hopped in the car and drove to another spot closer to the hospital to finish lunch. Being charitable is one thing, being predated by addict scumbags is another.
While I was waiting for Our Lady nearby the hospital, a helicoptor ambulance appeared. It seems that the Allegheny North people have a helipad that I didn’t know about, so see – you actually do learn something new every day.
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.
The Newtown Pentacle 