Posts Tagged ‘railroad’
Sky Palaces & the ultramundane
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One of Quentin Tarantino’s ‘bits,’ from the ‘Kill Bill’ movies, offers the supposition that Clark Kent isn’t a secret identity for Superman – rather it’s that Clark Kent is commentary on humanity, and revelatory as to how the Man of Steel regards mankind. Weak, cowardly, indirect, messy, all that. That’s balderdash, Superman has the most ‘humanity’ amongst all of the fictional men. He’s a miracle.
Philip Johnson, architect of PPG Place here in Pittsburgh, was a guy whom I’d imagine didn’t like the idea of humanity very much. Whenever I’ve found myself walking around or within his buildings, a sensation of ‘inhuman’ jumps out of me. You can exist in Johnson’s work, but not ‘live’ there. The architecture is the main character, and you’re just a ‘walk on’ extra. Johnson lived in a glass house, literally, and threw stones all the time.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Saying that, Johnson’s stuff is always pretty photogenic. I’ve got an idea for a cool shot in this area, one of my rare ‘moving image’ forays. Planning on trying to surmount the ordeal of capturing it as the winter gets closer, and the skies grow more dynamic.
I’ll need fast moving weather for what I’ve got in mind.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I had a few errands to run, and then the afternoon would be mine to waste. A couple last shots from downtown, and I was heading across the river to the usual spot at Sly Fox Brewery, for what ended up being a fairly productive late afternoon session of shooting trains.
One headed over to the Smithfield Street Bridge to cross the river.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Cola Street caught my eye again during the effort, with its Color House. That vehicle bridge in the shot is a part of the PJ McArdle Roadway, which I’ve walked down several times.
The Paris of Appalachia, yo.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
On my walk to the brewery, I spotted a BNSF locomotive moving along CSX’s Subdivision tracks. Movers and shakers, BNSF is the country’s largest railroading outfit and operates over 8,000 locomotives.
They seemed nice.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A bit closer to Sly Fox Brewery and the concrete company next door to it was unloading what looked like sand from a barge. A crane handled the work and conveyor belts transported the market across the tracks and into the mixing vessels.
Your humble narrator repeated his usual ritual of using the brewery’s lavatory and then ordering a pint of beer, starting a tab. I planned on hanging out here for a while, and photographing trains.
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.
New tires? Well, sheiste…
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
My car is still kind of new, and the warranty agreement with Toyota is obliged by bringing the thing into the ‘stealership’ about every 5,000 miles, to have the tires rotated and all of the vital juices and jellies in the engine and power train examined, or changed out, or replaced.
Imagine my surprise when the mechanics told me that I needed new tires, on a factory new car which I took delivery of in October of 2022 and that only has 25k miles on it. It was undeniable, they showed me the tread depth with a special PA. approved tool, and then they did the penny test as well. They told me about a sale they were having in October, but one of my tires began losing about 5 PSI of pressure every day, so I had to get the process going a lot quicker than I would have liked.
The penny thing is kind of interesting to me – from a folk knowledge POV. You take a penny coin, turn it upside down, and then insert it into one of your tire treads. If the tread isn’t touching Lincoln’s head, then you need new tires.
That’s how and why I found myself back in Homestead, in a Costco parking lot, with a couple of hours to kill while the Costco mechanics set the MOP (Mobile Oppression Platform) up with a new set of shoes. Luckily, I’m remarkably self entertaining and ‘kicking dirt’ is a specialty.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The tire guy was actually stunned that I’d gotten about 25,000 miles out of ‘OEM’ (Original Equipment Manufacturer) supplied tires, and he said that normally he sees new car owners by 15k.
It was implied that the same tire molds were used for the supplied tires as the commercial model, but different materials were used to manufacture the things which aren’t as robust as the commercially available and consumer facing products. The OEM tires are sold to the manufacturer at a loss, with the inherent gamble that the end customer is likely to just buy a set of the exact same tires as replacements. Grrr.
This banged me out for just under a thousand bucks, in the end.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Time to kill, nowhere to go, God’s lonely man… all that.
I headed towards the walkway leading to the off ramp of the Homestead Gray’s Bridge, connecting Homestead across the Monongahela River with Squirrel Hill, and other residential neighborhoods on the other side. It is set fairly high up, the bridge, and provides interesting views.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This POV looks roughly south, towards the community of Homestead.
I’m told things get pretty wild up in those hills at night, but until I’ve witnessed something personally it’s just heresay. Especially so, now. Don’t believe anything that you don’t personally observe, these days. All is false, lies, and deceptions. Pay no attention to the men behind the curtain.
Luckily, there are multiple lines of railroad tracks which are leave behinds from the age of steel found here. Lots and lots of railroad tracks, in fact.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
CSX #6025 appeared. It was heading southeast.
Vehicle traffic was unusually heavy on the bridge, due to a cataclysmic fire in Squirrel Hill that decimated a high occupancy apartment building found fairly close to the entrance of the interstate. That exit was closed, and detours were sending all of that traffic towards Homestead. Yikes.
I decided on Costco for the tire replacement, incidentally, for a combination of their warrantees and price on the job. It was also convenient, which is always a factor that I ‘price in.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
On my looping path back to the tire center at Costco, I spotted a Norfolk Southern locomotive just sitting there, idling. The pickup sitting next to the train indicates that there was likely a crew change or something ‘official’ going on.
No trip to Costco is complete without a foot long hot dog, so I scratched that off the list while waiting for the text that my car was ready.
I ended up buying Michelin Cross Climate 2’s. All season tires, warranteed to 40,000 miles, and their unique tread pattern qualifies the things to be embossed with a snow tire seal. Haven’t taken much of a hit on mileage yet, so seemingly a ‘win.’
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.
Going to and coming from…
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
After executing a fairly long scuttle, along the Great Allegheny Passage Trail between Homestead and the South Side Flats section of Pittsburgh, just as I was arriving at the Sly Fox brewery for a rehydration session with a coy-Le of lovely pints of Stout, the train tracks signal arms lowered and the alarm bells started ringing.
A train was a-coming. HEY NOW!
– photo by Mitch Waxman
#3418 was heading westerly, towards Ohio. It was hauling cargo boxes and tanker cars. A ‘GE ET44AH’ model locomotive, its fairly modern by CSX standard, having been built just during the last twenty or so years.
‘Grade crossings,’ as in when a vehicle/pedestrian path is interrupted to allow train egress, are pretty rare back in NYC.
Apparently, Robert Moses made it one of his missions in life to eliminate as many of NYC’s grade crossings as possible, except at Newtown Creek. Here’s one in Blissville, one in Maspeth, there’s LIRR in DUPBO, and one that’s from East Williamsburg.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The spot I was standing on was once part of the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie rail yard back in the days of steel, and the brewery I was headed to is sited in a building that used to serve as a rail yard warehousing and intermodal operation. Railroad tracks were here first, so everything else has to wait when a train comes through. Saying that, I see people racing against oncoming trains all the time. It’s only a matter of time before I photograph something horrible happening.
Hey now?
They don’t do Guinness at this establishment, but they do offer a couple of other choices in the ‘Stout’ category which I’d describe as ‘salubrious.’ After a quick visit to the porcelain within, and then to the bar, your humble narrator soon sat down for the first time in a few hours, and slurped on a pint of grog while hoping for the next train to arrive.
Vainglorious hope, and after an hour I paid my tab and started moving again. There’s an elevated truck ramp that overflies this familiar spot, which the current owners of the property have fashioned as ‘The Highline.’ I headed up there.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Just as I got to the ‘top,’ the signal arms began to chime and another train appeared, this one heading south easterly and away from Ohio.
CSX #3200, its a GE ES44AC-H model locomotive. Same basic design as #3418, I’m led to believe, but equipped with different electrical gear and traction controls.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
You have to respect ‘nerdom’ and all the facets it may take.
There’s comics people, music people, sci-fi people, philatelists, sports people. Uncredentialed experts in their fields of study, these people nevertheless are amazing fonts of knowledge about esoteric things. Like railfans are. Respect.
As stated a hundred times: I’m not a ‘railfan,’ in terms of understanding all the nuance and detail that’s rolling past the lens. I just like taking pictures of trains, an activity which I find kind of challenging.
I’m a photo nerd, these days.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
After the train passed, it was time to head back to HQ and I opted for the lazy solution to getting home – calling a ride share. It’s about $12 for that fare, as Pittsburgh isn’t terribly large and HQ is roughly five miles from this spot.
Moe the dog danced and brayed on my return, then promptly fell asleep.
Back tomorrow with something different.
“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.
Cooling my heels, waiting for a train
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
While crossing the West End Bridge, here in Pittsburgh, your humble narrator was keeping his eye on a static CSX train set. It was being held in place by signals, which – as I’ve learned – means that somewhere down the line another train is coming, and its scheduling is tighter than the one being held so they clear the path. Knowing this, I took up station at an opportune POV, and waited for the action to occur.
This spot overlooks the headwaters of the Ohio River, formed by the mixture of the Allegheny River (to the north or left of the city, in the shot above) and the Monongahela River (on the south or right side).
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The big arch bridge in the middle of the shot is the Fort Pitt Bridge, and it… it… wait…
HEY NOW!
There it is, the west bound CSX train set, it just appeared around that bend, snaking around the other train which had been held static by signals.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Ever been inside the operators cabin of a locomotive? I have.
It’s surprisingly comfortable in there, but the person driving the train isn’t looking out the front window, that’s somebody else’s job. Remember that, if you’re trying to outrace a train at a crossing. I looked around for a set of numbers, related to the number of deaths in Allegheny County which involve getting shmushed by a train, but the government types apparently hold that information fairly close to their vest.
From Google’s AI:
Several factors contribute to fatal train accidents in Allegheny County, including both human error and infrastructure issues
- Human error is a significant factor, potentially involving negligence on the part of train operators (such as fatigue, distraction, speeding, or failing to sound the horn), or pedestrians and drivers exhibiting recklessness or failing to adhere to safety precautions around railroad tracks.
- Track malfunctions, including defects like broken switches, misaligned tracks, or issues with rail integrity, can also lead to fatal incidents.
- Mechanical failures related to train equipment, such as faulty brakes or other essential components, can also contribute to accidents and derailments.
- Signal malfunctions at crossings, such as non-functional gates or lights, increase the risk of collisions between trains and vehicles or pedestrians.
While train accidents are less frequent than other types of accidents, their consequences can be particularly devastating due to the immense force involved.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Happy day!
#3171 was at the front, leading the way and all that. It was hauling a mixed up combination of cars – cargo boxes mainly, but there were a few tanker cars in there as well.
Did you know that the age of containerization and cargo boxes got its modern start on Staten Island, and at Port Elizabeth-Newark?
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Both trains were moving at this point, and your humble narrator thereby felt satisfied and happy with himself for a moment. It was time to get moving again, however. I headed towards the Monongahela Shoreline, and the set of steps which would offer egress from West End Bridge.
The West End bridge feeds out onto an actual highway, and a de facto highway as well. The latter is a local street, with local street rules, but people drive on it like it’s an interstate. You have to speed when driving here, in order to not be an obstacle for some junior high school drop out driving a pickup at 80mph towards a screeching stop at a red light while not looking up from their phone – if they decide to stop at all.
Going back to the number of people in Allegheny County who get hit by trains… it’s a fairly obtuse number to find. In 2024, there were 10,218 motor vehicle crashes in Allegheny County, which is a fairly easy number to find. So many ways to die…
Here’s a few of the most likely ways to die in Pittsburgh, according to Google’s AI:
1. Drug overdoses
- Accidental overdose deaths remain a significant concern, particularly in the Black community, where the death rate is three times higher than among White residents. This disparity is attributed to factors like reduced access to treatment, naloxone, and other harm reduction resources.
- Fentanyl continues to be the primary drug involved in overdose deaths, although the presence of xylazine, a veterinary tranquilizer, is rising and complicates the reversal process with naloxone. The county is actively working to address this issue through expanded access to treatment and awareness campaigns.
- Black residents are dying from overdoses at a rate more than three times that of white residents. The 2023 data show the overdose death rate for Black individuals was 141 deaths per 100,000 (232 deaths) compared to 43 deaths per 100,000 for white individuals (428 deaths), according to Allegheny County.
2. Traffic-related accidents
- Fatal Crashes: While traffic fatalities in Pennsylvania generally declined in 2024, reversing previous trends, there were still numerous deaths in Allegheny County.
- Contributing factors: Speeding, distracted driving, impaired driving, and lack of seatbelt use remain major contributors to crashes and fatalities, according to Rosenbaum Injury Law.
- Vulnerable road users: Vulnerable road users, including pedestrians and bicyclists, were involved in a notable number of fatal crashes, though the number of crashes involving them declined from 2023 to 2024.
- Specific Incident: One tragic incident involved a bicyclist who died after colliding with downed power lines in North Park.
3. Other causes
- Explosions: A massive explosion in Crescent Township resulted in the deaths of two individuals and the destruction of a house.
- Child fatality: An 8-year-old child died due to complications from drowning, with the investigation revealing inadequate supervision by a babysitter.
- Child Ingestions: Unintentional drug ingestions, particularly involving opioids, are a growing cause of child fatalities and near fatalities, especially among children under three.
- Air Pollution: Despite improvements in air quality, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution continues to contribute to an estimated 640-1373 deaths annually in Allegheny County between 2020 and 2022.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
These stairs suck, I should mention. Painted on top of the runs, rather than having any sort of friction pad, the rises are also uneven between the different sets of stairs which wind down from the bridge.
Also, I’m just plain chickenshit about walking down stairs, post ‘brankle.’ That’s what I call the now partially healed but broken ankle – ‘brankle.’
I visualized it all. Me, stumbling, tumbling, cracking against the steel landing below. My pelvis shoots out and gets crushed by a passing truck, and I’m internally decapitated so I can still see everything that’s happening. My arms break off during the fall and they are carried away by raccoons. The legs get run over repeatedly by a cadre of competitive bicycle racers, then a seagull improbably appears and starts pecking at my generals, and finally a junkie shows up and boils down what’s left of me for the elements, to sell…
PTSD sucks.
Also from Google’s AI:
Pinpointing the exact number of people who died from falling down a flight of stairs in Allegheny County in 2024 is difficult with publicly available information. While there was a report of a man dying after falling down a stairwell in a Downtown Pittsburgh apartment building in June 2025
It is challenging to find specific statistics for the entire county.
Detailed accidental death data, broken down by specific causes like falling down stairs, is usually compiled by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. These reports are often released annually and may not be readily available in daily news reports or generalized accident statistics.
However, several other causes of accidental death in Allegheny County, such as drug overdoses and traffic-related accidents, are more frequently reported.
Back next week 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.
Subdivisioning
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Dynamic was your humble narrator, as he had spied from the corner of his wicked eye a CSX train set being held static by signals nearby the Fort Pitt Bridge, while said narrator was hurtling past in his automobile. Haste was made to arrange said automobile, a Toyota, into a parking spot and nearby a familiar location.
Happy day. The signal arms flailed about and lights and bells were activated. Just like Christmas, the bells and lights. Hooray. Like a sinner from hell’s heart, that CSX train arrived in a puff of noise.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
CSX #1972 appeared. Apparently, it’s a ‘Family Lines’ ‘Heritage Unit.’ My joy at getting a nice shot, above, soon became interlocuted with sadness. The sadness intruded because of the realization that I might have to deep dive on what the hell ‘family lines’ means, and reenter the Byzantine world of the railfans.
Really, I just like taking pictures of trains. It’s a difficult subject – huge, quick moving, need to be able to react quickly when one appears… that’s me. Commenting upon how the CSX people used the wrong screw on one of the metal plates, or that this train once rolled past something important is just way outside my wheelhouse. Maritime metaphor is intentional.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I wasn’t planning on running this shot, but I got a request in the comments section a few days ago, asking about the appearance of the Sly Fox Brewery, which is often mentioned within similar posts that have also focused on CSX’s Pittsburgh Subdivision Tracks nearby this spot.
That’s Sly Fox in the background, but I wasn’t in attendance there on this particular day. First off, it was something like 11:30 a.m., and secondly I had the car with me. I also had other places to visit on this particular day.
Why use the car on a ‘photo day’? It was about 100 degrees outside with humidity and dew point levels in the 90’s.
Back tomorrow with something different.
“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 