Posts Tagged ‘The T’
Rando shutterburgh
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As described yesterday, your humble narrator dragged his broken ankled butt up the hill he lives at the bottom of, to the light rail station (said light rail is dubbed ‘The T’), and boarded a train set that was headed into Pittsburgh from the Borough of Dormont, wherein HQ is found. Pictured above is the onboard milieu, a graphical representation of the perspective one enjoys while riding the service. I decided to do one of my ‘random shots through the window’ sessions while onboard, to pass the time.
The trick with doing this sort of thing is to not let any part of the camera touch the window glass, as vibration would transfer thusly. The other is to barely look at the camera while triggering the shutter. The exposure triangle is ridiculous seeming; daylight shooting at f8, ISO 6400, and about 1/3000th of a second. You lock your body up as a support for the camera, put your thumb on the shutter button, and turn your head. Click, click, click until your arms get tired. It’s digital, so keep shooting. There’s a high failure rate in this sort of pursuit. Who cares? It’s digital, keep shooting.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Most of the people I know who pronounce the word ‘film’ with two syllables (fillumm) treat those happy moments when they commit to an exposure as a moment of somewhat divine revelation. More often than not, it ain’t. I’ve always liked the ‘street photography’ mentality, and the credo that you shouldn’t stage or otherwise ‘improve’ the subject of a composition and should instead take what you find. I’ve seen and shot some beautiful illegal dumping over the years, and might have uncovered a serial killer back in Queens after noticing single shoes all over Newtown Creek’s streets.
I’m not implying the shots in today’s post should be considered ‘photographs’ which belong in a frame, but I do enjoy the unplanned randomness of what can only be called ‘snapshots.’ I did something very similar to this while riding Amtrak a few years ago. Ain’t I just special?
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It’s been a heck of a six months for your humble narrator. I’ve graduated from PT, or ‘Physical Therapy’ for the ankle situation. It still hurts, but there we are. Probably for the next year, they said. I waited until the last possible moment in the PT process, and asked the question I’d been keeping in for the entire treatment period: Doc, will I be able to play the violin? The Doc is about 30, I’d guess, and didn’t get the reference.
For those of you too young to have developed a proper sense of humor, the joke goes: Doctor, one question, will I be able to play the violin? Doctor says ‘there’s no reason why you can’t play the violin.’ Patient says ‘that’s great, I never could play it before.’ I blame the corporations for taking Bugs Bunny off of children’s television in the 1990’s for why the youngsters don’t know how to laugh.
There’s construction along the T’s route, specifically the transit tunnel which is shared by the T with several bus lines. Going to last for months. The folks who operate the T, dubbed the PRT, have activated an otherwise unused set of backup tracks and created a temporary stop in Pittsburgh’s Allentown, thereby.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I’ve walked this path several times last summer. Over that wall is the South Side Slopes neighborhood, and the roadways here are set at steep curves against the cliff like terrain. There isn’t a single spot in this area which could be called ‘easy driving,’ with its narrow streets and hairpin turns.
During this period of construction, scheduled to last until October, the T will run along these tracks. Looking forward to many rides through here in the next several months. Heck, I’m just looking forward to not being trapped in the house and sitting in a wheelchair.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Near the bottom of the hill, at what is already a very busy vehicular intersection leading to both the Liberty Bridge and Tunnel, is where you’ll notice the T’s tracks leading to an approach to the Panhandle Bridge, which spans the Monongahela River. This shot looks through the windshield of the T unit I was riding in, towards another train set which was moving away from Pittsburgh.
After the other T cleared away, our driver began moving towards the bridge approach. I must admit that the sound which the rails made when the T sat down on them wasn’t exactly the sort of thing you want to hear.
A loud pop, a squeal, steel on steel making an ‘urrrrrnnnnnnn’ sound.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Of course, I was shooting the whole way. Hell, if this thing is going to go down when I’m onboard, I’m going to get shots of it for the coroners to find on my camera’s memory cards. As we made the turn towards the bridge, the T passed over the busy Norfolk Southern tracks found on this side of the river, and the truss of the Liberty Bridge.
Back tomorrow, with more.
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The simplest of plans…
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
First things first, and first thing involved walking up this hill.
Normally: not a problem, currently: my ankle was pissed off by the time I hit that next corner, which happens to be midway along another somewhat shallower hill. This is my neighborhood pictured above, by the way, in Pittsburgh’s Borough of Dormont. People still ask me why I left NYC, in response I will point out the near total absence of litter, passed out inebriates, or random emergencies midway through occurring in the shot above. Five miles from the center of things, this is.
It was a warm day in Pittsburgh, given the time of the year, and your humble narrator had a plan. I’d walk to the T light rail station, and board a Pittsburgh bound train set. There’s a major construction project underway involving the service, meaning that the route is significantly altered. Street running light rail moving through a series of interesting areas? Heck yeah! I’m in.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Of course, just as I got there, a Pittsburgh bound T was leaving the station. This ensured that I’d enjoy the maximum wait time until the next one arrived, which was somehow comforting. Who likes to rush?
Your humble narrator was appointed in his usual style, with the filthy black raincoat and a knapsack full of camera gear on his back. The camera was wearing its 24-240mm superzoom lens, if you’re curious. It’s strictly a ‘daylight’ lens, that one. Not the best glass I own, but its range makes it invaluable when out on a day time photowalk in a feature rich environment.
As far as my plan for the day went, the intention was to ride into the city, where the T was servicing a normally unused station due to the construction project(s) occurring along the line, where I’d catch a few shots of the thing coming and going and then scuttle along on my merry way. Then, I’d cross the Monongahela River on a bridge, and hunt around for any passing rail traffic. Lots of room for serendipity.
It ended up being about a nine and a half thousand step day, which is a new record for me in this post broken ankle period.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Saying all that, since I had to wait the maximum amount of time between Pittsburgh bound T’s, I occupied myself by focusing in on a T train set, which was heading away from Pittsburgh, and towards its eventual terminal stop at South Hills Village. Love the web of catenary wires over these tracks, I do.
Back tomorrow with more, 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.
Making the donuts
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Great success, for one such as myself, materialized in the form of that shot above. That radio scanner which I’ve recently acquired was on ‘scan’ mode, and despite it getting stuck on the National Weather Service channel (I really need to reread the instruction book) a few times, the thing soon locked onto a Norfolk Southern radio channel and thereby I knew this train would be crossing in front of me in advance of its arrival. YES!
Norfolk Southern #4334 was just one of several locomotive engines providing diesel power to what looked like a coal train. It was probably coal, but unless you know what something is for a fact… you always have to qualify your observations as an opinion, informed or otherwise.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The T light Rail made another one of its many intrusions into frame as I scuttled along. The particular zone I was walking into should be quite familiar to long time readers by now. I’ve been attracted to this section of the Monongahela River shoreline for a bit now. Frequent rail traffic, a brewery, and out door seating? If you were trying to set a trap for me, these factors would be an irresistible bait.
Particularly right now, as the ankle has healed sufficiently for me to resume my walks but is not far enough for me to be ‘daring,’ one finds himself missing the overwhelming flatness of those concrete devastations surrounding a ribbon of municipal neglect called Newtown Creek. I need to charge back up at her font of corruption, fill my soul to the brim with the black mayonnaise and the NAPL sauce. She misses me, I can feel it.
When it warms up a bit, I think that I might go home for a visit, just me and the camera for like 72 hours or something. Maybe.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A second Norfolk Southern train appeared, this one carrying shipping containers and tankers while heading in the opposite direction of the likely coal train. My plan was now fairly simple, head over to the brewery and buy a beer, then sit down and wait for CSX to show up.
One should mention that I was actually enjoying myself, which is a rare treat these days. Exercise, photos, and fun? What’s going on here in 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.
‘Can’t’ can’t be in my vocabulary
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This walk which I was attempting wasn’t terribly ambitious, it was more about repeating a few of the steps which had proved painful and burdensome just a couple of weeks prior, and played out over just a few miles. It’s going to take a few minutes for me to get back to proper shape and form.
After riding the T light rail to the center of all things Pittsburgh, a short walk over the Monongahela River via the Smithfield Street Bridge was on order. The T kept on popping up all afternoon, and it was incumbent on me to accept that I had to keep on photographing it every time it passed by.
The weather situation has improved somewhat, but it’s still damned cold here. We haven’t seen meaningful snow in a bit, but you can smell it on the wind. This cold winter isn’t over yet.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
After crossing the river, my plan was to hang a left and look for some freight trains that I might be able to photograph. A new purchase has been made, and I’ve got one of those radio scanner things now. I have no real idea how to use it, but I was able to listen in to an approaching Norfolk Southern train for a minute. Really have to read the instruction manual again, me.
Happy to report that the ankle was functioning within normal parameters. Here’s the weird thing – it’s not really my good ‘ole ankle anymore due to the screws and hardware which were inserted during the surgery, or at least the joint is quite a bit different than it used to be. Not better, not worse, just different. Weird.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As mentioned, each and every time I saw the T… this time one of their train sets was headed into the transit only tunnel which allows it to travel beneath Mount Washington.
This particular scuttle was instituted in response to a walk from a couple of weeks ago which caused no small amount of discomfort, which caused the thought ‘I can’t do this’ to intrude into my thoughts several times.
Nothing but nothing motivates your humble narrator more than hearing, even from himself, that he can’t do a thing. 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.
Island effect
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I’ve mentioned this before, but one of the things that always amazes me about Pittsburgh’s T system are the absence of ‘economic islands’ centered around the stations and stops. There’s office buildings and government offices nearby – literally across the street from the POV pictured in this post. My frame of reference is ‘back home’ of course, where bus and subway stops almost always draw Bodegas, Pizza joints, and shops to them which capitalize on the foot traffic. The transit stop itself is a de facto socio economic magnet, and retail usually sets itself up nearby to handle the transient’s needs and sell overpriced fruit.
Subway stops usually bring bars and restaurants to their environs, in my observation, which is a ‘level up’ in terms of the economic island effect of transit in NYC. Foot traffic, all that. You see this phenomena in Philly, Boston, Chicago – wherever mass transit exists.
Pittsburgh doesn’t seem to get the same bang out of its transit buck, regarding this corollary that other cities do. I wonder why.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It’s an inviting street scape, no? There’s also a lot of criminal justice world (jail, courts, etc.) stuff down here, maybe that’s why this zone is so desolate. For reference, this is basically downtown Pittsburgh, right about here. That scene above isn’t caused by people working from home. That’s landlord propaganda. As a rule, do not trust what realtors say about anything. That includes former real estate people, like the fellow in the White House.
The economic islands observation came out of an argument I once started with the MTA, when they first started talking about the Queens Bus Redesign Plan and I was on the community board in Astoria. I was trying to argue that the redesign would have broad economic consequence beyond them managing to shave a minute or two off the route of the Q103. The MTA guys got snarky, I received a talking to by the higher ups, and then COVID happened and the next time anyone saw that plan again was long after I had beat the retreat to Appalachia. Luckily, it’s someone else’s problem now.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This was shot on a Saturday, I should mention, but the day of the week doesn’t have anything to do with street level retail. This corridor is so noticeably blighted that it doesn’t make sense to me.
At any rate, this was a ‘walk’ day, not a ‘stand around and wonder’ one, so I leaned forward into the scuttle. Back tomorrow 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.
The Newtown Pentacle 