Posts Tagged ‘Tugboat’
Diesel powered hump day
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The terminal stop for a recent and roughly three mile long ‘short walk’ ended up where I often find myself these days, alongside the CSX Pittsburgh Subdivision tracks on the southern shore of the Monongahela River. This is where that brewery I like is found, but given that this was mid afternoon, no beers for me. These days, alcohol induces rapid onset somnolence within your humble narrator, after his long broken ankle related hermitage.
One hung around a little while. CSX #6142 appeared, heading in the direction of Ohio. The internet opines that this is a General Motors GP40-2 model locomotive. Exciting, no?
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Next up was a Towboat navigating the Monongahela. Given my current inability to scuttle quickly, which the rest of you might conventionally refer to as ‘running,’ I just had to zoom in on it from where I was standing.
Really, I do enjoy this particular location. Probably a bit too much, and I promise that Newtown Pentacle isn’t going to be solely focusing on this spot forever. Right now, however, as I’m still a bit disabled…
I have limitations.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This shot is out of sequence, as it was captured on the final leg of my scuttle towards that fertile location which I like so much. Hey, a sure thing is a sure thing. There’s a LOT of activity thereabouts.
The goal at the moment, however, isn’t novelty or serendipity, it’s exercise, and although I’m actually feeling ok at this writing, a recent spout of rainy weather has fully confirmed that I now have ankle arthritis. That’s even more reason to burn in a bunch of miles, exercise wise. Stretch and strengthen, that’s the medical mantra.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I’m mentally starting to refer to this spot as ‘Ole Reliable.’
CSX #5256 was next through the choke point. One of the things that distinguishes this spot from nearby trackages is that there’s several grade level crossings which precede this particular spot, so you can hear the chimes of the signal arms in the distance, as well as the train’s horns.
Nothing like an early warning signal, to me at least.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
#5256 was hauling a mixed up collection of cars – tankers, automobiles, all sorts of shapes and sizes. After this one passed, I decided on discretion being the better part of valor and summoned a Lyft to carry me back to HQ. While waiting for the car to arrive, I waved the camera around a bit.
This one, coupled with the Panhandle Trail walk and a couple of other walks, mostly described last week, saw me finally break twenty miles of intentional scuttling in a single 7 day interval for the first time in better than six months.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I mentioned this the other day, but during the first week of June, your humble narrator will be returned to the nest for a few days. The plan is still forming, and I’ve got a lot of people to see, but… the Creek.
The Creek. The Creek. I intend on walking my Newtown Creekathon pathway, that 12.5 mile death march around the currently undefended border of Brooklyn and Queens. I need to be ready… stretched and strengthened.
Back tomorrow with something different, at this, your Newtown Pentacle.
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Archive #011
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Progress continues here in Pittsburgh, as far the recovery from the broken left ankle injury goes. To wit, this is the first of these archive posts that I didn’t have to throw together in a panic on the morning it was meant to publish. What that also means that is that my thought processes are recovering, and the sensory ‘noise’ introduced by the pain transmitting up from the ankle and foot is beginning to fall off a bit. This is being written on Saturday the 19th, btw.
Back in 2009, I was walking over the Pulaski Bridge – spanning the fabulous Newtown Creek – when the bridge opened for maritime traffic, as described in this posting from October 21 of that year. I find this sort of thing exciting.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I’m hoping to be able to drive again fairly soon. What’s been holding me back is the physical reality of getting down the same flight of stairs that I broke my ankle on, then out the door to the driveway, and finally getting into the car without killing myself or incurring any new injuries. It’s a palaver, every little thing is. Taking a dump requires ten minutes of planning and careful execution just to get into position on the porcelain.
October 21 in 2012 is when this post was published, which discussed a random tugboat that I encountered while out on NY Harbor.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The last time I experienced the lack of purpose I do now was during COVID, but at least then I was able to go out at night and walk the deserted sidewalks of the concrete devastations in LIC. No walkie for me for a long while, with long walks not being possible on an even longer timeline. I might have to switch over to bike riding!
This 2020 post ruminated upon getting what you want and not having to act like some boring and ideological ass to achieve it.
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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.
Mortuus ambulans
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
That’s the Smithfield Street Bridge, here in Pittsburgh, pictured above.
I crossed back over the Monongahela River here, after having walked over the Birmingham Bridge previously. The corridor I was heading for on the other side has become one of my favorites for a photowalk. It’s where my original ‘long walk’ plan would have taken me, just with an extra five miles of scuttling thrown in.
Lots of rail action there, downtown Pittsburgh as a backdrop, and shadowed by the elevations of Mount Washington. Sweet.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
While crossing the river, the Towboat Haley Michelle was passing by, couldn’t resist a shot of its passage.
My plan at this point was to head over to the Sly Fox Brewery – as it’s called – and grab a Pilsner, then hang out for an hour or so hoping to catch some passing rail traffic.
I’ve zeroed in on a model of radio scanner which I’m planning on purchasing. It’ll let me know whether or not anything might be heading my way when I’m lurking about – but this purchase is an act which will move me dangerously close to railfanning.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
At the moment, I’m still depending on pure luck, as I was when CSX’s #4050 suddenly appeared and screamed right past me.
More 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.
Fifteen barges? C’mon…
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As described last week, a humble narrator was recently engaged in a longish walk around the center of Pittsburgh on a pleasant spring afternoon.
My footsteps carried me over towards the West End Bridge (spanning the headwaters of the Ohio River) in pursuance of accessing one of the many waterfront trails found here, in the Paris of Appalachia. The particular trail I was heading towards leads back to a light rail station which would be my day’s penultimate destination, on the way back to HQ some five miles distant. It was late in the afternoon – rush hour time.
Choosing this path ended up being a fortuitous decision, and for the next hour or so Pittsburgh offered quite a show for the wandering photographer to record.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Midway across the bridge, a towing vessel was noticed approaching the span. The boat was handling what seemed like an impossible number of minerals barges. The Towboat was heading eastwards along the Ohio River, towards the confluence of Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers which mingle and form up the Ohio.
One got into position, chose an appropriate lens from my ‘bag of primes,’ and worked out the correct suite of settings for the camera.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Fifteen barges of what looked like coal were being towed directly beneath the West End Bridge where I was standing. The towboat is called ‘Miss Ivy Brynne,’ which was built in 1974 and offers its crew some 3,800 HP worth of motive force to work with. The boat is currently flagged out of Belle Vernon, PA.
Read more about Miss Ivy Brynne here, at tugboatinformation.com.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As the Towboat moved along, so did I, trying to find different perspectives. There must be a speed restriction under the West End Bridge, as the boat was moving at a snails pace.
My guess is that its ultimate destination was going to be one of the two U.S. Steel plants found up river along the Monongahela – either Clairton, or the Mon Valley Works. Given that it was traveling west along the Ohio River, it must have negotiated the lock and dam systems operated by the United States Army Corps of Engineers found downriver.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A lens swap occurred, as my footsteps carried the camera away from the middle of the West End Bridge. I needed a bit more ‘reach,’ so the 85mm was affixed to the camera.
Right about here is when the towboat’s wheelhouse ‘gunned’ its engines and the vessel began picking up speed.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The shot above was captured just as a humble narrator got to the southern extant of the West End Bridge, while also passing over a towing company’s docks that were hosting several other mineral barges.
This was just the start of a heavy industrial show, one which I was privileged to witness on the back end of my 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.
Pittsburgh Parade
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
More than once, I’ve described the POV above as being ‘magic’ except for the empty railroad tracks. This time around, I got lucky and a CSX train entered the frame, shortly after I had walked over the Fort Pitt Bridge which is the golden colored span in the shot. They take their city color branding pretty seriously out here in Pittsburgh, all the way to dressing the cops up in black and gold.
This was captured close to the end of a medium sized walk, but I sure wasn’t done yet as it was a positively gorgeous spring like day – weather wise. Everything is starting to bloom here in the Paris of Appalachia, as a note.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I was so pleased with the situation that the need to go wide angle overwhelmed. There was still a mile or two in front of me before I could declare the day’s goal accomplished, but that’s always the case – ain’t it? Nothing’s easy.
The train moved on, and so did I. I had already decided to visit that brewery I like which is alongside the same CSX tracks pictured above, and grab a pint of Pilsner – strictly in the name of hydration, I assure you – before returning to the T light rail which would bring me back to HQ where Our Lady of the Pentacle and Moe the Dog awaited.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Moe, for those of you who have asked, has matured nicely and acquired a beginners kit of domestic manners. It’s been a long while since his puppy incarnation was wreaking havoc and biting me in the crotch, thankfully.
After debarking the bridge’s pedestrian pathway, one navigated to a primary arterial street called ‘West Carson Street’ whose somewhat terrifying sidewalks led me to a spot where I could hop a fence and access the Three Rivers Heritage Trail, which follows the Monongahela River’s southern shoreline.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Lucky day for me. A Tugboat appeared, which was guiding barges of (presumptively) coal up the ‘Mon’ river, and under the bridge I had just walked over, with downtown Pittsburgh serving up a back drop.
I’m continually surprised at how much maritime traffic you see on the rivers here. I was also surprised to see that this boat was configured as a harbor style pushboat tug, rather than as a river Towboat, with the latter typology far more commonly observed here than the former.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
With winter ending, and spring starting to spring up, I’m looking forward to hiking in natural settings again. This sort of thing isn’t terribly productive from a photography POV (look, it’s a tree), but natural surfaces and paths through wooded areas are still quite novel to this kid from Brooklyn’s Canarsie.
As a note: I always say ‘Canarsie’ because people are somewhat familiar with that ‘area.’ My actual Brooklyn neighborhood – believe it or not – was called ‘Futurama,’ which is literally right next door to Canarsie. It’s nestled between ‘Old Mill Basin,’ ‘Georgetown,’ ‘Flatlands,’ ‘Glenwood,’ and Canarsie – Futurama is. If you’re not from there, these places aren’t on your radar, at all. My high school was found at the front door of Canarsie (Ralph and Flatlands Avenues), and most of my high school friends were ‘Canartians.’ South east Brooklyn was an odd place to live in the 1980’s.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One followed the trail, to his glass of beer at that brewery alongside the CSX tracks which has often been mentioned here. I met up with a friend whom I haven’t seen in a few months, and wouldn’t you know it… Choo Choo…
More on that next week – 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 