Pennsylvania – October 7, 2004

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Back on 10-7-04 a friend and I made an Autumn trip to Pennsylvania landing at Pittsburgh that morning.  After getting the rental car we started east and stopped about 6 miles out of Pittsburgh at Homestead, PA where we found an impressive bridge crossing the Monongahela River between Rankin and Homestead.  This is the CSX (former P&LE RR) bridge that was once double tracked.  In 1968 the bridge was single tracked, note the wide piers the bridge rests upon.

02) RR bridge Pittsburgh, PA 10-7-04

I recently found this interesting webpage showing this bridge with interesting photos, including my own!

https://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/2018/08/csxp-1883-munhall-bridge-over.html

We waited awhile hoping there would be a train crossing the bridge and while this auto rack train was going the wrong way, a train is a train.  Up front is CSX 4717/NREX 5957 (SD70MAC/SD60) at 3:21 PM.  The 4717 was built in 2003 and the ex-UP 5957 built as CNW 8026 in 1986.  Oddly enough the 5957 later went to the NS.

03) CSX 4717 E Pittsburgh, PA 10-7-04

After this photo we left for Glassport, PA, roughly 17 miles out of Pittsburgh and still on the former P&LE line.  There we photographed this CSX eastbound with 14/378 (AC44CW/AC44CW) up front at 4:16 PM.

04) CSX 14 E Glassport, PA 10-7-04

Glassport is an interesting town.named after a glass company.  This info comes from Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glassport,_Pennsylvania

Finally we headed on to West Newton, PA where we spent a little time around the town.  It was 5:03 PM when I took this photo but now in 2025 I was not really sure of what I had photographed!

05) West Newton, PA 10-7-04 503P

Turns out this was part of the 1893 built ex-B&O depot, photo taken up along the roof line.  I have no clue why I did not take a photo of the entire depot.  Only guess I have is shadows were covering all but this part.

At 5:11 PM I took this photo looking down the B&O line from Vine St and thinking how neat it would be if a train were to pass by.  Something about the tracks passing so close between the two rows of buildings on each side.

07) B&O West Newton, PA 10-7-04 511P

At 5:15 PM came horns of an approaching train.  No fooling.  How often does something go right?  This eastbound empty coal train is led by CSX 7693/731  (C40-8W/SD70MAC)

08) CSX 7693 E W. Newton, PA 10-7-04 516P

And that was the last photo of the day.  So far this was a great way to start this trip.  The trip was in 2004 and I am learning so much about these places in 2025!

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