Eastern Railroad Discussion > Hunting down my white whale (MGA 8025)

A lot of my relatives are from lower Mon Valley area, so I consequently spent a lot of time railfanning places like West Brownsville, Denbo, Mather, and Waynesburg on the old Monongahela Railway as a kid....the gray MGA paint scheme used on its super 7's was much like the railroad, simple, tidy, and efficient, and I missed that paint scheme when it was folded into Conrail. So when news of the NS Heritage units came out, the unit that I anticipated the most was the MGA 8025. But for the longest time, it seemed like this unit was running everywhere BUT the Monongahela River Valley, whether down south in SOU territory or wheeling intermodals across the Southern Tier....and when it finally made some appearances around Pittsburgh, I either had to be somewhere else, it was dark, or I just plain missed the darn thing. I was beginning to feel like Ahab hunting his proverbial white whale.

Fortunately, thanks to the various heads ups last night and this morning (especially from WM 3798) I was finally able to cross this one off the list, appropriately enoughj, on an empty coal train headed for MGA country.

1. The 8025 leads PC 1073 and 2 NS ponies over the Ohio River and across the massive OC Bridge at Esplen PA.
2. Bridging the CSXT former P&LE main line at Esplen, hearkening back to the MGA's days as a (partial) P&LE subsidiary.
3. Last shot before I had to head back to work was passing through Pittsburgh's West End with its namesake bridge in the background.

Thanks for looking everyone!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/11/12 19:58 by PittsburghMike.

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Nicely done!

Jon

Great photos Mike, like the last photo for all the activity in traffic and on the rails not to mention the view foreground and background.
alan

Incredible photos Mike, well done


ernie

That has to be one of the more difficult places in Pittsburgh to get train photos. Where did you pull off the road to get those photos?

RuleG Wrote:
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> That has to be one of the more difficult places in
> Pittsburgh to get train photos. Where did you
> pull off the road to get those photos?

There is a small parking area on the southbound side of Carson St just south of the bridge. For reasons that are unclear to me, Penndot has a lane on northbound Carson closed, which made it nice and safe for me to stand along the railing above the P&LE.

For the West End shot, you can park at a small parking area at the bottom of Greenleaf St where it enters the West End circle. Then walk up Greenleaf to gain enough elevation for a good shot.

Great shots all around, I particularly like that first shot the best.

nice Mike ... real nice ... #3 is a real keeper with the bridge in the background

Mike, excellent work. Congratulations on IOTD. You scored big time.
John

SUPER pics!!!!! Well done!!!

Great shots and really interesting locations.

Now if only I hadn't quit going north at Shire Oaks. :-( Oh well.

Dale