Eastern Railroad Discussion > Coke Express And a Bridge

We (my wife & I) paid a visit to Bridgewater Crossing Waterfront Park near Monaca, PA. recently. It is a nice place to take in a view of the Ohio river, the Beaver bridge that CSX (Pittsburgh Sub) uses and the Rochester to Beaver bridge NS uses to travel the Cleveland line. I was told by a friend that rail traffic can have its lull times and that proved true on the two visits we made. Sunday afternoon on 7-26-20 we were lucky to see a westbound CSX K182 (Demmler, PA. to Gary, IN.) Coke Express with 120 loaded cars crossing the Beaver bridge. It would soon drift to a stop while the empty coounterpart K183 (Gary, IN. to Connellsville, PA.) passed headed eastbound with 104 empties. We went back in the late afternoon of 7-28-20 and saw no trains except the coming and going of NS trains into and out of Conway yard across the river in the distance. The only traffic we saw was four empty barges being shoved west on the Ohio river. On both visits we saw no traffic on the NS Cleveland line. Even so we enjoyed just sitting back and taking it easy.

1. CSX K182 on the Beaver bridge headed westbound on track 1. The train looks small compared to the massive structure of the bridge. I found another spot that will show more of the bridge on the right. Late afternoon is the only time for decent light here for westbounds. So hopefully I will get lucky on another visit.

Note. Bridge was built for the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie RR (1908 to 1910)

2. Some of the looaded coke cars on K182.

3. Tow boat Aliquippa pushes 4 empty barges west on the Ohio river. Houses in the background are part of Monaca, PA.

Thanks for looking,
John
 

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When I lived in Coraopolis and Ambridge in the 1970’s, watching barge tows on the river was almost as enjoyable as watching trains. Saw many P&LE and B&O trains going across that bridge.

Posted from iPhone

Hi John
Fantastic pictures of the bridge and river tugboat
Tom Boylan

John,
   Looking at your middle picture thru the bridge structure note the homes. Hopefully the vacant lot between the homes is still vacant. Possibly you would want to try some photographs from up there the next time your in the area.
Richard Adams  
    

urbrroa Wrote:
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> John,
>    Looking at your middle picture thru the
> bridge structure note the homes. Hopefully the
> vacant lot between the homes is still vacant.
> Possibly you would want to try some photographs
> from up there the next time your in the area.
> Richard Adams  
>     
I will have to look into that.
John