Is There Really a Car in There?

         Monday morning; Frank and I were going out in search of history. It wasn’t going to be a difficult search; we knew right where we were going. I had been there before and I was curious to see how it had changed. It was still dark as we loaded our camera gear into the car. The roads were shiny from the headlights reflecting off the wet roads and traffic was heavy in places with people rushing to get to their jobs. We were teased with the possibility of a nice sunrise, but it never materialized.

        Shortly after the sun rose we arrived in Bakerstown, ready to start our journey back into time. We were going to visit the site where a tunnel had been cut in a hillside by the railroad company. It had been abandoned over a hundred years ago!

A P&W narrow gauge steam engine passing through Glenshaw

        The railroad line was first laid here in the 1870. A station was built sometime after. The line, a narrow gauge, was owned by the P&W Railroad. The station was placed at the peak of the long slope that the tracks climb out of Etna.

A  B & O locomotive sits at the Bakerstown Station as the switch is set to allow the helper engines onto a siding. Taken in the 1970’s

        The station is long gone. It was abandoned and then removed, with hope of erecting it in another spot as a historical site. The plans fell through due to assorted haggling and whenever a final decision had been made, the building had rotted beyond saving. (I’ve seen this happen before and I’m sure it will happen again!) Only a few concrete bits of the foundation remain here.

Shot taken shortly after the cut was made in the hillside

        A tunnel was dug through the hillside when the tracks were first laid. After the tracks were widened to the Standard gauge in 1911 and another track was laid down, the company, now B&O,  probably thought it would be cheaper to cut through the hill rather than dig a new tunnel. The tunnel was closed around 1913. 

        The tunnel had collapsed at least once in its history, possibly more. I found a newspaper clipping from the New York Times dated April 6, 1892 which tells the story of a local woman who stopped an approaching train by waving her skirt, saving the train from crashing into the collapsed tunnel.

        I have also heard stories that the tunnel collapsed while a train was in it and that there might be a RR car still inside. There is also the story that the tunnel may be haunted…well, you know how stories spread. You can choose which ones you want to believe.

        The spot we were searching for was heavily overgrown. The last time I had been here, I didn’t have much trouble finding the cut. Now, we couldn’t even see the rocks because of all the brush and weeds.

        A small stream ran alongside the tracks and we found a spot where logs and sticks had been placed to make a bridge. High grass grew around the wobbly span and it covered the RR ties which crossed further on. Putting my tripod into the grass beside the logs, it sank down 5 or 6 inches into a thick black muck. We didn’t want to slip as we crossed!

        We made it across without any major problems. Jagger bushes and lots of what looked like hedges that had grown wild filled the narrow slot that was cut into the hillside. We zigged and zagged as we made our way in, searching for the easiest route. We had to crouch to avoid the branches which tangled together over our heads. My tripod kept getting caught in the branches and vines as we pushed them aside.

First view of the opening

        Crossing over a couple old fallen trees, one of which scrapped my head, we came to the end of the cut. ( A small amount of blood always adds to the excitement of an expedition!) Pushing aside the last couple bushes we could see a slender opening in the rock face. Extending about 10-15 feet sideways, it was only about three or four foot high.

Frank approaching the opening

        Outside the soil was wet and slippery but under the overhang, it dried as we went into the tunnel. We could only go in about 20 feet.  A few rocks and dried dirt made a shelf we could stand on. We could barely stand upright without hitting our heads. The roof was rough and uneven. The small amount of light filtering through the opening didn’t go very far into the deep darkness of the tunnel; we could barely see the water. The far end was invisible in the darkness. The water was lower than I remembered it. When we talked there was a slight echo, that and the sound of water continuously dripping from the ceiling created a spooky background.

        Setting up our tripods we played around with our cameras, attempting to focus on something we couldn’t even see. Our ISO’s were pushed to the max as were the exposure times. Flashlights helped illuminate the tunnel more, waving the lights back and forth to even out the illumination. Of all my shots, only a couple turned out well. It was a matter of trial and error.

        I went down a little closer to the water, below where the water level was the last time I was here. There was no smell to the water, I knew it wasn’t stagnant since I could see and hear water dripping off the roof.

        I wondered how high the tunnel was. I am only guessing that the top of the tunnel was 9-10 feet above the water.  I had read that most clearances on tunnels are about 8 foot above the cars, I don’t know if that was the same in the days when tunnels were dug by “hand”. I would imagine that the water is fairly deep if a train was able to pass through the tunnel. I didn’t want to find out so I stayed away from the edge!

        The tunnel is listed on-line as being 623 feet long. The blockade at the end looked closer than that. I don’t think we were looking at a man-made barricade; it appeared as if it had collapsed.  After 10 minutes we had seen all there was to be seen. (There isn’t much to be seen in tunnels.) We didn’t see any ghost, that’s for sure. We also didn’t see any railroad car in the cave, BUT, who knows how deep the water is. Maybe it is hiding under the water or under the rocks at the far end! 

        We worked our way back out to the tracks, it took a lot less time getting out as compared to getting in! We both crossed the water hazard without slipping! It was another successful trip, this one back into time. Next on the list was a couple caches and then coffee!

The Importance of Certificates

        I recently came across an observing certificate I had earned in December of 1994. It was awarded to me at the Annual AAAP Christmas Party. (I don’t believe it had been changed yet to the more politically correct, Holiday Party) Looking at it got me thinking…

        I hadn’t heard anything about these certificates in awhile. I know other organizations such as The Astronomical League offer them but I haven’t heard any mention of it in our club lately, the Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh.

        Before I bought my first “real” telescope, I joined the AAAP. I hoped to gain some information about how to buy a telescope. Where I could get one? Were there any available near-by that were being sold second hand? What type should I purchase and how big should it should be for a beginner?  There were lots of questions running through my mind.

        Listening to the members, I realized that I only knew a little bit, I had a lot to learn! Thankfully, the members of the club were very open to helping the "newbies". During these early years of my club membership I met many new friends, many of whom are friends to this day!

        In those days the meetings were held in the basement of the Buhl Planetarium and in the lecture room of Allegheny Observatory. Just walking into these buildings gave me a sense of excitement. During the meetings we would often have a guest speaker, one of the club members talking about one of their specialties or a visitor telling us about their job or favorite types of astronomy. It was like going to an astronomy class!

        The meeting would then drift into club business and then another fun part, member’s observations. Fireballs we might have seen, occultations or eclipses or conjunctions. Then…they’d show slides. I really looked forward to this part of the meetings.

        We have some very talented members and their photos showed their expertise. They gave me something to strive for! I started attempting to take star pictures and while they might not have been spectacular, the members appreciated seeing them. This is one of the great things about the club; they never fail to let you know that your pictures were “nice” and if asked, were happy to share hints about how they could be made better.

        Certificates were another way that the club helped its members.  There was the Messier Certificate given to people who observed all 110 Messier objects. Another was the James Mullaney Certificate which involved observing 105 of the finest deep sky objects selected by the author of the list.  He wrote a book describing these objects. The Scanlon Certificate was named after one of the founders of the club and could be achieved without any optical aid. Its list included 62 constellations, five bright planets and 16 bright stars. The purpose of this list was to familiarize you with the night sky. It was a wonderful learning tool!

        You would receive a list of objects along with their positions in the night sky and as you would view them, you would note the time and date along with any other notes you might have. Some lists required more details such as what size scope or binoculars you used and what power eyepiece was needed to see it best. The need for these details helped me to figure out how to keep an astronomical logbook.

        Since the internet was in its beginning stages, I couldn’t do a Google search to find out any details about the objects I was observing so I had to do my homework and look them up in books and magazines. This research helped a lot also!

        Looking back at my old log books they tend to be a bit disorganized. They didn’t follow a set pattern, sometimes they were filled out the day after I did my observing but they are still good reference tools. I recently looked back in one to determine what day I had looked through a certain telescope and what I had seen through it. My memory had led me astray; my logbook brought me back to reality.

        The Observing Certificates give a person a list of objects which need to be found and observed. Once the list was completed you would turn it in to someone who would check your notes. If all was in order you would receive your certificate. In the “old days” it would be given to you during a meeting, a decorative piece of paper that could be framed and hung on the wall. It often included a mention in the club newsletter. The recognition of your fellow club members was important, the certificate, showed me that I had gained more knowledge and that was something to be proud of!

        I have always enjoyed searching for things. (My phone, keys and wallet excluded) I enjoy searching for geocaches hidden in the woods and in guardrails.  It is always fun to participate in scavenger hunts! I have spent countless hours searching for faint radio waves on my Ham radio and also faint bits of light in the dark sky with my telescope. Maybe it is part of my desire to collect things…

        I guess it is a part of life, human nature requires it of us, the need to search and the need for gratification. And when we find things, if we are lucky, we will get a certificate to show for it!

Note:  I went out on Monday night, the 18th, with my telescope to watch as Ganymede, one of Jupiter’s brighter moons, finished its transit across the planets disc. I watched as the small moon first showed up as a tiny bump on the planets edge and then during the next couple minutes slowly pulled away from the planet. It took about 6-7 minutes for the moon to get twice its diameter away from the planet’s surface. Some might think it was like watching paint dry but I thought it was really cool to watch movement in the night skies. Motion is always cool to see in our “fixed” sky. And of course, it was all duly recorded in my log!

The Lincoln Highway

         I find that as a book reviewer, I really don’t excel. My reviews tend to slip into such terms as “really good” or “a real good read”. I also tend to shy away from bad reviews, favoring a simple “it was OK’ rather than delving into the reasons why I didn’t like it. No author wants to see how bad their book was. But that won’t be a problem with the book I just read!

        I recently finished the book, “The Lincoln Highway” by Amor Towles. I think this book deserves as much praise as I can ladle on to it!

        “The Lincoln Highway” is a thick book which in itself is a bit off putting but once I had read the first chapter, I knew I’d be in it for the long haul!

        Briefly, the story is about 18 year old Emmet who was just released from a work farm. His father had died, his mother had run off a few years before and he had a younger brother, Billy, that he had to take care of. The farm had been foreclosed and they decided to head to California to start anew. Hopefully they might find their mother there. The Lincoln Highway would take them straight to San Francisco.

        Two men from the work camp show up and complicate the brother’s journey. Their trip takes many sidetracks as they go. The story takes place over 10 days in July of 1954, but the story encompasses so much more.

        We read the tales of the people they meet, their aspirations and often their failures. We see comparisons to famous heroes and legendary characters as the story continues.

        The author has a definite skill in storytelling! His previous book, “A Gentleman in Moscow” is another favorite of mine. When I was first told about it, I had no interest or desire to read it, but after starting it, I had trouble putting it down!

        While reading "The Lincoln Highway", I came across a lot of quotable lines such as these;

        “For what is kindness but the performance of an act that is both beneficial to another and un-required”

        “A funny thing about a story is that it can be told in all sorts of lengths”

        “If a story is worth reading again, it is worth reading word for word”

        “Questions can be tricky, like forks in the road. You can be having such a nice conversation and someone will raise a question, and the next thing you know you’re heading off in a whole new direction. In all probability, this new road will lead you to places that are perfectly nice, but sometimes you just want to go in the direction you were already headed.”

        “There are few things more beautiful to an author’s eye than a well read copy of one of his books!”

        Amor wrote how many heroes’ stories are like a diamond lying on its side.

        They start out at a point, a very specific place or time and it expands as the hero grows, as the story follows their lives, their battles, goals and accomplishments. Then, at some time unknown to the hero, and often the reader, the story lines take a bend, they start to converge, leading towards a final battle or confrontation, the fixed and inexorable point which defines their fate.

        I believe that this is the way of most good novels also!

        I won’t tell anything more about the story or any of the characters they meet on their quest since I don’t want to spoil the book for you. I would much rather that you experience it for yourself!

        Like favorite recipes, favorite books aren’t necessarily good for everyone. There will always be some who just don’t care for the taste. That isn’t a problem; it is just the way the world works! Still, if someone enjoys the taste well enough to rave about it, I feel as if I should at least give it a try.

        I found this book was delicious! Give it a taste, I really think you’ll stay for the whole meal!

A Few Notes About the Past Week

 

Just a few notes about the past week.

        * I found out that a local hardware store was closing. Winchel Hardware has been located in Etna since 1906, a hundred and sixteen years! It originally was opened as a department store but evolved into a hardware store shortly after World War Two.

        It was the place I would go if I needed a trap for a sink or a switch to replace a broken one on a lamp. Whatever you needed, chances are you could get it there. I remember one time going there to find a hanger for one of my gutters. I was taken up a set of stairs and half way down them, a door was opened and inside was a selection of different types of hangers. Naturally, there were some exactly like what I needed. I bought two, that was all I needed.

        They weren’t prepackaged, sealed in hard to open plastic, they were hanging loose on a nail. “How many did I need?” I got them and some friendly talk in the process. It was always a great place to shop; you were always treated as someone special. It was so much better than a big box store. I’ll miss them!

        *I hid a couple geocaches this week in the local area. One of them was found before I finished hiding it! I met a couple of local geocachers that I knew via e-mails but never met in person. It is always nice to put a face to a name!

        They were searching the spot I was going to hide the cache in. I was running late, the cache is supposed to be hidden before it is submitted to Geocaching.com. I was in the process of replacing the container when I met them. I asked if they were geocachers and when they replied they were, I held up the cache and told them, “You found it!” I had only submitted the cache a few hours earlier; I didn’t know it had been approved already. Live and learn! 

        The other cache I placed had been submitted five or six days earlier and still wasn’t released. It ended up being released the next morning. Here is a shot of the lucky FTF (First to Find) signing the log.

        *The last thing. The Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh (AAAP) had another star party on Saturday night. The night before there were thunderstorms and the morning was filled with misting rain. The day was full of thick clouds covering the sky. Around 5 in the afternoon, bits of blue started showing through. I packed the car and drove towards The Wagman Observatory, hoping for the best.

        We had a small turn out of members and guests. Eleven members showed up to share the skies with about 30-40 visitors. We dodged the clouds, going from one object to another as they were covered over. 

        We were treated to a nice conjunction of Venus and a thin crescent moon hanging over the western horizon. (Sorry, no picture) Jupiter and its moons, Saturn and its rings, a few double stars and the Andromeda Galaxy were some of the other things shown.

        A short while after I arrived, I met a woman as I walked to the observatory. She told me that it was 15 years since she was here last. She was in the Girl Scouts at the time and enjoyed it so much she always wanted to return.

        It just goes to show you never know how long a good thing will take to pay off. We showed the scouts a good time back then and she remembered it! We must have done something right! Whatever it was, it paid off, she brought some people with her to share the experience! Hopefully the guests who visited last night will be back also, preferably sooner than 15 years. I think everyone there had a good time, I know I did!

        *To finish these notes off, it is two in the afternoon while I am typing this. I am sitting in my backyard listening to a live band performing over the hill. They sound really good! While I was typing away at my laptop, a brown hawk landed on a fallen tree 20 feet away. He/she sat there looking around, preening a bit and then flew off after “hangin” with me for eight minutes. (Always happens when I don’t have a camera handy!) It was a nice compliment to the sunrise I saw this morning! Suburban Glenshaw, live music and wild life…no complaints here!

Enjoy the week!

Up on the Hill

        Silhouetted trees surrounded me on all sides. It was Thursday night, I would probably have the hilltop to myself.

         In the west, Venus was shining brightly as it slowly dropped down into the treetops, to the left; Jupiter and Saturn were sitting proudly in the southern sky. The evening was still as the sky darkened. One by one the stars appeared until it was impossible to determine which one came next. Suddenly it seemed, the sky was filled with dots of light.

        While standing and watching the day disappear, I couldn’t help but notice the sounds. Insects were starting their evening songs. Off in the distance a few dogs barked at something, then a voice yelled at them to be quiet. A few cars drove by, the noises of their passing intruding into the songs of the insects. After they pass, the quiet returns. A couple deer snort over the hillside, heard but not seen.

        I had set up my telescope and was waiting to watch Ganymede, one of Jupiter’s moons pass behind the planet. With about a half hour to go, the moon was getting close, The movement was slow, very slow! I’d watch the sky for awhile and then look through the telescope to see where the moon was.  With about five minutes to go, the slender dark space between the moon and the planet became difficult to see. Then it finally happened, the two appeared to touch. Watching carefully, I saw the moon shrink in size as Jupiter covered it, until just a small bump remained.

        The moon was lined up with the darkest band of clouds on the planet and because of this contrast, I could easily see the bright yellow moon as it slid behind the planet. When it finally disappeared completely, I checked my watch; the time was right when it was predicted!

        It is amazing to watch something happen a little over 396 million miles away. The light of the sun took over 35 minutes to reach the planet and almost that same amount of time for it to reflect back to me.  Wow, I was looking just a little bit back into time. My observing as the night progressed, viewing other stellar objects, would take me further back.

        I turned the scope over to Saturn and marveled, once again, about how cool it looks. It appeared as if a ball had just fallen into a hole. A small shadow was visible on one side of the rings, adding to the 3 dimensional look. Separate sections of the rings could be seen at times, when the seeing improved.

        A young couple passed me, going over to a different section of the hill to do a little stargazing of their own, in private. No words were spoken, I don’t even know if they saw me. The sounds of the insects had fallen away, forgotten, drifting into the background. Traffic on the roads in the distance had decreased. Far away, a train traveled along the river, its whistle faintly drifting to the top of the hill. Every so often, I’d hear another snort from a deer or bits of conversation from the couple over the hill. It was a perfect night!

        I spent it visiting places I hadn’t been to in years. It was easy to find fainter objects with no moon or lights to interfere. The clarity of the sky helped me in my search.

        By 11, the grass was getting rather wet and dew was starting to cover the telescope. I decided it was almost time to pack it up. The couple must have thought the same, I said good night as they passed and I think I startled them. They came over and I showed them Saturn and Jupiter. They had never looked through a telescope before and they couldn’t believe what they were seeing. (I love when this happens!) I told them about the upcoming star parties and they said they would be back. Then I was alone once again, on the hill top.

        I turned the telescope to the Andromeda Galaxy before I tore things down. This is really time travel, the light takes about 2 ½ million years to get from there to here. Time travel to the extreme! Returning to the present, I started disassembling the scope. Once everything was in the car, I stood for awhile to enjoy the view. I knew when I got home, I wouldn’t be able to see half of what I was seeing then. With a final look, I got in the car and started for home, happy and content!