[PRCo] Burning Leaves--and Coal
Herb Brannon
hrbran at cavtel.net
Tue Oct 22 15:45:30 EDT 2013
Bob & Dwight,
Interesting in that photo of the Clairton Works is the steam locomotive.
That was a railfan trip run by perhaps Midwest Railway Historical Society.
That may not be who ran the trip but I was on that train. I remember it was
a moderately long trip down the Mon Valley. Maybe one of you remember
exactly who ran the trip.
On Tue, Oct 22, 2013 at 3:37 PM, Dwight Long <dwightlong at verizon.net> wrote:
>
> Bob
>
> The Corporation would probably claim that the steam loco was generating
> more pollution than their coke works.
>
> Dwight
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Bob Rathke
> To: Western PA Trolley discussion
> Sent: Tuesday, October 22, 2013 1:00 AM
> Subject: Re: [PRCo] Burning Leaves--and Coal
>
>
> I'm not sure if this is still the situation, but attached is a photo of
> the Clairton Coke Works that I took in 1975.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>
> From: "Dwight Long" <dwightlong at verizon.net>
> To: "Western PA Trolley discussion" <
> pittsburgh-railways at mailman.dementix.org>
> Cc: "Dennis Lamont" <ge13031 at yahoo.com>
> Sent: Monday, October 21, 2013 9:53:05 PM
> Subject: Re: [PRCo] Burning Leaves--and Coal
>
>
> Herb
>
> But Irvin works is not a primary producer but rather a rolling mill (as
> you said) and so would not generate the "fire and brimstone" that
> characterized a primary steel producer.
>
> I went by Clairton on a train in July and did not notice any smoke at
> all, just some condensed water vapor. I think the coking processes are so
> contained these days that very little emissions emanate from it. Besides
> environmental concerns, the steelmakers have learned that the effluents
> from the coke making process are valuable by products that need to be
> trapped and sold. The days of the beehive coke ovens that spewed all the
> byproducts into the atmosphere are long gone.
>
> Dwight
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Herb Brannon
> To: Western PA Trolley discussion
> Sent: Monday, October 21, 2013 10:41 PM
> Subject: Re: [PRCo] Burning Leaves--and Coal
>
>
> Bob R,
> It still had that "orange glow" when I first moved here in 1972. Plus,
> when
> atmospheric conditions were right, it smelled like fire & brimstone,
> everywhere. Even today, on humid days, I still smell the "fire &
> brimstone" coming from the Irvin Works just over the hill (on Camp Hollow
> Rd) to the south-east of my place.
>
> Contrary to popular opinion steel is not dead in Pittsburgh. The Clairton
> Works still produces coke as it always did, the Edgar Thompson Works
> makes
> primary steel, the Irvin Works produces rolled steel and the relatively
> new
> Mckeesport Tubular Works (old National Works, now reopened) makes tubular
> products for the Marcellus Shale drilling industry. So the sulphur and
> fire
> & brimstone can still be smelled on humid days and the orange glow is
> still
> available in Braddock and Clairton.
>
>
> On Mon, Oct 21, 2013 at 2:46 PM, Bob Rathke <bobrathke at comcast.net>
> wrote:
>
> > Driving south from Zelienople at night in the 1950's you didn't need a
> > compass to locate Pittsburgh - the sky there always had an orange glow.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> >
> > From: "John Swindler" <j_swindler at hotmail.com>
> > To: "Western PA Trolley discussion" <
> > pittsburgh-railways at mailman.dementix.org>
> > Sent: Monday, October 21, 2013 10:16:09 AM
> > Subject: Re: [PRCo] Burning Leaves--and Coal
> >
> >
> >
> > Was chatting with some PTM visitors yesterday, and among the "Pittsburg
> > smells" mentioned was J&L sulfur smell upon exiting Squirrel Hill
> Tunnels
> > and heading downgrade to Brady St. exit. They were old enough to
> remember
> > air pollution from late 1940s - (before my time).
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > > From: dwightlong at verizon.net
> > > To: pittsburgh-railways at mailman.dementix.org
> > > Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2013 11:04:35 -0400
> > > Subject: Re: [PRCo] Burning Leaves--and Coal
> > >
> > >
> > > Herb
> > >
> > > In Beaver burning next to the curb was OK on concrete streets (we
> lived
> > on one) or brick ones (still several left in the 50s) but not on
> asphalt
> > nor tarred ones!
> > >
> > > Tar? When I was in first or second grade I came home from school for
> > lunch. On the way back to school the alley that I used as a shortcut
> was
> > being freshly tarred. I followed the tar dispensing truck, fascinated.
> > When I got to school I was sent home immediately. I looked like the
> > proverbial tarbaby. Lots of turpentine and stiff scrubbing later, and a
> > new suit of clothes, I returned and was admitted.
> > >
> > > And we still had plenty of coal furnaces in our town back then,
> although
> > our house used gas. I well recall the smell of the coal burning on cold
> > winter days whilst delivering the Pittsburgh Press to my paper route
> > customers. The last time I encountered that smell was just a few years
> ago
> > in a suburb of Budapest while fotting the trams there. Brought back
> many
> > memories!
> > >
> > > Dwight
> > >
> > > From: Herb Brannon
> > > Sent: Monday, 21 October, 2013 10:48
> > > To: Western PA Trolley discussion
> > > Subject: Re: [PRCo] Burning Leaves
> > > When I was a child, in Akron, the common practice was to burn the
> leaves
> > > in the street but along the curb stones. Sometimes the piles of
> leaves
> > were
> > > so large that the fires would become too large and would spread to
> the
> > > treelawn. Then the fire department would be called to put out the
> fires.
> > It
> > > made for an exciting day or evening. Ranking right up there with the
> > smell
> > > of burning leaves are also the smell of coal smoke and the smell of
> fresh
> > > tar.............three of the "little joys of life" now gone by the
> > wayside.
> > >
> > >
> > > On Mon, Oct 21, 2013 at 10:33 AM, Dwight Long <
> dwightlong at verizon.net
> > >wrote:
> > >
> > > >
> > > > Herb
> > > >
> > > > I can remember back in the 50s coming back to Beaver from auto
> trips to
> > > > the East that involved the Pa Turnpike—we would use the Warrendale
> > exit and
> > > > the back roads to Beaver. Coming down into the (Beaver) valley off
> the
> > > > hill the whole floor of the valley would be engulfed in leaf smoke.
> > > >
> > > > Unhealthy, they say, but it sure did convey the impression that
> Autumn
> > was
> > > > upon us!
> > > >
> > > > Dwight
> > > >
> > > > From: Herb Brannon
> > > > Sent: Sunday, 20 October, 2013 10:36
> > > > To: Western PA Trolley discussion
> > > > Subject: Re: [PRCo] Phil asked about music
> > > > You mentioned something I really miss.............the smell of
> burning
> > > > leaves in October.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > On Sun, Oct 20, 2013 at 8:37 AM, DF Cramer <
> alto_trombone at hotmail.com
> > > > >wrote:
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Well, what have I been up to? The beginning of the month I
> performed
> > > > > Copland, Brahms, & Dvorak with the Butler County Symphony,our (my
> > wife
> > > > > plays cello) 28th season with the ensemble. I am back at IUP and
> > > > delivered
> > > > > two arrangements of French Noels from the Baroque period to
> begin the
> > > > > semester and last week conducted a first reading of my "The
> Eternal
> > > > Flame",
> > > > > a commemorative piece for double trombone choir and narrator I
> wrote
> > to
> > > > > mark the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination. All of
> that
> > will
> > > > be
> > > > > performed on November 19 at the university. Next week I perform
> with
> > IUP
> > > > > brass & organ faculty at Zion Lutheran in Indiana for Reformation
> > Sunday
> > > > > and the following week we are doing Charlie Chaplin's "City
> Lights"
> > in
> > > > > Butler. Chaplin created the musical score for this silent film
> and we
> > > > will
> > > > > be showing the film as we perform. (Side note: if you want
> tickets
> > let me
> > > > > know as soon as possible--I usually get 4 free ones)
> > > > > Other than that, I spent quality time with Ed at the Alle-Kiski
> > > > Historical
> > > > > Society, led a new operator training class at PTM, printed and
> > stuffed
> > > > > ballots for PTM, and am going to the opera today to see Aida
> > (football
> > > > fan
> > > > > alert--Franco Harris is leading the Grand March in the opera
> today)
> > > > > I spend lots of time practicing and cleaning up leaves. I mulch
> > some and
> > > > > burn others---yes we are still permitted to burn here.
> > > > > If you missed it--I also performed at the PTM 50th Anniversary
> > luncheon.
> > > > > See the most recent issue of PTM Trolley Fare, Fred Schneider
> took
> > some
> > > > > great images.
> > > > > Dennis F. Cramer
> > > > > http://home.windstream.net/dfc1/
> > > > >
> > > > > > Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2013 05:49:49 -0700
> > > > > > From: pcc_sr at yahoo.com
> > > > > > To: pittsburgh-railways at mailman.dementix.org
> > > > > > Subject: Re: [PRCo] still having issues
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Stereo-vision isn't it Mr.Cramer! Soapbox opportunity; make the
> > most
> > > > of
> > > > > it!
> > > > > >
> > > > > > You have not recently mentioned anything about your concert or
> > music
> > > > > engagements.
> > > > > > I find them fascinating. Music is not at all unlike laughter is
> > it;
> > > > > both speak a universal language.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Yes; BB are the last posts I have seen. There was not much of
> > anything
> > > > > before your BB posts for several weeks. You mentioned a book in
> > relation
> > > > > to this; please tell more.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Phil
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > --------------------------------------------
> > > > > > On Sat, 10/19/13, DF Cramer <alto_trombone at hotmail.com> wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Subject: [PRCo] still having issues
> > > > > > To: "pittsburgh-railways at mailman.dementix.org" <
> > > > > pittsburgh-railways at mailman.dementix.org>
> > > > > > Date: Saturday, October 19, 2013, 3:52 AM
> > > > > >
> > > > > > it seemed very interesting that after
> > > > > > I posted on the list, several emails came through. I assume
> people
> > > > were
> > > > > responding with reply all. I have received no posts from the list
> > other
> > > > > than those dealing with Billy Baxter.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Dennis F. Cramer
> > > > > > http://home.windstream.net/dfc1/
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > > Pittsburgh-railways mailing list
> > > > > > Pittsburgh-railways at mailman.dementix.org
> > > > > >
> https://mailman.dementix.org/mailman/listinfo/pittsburgh-railways
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
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> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > Herb Brannon
> > > > *In Pittsburgh...*
> > > > *......the Greatest City In The U.S.*
> > > > Let's Go Pens
> > > > Let's Go Steelers
> > > >
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> > > --
> > > Herb Brannon
> > > *In Pittsburgh...*
> > > *......the Greatest City In The U.S.*
> > > Let's Go Pens
> > > Let's Go Steelers
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> --
> Herb Brannon
> *In Pittsburgh...*
> *......the Greatest City In The U.S.*
> Let's Go Pens
> Let's Go Steelers
>
>
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--
Herb Brannon
*In Pittsburgh...*
*......the Greatest City In The U.S.*
Let's Go Pens
Let's Go Steelers
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