Horseshoe Curves

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

I know there is “The” Horseshoe curve on the old PRR, near Altoona PA. Also, I know BNSF (old CBQ) has one on Crawford Hill, in western Nebraska. I just found another on the abandoned BN (old CBQ) line north of Custer, SD. Where are some other places that have horseshoe curves?

Thanks

2

…Murphy Siding…Go to TerraServer and bring up the photo view of “Friedens, Pennsylvania”…A small town between Johnstown and Somerset. Move the screen about one or so miles northwest and carefully look for an abandoned {about 60 years ago}, B&O {Boswell Branch} coal hauling railroad…If you can zero in rather close enough and really take a good sharp look you will find…{still visible}, about 4 horseshoe curves just about connected together…wrapping around the hillsides to maintain a useable grade.
Give it a try…I have looked at it many times on there and it really is quiet visible. My home is within 4 miles of that very spot and seeing it on the ground was quite a treat too…One segment crosses the same county road twice within a couple hundred ft to gain a few feet of elevation…{after going around a complete horseshoe curve}.

3

M S…Another one that can be seen via TerraServer is just a bit southwest of Pennsylvania’s Horseshoe Curve, is called Muleshoe Curve…{abandoned}, but visible from the above website.

4

And another bit of info…Go to “Railwaystation.com”…and go down the list to PENNSYLVANIA and scroll down to “Freidens, Pennsylvania” to see {I have it listed}, the horseshoe curves I listed in my above post…I just remembered I had it listed there…Good luck in seeing it.

5

Here is one on Union Pacifics’ “Overland Route” between Truckee, California and Donner Pass. It has been called Stanford Curve for over a hundred years, but its marked on USGS maps as just Horseshoe Curve.

Here is a link to a google map: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=39.296679,-120.264373&spn=0.065094,0.123081&z=4&hl=en

Jim

6

BNSF(ATSF) Ribera, NM between Glorietta & Las Vegas

7

BNSF also has one, on the old GN mainline east of Wenatchee, Wa.
It is in a location called Trinidad Hill. Trains Magazine did an article
on the place as a “Hot Spot” a couple of years ago.
And another, also on the old GN, in Montana. It is on Walton Hill
on the Marias Pass line. It had a water tank in steam days, and
was (and is) known as Blacktail, or Blacktail Curve.

8

I’m not having good luck with that website.[:(]. On terraserver, I can’t quite pick it out. Does it follow one of the creeks named on terraserver maps maybe?

Thanks

9

Boy, is that one a doozy! Judging from the images on terraserver, that one has some fantastic twists & turns, and maybe a tunnel nearby?

Thanks

10

Another at Mance, PA on the Sandpatch Hill, short distance east of Sandpatch Summit.

11

The Milwaukee Road had several on their mainline. This one was in South Dakota. West of Bristol there is a large loop used to keep the grade to 1.2 % as westbound trains drop down off of the Coteau des Prairies.
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=45.354437,-97.851105&spn=0.037244,0.080398
Their best known was at Vendome in Montana.
http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=12&Z=12&X=502&Y=6345&W
They were also on both sides of St. Paul Passs.
http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=12&Z=11&X=758&Y=6563&W
http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=13&Z=11&X=377&Y=3277&W

12

Here is one on the C&TS…
http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=10&Z=13&X=2013&Y=20465&W=1&qs=|chama|NM|

Gunns

13

I’ve been by the Bristol curve a 100 times. My wife is from Aberdeen. I’ve never given that one much thought, because it seems to be there to detour around a swampy spot, not to gain altitude. The highway next to it doesn’t climb much.

14

Caliente CA [:p]

[quote]
Originally posted by Murphy Siding

15

Murphy Siding…Let me try again…believe directions may have changed a bit. Do this:
Enter: railwaystation.com…click on: railwaystation.com–aerial photos list…click on: Northeast Region…Scroll down to “Pennsylvania” and click…Look for "Friedens, Pa. {in color}, and click…That should bring up the series of horseshoe curves I am describing…and believe if anyone can get to it and have railroad construction interests will agree it’s pretty wild…Probably was built back near the turn of the 20th century. Good luck.

16

Holmquist is about 1,800’ and Groton is about 1,175’ so there is about a 600 foot difference. N.E.S.D. should be flat.
The best Horseshoe in Canada is at Notch Hill on Canadian Pacific.
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=50.855376,-119.374180&spn=0.032635,0.079093

17

There are plenty of Horseshoe Curves. but Altoona’s usually is the first that comes to mind for many railfans when that word is mentioned…and it is averaging over 60 trains a day noit including helper movements…The Muleshoe Curve is located several miles South on the old New Portage Railroad built by the State of Pennsylvania…now abandoned. It is now a hiking biking trail maintained by the National Park Service. Mance Curve on Sand Patch is roughly 65 miles South of Altoona on the old B@O,now CSX Mainline between Cumberland and Pittsburgh and points beyond…

18

Here’s the link that Quentin (modelcar) was trying to get you to. It’s something to see two horseshoe curves like this.

http://terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.com/image.aspx?S=11&T=1&X=1676&Y=11094&Z=17&W=2

Brian

19

MS,

Yes, after heading out of Stanford Curve it climbs to Andover and then the tracks go through tunnel 13 (track 1) and tunnel 42 (track 2) and then head to Shed 47. Then on to Eder where the original track one climbs up and over track two (abandon 1993). Track two heads into tunnel 41, since 1993 this is single track from shed 47 to Norden.

Jim

20

Thanks-now I se it clearly. That must have been one really good coal mine to justify that much track work![:)]