Johnstown, Pennsylvania is probably best known for the major floods of 1889, 1936, and 1977. It may also be known for the shut-down Steel Mills that once flourished in the valley. Aside from this, and the fact that the Old PRR Mainline(now NS) runs through the town, Johnstown also hosts a major player in the Railroad Car manufacturing business. Johnstown America Corporation is based in Johnstown, and often, new cars can be seen in the yard adjacent to the plant. Here is a link to their site http://www.johnstownamerica.com/index.html Dave Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown
Johnstown America has started production of 80 aluminum auto-racks for Amtrak’s Auto Train. These new cars will completely replace the old fleet and will result in a significant reduction in Amtrak’s expense for duct tape.
Jay
Yeah…I’ll have to keep my eyes peeled for them next time I’m in for a visit…Dave Williams
Dave
I knew Amtrak had new auto racks in the plan, but the note in January’s Trains was the first I had seen that the cars were ordered and under production. Give us a shout if you see anything.
Jay
Does anyone know where in johnstown the yard is. I stayed in johnstown I tried looking for it but I was feeling horrible. Anyways I hope to stop by on the next trip up there if anyone has info on it.
Andrew
Conemaugh yard is just east of Johnstown. Follow PA route 271 East (or North, I don’t know if 271 is called east-west or north-south) from Johnstown. Don’t know if they do much at the yard other than add helper engines. If you continue on to Franklin, you’ll pass by the remains of the steel mill.
…Some of the car shop activity used to be just to the north side of the passenger station at NS…ex. Pennsylvania…The passenger station is just east of the famous stone arch bridge…{of 1889 flood fame}, I use to go up on the passenger station platforms at track level and look over into the area of at least some of the car shop activity…and sometimes see newly built cars sitting on a storage track in that area…{all north of the passenger platforms}. I understand as ajmiller states above, production is located at Conemaugh now for some time and I have not gone to that location to witness activity there.
For anyone stopping to do some railfaning in this area we’re discussing I suggest a good localized place to stay is the Holiday Inn Hotel right in downtown Johnstown on If my memory serves correctly, Market St. It is within walking distance to the {old}, Pennsylvania station. If one visits that station look up high on the front of it to see the golden letters…“Pennsylvania{”…At least they were still there a few years ago.
I believe I’m correct in saying the Car Shops used to be part of Bethlehem Steel Corp.
This was quite a complex of steel production plants stretching for miles along the valley at it’s peak many years ago.
One other thing Johnstown was noted for was the construction of many miles of the river flood control project built after the 1936 flood…by the Army Corp. of Eng…finished about 1942. A deep river channel was constructed and the river banks were paved with concrete and built at an angle to allow water to flow through smoothly in times of high water in Spring runoff, etc…This feature is still in place and has prevented many problems after it was built but as noted above, in 1977 it was overun for the first time after it was built back in the WWII era. Johnstown was devastated economically with the downfall of several major Steel production plants but in recent accounting it seems to have improved itself in other directions…touris
To make it more confusing, there are two 271’s in Johnstown…one is a truck route 271. I will give a couple of ways to find JA here…First way is from Route 22 to the North. Exit at the Nanty-Glo exit onto 271 South. This will be a two-lane road for several miles. You will pass a road on the left that says Mineral Point 2 miles…then you will come to a fork in the road past a small strip mall, turn left here and this will take you down into East Conemaugh. Follow signs for 271. You will make a left turn and will go over the Mainline and then make a right, then another right following the 271 signs, this will then parallel the Mainline on the track 1 side and Johnstown America will be on your left. A nice Mom and Pop Luncheonette on the right side as you pass JA is called Ritchies, I’ve eaten lunch there a few times…The owner has run it since the 1950’s. She is very nice and has filled me in on local history…she witnessed the aftermath of a derailment that destroyed C Tower nearby in 1958. The 2nd way into JA is by taking Rte 53 South from Cresson all the way through South Fork and past the Rte 869/219 interchange. Continue on 53/Frankstown Rd for another few miles up a long upgrade…You will come to a 5 way intersection at top of hill…bear right at this intersection, and this road will drop you down into Franklin on the JA side of the tracks…just make a right turn at the 2nd 271 intersection, and you will end up passing JA. These ways avoid driving into Johnstown itself, and then backtracking up into Woodvale/Conemaugh. Dave Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown
Here is a link to a Johnstown/Cambria County Visitors Guide that may provide some general interesting info…Check out the heritage section to get to tasty food recipes…They have recipe for Gobs there. Modelcar and AJmiller should know what those are…I pick them up everytime I’m in…Link: http://www.visitJohnstownpa.com Dave Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown
My plan is to try to make it in sometime in early January…I’ll check it out. A good spot to railfan in Conemaugh is 'under the 271 Bridge" On the track 3 side, before you get onto the bridge to cross over to Franklin, and the JA side, turn off onto a side street near a car-wash, then drive back along a road that passes under the bridge…there is a gravel pull off that is next to the tracks…you can look west and get a nice view of the closed C-Tower, and signal bridge. A nice place to shoot in sunny weather, or to hang out and watch them…Dave Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown
Actually I’ve only been there a few times, so I’m not familiar with Gobs or the local eating establishments.
Staple Bend Tunnel is also another place in the area to visit. There’s a parking area for it near Mineral Point, and from there it’s about a 2 mile walk or bike ride to the tunnel.
Actually the yard is in the Woodvale section of Johnstown. Johnstown America is in Franklin Boro.
Here is a link for railfanning around the NS West Slope and Southfork Secondary:
Railfans guide to the West Slope
Address:http://community-2.webtv.net/NS_West_Slope/Railfansguidetothe/
As far as hotels, the best place to stay would be the Super 8 on RT 219 at Galleria Dr. Reason being, You have a 65mph highway to Southfork right outside the hotel, and can be there in 5 minutes. You would also be about 45 minutes from the CSX main on Sandpatch. Also, scanner reception here is exceptional. Including 160.860 the NS Mon Line freq.
Add the mall across the highway with about 20 places to eat and you pretty much see why its better up on the hill.
In the summer months, Conemaugh is a good afternoon/evening spot. In the winter, its useless for photography.
The Rat
I have hiked out to the Staple Bend Tunnel a number of times, if you hike through it, you’ll come out into a nice valley where the slagdumps from the Steel Mills were dumped. Some across the valley shots are possible of a stone arch viaduct, and you can shoot off the now unused Conemaugh and Blacklick Iron Bridge. It is one of my favorite spots to hike to on the West Slope. Dave Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown
The Rat is a resident-expert on the area…He can provide alot of great info on the area, as his guide attests! Dave Williams
…Allow a bit more time to get to Sand Patch from the Galleria area…Surely. I happen to like the downtown area of Johnstown too that’s why I suggested the H I Hotel on Market. Like to eat lunch at Johnnie’s there on Main st. etc…and the H I Hotel is really a pretty nice place.
Schedule used to be one could ride over to Altoona on Amtrak and spend a few hrs. in the museum and catch the westbound back to Johnsown and be back about 4:30 in the afternoon but I know they have messed with that now and probably not possible.
Dave, does Staple Bend have lights in it since it has been reworked and open now…?
I walked through Staple Bend Tunnel back in September, and there weren’t any lights on. There is a handrail though.
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Schedule used to be one could ride over to Altoona on Amtrak and spend a few hrs. in the museum and catch the westbound back to Johnsown and be back about 4:30 in the afternoon but I know they have messed with that now and probably not possible.
Dave, does Staple Bend have lights in it since it has been reworked and open now…?
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Staple Bend is not lit. I’ve walked through it in broaddaylight, but the center is dark…carry a flashlight if you desire. The Tunnel is lined on either end, but the center is un-lined…natural rock etc. If you haven’t been out there in awhile, I’d recommend heading back out, and then exploring off the trail on the West end, as I mentioned above. The coverpicture of the Yahoo Group link that I attach to my posts is a shot that I took from the Slagdump after hiking out of the West Portal of Staple Bend and hiking down to the right. I’ve done the Amtrak ride a couple of times when schedule allowed…I would pickup the midday Westbound from Altoona to Johnstown, layover a few hours, then the evening run back to Altoona, ran $14 round trip back in 2000. Dave Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown
…Thanks aj…Is the grade through it such that one can see both ends…?
Yes…it is only several hundred feet long , level and straight…You can see all the way through it through the other end. Dave Williams
…Yes, Dave the price sounds about what we paid when we did that run. That’s a pretty good bargin for someone who has not been around Horseshoe Curve and through the tunnel, etc…Lots of history in that area for sure…
I have never been to Stable Bend but sure would like to see it…Have seen pic’s at various places but that’s all.