Hi,
I will be in Pennsylvania this summer and will have a free day to visit Altoona and Horseshoe Curve. I know that I want to visit the curve and the Railroader’s Museum in Altoona. Are there any other sights in the area that are a must-see for a railfan? I’ll be there on a Tuesday. Does anyone have any thoughts about what train frequency is at the curve? Would it be better to see it in the morning or afternoon?
Thanks.
PD
I grew up in Altoona, and I get back there every couple of years. I go up to the curve in the mornings. Amongst other things a morning visit gives one an opportunity to see Amtrak’s eastbound Pennsylvanian, which is due in Altoona at 9:51 a.m. Moreover, if you are there for a couple of hours, you should see a fair number of westbound and eastbound freight trains.
The Railroader’s Museum is very worthwhile. It offers great insights into what life in Altoona was like during its hay day as a railroad center. I am old enough to be able to relate to many of the scenes depicted.
If you drive north along Chestnut Avenue to Juniata, you can see some of the old works that are, I believe, now used by independent car builders and car repairers. In Juniata you can see Norfolk Southern’s diesel locomotive overhaul and repair works.
Also, I think a trip to the Altoona Campus of Penn State University is worthwhile. It is not a railroad thing per say, but the campus is beautiful and worth a look see.
Getting around Altoona, which is not very large, although as a kid I thought it was a major metropolis, is relatively easy. You can cover all the spots mentioned above in a day with no trouble.
Gallitzen at the west end of the tunnels…park and train radio to listen to…then, just a little further west, Cresson! BUt don’t forget the PA Canal and Planes, either. Curve and RR’s Museum can be a one ticket affair…I did it all in one day but don’t reccomend it…take as much time as you can!
Henry’s right…and if you’re going to spend more than a day around Altoona for the trains, you couldn’t go wrong with a two-night stay (that’s their minimum) at the Station Inn in Cresson. Your May issue of Trains has the card in it that will get you a discount. My wife and I spent a pair of nights there a little over a week ago, just going out for a trip to the Curve (we’d done the Museum before), dinner, and little else, just relaxing at the Inn. Great camraderie, attentive owner and staff, and the trains just keep coming!
Cresson also has a viewing platform, and is the junction with a fairly busy RJ Corman Lines branch (former PRR). A little further west is Cassandra and a very popular pedestrian-only railfan bridge - August 6-7 this year is the annual “All-Nighter” with a portable generator-powered floodlight to watch and photo the trains, provided and sponsored by John Shuniak of the “Cassandra Railroad Overlook & Motel” (which is a ferw blocks away) - see: http://www.cassandrarailroadoverlook.com/allnighter.html
Don’t miss the little “sub-museum” in the small building at the very bottom of the funicular at Horse Shoe Curve (not the gift shop and admissions building) - it explains quite a bit, but is probably overlooked by most people.
Depending on which direction you’re coming from, you could do a round-trip on Amtrak in a single day, going through this area in both directions.
This topic comes up here once a year or so - do a search for previous threads and you’ll find a lot more info.
Any reading you can do in advance will give you a much better understanding of the history and current operations. Here’s a link to a start - the NRHS Horseshoe Curve Chapter’s “Railfan’s Guide to the Altoona Area”: http://www.trainweb.org/horseshoecurve-nrhs/Guide.htm
Oh…boy…well…
At least that is the west slope side of the mountain.
Train frequency is between 50-80 trains a day, I recommend you plan your trip for the weekend or later part of the week when traffic is most dense. Usually pretty constant in the early mourning, afternoon, and late afternoon hours. For some reason is pretty quite from 10-2, at least from what I have noticed over the years. At least half the trains you will see are intermodal of all kinds, but still pretty diverse traffic.
Since ALTO Tower is closing and the interlocking is being redone, you may catch some track construction at ALTO.
The Allegheny Portage RR National Historic Site is usually a great stop to relax and take in history.
Try the Station Inn web site for more information.
Here are the pages of my three trips to the Altoona area, showing some of the good locations.
http://chatanuga.org/HC85.html
http://chatanuga.org/HC03.html
http://chatanuga.org/HC04.html
Kevin
Thanks for the response and all of the great suggestions!
PD
Hi PD,
Don’t forget to check your August 2010 issue of Trains Magazine.
We ran a 3-page foldout map of the rail line between Altoona and Johnstown that included the location of all railroad-related attractions between those two cities, as well as historical railroad information about the region and a modern-day track chart.
It’s a fascinating area to explore. You’ll have a great time.
Matt Van Hattem
Senior Editor, Trains
“+1”
If you stop at SLOPE, the interlocking is going to be eliminated. Sooooooo if you have a particular interest of those three turnouts or signal bridges, then those are some sites to see before they are gone.
Not to mention the entire Altoona Hub is going to be replacing all the PRR style signals this summer. Early by the looks of it. That includes the dwarf signals.
…and my dear old Eastie, the East Broad Top, last operating narrow gauge east of the Rockies. I’d go cross-country but you’d drive up to Hungingtonand down through Mt. Union to Orbisonia. check their schedules.
I’m a huge Reading fan (grew up in the namesake city) and resisted the EBT for years. Freinds would tell me about the original ROW, shops, prairies and mikes, rolling stock, etc.still in action today. I had other railroad interests then and knew going there would set me off on an uncharted course. When I succumbed and started going there and camping along it’s abandoned (though railed) sections, I was hooked.
RIX
There are three or four narrow guage operations in the State of Maine (one museum operating on former standard guage right of way, two or three former 3 footers extant track) and another museum built and operated one in St. Mary’s, PA.
A possible activity since you will be there on a Tuesday would be going to the monthly Altoona NRHS chapter meeting. They are held on Tuesday but hopefully it will be the wk you are in town. After the meeting several members go to a nearby eating place to yak.