Planning a trip to this part of Pennsylvania. Have seen both of these places advertised–they both look like they’d be neat to stay at.
Looking for recommendations for one or the other. This is for a friend and myself that get together about once a year to photograph trains.
Thanks in advance.
…I’ve seen comments of the Tunnel Inn…all positive…but I have not stayed there. I have been right to it several times and can say the building seems to be just fine and of course the location is right alongside One of the operational Gallitzin tunnels. One at that location is out of service but the operational one has two tracks and of course part of the old Pennsy main, now NS.
The Station Inn is right across a street and a parking lot from the NS Pittsburgh line, while the Tunnel Inn is about (STRICTLY A GUESS!) 60’ up above the westbound tracks. Both have their plusses and minuses. It is up to the customer to decide. I’d choose the Station Inn, by location and it’s atmosphere. The Tunnel Inn is up for sale, so it is due for a change, what that implies I do not know. The Tunnel Inn is air conditioned, The Station Inn isn’t. The Station Inn’s coffee can wake the dead, and is quite good! The Station Inn has a bar, that will serve you on the porch. Take it from there.
The Tunnel Inn was owned by Mike Kraynyak and his wife Helen, and I’m not sure if the sale has been completed. We’ve stayed there numerous times. He mentioned last summer that he was thinking of selling, in part because of the travel back & forth to his other business in Philly, I think. But he built a good, solid business in the B&B – he’s been there maybe five years or so, and it has become very popular, especially for mixed couples.
Great location, about 12 feet above the east entrance to the Allegheny Tunnel in Gallitzin – on the old Pennsy. Right outside your window is the top of the Allegheny Range – trains are climbing the grade coming from either direction. You’re 25 feet from the locomotives from his elevated observation deck on the back of the building and only a few feet from your room. Trains galore 24/7. The cleanest B&B we’ve ever stayed in, great hot muffins and coffee for breakfast, great conversations, great take-along “Track Pack” as you depart.
The Tunnel Inn has individual in-room air-conditioning and refrigerators (to ice down your own beer), to boot. Private baths with showers, Cable TV – but no phones in the rooms, and no Internet connection. Tavern with good food right down at the corner.
The Tunnel Inn is priced higher ($65 per night, $100 double) than The Station Inn in Cresson, which is more “bare bones” – not luxurious at all, no air conditioning, no in-room fridges. I’ve also heard you can pay a few bucks and sleep in your car behind The Station Inn, if so inclined. But that’s exactly what we’re not doing anymore.
We like the Tunnel Inn because it’s not a dump, like some railfan accommodations we’ve seen. We’re tired of places that are only one notch above camping on the ground. The Tunnel Inn is the railfan’s equivalent of a 5-star hotel. Whenever we had to go east (or on the return from NY), we stayed with Mike while visiting Altoona, Horseshoe Curve, the tunnels, Johnstown, Cassandra O
I have stayed in the Tunnel Inn and had a great time. Having AC is a definet must this time of year. However, the Econo Lodge in Altoona is quite nice as well and much more reasonable. It’s also located around all the major fast food joints and about 15 minutes from the curve.
I haven’t stayed in either yet, but my two friends have numerous times. they seem to prefer the Station Inn, but also like the Tunnel Inn. The advantage the Station Inn has, as far as I can tell, is that you see all the trains whereas at the Tunnel Inn you miss the trains on the other track and tunnel because the first track is split and goes through another tunnel and down “The Slide”, which is located elsewhere in town. I was at the Station Inn once to check it out and thought it was very run down, apparently it has been fixed up.
When we visit the area we used to stay at the Johnstown Holiday Inn Hotel and recently {last 6 or 7 years}, we now make the Hampton Inn in Somerset our base…Miles to the NS rails but with interstate type highways it doesn’t take long to zip over to the Curve and or the Gallitizin tunnels. But then we do more than just railfanning while in our {home}, area. Enjoy visiting Johnstown too…just to visit and have lunch etc…And yes, have boarded Amtrak there and rode to Altoona {and visited the museum}, and rode back in a few hours on west bound Amtrak back to Johnnstown. Not sure if one can do that now since a train off there recently. Later this month we’ll make that route again.
So, why don’t you try both?
CC
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Mixed couples? You mean inter-species, or what???
I have just completed my 50th separate stay at The Station Inn…It is situated roughly 15 miles East of my parent’s hometown of South Fork. I spent alot of time as a youngster staying with my grandparents at South Fork.on visits as my parents settled in NY before I was born. The Grandparents later sold the houses in South Fork, and I discovered The Station Inn in Cresson in the mid 1990’s and stay there several times a year, as it gives me the ‘near the tracks’ experience that I had as a youngster…,The Station Inn has 7 guestrooms…5 of which are upstairs and are two room private suites that you have to yourself. Downstairs has 2 single rooms, plus an overflow room caled the Family Room. Rooms are not air conditioned, nor have in-room TV or phone, but there is a TV in the ‘Common Room’…You do get to see action on all 3 tracks, plus can occasionally see RJ Corman activity off the Cresson and Irvona Secondaries. The Tunnel Inn, I have never stayed at, but I took a tour through it when Mike had an open house back when he first opened it. The rooms are a bit fancier, with quilts, A/C and cable TV…You get close up action on trains enetering and exiting the Allegheny Tunnel, but you also miss trains on Track 1 as Track 1 separates from Tracks 2 and 3 to go through the ex-state owned New Portage Tunnel, which is situated roughly 1500 feet to the South of the Allegheny and Gallitzin Tunnels…I enjoy the Station Inn and have met many people there, and made friends there too…One friend of mine is from Missouri. He is an over the road trucker who sometimes gets loads out East and will stay at The Station Inn while he is in…He recently brought his wife and daughter out on Vacation and they spent one night at Cresson, and the next night at Galltzin. They enjoyed both places, but my friend prefers The Station Inn, as it is close to the Cresson engine terminal and you see all three tracks.
I can recommend the Station Inn in Cresson. I stayed there with my wife maybe 10 years ago.
Highlights:
Wonderful front porch for relaxing and sitting and watching the trains with conversation with like minded folks.
Guest rooms painted in color schemes derived from regional roads. I seem to recall PRR, B&O, E-L, LV. I think we stayed in the E-L-themed room.
Basement pub served Guinness on tap!
Incredible selection of locomotive and rolling stock refrigerator magnets.
Easy access to Horseshoe. Same would be true of the the Galitzin Tunnel Inn.
On the down side, breakfast (part the B&B experience) was Froot Loops, which was okay by me, but my wife expected something maybe a bit more elaborate. 