I don't know the exact schedule, but I believe that NS runs a local down the Cove Secondary to Duncansville at least once or twice a week.
How much does NS interchange to Everett RR at Duncansville and should that be on the "list"?
ed
The Muleshoe was used by the PRR, PC and Conrail as an alternative route to Altoona.....Back in PRR days, the line actually ran East to Petersburg where it rejoined the PRR main well East of Altoona.
In later years, the line's primary Eastern link was to the Cove Secondary at Duncansville which ran North and met the PRR Main at ALTO tower in Altoona....so trains could take an alternative route between Altoona and Gallitzin this way....
The Cove Secondary trackage i still in use between Altoona and Duncansville/Hollidaysburg...NS uses it to interchange cars with the Everett Railroad at Hollidaysburg...and until the NS Hollidaysburg car repair shops closed down several years ago, the Cove was also used to run cars back and forth between the Shops and Altoona....
The lower part of the line is a hiking trail nowadays....Access is at the bottom of the hill on old Rte 22....The Muleshoe crosses over old 22 via a stone arch bridge....park here and hike.....the ols roadbed is grown in, so is not much wider than a footpath nowadays...
MP173 What was the Muleshoe line used for? Did PC or PRR use it as an alternative to HC? Or was it another PRR line that was little used? Was it possibly converted to a trail? What a great bike/hike trail it would be.
What was the Muleshoe line used for? Did PC or PRR use it as an alternative to HC? Or was it another PRR line that was little used?
Was it possibly converted to a trail? What a great bike/hike trail it would be.
I believe the Muleshoe route was an alternative route and still in some use by then, PRR.....Not sure of PC.
Also, I believe the grade was similar to the HC route.
I have never hiked it...but have heard of people who have. I'm sure it's not paved, but is passable. There is a paved road that passes under the Muleshoe route near the center area of the curve. ROW is carried over road via masonary arch overpass....if my memory serves me correctly.
This is part of the complex routing to conquer the Alleghenies back over a century and a half ago.
Quentin
It is becoming a little more obvious to me. This seems like a 2 week crash course on Allegheny Front crossing, but it is beginning to make sense.
Any other suggestions for the area which will be easy to see?
dwil89 The Muleshoe Line was abandoned and torn up in the early 1980's when new 4 lane Rte 22 began construction, as parts of the Muleshoe roadbed would be obliterated by new 22.
The Muleshoe Line was abandoned and torn up in the early 1980's when new 4 lane Rte 22 began construction, as parts of the Muleshoe roadbed would be obliterated by new 22.
......And all of this and the above from Dave is rather clearly shown on a good satellite photo site.
The difference in grade as well as the separation of Track 1 away from Tracks 2 and 3 in this area is due to the fact that this track and the New Portage Tunnel is not original PRR but was part of the New Portage Railroad built by the State to better compete with the PRR with a true railroad rather than with the inclined planes of the original Portage Railroad......The Muleshoe Curve line that branched off just East of the Tunnels and ran down to Duncansville and Hollidaysburg was the New Portage line......When the PRR bought out the State owned New Portage, it joined the line with theirs, necessitating 'the slide' to bring the trackage back down to the same elevation as the PRR East of the tunnels.....The New Portage line originally made a hard right on the East side of the Tunnel to cross over to the opposite side of the Sugar Run valley, so the PRR built the slide to make a 'straight' connection to their line instead....The PRR also built a junction there, so that trains could either run straight down the hill on PRR trackage, or could run down the Muleshoe Line toward Duncansville.
David:Interesting video. The grade is very well illustrated. It is easy to see why trains are restricted in speed, even for this Midwestern boy.
Looking at the photos, videos, etc. there is a significant elevation difference between the two lines. Train, August 2004 indicates there is a 30 foot difference. That is very obvious looking east from the overview, but not so from views westbound.
Why the difference? Again, remember my Midwestern roots.
Was the ruling grade WB such they needed to keep the grade less (and obviously construct a longer tunnel)? However, it appears the EB slide is much more critical than the WB grade. Everything I read says it is much more difficult bringing a train down the mountain than lifting it.
Was the original construction costs a factor in this decision (we have discussed this in Vance)? I am fascinated by the views from Tunnelhill overview looking east, with the separated ROWs, the curvature, the distant trackage (is it approaching Benny Curve)?
On my upcoming trip, I am looking forward to this view as much as anything, more so than Horseshoe Curve.
To help viewers understand why this train is moving so slowly at Gallitzin - after charging up the mountain so quickly at South Fork - the following excerpt from another of my posts today to the E. Hunter Harrison thread may be informative:
Recently I've been reading several articles about the 1-mile long 2.3 % ''Slide'' at the top of the otherwise 1.8 % 12-mile EB descent from Gallitzin summit towards Horseshoe Curve and Altoona, PA. For decades now the rule there has been 12 MPH max. [only 8 MPH for 'mineral' trains'] approaching the Slide - any more than that and Klaxon horns go off, the signals go to stop, and the train is supposed to stop - or a penalty brake application will occur - and be inspected until the problem is ascertained and corrected. More important in this context Helpers are often assigned to EB downgrade trains simply to add their dynamic braking capability. Interestingly, the January 1985 Trains article on that operation was authored by the same Fred Frailey, who quotes a RFE saying '' If you don't have your train fully under control when you start down The Slide, you may already have eaten your last meal'' [pg. 31], and the Superintendent saying ''Our people have to be aware that under no circumstances are they to deviate from instructions. You just cannot play around with this mountain. The rules are time-proven and they are law as far as I am concerned.'' Notably, that Allegheny Division was the first ConRail division to go 1 million hours of work without a reportable injury. [pp. 31 - 33; emphasis added - PDN]
- Paul North.
The first linked video - ''NS 44G grain train charges upgrade at South Fork, Pa'' is about 2 mins. 28 secs. long for the whole train to pass and then 'pan' around to follow the helpers - and 'charge' is the right word, it really marches up through there. Good sounds from both sets of locos - an SD70M and an SD60I up front, a pair of SD40E's pushing, per the notes from the photographer.
The second linked video - ''44G at Gallitzin Part 2'' - is about 4 mins. 38 secs. long for most of the train - not including the leading units - to pass until the helpers get to the west portal of the New Portage Tunnel. The sound is OK until just after the helpers - in dynamic braking mode - get by, then they are drowned out by an obnoxiously noisy 'revving' truck engine - perhaps intentionally - going past. Nevertheless, the train is crawling along as it clearly goes 'over the hump' here - illustrating perfectly the 12 MPH speed restriction for ''The Slide'' that's just on the other side of the 1,600 ft. long NPT. For those who are curious, from an old 1958 Track Chart, the ascending grade leading up here would be in the range of 0.61 per cent, changing to about -1.39 per cent descending [= a 'delta' or change in grade of -2.00 per cent here]. For comparison, the grade on The Slide just beyond the tunnel is shown as being -2.36 per cent for about the next mile.
Not linked in David's original post is ''44G grain train at Gallitzin Part 1'' - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiS--AthLvY&feature=related - about 1 min. 50 secs. long - which is the head-end units going by. Unfortunately, the strong wind noise masks / muffles them pretty much, which is likely why it wasn't included here before - but I have, for those who want more sounds of EMD turbos going by from under the bridge at a slow speed.
David, thanks for sharing - very dramatic and informative.
South Fork, Pa is located at MP265-266 on the NS Pittsburgh Line West Slope or roughly 24 miles West of Horseshoe Curve on the opposite side of the mountain.
Aside from it being where my parents were born and raised, it also offers some nice vantagepoints to watch contemporary railroad action.
As seen from an old bridge abutment, an Eastbound NS 44G grain train charges upgrade through South Fork, with EMD power on the head end, and rebuilt SD50's for helpers on the rear.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnrHhJ7zRxs
And a bit later, I chased the same train to the top of the grade at Gallitzin and shot the rear of the train on Track 1 as it starts its descent toward Altoona with the rear helpers assisting in braking at this point.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9HEja-Z7ag
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