HARRISBURG, PA

[Anonymous]

What's with all the block swapping in this town? Where does NS do it, in Enola yard or on the east side of the river? The block swapping is just for the sake of their being such a huge multitude of destinations on the east coast, I'm guessing, as westbound most stuff just seems to go to chicago. Could someone correct me? Taking a trip through there soon, hoping to check it out. ALso excited about the horseshoe curve, makes canteras loop on the UP valley route on the west coast look like pre-school.

[Modelcar]

....On Horseshoe Curve, check out Google and see if they have a late schedule of traffic around the Curve and when you visit, plan the time of day to coincide with the "busy" time of day for the railroad. I happen to think the Curve is a great place to visit and a very scenic spot in the Allegheny mountain range.

[SALfan]

My guess is that you are correct about the block-swapping being caused by multiple destinations that can be reached from Harrisburg. IIRC, NS's Shenandoah Valley line runs south from Harrisburg, making it the best way to move traffic south while avoiding Washington, DC. There are also lines east and north from Harrisburg.