Questions on the Horseshoe Curve

[nitroboy]

I will be in Altoona on Saturday, and would like to check out the Horseshoe Curve, but won't have alot of time, maybe a few hours. What are the best places for me to see???

Thanks

[oskar]

1. Horse Shoe curve
2. Gallitzen right below it also it has the tunnels
3. Cresson near gallitzen where they have a fuel for pushers and 3 decks I belive one has dirty stuff that I can not talk about. DARN THOSE TEENS[:-,][banghead][:(!][:(!]
4. cressandra there is an old over pass that you can go on also its nice and peaceful[^][:D][:)][;)][bow][tup]



kevin

[Modelcar]

Horseshoe Curve vantage point is just a few miles {west}, of Altoona and if you have not seen it stop and go up the tram to track level and take a look....It's one of a kind. Also the leaves should be colored rather nice about now. Just a few miles {west} towards the summit are the Gallitzin tunnels and that is interesting for a fan.....

[Anonymous]

IMHO the area across from the Amtrak station is the best, I'd go to Horseshoe and that location.

[CSXrules4eva]

I don't know how much time u'll have but if u have some try to see CSX's mountain Sub. It's neighobooring to Sand Patch. There is some awsome scenery. Since it's in a relativly remote location u can railfan w/o hasstle. There is mostly coal traffic on Mountain Sub. Three Fork Creek, Cheat, and Seventeen mile grades are cool too. Very cool Allegheny Mount action.

[Anonymous]

I did Cresson, Gallitzin, Horseshoe Curve and the Railroaders Memorial Museum in Altoona in less than one day, and had ample time to enjoy all four (started at Cresson and worked my way east). A single admission, paid either at the museum in Altoona or at the visitors' center at Horseshoe Curve, will get you into both.

The pedestrian walkway between downtown Altoona and the museum grounds is a good vantage point.

[oskar]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CSXrules4eva

I don't know how much time u'll have but if u have some try to see CSX's mountain Sub. It's neighobooring to Sand Patch. There is some awsome scenery. Since it's in a relativly remote location u can railfan w/o hasstle. There is mostly coal traffic on Mountain Sub. Three Fork Creek, Cheat, and Seventeen mile grades are cool too. Very cool Allegheny Mount action.

yeah but, I don't think they have that much trains in Sandpatch try Cumberland instead try the yard and the Amtrak station it




kevin

[bowlerp]

Agree The Curve is something to see and advise you spend some time there. However, it is not the best vantage place to watch trains anymore with the mostly unchecked growth of trees and underbrush. I also like the bridge connecting the Museum and the city as a prime spot. You can see AMTRAK stops and all freight trains roll through there, as do some helper sets. The museum is first rate and you can spend an hour or 3 hours there - support it, it is worth having.

Gallitzin is worth spending some time, as is the highway 93 bridge on the way from Gallitzin to Cresson. It is a much better place to watch from than Cresson itself. In Cresson, despite the deck, you are still always looking slightly uphill and the angle of view is far from the best. We are talking about roughly 12 miles between all these points combined, no big deal.

[ajmiller]

The curve park area is a great place to sit and watch trains. It's not such a great place to take pictures though because you can't fit the entire curve into the field of view from inside the park area. The best vantage points for pictures are accessible mostly by ATV on trails on either side of the valley outside of the curve. Since this summer, they have removed some of the trees and brush in the park area that formerly obscurred view.

The west portal of the double-track Allegheney tunnel is viewable from the Jackson Street bridge in Gallitzin. It's an excellent photo location for westbound traffic. The bridge was rebuilt a few years ago, and they installed chain-link fences with plexiglass view portals, but fortunately some of these panels have been removed.

This summer, a new bridge that carries Main Street over the eastbound track in Gallitzin was being constructed. If it's finished, it might also be a good view, though it's a bit too far from the west end of the east bound New Portage Tunnel. Tracks 2 & 3 run through the Allegheny Tunnel through the middle of Gallitzin, and Track 1 runs through the New Portage Tunnel along the south end of Gallitzin.

In Altoona, there are a pair of pedestrian bridges near the Amtrak station that are good photo locations. They are easilly accessible from the parking lot of the Station Mall (also near the Railroaders Museam) on 9th Ave.

Also I like the view at the 8th Street bridge in Juniata (not to be confused with the 8th Street bridge in Altoona) because you can see trains stopping at CP ROSE for crew changes and sometimes some flat yard switching to the north of the bridge. The sidewalk on the bridge is only on the south side and there is busy road traffic on the bridge.

There is also the 24th street bridge in Altoona which is a nice view of CP SLOPE. Unfortunately there's a high chain-link fence on this bridge as well, but someone cut a few holes which are big enough to stick a camera lense through.

Cassandra cut on the west slope is also a nice place to view trains.

Get a good map of the area to help find these places.

[ajmiller]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bowlerp
Gallitzin is worth spending some time, as is the highway 93 bridge on the way from Gallitzin to Cresson.

You mean PA highway 53. There is a PA highway 93, but it runs from Nesquehoning to Hazelton and Berwick.