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Horseshoe Curves

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Horseshoe Curves
Posted by Murphy Siding on Tuesday, September 27, 2005 8:51 PM
I know there is "The" Horseshoe curve on the old PRR, near Altoona PA. Also, I know BNSF (old CBQ) has one on Crawford Hill, in western Nebraska. I just found another on the abandoned BN (old CBQ) line north of Custer, SD. Where are some other places that have horseshoe curves?

Thanks

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Posted by Modelcar on Tuesday, September 27, 2005 9:12 PM
.....Murphy Siding......Go to TerraServer and bring up the photo view of "Friedens, Pennsylvania".....A small town between Johnstown and Somerset. Move the screen about one or so miles northwest and carefully look for an abandoned {about 60 years ago}, B&O {Boswell Branch} coal hauling railroad...If you can zero in rather close enough and really take a good sharp look you will find..{still visible}, about 4 horseshoe curves just about connected together...wrapping around the hillsides to maintain a useable grade.
Give it a try...I have looked at it many times on there and it really is quiet visible. My home is within 4 miles of that very spot and seeing it on the ground was quite a treat too.....One segment crosses the same county road twice within a couple hundred ft to gain a few feet of elevation.....{after going around a complete horseshoe curve}.

Quentin

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Posted by Modelcar on Tuesday, September 27, 2005 9:14 PM
M S....Another one that can be seen via TerraServer is just a bit southwest of Pennsylvania's Horseshoe Curve, is called Muleshoe Curve...{abandoned}, but visible from the above website.

Quentin

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Posted by Modelcar on Tuesday, September 27, 2005 9:23 PM
And another bit of info....Go to "Railwaystation.com".....and go down the list to PENNSYLVANIA and scroll down to "Freidens, Pennsylvania" to see {I have it listed}, the horseshoe curves I listed in my above post...I just remembered I had it listed there...Good luck in seeing it.

Quentin

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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, September 27, 2005 9:26 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by Murphy Siding

I know there is "The" Horseshoe curve on the old PRR, near Altoona PA. Also, I know BNSF (old CBQ) has one on Crawford Hill, in western Nebraska. I just found another on the abandoned BN (old CBQ) line north of Custer, SD. Where are some other places that have horseshoe curves?

Thanks


Here is one on Union Pacifics' "Overland Route" between Truckee, California and Donner Pass. It has been called Stanford Curve for over a hundred years, but its marked on USGS maps as just Horseshoe Curve.

Here is a link to a google map: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=39.296679,-120.264373&spn=0.065094,0.123081&z=4&hl=en

Jim
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Posted by mudchicken on Tuesday, September 27, 2005 9:46 PM
BNSF(ATSF) Ribera, NM between Glorietta & Las Vegas
Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west
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Posted by GN-Rick on Tuesday, September 27, 2005 10:10 PM
BNSF also has one, on the old GN mainline east of Wenatchee, Wa.
It is in a location called Trinidad Hill. Trains Magazine did an article
on the place as a "Hot Spot" a couple of years ago.
And another, also on the old GN, in Montana. It is on Walton Hill
on the Marias Pass line. It had a water tank in steam days, and
was (and is) known as Blacktail, or Blacktail Curve.
Rick Bolger Great Northern Railway Cascade Division-Lines West
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Posted by Murphy Siding on Tuesday, September 27, 2005 10:38 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by Modelcar

And another bit of info....Go to "Railwaystation.com".....and go down the list to PENNSYLVANIA and scroll down to "Freidens, Pennsylvania" to see {I have it listed}, the horseshoe curves I listed in my above post...I just remembered I had it listed there...Good luck in seeing it.


I'm not having good luck with that website.[:(]. On terraserver, I can't quite pick it out. Does it follow one of the creeks named on terraserver maps maybe?

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Posted by Murphy Siding on Tuesday, September 27, 2005 10:46 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by SP9033

QUOTE: Originally posted by Murphy Siding

I know there is "The" Horseshoe curve on the old PRR, near Altoona PA. Also, I know BNSF (old CBQ) has one on Crawford Hill, in western Nebraska. I just found another on the abandoned BN (old CBQ) line north of Custer, SD. Where are some other places that have horseshoe curves?

Thanks


Here is one on Union Pacifics' "Overland Route" between Truckee, California and Donner Pass. It has been called Stanford Curve for over a hundred years, but its marked on USGS maps as just Horseshoe Curve.

Here is a link to a google map: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=39.296679,-120.264373&spn=0.065094,0.123081&z=4&hl=en

Jim


Boy, is that one a doozy! Judging from the images on terraserver, that one has some fantastic twists & turns, and maybe a tunnel nearby?

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Posted by cnw4001 on Tuesday, September 27, 2005 11:00 PM
Another at Mance, PA on the Sandpatch Hill, short distance east of Sandpatch Summit.
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Posted by nanaimo73 on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 2:22 AM
The Milwaukee Road had several on their mainline. This one was in South Dakota. West of Bristol there is a large loop used to keep the grade to 1.2 % as westbound trains drop down off of the Coteau des Prairies.
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=45.354437,-97.851105&spn=0.037244,0.080398
Their best known was at Vendome in Montana.
http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=12&Z=12&X=502&Y=6345&W
They were also on both sides of St. Paul Passs.
http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=12&Z=11&X=758&Y=6563&W
http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=13&Z=11&X=377&Y=3277&W
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Posted by Gunns on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 3:44 AM
Here is one on the C&TS...
http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=10&Z=13&X=2013&Y=20465&W=1&qs=%7cchama%7cNM%7c

Gunns
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Posted by Murphy Siding on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 6:04 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by nanaimo73

The Milwaukee Road had several on their mainline. This one was in South Dakota. West of Bristol there is a large loop used to keep the grade to 1.2 % as westbound trains drop down off of the Coteau des Prairies.
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=45.354437,-97.851105&spn=0.037244,0.080398
Their best known was at Vendome in Montana.
http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=12&Z=12&X=502&Y=6345&W
They were also on both sides of St. Paul Passs.
http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=12&Z=11&X=758&Y=6563&W
http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=13&Z=11&X=377&Y=3277&W


I've been by the Bristol curve a 100 times. My wife is from Aberdeen. I've never given that one much thought, because it seems to be there to detour around a swampy spot, not to gain altitude. The highway next to it doesn't climb much.

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Posted by spbed on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 6:58 AM
Caliente CA [:p]

Originally posted by Murphy Siding

Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR  Austin TX Sub

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Posted by Modelcar on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 9:02 AM
Murphy Siding....Let me try again...believe directions may have changed a bit. Do this:
Enter: railwaystation.com.....click on: railwaystation.com--aerial photos list......click on: Northeast Region.....Scroll down to "Pennsylvania" and click.....Look for "Friedens, Pa. {in color}, and click......That should bring up the series of horseshoe curves I am describing...and believe if anyone can get to it and have railroad construction interests will agree it's pretty wild....Probably was built back near the turn of the 20th century. Good luck.

Quentin

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Posted by nanaimo73 on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 9:17 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by Murphy Siding

QUOTE: Originally posted by nanaimo73

The Milwaukee Road had several on their mainline. This one was in South Dakota. West of Bristol there is a large loop used to keep the grade to 1.2 % as westbound trains drop down off of the Coteau des Prairies.
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=45.354437,-97.851105&spn=0.037244,0.080398
Their best known was at Vendome in Montana.
http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=12&Z=12&X=502&Y=6345&W
They were also on both sides of St. Paul Passs.
http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=12&Z=11&X=758&Y=6563&W
http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=13&Z=11&X=377&Y=3277&W


I've been by the Bristol curve a 100 times. My wife is from Aberdeen. I've never given that one much thought, because it seems to be there to detour around a swampy spot, not to gain altitude. The highway next to it doesn't climb much.


Holmquist is about 1,800' and Groton is about 1,175' so there is about a 600 foot difference. N.E.S.D. should be flat.
The best Horseshoe in Canada is at Notch Hill on Canadian Pacific.
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=50.855376,-119.374180&spn=0.032635,0.079093
Dale
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Posted by dwil89 on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 9:28 AM
There are plenty of Horseshoe Curves. but Altoona's usually is the first that comes to mind for many railfans when that word is mentioned....and it is averaging over 60 trains a day noit including helper movements...The Muleshoe Curve is located several miles South on the old New Portage Railroad built by the State of Pennsylvania...now abandoned. It is now a hiking biking trail maintained by the National Park Service. Mance Curve on Sand Patch is roughly 65 miles South of Altoona on the old B@O,now CSX Mainline between Cumberland and Pittsburgh and points beyond....
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Posted by bbrant on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 10:12 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by Murphy Siding

QUOTE: Originally posted by Modelcar

And another bit of info....Go to "Railwaystation.com".....and go down the list to PENNSYLVANIA and scroll down to "Freidens, Pennsylvania" to see {I have it listed}, the horseshoe curves I listed in my above post...I just remembered I had it listed there...Good luck in seeing it.


I'm not having good luck with that website.[:(]. On terraserver, I can't quite pick it out. Does it follow one of the creeks named on terraserver maps maybe?

Thanks


Here's the link that Quentin (modelcar) was trying to get you to. It's something to see two horseshoe curves like this.

http://terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.com/image.aspx?S=11&T=1&X=1676&Y=11094&Z=17&W=2

Brian
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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 11:48 AM
QUOTE:
Boy, is that one a doozy! Judging from the images on terraserver, that one has some fantastic twists & turns, and maybe a tunnel nearby?

Thanks


MS,

Yes, after heading out of Stanford Curve it climbs to Andover and then the tracks go through tunnel 13 (track 1) and tunnel 42 (track 2) and then head to Shed 47. Then on to Eder where the original track one climbs up and over track two (abandon 1993). Track two heads into tunnel 41, since 1993 this is single track from shed 47 to Norden.

Jim
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Posted by Murphy Siding on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 12:04 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by bbrant

QUOTE: Originally posted by Murphy Siding

QUOTE: Originally posted by Modelcar

And another bit of info....Go to "Railwaystation.com".....and go down the list to PENNSYLVANIA and scroll down to "Freidens, Pennsylvania" to see {I have it listed}, the horseshoe curves I listed in my above post...I just remembered I had it listed there...Good luck in seeing it.


I'm not having good luck with that website.[:(]. On terraserver, I can't quite pick it out. Does it follow one of the creeks named on terraserver maps maybe?

Thanks


Here's the link that Quentin (modelcar) was trying to get you to. It's something to see two horseshoe curves like this.

http://terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.com/image.aspx?S=11&T=1&X=1676&Y=11094&Z=17&W=2

Brian



Thanks-now I se it clearly. That must have been one really good coal mine to justify that much track work![:)]

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Posted by Modelcar on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 12:33 PM
Thanks Brian...you got them to it easier than I did....But wait, their's more....With that picture on TerraServer of the 2 horseshoes...scroll north and then west and you see 2 more just about connected to what is in the first view....This track wound around perhaps {from Ralphton, Pa. over to Friedens for maybe 6 or seven miles to achieve a distance of around 5 at the most where it connected to the S&C branch of the Former B&O to haul coal to Rockwood, Pa. at the main line of the B&O to continue it's journey to market. But even more wild to add to it...From Ralphton one could continue north and on to Boswell, Jenners I and II and Acosta, Harrison and on to Somerset and meet the same S&C the other end was connected to....Wild...!

Quentin

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Posted by Murphy Siding on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 6:09 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by nanaimo73

QUOTE: Originally posted by Murphy Siding

QUOTE: Originally posted by nanaimo73

The Milwaukee Road had several on their mainline. This one was in South Dakota. West of Bristol there is a large loop used to keep the grade to 1.2 % as westbound trains drop down off of the Coteau des Prairies.
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=45.354437,-97.851105&spn=0.037244,0.080398
Their best known was at Vendome in Montana.
http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=12&Z=12&X=502&Y=6345&W
They were also on both sides of St. Paul Passs.
http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=12&Z=11&X=758&Y=6563&W
http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=13&Z=11&X=377&Y=3277&W


I've been by the Bristol curve a 100 times. My wife is from Aberdeen. I've never given that one much thought, because it seems to be there to detour around a swampy spot, not to gain altitude. The highway next to it doesn't climb much.


Holmquist is about 1,800' and Groton is about 1,175' so there is about a 600 foot difference. N.E.S.D. should be flat.
The best Horseshoe in Canada is at Notch Hill on Canadian Pacific.
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=50.855376,-119.374180&spn=0.032635,0.079093


Holy cow! There is a 200' climb in the horseshoe curve west of Bristol.[:I]

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Posted by Modelcar on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 9:21 PM
....Believe the stats on Pennsylvania's Horseshoe Curve across the two legs of it is about 92' gain in elevation and if I remember correctly around the curve the grade modifies down to 1.45 as compared to about 1.8 for the rest of the 12 mile climb to the summit from Altoona.
Murphy Siding: Have you had a chance to view Muleshoe Curve on TerraServer yet...It's interesting as Horseshoe Curve is but is a bit smaller...Location: south west a bit....
When it was in operation it was a 2nd way to get up over the same mountain and passed through a tunnel as did {does}, the main that comes up H C near the same summit.

Quentin

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Posted by Murphy Siding on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 9:31 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by Gunns

Here is one on the C&TS...
http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=10&Z=13&X=2013&Y=20465&W=1&qs=%7cchama%7cNM%7c

Gunns


[:D] Wow!. If that one was on a race track, they'd call it a hairpin curve! Is that a narrow gage line?

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Posted by Jack_S on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 11:49 PM
On the west side of the Tehachapi grade between Tehachapi and Bakersfield, there are two Horseshoe curves within a couple of miles. One is at Caliente, the other uphill of there. I have seen a map referring to the uphill one as Horseshoe Curve. The other is, I think, named after Caliente.

Anyone have more definite info?

Jack
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Posted by spbed on Thursday, September 29, 2005 7:02 AM
I posted the Caliente horseshoe curve earlier in this thread. It is also a uphill from level ground & I would estimate it climbs 100 or more feet. Are you talking of the 2nd horsehoe curve that goes thru a tunnel again uphill & winds up at the top of the street that you go down to see the one that starts on level ground? [:p][:p]

Originally posted by Jack_S
[

Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR  Austin TX Sub

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Posted by Jack_S on Thursday, September 29, 2005 3:44 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by spbed

I posted the Caliente horseshoe curve earlier in this thread. It is also a uphill from level ground & I would estimate it climbs 100 or more feet. Are you talking of the 2nd horsehoe curve that goes thru a tunnel again uphill & winds up at the top of the street that you go down to see the one that starts on level ground? [:p][:p]

Originally posted by Jack_S
[


Yes, thats the one. I have maps for it.

Jack
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Posted by Murphy Siding on Thursday, September 29, 2005 10:28 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by Modelcar

M S....Another one that can be seen via TerraServer is just a bit southwest of Pennsylvania's Horseshoe Curve, is called Muleshoe Curve...{abandoned}, but visible from the above website.


I'm still looking for this one. I must be nuts- I could sit and play on terraserver all day. Why is the name *muleshoe*? Does that mean it's smaller? (I'm not a farm boy-does it show?)

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Posted by dwil89 on Friday, September 30, 2005 5:04 AM
The Muleshoe Curve was built by the state of Pennsylvania as part of the Allegheny Portage Railroad System of Inclined Planes....The State rebuilt their East Slope line as a true Railline to eliminate the planes, and called it the New Portage, to better compete with the PRR which was building its line over the Alleghenies at the same time that the State was upgrading its line. Since the PRR had named their Curve Horseshoe Curve, the State owned line's Curve became known as the Muleshoe, to differentiate it from the PRR Horseshoe...they are very similar in dimensions...
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Posted by Modelcar on Friday, September 30, 2005 9:19 AM
Dave...Do you know of an easier way to locate it on TerraServer....I know one can flounder around out in the wild lands trying to locate something at times....I still believe if one locates on Horseshoe and then works south and maybe a bit west you will run across it....Highway RT. 22 relocation of several decades ago has used some of it's right of way but the major area of ROW is still intact in the area of it's Muleshoe Curve....It is a nice gentle curve as is Horseshoe and can easily be recognized if one can get to it via TerraServer....It's just a few miles in distance from H C.

Quentin

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