Quentin
Originally posted by Modelcar ....All good info Dave....We'll keep all this in mind and if we do get to that specific area we'll know what may be available....Would like to see that tunnel. Just now looked at a Pennsylvania map and realized I may have never been to Mineral Point. I'm a bit surprised that tunnel is as far north as compared to due east from Johnstown. Of course we've been around most of that area some time in the past but this is one location that probably have not. Am I correct the Staple Bend tunnel was part of the original rail line owned by the State of Pennsylvania....? It's also surprising the location is down on the west slope beyond the summit of the Alleghenies....How did that route the tunnel served pass over or through the summit...? Or was this tunnel part of the original Portage route with lifts, canals and rails...? Just a bit of confusion on this specific route it served. Well to answer this The Portage Railroad actually had 2 routes at different times on the East side...first the Portage, and then the New Portage. The Old Portage used inclined planes and canals and crested the summit near Cresson, and then descended the West Slope using Planes, and then through, and the Staple Bend Tunnel.....The South Fork Dam that flooded Johnstown in 1889 was built by the State to provide water for the canals on the level portions during times of low water. When the PRR started building its line...The State built the New Portage line on the East Slope that took a different routing, went around the Muleshoe and up to the New Portage Tunnel, just South of the PRR bore....The PRR bought out the New and Old Portage alignments and realigned its trackage to go through the New Portage Tunnel...which is why Track 1 is so far apart from tracks 2 and 3 through the Summit. The tracks come back together on the East side towards Bennington, and on the West side heading toward Cresson....The PRR also built a connection with the New Portage trackage on the East side of the New Portage Tunnels that went down the Muleshoe into Duncansville and tied in with the Cove Secondary that leads to Alto in Altoona. There was also a line in existence called the Petersburg Branch that led East from Duncansville and Hollidaysburg and rejoined the PRR Main well East of Altoona...an Altoona bypass, if you will....so through trains not needing to stop at Altoona could leave the PRR Main just East of the Summit, head down around Muleshoe to Hollidaysburg, then take the Peterburg Branch East towards Huntingdon and Mt Union, and rejoin the PRR Main there...The Petersburg Branch and the line around Muleshoe is now all torn up and gone....However, the trackage that runs North to South from Altoona is still in place as the Cove Secondary...It used to serve the now closed Hollidaysburg Carshops, but is still used as an interchange between NS and The Everett Railroad, a Shortline that runs from Hollidaysburg on South for perhaps 20 miles or so, and serves local industry......Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com David J. Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown Reply Modelcar Member sinceFebruary 2002 From: Muncie, Indiana...Orig. from Pennsylvania 13,456 posts Posted by Modelcar on Saturday, May 14, 2005 3:12 PM ....Dave, that is a comprehensive "fill in of info" you have provided...By understanding what you have provided and what knowledge I already had of the system in general I now can put the pieces together much better..Thanks...Best explaination of the unknown's of the area I've had....Thanks a bunch. It just seems to me a big loss to have torn up the Mule Shoe line...Perhaps it's not really needed anymore but it seems to me it made sence to have it available....and I realize the State used some of it to lay out the "new" Rt. 22 back 20 or so years ago.... Quentin Reply Modelcar Member sinceFebruary 2002 From: Muncie, Indiana...Orig. from Pennsylvania 13,456 posts Posted by Modelcar on Saturday, May 14, 2005 3:15 PM ...PS....One more thing Dave....I actually have ridden on the Evert RR...back about 30 years ago. I remember we stopped right on the bridge over Rt. 30 and we could get out and I took some pictures from up on that bridge. Quentin Reply dwil89 Member sinceJanuary 2004 From: NY 913 posts Posted by dwil89 on Saturday, May 14, 2005 9:32 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by Modelcar ...PS....One more thing Dave....I actually have ridden on the Evert RR...back about 30 years ago. I remember we stopped right on the bridge over Rt. 30 and we could get out and I took some pictures from up on that bridge. Yeah, the Everett still does some Excursions nowadays among its regular day to day freight operations...If you take Old 22 down into Duncansville, at the Wye, where the Cove Secondary crosses over 22,on the right side as you are heading East you will generally see an Everett Engine or two, a Passenger Coach, and a Caboose. Their larger facilities are down in Claysburg. If you take 4 Lane 220-I99 South from the Duncansville area toward Somerset, once you get down around Claysburg, you will look down on your right and see their facilities in the distance with some old Cabooses lined up alongside the buildings....Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com David J. Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown Reply dwil89 Member sinceJanuary 2004 From: NY 913 posts Posted by dwil89 on Saturday, May 14, 2005 9:43 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by Modelcar ....Dave, that is a comprehensive "fill in of info" you have provided...By understanding what you have provided and what knowledge I already had of the system in general I now can put the pieces together much better..Thanks...Best explaination of the unknown's of the area I've had....Thanks a bunch. It just seems to me a big loss to have torn up the Mule Shoe line...Perhaps it's not really needed anymore but it seems to me it made sence to have it available....and I realize the State used some of it to lay out the "new" Rt. 22 back 20 or so years ago.... To Modelcar...If you ever have a chance, stop at the Allegheny Portage Railroad Museum in Tunnelhill...just East of Cresson.Exit off new 22 for Gallit and Tunnelhill and follow the signs for the Museum....They have an interpretative center there with info and a film on the History of the Portage....a short walk will bring you to a re-creation of one of the Plane sheds, an roofed building that sheltered one of the steam powered inclines....Also the Lemon House is preserved there, a one time Tavern that hosted weary travelers along the Portage Railroad...This ought to fill in alot of the information for you. Usually, one of the Park Rangers there can give plenty of answers to questions about the Portage, including the Staple Bend Tunnel, which is about 20 miles West ..and downgrade of this Museum at the Summit.....Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com David J. Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown Reply Modelcar Member sinceFebruary 2002 From: Muncie, Indiana...Orig. from Pennsylvania 13,456 posts Posted by Modelcar on Saturday, May 14, 2005 10:47 PM ....Yes, Dave I know a bunch of stuff exists in that area and I have been to and near some of the others in years past. Just can't get into much detail as we're 400 plus miles west of there normally and only get back for brief periods yearly....But it's all interesting. Have done a lot of looking and watching of operations from the Johnstown Pennsylvania Station over the past 60 plus years.....Including riding east and west from there behind all kinds of motive power...From K-4's and GG-1's {From Harrisburg}, and so on....Even have the special menu out of the Pennsy diner used on our high school class trip east and on to Washington D C..... Quentin Reply Modelcar Member sinceFebruary 2002 From: Muncie, Indiana...Orig. from Pennsylvania 13,456 posts Posted by Modelcar on Sunday, May 15, 2005 7:15 AM ....Must add Amtrak, forgot that one.... Quentin Reply MP57313 Member sinceJune 2001 From: L A County, CA, US 1,009 posts Posted by MP57313 on Sunday, May 15, 2005 9:17 PM Went to Gallitzin, the Portage site and Horseshoe Curve on Saturday the 14th...the sites were very well marked, and the directional signs "pointed the way" easily for someone (me) who had never been in the area before. The Muleshoe Curve site was easy to find too (arched bridge over "old" 22), but I looked for another segment of the Muleshoe line r-o-w in the hills near Ten Mile, or whatever it is called. I could not find it...there must have been a bridge that was demolished, and the approaches removed also. Some other questions about the general area: 1. A remnant of the former H&BTM is still in place in Huntingdon, and ends at a Warnaco plant. Judging by the greenery along the tracks, no trains have come by for several years. 2. Is that R J Corman that owns the former spur/wye at Tyrone? There is an R J Corman mailbox and business sign at that location, but I couldn't tell if the track that splits off is theirs too. Thanks MP Reply Modelcar Member sinceFebruary 2002 From: Muncie, Indiana...Orig. from Pennsylvania 13,456 posts Posted by Modelcar on Monday, May 16, 2005 10:26 AM ...Sorry, can't be of help on the elusive "Mule Shoe" line....but probably dwil89 will comment.....Not sure where "Ten Mile" really is...I do know the "new" Rt. 22 did take quite a bit of the MS line ROW when it was built.... Quentin Reply dwil89 Member sinceJanuary 2004 From: NY 913 posts Posted by dwil89 on Monday, May 16, 2005 10:31 AM I don't know about the Huntingdon Question...However, Corman does have a small office and Maintenance yard in Tyrone..they don't own the Wye...I was told that Corman might be departing that location....The Nittany and Bald Eagle Shortline interchanges with NS there, and NS Strawberry Ridge Coaldrags head up the Nittany and Bald Eagle Trackage which parallels Rte 220 to Bellefonte and points North to get to the Strawberry Ridge Powerplant...It is interesting to watch a coaldrag go right through the center of a main throughfare in Tyrone....Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com David J. Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown Reply dwil89 Member sinceJanuary 2004 From: NY 913 posts Posted by dwil89 on Monday, May 16, 2005 10:38 AM QUOTE: Originally posted by Modelcar ...Sorry, can't be of help on the elusive "Mule Shoe" line....but probably dwil89 will comment.....Not sure where "Ten Mile" really is...I do know the "new" Rt. 22 did take quite a bit of the MS line ROW when it was built.... There is a town called 'Foot of Ten'...just East of Muleshoe...Maybe this is what you are thinking of...It is along Old 22 as it levels off heading East toward Duncansville.....I will have to study a map of the area. Up at Horseshoe Curve, there is a plaque up at trackside that shows all the different alignments...The PRR, Old Portage, and New Portage....The Foot of Ten was on the Old Portage and I believe marked the start of the Inclined Plane grade up the East Slope.....Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com David J. Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown Reply spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Monday, May 16, 2005 11:08 AM If you are going to the Cajon pass you should consider Caliente where they have a horseshoe curve as well & you are right next to the trains as the curve begins at ground level before it begins to rise up the grade to go thru the mountains. [:o)][:D] Originally posted by karen3172 [ Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply MP57313 Member sinceJune 2001 From: L A County, CA, US 1,009 posts Posted by MP57313 on Monday, May 16, 2005 11:47 AM QUOTE: Originally posted by dwil89 There is a town called 'Foot of Ten'...just East of Muleshoe...Maybe this is what you are thinking of...It is along Old 22 as it levels off heading East toward Duncansville.....I will have to study a map of the area. Up at Horseshoe Curve, there is a plaque up at trackside that shows all the different alignments...The PRR, Old Portage, and New Portage....The Foot of Ten was on the Old Portage and I believe marked the start of the Inclined Plane grade up the East Slope.....Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com Dave, That's it, 'Foot of Ten'...thanks. And yes, I saw the diagram at Horeshoe Curve. I used Mapquest and printed a map of the Muleshoe area...no surprise it still shows the rail line in place. There is a road that bears off southwest from Foot of Ten. It juts up the side of the hill, and it would have had a grade crossing or bridge somewhere up the hill. Couldn't find the site of the crossing or bridge, but did see evidence of some earthmoving. I did not hike around much up there. I did hike up the access road just west of the Muleshoe arch bridge. MP Reply daveklepper Member sinceJune 2002 20,096 posts Posted by daveklepper on Monday, May 16, 2005 1:38 PM Do the coal drags obey traffic lights in Tyrone? Reply dwil89 Member sinceJanuary 2004 From: NY 913 posts Posted by dwil89 on Monday, May 16, 2005 9:24 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by daveklepper Do the coal drags obey traffic lights in Tyrone? Well, when you have a 16,000 Ton Coaldrag coming through, it gets the right of way...lights or no lights...The train runs at restricted speed until it gets North of Tyrone and then they open it up...I chased one of these Ridge trains one day last Fall from the Wye at Tyrone to up about 20 miles North. It had 3 NS SD40-2's on the head end, and once it got out of Tyrone, I shot it at a couple of grade crossings....At one point, I had to get up to 60 to catch up and get ahead of it again as it was up to 50 mph heading toward Milesburg and Bellefonte. Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com David J. Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown Reply dwil89 Member sinceJanuary 2004 From: NY 913 posts Posted by dwil89 on Monday, May 16, 2005 9:30 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by MP57313 QUOTE: Originally posted by dwil89 There is a town called 'Foot of Ten'...just East of Muleshoe...Maybe this is what you are thinking of...It is along Old 22 as it levels off heading East toward Duncansville.....I will have to study a map of the area. Up at Horseshoe Curve, there is a plaque up at trackside that shows all the different alignments...The PRR, Old Portage, and New Portage....The Foot of Ten was on the Old Portage and I believe marked the start of the Inclined Plane grade up the East Slope.....Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com Dave, That's it, 'Foot of Ten'...thanks. And yes, I saw the diagram at Horeshoe Curve. I used Mapquest and printed a map of the Muleshoe area...no surprise it still shows the rail line in place. There is a road that bears off southwest from Foot of Ten. It juts up the side of the hill, and it would have had a grade crossing or bridge somewhere up the hill. Couldn't find the site of the crossing or bridge, but did see evidence of some earthmoving. I did not hike around much up there. I did hike up the access road just west of the Muleshoe arch bridge. MP To MP..You would probably enjoy The Station Inn in Cresson, if you've never stayed there before....right next to the tracks in Cresson...I'm one of the regulars there...in, several times a year...mention my name to Tom Davis, the owner, and he will likely chuckle...Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com David J. Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Monday, May 16, 2005 10:45 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by dwil89 QUOTE: Originally posted by daveklepper Do the coal drags obey traffic lights in Tyrone? Well, when you have a 16,000 Ton Coaldrag coming through, it gets the right of way...lights or no lights...The train runs at restricted speed until it gets North of Tyrone and then they open it up...I chased one of these Ridge trains one day last Fall from the Wye at Tyrone to up about 20 miles North. It had 3 NS SD40-2's on the head end, and once it got out of Tyrone, I shot it at a couple of grade crossings....At one point, I had to get up to 60 to catch up and get ahead of it again as it was up to 50 mph heading toward Milesburg and Bellefonte. Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com Would those be the tracks that run through Port Matilda and follow 220 all the way up to Milesburg? I never really got up to speed on the situation of everything in Centre County, like what trackage is abandoned, who owns what, and so on. Reply Edit dwil89 Member sinceJanuary 2004 From: NY 913 posts Posted by dwil89 on Monday, May 16, 2005 10:55 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by radivil QUOTE: Originally posted by dwil89 QUOTE: Originally posted by daveklepper Do the coal drags obey traffic lights in Tyrone? Well, when you have a 16,000 Ton Coaldrag coming through, it gets the right of way...lights or no lights...The train runs at restricted speed until it gets North of Tyrone and then they open it up...I chased one of these Ridge trains one day last Fall from the Wye at Tyrone to up about 20 miles North. It had 3 NS SD40-2's on the head end, and once it got out of Tyrone, I shot it at a couple of grade crossings....At one point, I had to get up to 60 to catch up and get ahead of it again as it was up to 50 mph heading toward Milesburg and Bellefonte. Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com Would those be the tracks that run through Port Matilda and follow 220 all the way up to Milesburg? I never really got up to speed on the situation of everything in Centre County, like what trackage is abandoned, who owns what, and so on. Yes...that is the trackage...When there was a derailment a year or two ago on the NS Pittsburgh Line, they ran a Stack train up the Nittany and Bald Eagle on a detour...For last year's Altoona Railfest, instead of Horseshoe Curve Excursions, they did Excursions from the Wye In Tyrone up to Port Matilda and back using a push-pull of Nittany and Bald Eagle and Northshore Railroad Equipment....They have been replacing alot of the jointed rail with welded rail on the Bald Eagle line....Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com David J. Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown Reply ajmiller Member sinceOctober 2003 From: State College PA 344 posts Posted by ajmiller on Monday, May 16, 2005 11:32 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by daveklepper Do the coal drags obey traffic lights in Tyrone? The Nittany & Bald Eagle runs up the middle of Washington Ave. in Tyrone. It turns out that there are no traffic lights on Washington Ave., just stop signs and crossing gates on the transverse streets. Here's a shot of an eastbound NBER train at Tyrone on its way home to Bellefonte. View facing southwest between 13th and 12th Streets. http://www.esm.psu.edu/~ajmiller/trainpics/DSC00666a.jpg You can see that the track is not flush with the street except where the transverse streets intersect Washington Ave. So Wash. Ave. is really two one way streets on either side of the track. Another shot of the same train with view facing northeast. http://www.esm.psu.edu/~ajmiller/trainpics/DSC00669a.jpg A few weeks later I followed the SEDA-COG shippers special (May 2004) from Tyrone to Bellefonte, and here are a couple shots of it leaving Tyrone. View to the southwest near 12th Street, but on northwest side of the track: http://www.esm.psu.edu/~ajmiller/trainpics/DSC01386a.jpg View to the northeast near 12th Street. http://www.esm.psu.edu/~ajmiller/trainpics/DSC01393a.jpg Washington Ave. is not really the main road through Tyrone. The main northeast-southwest road is Pennsylvania Ave. which parallels Washington Ave. about 2 blocks to the southeast. Between 12th and 10th streets, Washington Ave. decreases in elevation so that the track crosses 10th Street over a bridge and not at grade. I haven't taken a shot of a train on the bridge over 10th Street yet. It's a very odd feeling driving on Washington Ave as a train is moving. As Dave mentioned, trains do run at restricted speed while on this part of the line. Track speed on the most of the line from Tyrone to Lock Haven is 40 mph I believe, and they do run at that speed until they get to Mill Hall just west of Lock Haven. I've also chased a loaded PP&L coal train from Tyrone to Lock Haven in April of 2004, and driving 60 mph on old US220 it took me three minutes to pass the train moving at 40 mph on the track which is right next to the highway between Julian and Unionville. http://www.esm.psu.edu/~ajmiller/trainpics/pplchase.jpg It can be very hard to keep up with the train if there is a lot of traffic on US-220 Reply dwil89 Member sinceJanuary 2004 From: NY 913 posts Posted by dwil89 on Tuesday, May 17, 2005 7:24 AM Good shots AJMiller...Railfanning on the Nittany and Bald Eagle makes a pleasant diversion from NS Mainline action from time to time.....I had the identical experience chasing a Ridge Train up toward Julian last Fall...Took a good few minutes to overtake it .....Anytime I see a '536' symbol heading East through Cresson and Altoona, that is usually a Ridge train, usually powered by NS SD40-2's. The day I chased one, I just happened to stop down in Altoona one afternoon and saw one pulling out of Rose in Juniata and heard the crew asking the Altoona East Dispatcher for permission up onto the Nittany and Bald Eagle..so I ran North on 764 to the I99 interchange and shot up to Tyrone....I was surprised that I got there literally only 2 minutes before the train did, after driving up a 65mph highway...was an interesting chase from that point on.....Dave Williams @ nsdaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com David J. Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown Reply dwil89 Member sinceJanuary 2004 From: NY 913 posts Posted by dwil89 on Tuesday, May 17, 2005 12:51 PM Looking at the pics of the Special excursion in the above post, it is essentially the same consist that was used for the Railfest Excursions...The only difference was that the Cabin Car was on the South end, and there was an engine on each end of the train, so it was operasted push-pull., One engine was coupled behind the Caboose. I rode in the Caboose, and on the return run to Tyrone, stood on the back platform right behind the GP-8 and could shoot video right up alongside the loco, so could see what the Engineer was seeing.....Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com David J. Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown Reply 12 Join our Community! Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account. 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Well to answer this The Portage Railroad actually had 2 routes at different times on the East side...first the Portage, and then the New Portage. The Old Portage used inclined planes and canals and crested the summit near Cresson, and then descended the West Slope using Planes, and then through, and the Staple Bend Tunnel.....The South Fork Dam that flooded Johnstown in 1889 was built by the State to provide water for the canals on the level portions during times of low water. When the PRR started building its line...The State built the New Portage line on the East Slope that took a different routing, went around the Muleshoe and up to the New Portage Tunnel, just South of the PRR bore....The PRR bought out the New and Old Portage alignments and realigned its trackage to go through the New Portage Tunnel...which is why Track 1 is so far apart from tracks 2 and 3 through the Summit. The tracks come back together on the East side towards Bennington, and on the West side heading toward Cresson....The PRR also built a connection with the New Portage trackage on the East side of the New Portage Tunnels that went down the Muleshoe into Duncansville and tied in with the Cove Secondary that leads to Alto in Altoona. There was also a line in existence called the Petersburg Branch that led East from Duncansville and Hollidaysburg and rejoined the PRR Main well East of Altoona...an Altoona bypass, if you will....so through trains not needing to stop at Altoona could leave the PRR Main just East of the Summit, head down around Muleshoe to Hollidaysburg, then take the Peterburg Branch East towards Huntingdon and Mt Union, and rejoin the PRR Main there...The Petersburg Branch and the line around Muleshoe is now all torn up and gone....However, the trackage that runs North to South from Altoona is still in place as the Cove Secondary...It used to serve the now closed Hollidaysburg Carshops, but is still used as an interchange between NS and The Everett Railroad, a Shortline that runs from Hollidaysburg on South for perhaps 20 miles or so, and serves local industry......Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com David J. Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown Reply Modelcar Member sinceFebruary 2002 From: Muncie, Indiana...Orig. from Pennsylvania 13,456 posts Posted by Modelcar on Saturday, May 14, 2005 3:12 PM ....Dave, that is a comprehensive "fill in of info" you have provided...By understanding what you have provided and what knowledge I already had of the system in general I now can put the pieces together much better..Thanks...Best explaination of the unknown's of the area I've had....Thanks a bunch. It just seems to me a big loss to have torn up the Mule Shoe line...Perhaps it's not really needed anymore but it seems to me it made sence to have it available....and I realize the State used some of it to lay out the "new" Rt. 22 back 20 or so years ago.... Quentin Reply Modelcar Member sinceFebruary 2002 From: Muncie, Indiana...Orig. from Pennsylvania 13,456 posts Posted by Modelcar on Saturday, May 14, 2005 3:15 PM ...PS....One more thing Dave....I actually have ridden on the Evert RR...back about 30 years ago. I remember we stopped right on the bridge over Rt. 30 and we could get out and I took some pictures from up on that bridge. Quentin Reply dwil89 Member sinceJanuary 2004 From: NY 913 posts Posted by dwil89 on Saturday, May 14, 2005 9:32 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by Modelcar ...PS....One more thing Dave....I actually have ridden on the Evert RR...back about 30 years ago. I remember we stopped right on the bridge over Rt. 30 and we could get out and I took some pictures from up on that bridge. Yeah, the Everett still does some Excursions nowadays among its regular day to day freight operations...If you take Old 22 down into Duncansville, at the Wye, where the Cove Secondary crosses over 22,on the right side as you are heading East you will generally see an Everett Engine or two, a Passenger Coach, and a Caboose. Their larger facilities are down in Claysburg. If you take 4 Lane 220-I99 South from the Duncansville area toward Somerset, once you get down around Claysburg, you will look down on your right and see their facilities in the distance with some old Cabooses lined up alongside the buildings....Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com David J. Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown Reply dwil89 Member sinceJanuary 2004 From: NY 913 posts Posted by dwil89 on Saturday, May 14, 2005 9:43 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by Modelcar ....Dave, that is a comprehensive "fill in of info" you have provided...By understanding what you have provided and what knowledge I already had of the system in general I now can put the pieces together much better..Thanks...Best explaination of the unknown's of the area I've had....Thanks a bunch. It just seems to me a big loss to have torn up the Mule Shoe line...Perhaps it's not really needed anymore but it seems to me it made sence to have it available....and I realize the State used some of it to lay out the "new" Rt. 22 back 20 or so years ago.... To Modelcar...If you ever have a chance, stop at the Allegheny Portage Railroad Museum in Tunnelhill...just East of Cresson.Exit off new 22 for Gallit and Tunnelhill and follow the signs for the Museum....They have an interpretative center there with info and a film on the History of the Portage....a short walk will bring you to a re-creation of one of the Plane sheds, an roofed building that sheltered one of the steam powered inclines....Also the Lemon House is preserved there, a one time Tavern that hosted weary travelers along the Portage Railroad...This ought to fill in alot of the information for you. Usually, one of the Park Rangers there can give plenty of answers to questions about the Portage, including the Staple Bend Tunnel, which is about 20 miles West ..and downgrade of this Museum at the Summit.....Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com David J. Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown Reply Modelcar Member sinceFebruary 2002 From: Muncie, Indiana...Orig. from Pennsylvania 13,456 posts Posted by Modelcar on Saturday, May 14, 2005 10:47 PM ....Yes, Dave I know a bunch of stuff exists in that area and I have been to and near some of the others in years past. Just can't get into much detail as we're 400 plus miles west of there normally and only get back for brief periods yearly....But it's all interesting. Have done a lot of looking and watching of operations from the Johnstown Pennsylvania Station over the past 60 plus years.....Including riding east and west from there behind all kinds of motive power...From K-4's and GG-1's {From Harrisburg}, and so on....Even have the special menu out of the Pennsy diner used on our high school class trip east and on to Washington D C..... Quentin Reply Modelcar Member sinceFebruary 2002 From: Muncie, Indiana...Orig. from Pennsylvania 13,456 posts Posted by Modelcar on Sunday, May 15, 2005 7:15 AM ....Must add Amtrak, forgot that one.... Quentin Reply MP57313 Member sinceJune 2001 From: L A County, CA, US 1,009 posts Posted by MP57313 on Sunday, May 15, 2005 9:17 PM Went to Gallitzin, the Portage site and Horseshoe Curve on Saturday the 14th...the sites were very well marked, and the directional signs "pointed the way" easily for someone (me) who had never been in the area before. The Muleshoe Curve site was easy to find too (arched bridge over "old" 22), but I looked for another segment of the Muleshoe line r-o-w in the hills near Ten Mile, or whatever it is called. I could not find it...there must have been a bridge that was demolished, and the approaches removed also. Some other questions about the general area: 1. A remnant of the former H&BTM is still in place in Huntingdon, and ends at a Warnaco plant. Judging by the greenery along the tracks, no trains have come by for several years. 2. Is that R J Corman that owns the former spur/wye at Tyrone? There is an R J Corman mailbox and business sign at that location, but I couldn't tell if the track that splits off is theirs too. Thanks MP Reply Modelcar Member sinceFebruary 2002 From: Muncie, Indiana...Orig. from Pennsylvania 13,456 posts Posted by Modelcar on Monday, May 16, 2005 10:26 AM ...Sorry, can't be of help on the elusive "Mule Shoe" line....but probably dwil89 will comment.....Not sure where "Ten Mile" really is...I do know the "new" Rt. 22 did take quite a bit of the MS line ROW when it was built.... Quentin Reply dwil89 Member sinceJanuary 2004 From: NY 913 posts Posted by dwil89 on Monday, May 16, 2005 10:31 AM I don't know about the Huntingdon Question...However, Corman does have a small office and Maintenance yard in Tyrone..they don't own the Wye...I was told that Corman might be departing that location....The Nittany and Bald Eagle Shortline interchanges with NS there, and NS Strawberry Ridge Coaldrags head up the Nittany and Bald Eagle Trackage which parallels Rte 220 to Bellefonte and points North to get to the Strawberry Ridge Powerplant...It is interesting to watch a coaldrag go right through the center of a main throughfare in Tyrone....Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com David J. Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown Reply dwil89 Member sinceJanuary 2004 From: NY 913 posts Posted by dwil89 on Monday, May 16, 2005 10:38 AM QUOTE: Originally posted by Modelcar ...Sorry, can't be of help on the elusive "Mule Shoe" line....but probably dwil89 will comment.....Not sure where "Ten Mile" really is...I do know the "new" Rt. 22 did take quite a bit of the MS line ROW when it was built.... There is a town called 'Foot of Ten'...just East of Muleshoe...Maybe this is what you are thinking of...It is along Old 22 as it levels off heading East toward Duncansville.....I will have to study a map of the area. Up at Horseshoe Curve, there is a plaque up at trackside that shows all the different alignments...The PRR, Old Portage, and New Portage....The Foot of Ten was on the Old Portage and I believe marked the start of the Inclined Plane grade up the East Slope.....Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com David J. Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown Reply spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Monday, May 16, 2005 11:08 AM If you are going to the Cajon pass you should consider Caliente where they have a horseshoe curve as well & you are right next to the trains as the curve begins at ground level before it begins to rise up the grade to go thru the mountains. [:o)][:D] Originally posted by karen3172 [ Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply MP57313 Member sinceJune 2001 From: L A County, CA, US 1,009 posts Posted by MP57313 on Monday, May 16, 2005 11:47 AM QUOTE: Originally posted by dwil89 There is a town called 'Foot of Ten'...just East of Muleshoe...Maybe this is what you are thinking of...It is along Old 22 as it levels off heading East toward Duncansville.....I will have to study a map of the area. Up at Horseshoe Curve, there is a plaque up at trackside that shows all the different alignments...The PRR, Old Portage, and New Portage....The Foot of Ten was on the Old Portage and I believe marked the start of the Inclined Plane grade up the East Slope.....Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com Dave, That's it, 'Foot of Ten'...thanks. And yes, I saw the diagram at Horeshoe Curve. I used Mapquest and printed a map of the Muleshoe area...no surprise it still shows the rail line in place. There is a road that bears off southwest from Foot of Ten. It juts up the side of the hill, and it would have had a grade crossing or bridge somewhere up the hill. Couldn't find the site of the crossing or bridge, but did see evidence of some earthmoving. I did not hike around much up there. I did hike up the access road just west of the Muleshoe arch bridge. MP Reply daveklepper Member sinceJune 2002 20,096 posts Posted by daveklepper on Monday, May 16, 2005 1:38 PM Do the coal drags obey traffic lights in Tyrone? Reply dwil89 Member sinceJanuary 2004 From: NY 913 posts Posted by dwil89 on Monday, May 16, 2005 9:24 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by daveklepper Do the coal drags obey traffic lights in Tyrone? Well, when you have a 16,000 Ton Coaldrag coming through, it gets the right of way...lights or no lights...The train runs at restricted speed until it gets North of Tyrone and then they open it up...I chased one of these Ridge trains one day last Fall from the Wye at Tyrone to up about 20 miles North. It had 3 NS SD40-2's on the head end, and once it got out of Tyrone, I shot it at a couple of grade crossings....At one point, I had to get up to 60 to catch up and get ahead of it again as it was up to 50 mph heading toward Milesburg and Bellefonte. Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com David J. Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown Reply dwil89 Member sinceJanuary 2004 From: NY 913 posts Posted by dwil89 on Monday, May 16, 2005 9:30 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by MP57313 QUOTE: Originally posted by dwil89 There is a town called 'Foot of Ten'...just East of Muleshoe...Maybe this is what you are thinking of...It is along Old 22 as it levels off heading East toward Duncansville.....I will have to study a map of the area. Up at Horseshoe Curve, there is a plaque up at trackside that shows all the different alignments...The PRR, Old Portage, and New Portage....The Foot of Ten was on the Old Portage and I believe marked the start of the Inclined Plane grade up the East Slope.....Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com Dave, That's it, 'Foot of Ten'...thanks. And yes, I saw the diagram at Horeshoe Curve. I used Mapquest and printed a map of the Muleshoe area...no surprise it still shows the rail line in place. There is a road that bears off southwest from Foot of Ten. It juts up the side of the hill, and it would have had a grade crossing or bridge somewhere up the hill. Couldn't find the site of the crossing or bridge, but did see evidence of some earthmoving. I did not hike around much up there. I did hike up the access road just west of the Muleshoe arch bridge. MP To MP..You would probably enjoy The Station Inn in Cresson, if you've never stayed there before....right next to the tracks in Cresson...I'm one of the regulars there...in, several times a year...mention my name to Tom Davis, the owner, and he will likely chuckle...Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com David J. Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Monday, May 16, 2005 10:45 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by dwil89 QUOTE: Originally posted by daveklepper Do the coal drags obey traffic lights in Tyrone? Well, when you have a 16,000 Ton Coaldrag coming through, it gets the right of way...lights or no lights...The train runs at restricted speed until it gets North of Tyrone and then they open it up...I chased one of these Ridge trains one day last Fall from the Wye at Tyrone to up about 20 miles North. It had 3 NS SD40-2's on the head end, and once it got out of Tyrone, I shot it at a couple of grade crossings....At one point, I had to get up to 60 to catch up and get ahead of it again as it was up to 50 mph heading toward Milesburg and Bellefonte. Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com Would those be the tracks that run through Port Matilda and follow 220 all the way up to Milesburg? I never really got up to speed on the situation of everything in Centre County, like what trackage is abandoned, who owns what, and so on. Reply Edit dwil89 Member sinceJanuary 2004 From: NY 913 posts Posted by dwil89 on Monday, May 16, 2005 10:55 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by radivil QUOTE: Originally posted by dwil89 QUOTE: Originally posted by daveklepper Do the coal drags obey traffic lights in Tyrone? Well, when you have a 16,000 Ton Coaldrag coming through, it gets the right of way...lights or no lights...The train runs at restricted speed until it gets North of Tyrone and then they open it up...I chased one of these Ridge trains one day last Fall from the Wye at Tyrone to up about 20 miles North. It had 3 NS SD40-2's on the head end, and once it got out of Tyrone, I shot it at a couple of grade crossings....At one point, I had to get up to 60 to catch up and get ahead of it again as it was up to 50 mph heading toward Milesburg and Bellefonte. Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com Would those be the tracks that run through Port Matilda and follow 220 all the way up to Milesburg? I never really got up to speed on the situation of everything in Centre County, like what trackage is abandoned, who owns what, and so on. Yes...that is the trackage...When there was a derailment a year or two ago on the NS Pittsburgh Line, they ran a Stack train up the Nittany and Bald Eagle on a detour...For last year's Altoona Railfest, instead of Horseshoe Curve Excursions, they did Excursions from the Wye In Tyrone up to Port Matilda and back using a push-pull of Nittany and Bald Eagle and Northshore Railroad Equipment....They have been replacing alot of the jointed rail with welded rail on the Bald Eagle line....Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com David J. Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown Reply ajmiller Member sinceOctober 2003 From: State College PA 344 posts Posted by ajmiller on Monday, May 16, 2005 11:32 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by daveklepper Do the coal drags obey traffic lights in Tyrone? The Nittany & Bald Eagle runs up the middle of Washington Ave. in Tyrone. It turns out that there are no traffic lights on Washington Ave., just stop signs and crossing gates on the transverse streets. Here's a shot of an eastbound NBER train at Tyrone on its way home to Bellefonte. View facing southwest between 13th and 12th Streets. http://www.esm.psu.edu/~ajmiller/trainpics/DSC00666a.jpg You can see that the track is not flush with the street except where the transverse streets intersect Washington Ave. So Wash. Ave. is really two one way streets on either side of the track. Another shot of the same train with view facing northeast. http://www.esm.psu.edu/~ajmiller/trainpics/DSC00669a.jpg A few weeks later I followed the SEDA-COG shippers special (May 2004) from Tyrone to Bellefonte, and here are a couple shots of it leaving Tyrone. View to the southwest near 12th Street, but on northwest side of the track: http://www.esm.psu.edu/~ajmiller/trainpics/DSC01386a.jpg View to the northeast near 12th Street. http://www.esm.psu.edu/~ajmiller/trainpics/DSC01393a.jpg Washington Ave. is not really the main road through Tyrone. The main northeast-southwest road is Pennsylvania Ave. which parallels Washington Ave. about 2 blocks to the southeast. Between 12th and 10th streets, Washington Ave. decreases in elevation so that the track crosses 10th Street over a bridge and not at grade. I haven't taken a shot of a train on the bridge over 10th Street yet. It's a very odd feeling driving on Washington Ave as a train is moving. As Dave mentioned, trains do run at restricted speed while on this part of the line. Track speed on the most of the line from Tyrone to Lock Haven is 40 mph I believe, and they do run at that speed until they get to Mill Hall just west of Lock Haven. I've also chased a loaded PP&L coal train from Tyrone to Lock Haven in April of 2004, and driving 60 mph on old US220 it took me three minutes to pass the train moving at 40 mph on the track which is right next to the highway between Julian and Unionville. http://www.esm.psu.edu/~ajmiller/trainpics/pplchase.jpg It can be very hard to keep up with the train if there is a lot of traffic on US-220 Reply dwil89 Member sinceJanuary 2004 From: NY 913 posts Posted by dwil89 on Tuesday, May 17, 2005 7:24 AM Good shots AJMiller...Railfanning on the Nittany and Bald Eagle makes a pleasant diversion from NS Mainline action from time to time.....I had the identical experience chasing a Ridge Train up toward Julian last Fall...Took a good few minutes to overtake it .....Anytime I see a '536' symbol heading East through Cresson and Altoona, that is usually a Ridge train, usually powered by NS SD40-2's. The day I chased one, I just happened to stop down in Altoona one afternoon and saw one pulling out of Rose in Juniata and heard the crew asking the Altoona East Dispatcher for permission up onto the Nittany and Bald Eagle..so I ran North on 764 to the I99 interchange and shot up to Tyrone....I was surprised that I got there literally only 2 minutes before the train did, after driving up a 65mph highway...was an interesting chase from that point on.....Dave Williams @ nsdaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com David J. Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown Reply dwil89 Member sinceJanuary 2004 From: NY 913 posts Posted by dwil89 on Tuesday, May 17, 2005 12:51 PM Looking at the pics of the Special excursion in the above post, it is essentially the same consist that was used for the Railfest Excursions...The only difference was that the Cabin Car was on the South end, and there was an engine on each end of the train, so it was operasted push-pull., One engine was coupled behind the Caboose. I rode in the Caboose, and on the return run to Tyrone, stood on the back platform right behind the GP-8 and could shoot video right up alongside the loco, so could see what the Engineer was seeing.....Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com David J. Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown Reply 12 Join our Community! Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account. 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QUOTE: Originally posted by Modelcar ...PS....One more thing Dave....I actually have ridden on the Evert RR...back about 30 years ago. I remember we stopped right on the bridge over Rt. 30 and we could get out and I took some pictures from up on that bridge.
QUOTE: Originally posted by Modelcar ....Dave, that is a comprehensive "fill in of info" you have provided...By understanding what you have provided and what knowledge I already had of the system in general I now can put the pieces together much better..Thanks...Best explaination of the unknown's of the area I've had....Thanks a bunch. It just seems to me a big loss to have torn up the Mule Shoe line...Perhaps it's not really needed anymore but it seems to me it made sence to have it available....and I realize the State used some of it to lay out the "new" Rt. 22 back 20 or so years ago....
QUOTE: Originally posted by Modelcar ...Sorry, can't be of help on the elusive "Mule Shoe" line....but probably dwil89 will comment.....Not sure where "Ten Mile" really is...I do know the "new" Rt. 22 did take quite a bit of the MS line ROW when it was built....
Originally posted by karen3172 [ Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply MP57313 Member sinceJune 2001 From: L A County, CA, US 1,009 posts Posted by MP57313 on Monday, May 16, 2005 11:47 AM QUOTE: Originally posted by dwil89 There is a town called 'Foot of Ten'...just East of Muleshoe...Maybe this is what you are thinking of...It is along Old 22 as it levels off heading East toward Duncansville.....I will have to study a map of the area. Up at Horseshoe Curve, there is a plaque up at trackside that shows all the different alignments...The PRR, Old Portage, and New Portage....The Foot of Ten was on the Old Portage and I believe marked the start of the Inclined Plane grade up the East Slope.....Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com Dave, That's it, 'Foot of Ten'...thanks. And yes, I saw the diagram at Horeshoe Curve. I used Mapquest and printed a map of the Muleshoe area...no surprise it still shows the rail line in place. There is a road that bears off southwest from Foot of Ten. It juts up the side of the hill, and it would have had a grade crossing or bridge somewhere up the hill. Couldn't find the site of the crossing or bridge, but did see evidence of some earthmoving. I did not hike around much up there. I did hike up the access road just west of the Muleshoe arch bridge. MP Reply daveklepper Member sinceJune 2002 20,096 posts Posted by daveklepper on Monday, May 16, 2005 1:38 PM Do the coal drags obey traffic lights in Tyrone? Reply dwil89 Member sinceJanuary 2004 From: NY 913 posts Posted by dwil89 on Monday, May 16, 2005 9:24 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by daveklepper Do the coal drags obey traffic lights in Tyrone? Well, when you have a 16,000 Ton Coaldrag coming through, it gets the right of way...lights or no lights...The train runs at restricted speed until it gets North of Tyrone and then they open it up...I chased one of these Ridge trains one day last Fall from the Wye at Tyrone to up about 20 miles North. It had 3 NS SD40-2's on the head end, and once it got out of Tyrone, I shot it at a couple of grade crossings....At one point, I had to get up to 60 to catch up and get ahead of it again as it was up to 50 mph heading toward Milesburg and Bellefonte. Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com David J. Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown Reply dwil89 Member sinceJanuary 2004 From: NY 913 posts Posted by dwil89 on Monday, May 16, 2005 9:30 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by MP57313 QUOTE: Originally posted by dwil89 There is a town called 'Foot of Ten'...just East of Muleshoe...Maybe this is what you are thinking of...It is along Old 22 as it levels off heading East toward Duncansville.....I will have to study a map of the area. Up at Horseshoe Curve, there is a plaque up at trackside that shows all the different alignments...The PRR, Old Portage, and New Portage....The Foot of Ten was on the Old Portage and I believe marked the start of the Inclined Plane grade up the East Slope.....Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com Dave, That's it, 'Foot of Ten'...thanks. And yes, I saw the diagram at Horeshoe Curve. I used Mapquest and printed a map of the Muleshoe area...no surprise it still shows the rail line in place. There is a road that bears off southwest from Foot of Ten. It juts up the side of the hill, and it would have had a grade crossing or bridge somewhere up the hill. Couldn't find the site of the crossing or bridge, but did see evidence of some earthmoving. I did not hike around much up there. I did hike up the access road just west of the Muleshoe arch bridge. MP To MP..You would probably enjoy The Station Inn in Cresson, if you've never stayed there before....right next to the tracks in Cresson...I'm one of the regulars there...in, several times a year...mention my name to Tom Davis, the owner, and he will likely chuckle...Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com David J. Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Monday, May 16, 2005 10:45 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by dwil89 QUOTE: Originally posted by daveklepper Do the coal drags obey traffic lights in Tyrone? Well, when you have a 16,000 Ton Coaldrag coming through, it gets the right of way...lights or no lights...The train runs at restricted speed until it gets North of Tyrone and then they open it up...I chased one of these Ridge trains one day last Fall from the Wye at Tyrone to up about 20 miles North. It had 3 NS SD40-2's on the head end, and once it got out of Tyrone, I shot it at a couple of grade crossings....At one point, I had to get up to 60 to catch up and get ahead of it again as it was up to 50 mph heading toward Milesburg and Bellefonte. Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com Would those be the tracks that run through Port Matilda and follow 220 all the way up to Milesburg? I never really got up to speed on the situation of everything in Centre County, like what trackage is abandoned, who owns what, and so on. Reply Edit dwil89 Member sinceJanuary 2004 From: NY 913 posts Posted by dwil89 on Monday, May 16, 2005 10:55 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by radivil QUOTE: Originally posted by dwil89 QUOTE: Originally posted by daveklepper Do the coal drags obey traffic lights in Tyrone? Well, when you have a 16,000 Ton Coaldrag coming through, it gets the right of way...lights or no lights...The train runs at restricted speed until it gets North of Tyrone and then they open it up...I chased one of these Ridge trains one day last Fall from the Wye at Tyrone to up about 20 miles North. It had 3 NS SD40-2's on the head end, and once it got out of Tyrone, I shot it at a couple of grade crossings....At one point, I had to get up to 60 to catch up and get ahead of it again as it was up to 50 mph heading toward Milesburg and Bellefonte. Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com Would those be the tracks that run through Port Matilda and follow 220 all the way up to Milesburg? I never really got up to speed on the situation of everything in Centre County, like what trackage is abandoned, who owns what, and so on. Yes...that is the trackage...When there was a derailment a year or two ago on the NS Pittsburgh Line, they ran a Stack train up the Nittany and Bald Eagle on a detour...For last year's Altoona Railfest, instead of Horseshoe Curve Excursions, they did Excursions from the Wye In Tyrone up to Port Matilda and back using a push-pull of Nittany and Bald Eagle and Northshore Railroad Equipment....They have been replacing alot of the jointed rail with welded rail on the Bald Eagle line....Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com David J. Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown Reply ajmiller Member sinceOctober 2003 From: State College PA 344 posts Posted by ajmiller on Monday, May 16, 2005 11:32 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by daveklepper Do the coal drags obey traffic lights in Tyrone? The Nittany & Bald Eagle runs up the middle of Washington Ave. in Tyrone. It turns out that there are no traffic lights on Washington Ave., just stop signs and crossing gates on the transverse streets. Here's a shot of an eastbound NBER train at Tyrone on its way home to Bellefonte. View facing southwest between 13th and 12th Streets. http://www.esm.psu.edu/~ajmiller/trainpics/DSC00666a.jpg You can see that the track is not flush with the street except where the transverse streets intersect Washington Ave. So Wash. Ave. is really two one way streets on either side of the track. Another shot of the same train with view facing northeast. http://www.esm.psu.edu/~ajmiller/trainpics/DSC00669a.jpg A few weeks later I followed the SEDA-COG shippers special (May 2004) from Tyrone to Bellefonte, and here are a couple shots of it leaving Tyrone. View to the southwest near 12th Street, but on northwest side of the track: http://www.esm.psu.edu/~ajmiller/trainpics/DSC01386a.jpg View to the northeast near 12th Street. http://www.esm.psu.edu/~ajmiller/trainpics/DSC01393a.jpg Washington Ave. is not really the main road through Tyrone. The main northeast-southwest road is Pennsylvania Ave. which parallels Washington Ave. about 2 blocks to the southeast. Between 12th and 10th streets, Washington Ave. decreases in elevation so that the track crosses 10th Street over a bridge and not at grade. I haven't taken a shot of a train on the bridge over 10th Street yet. It's a very odd feeling driving on Washington Ave as a train is moving. As Dave mentioned, trains do run at restricted speed while on this part of the line. Track speed on the most of the line from Tyrone to Lock Haven is 40 mph I believe, and they do run at that speed until they get to Mill Hall just west of Lock Haven. I've also chased a loaded PP&L coal train from Tyrone to Lock Haven in April of 2004, and driving 60 mph on old US220 it took me three minutes to pass the train moving at 40 mph on the track which is right next to the highway between Julian and Unionville. http://www.esm.psu.edu/~ajmiller/trainpics/pplchase.jpg It can be very hard to keep up with the train if there is a lot of traffic on US-220 Reply dwil89 Member sinceJanuary 2004 From: NY 913 posts Posted by dwil89 on Tuesday, May 17, 2005 7:24 AM Good shots AJMiller...Railfanning on the Nittany and Bald Eagle makes a pleasant diversion from NS Mainline action from time to time.....I had the identical experience chasing a Ridge Train up toward Julian last Fall...Took a good few minutes to overtake it .....Anytime I see a '536' symbol heading East through Cresson and Altoona, that is usually a Ridge train, usually powered by NS SD40-2's. The day I chased one, I just happened to stop down in Altoona one afternoon and saw one pulling out of Rose in Juniata and heard the crew asking the Altoona East Dispatcher for permission up onto the Nittany and Bald Eagle..so I ran North on 764 to the I99 interchange and shot up to Tyrone....I was surprised that I got there literally only 2 minutes before the train did, after driving up a 65mph highway...was an interesting chase from that point on.....Dave Williams @ nsdaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com David J. Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown Reply dwil89 Member sinceJanuary 2004 From: NY 913 posts Posted by dwil89 on Tuesday, May 17, 2005 12:51 PM Looking at the pics of the Special excursion in the above post, it is essentially the same consist that was used for the Railfest Excursions...The only difference was that the Cabin Car was on the South end, and there was an engine on each end of the train, so it was operasted push-pull., One engine was coupled behind the Caboose. I rode in the Caboose, and on the return run to Tyrone, stood on the back platform right behind the GP-8 and could shoot video right up alongside the loco, so could see what the Engineer was seeing.....Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com David J. Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown Reply 12 Join our Community! Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account. 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Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub
QUOTE: Originally posted by dwil89 There is a town called 'Foot of Ten'...just East of Muleshoe...Maybe this is what you are thinking of...It is along Old 22 as it levels off heading East toward Duncansville.....I will have to study a map of the area. Up at Horseshoe Curve, there is a plaque up at trackside that shows all the different alignments...The PRR, Old Portage, and New Portage....The Foot of Ten was on the Old Portage and I believe marked the start of the Inclined Plane grade up the East Slope.....Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com
QUOTE: Originally posted by daveklepper Do the coal drags obey traffic lights in Tyrone?
QUOTE: Originally posted by MP57313 QUOTE: Originally posted by dwil89 There is a town called 'Foot of Ten'...just East of Muleshoe...Maybe this is what you are thinking of...It is along Old 22 as it levels off heading East toward Duncansville.....I will have to study a map of the area. Up at Horseshoe Curve, there is a plaque up at trackside that shows all the different alignments...The PRR, Old Portage, and New Portage....The Foot of Ten was on the Old Portage and I believe marked the start of the Inclined Plane grade up the East Slope.....Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com Dave, That's it, 'Foot of Ten'...thanks. And yes, I saw the diagram at Horeshoe Curve. I used Mapquest and printed a map of the Muleshoe area...no surprise it still shows the rail line in place. There is a road that bears off southwest from Foot of Ten. It juts up the side of the hill, and it would have had a grade crossing or bridge somewhere up the hill. Couldn't find the site of the crossing or bridge, but did see evidence of some earthmoving. I did not hike around much up there. I did hike up the access road just west of the Muleshoe arch bridge. MP
QUOTE: Originally posted by dwil89 QUOTE: Originally posted by daveklepper Do the coal drags obey traffic lights in Tyrone? Well, when you have a 16,000 Ton Coaldrag coming through, it gets the right of way...lights or no lights...The train runs at restricted speed until it gets North of Tyrone and then they open it up...I chased one of these Ridge trains one day last Fall from the Wye at Tyrone to up about 20 miles North. It had 3 NS SD40-2's on the head end, and once it got out of Tyrone, I shot it at a couple of grade crossings....At one point, I had to get up to 60 to catch up and get ahead of it again as it was up to 50 mph heading toward Milesburg and Bellefonte. Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com
QUOTE: Originally posted by radivil QUOTE: Originally posted by dwil89 QUOTE: Originally posted by daveklepper Do the coal drags obey traffic lights in Tyrone? Well, when you have a 16,000 Ton Coaldrag coming through, it gets the right of way...lights or no lights...The train runs at restricted speed until it gets North of Tyrone and then they open it up...I chased one of these Ridge trains one day last Fall from the Wye at Tyrone to up about 20 miles North. It had 3 NS SD40-2's on the head end, and once it got out of Tyrone, I shot it at a couple of grade crossings....At one point, I had to get up to 60 to catch up and get ahead of it again as it was up to 50 mph heading toward Milesburg and Bellefonte. Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com Would those be the tracks that run through Port Matilda and follow 220 all the way up to Milesburg? I never really got up to speed on the situation of everything in Centre County, like what trackage is abandoned, who owns what, and so on.
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