Top photos from December 28th, 2006
December 28th, 2006
D&H 7303 led on CP Galt sub on the 27th, but we were on our way south at the time and could do nothing about it. We spent the 28th in Altoona picking up NS trains, catching 17 Conrail-painted units including one SD80MAC among many trains, stopping to see Horseshoe Curve, Cresson, and surrounding sites... More to come!
Horseshoe Curve, Pennsylvania
(map) Horseshoe Curve, just oustide of Altoona, is the site of a Pennsylvanian State Park and purpose-built railfan observation platform, complete with its own cable-drawn tram to get up to it. The tracks change in elevation by 122 feet as they go around the observation deck.
Gallitzin, Pennsylvania
(map) Just west of Horseshoe Curve on the NS is a 3000 foot tunnel which comes out in the town of Gallitzin.
Cresson, Pennsylvania
(map) Cresson is the summit of the hill for which Horseshoe Curve exists. There is an engine facility where several sets of helper units park, the SD80MACs that work in nearby South Fork spend their weekends there, and NS interchanges with R. J. Corman on the wye. There is even a city-owned railfan observation platform at the tracks across from the wye.
Lilly, Pennsylvania
(map) Just outside of Cresson to the west on the NS line, Lilly is a small town with a couple of good locations for railfaning.
Cassandra, Pennsylvania
(map) Between Cresson and South Fork, Cassandra is a small town with a disused road bridge over the tracks that is now explicitly a railfan platform, complete with a "Welcome, Railfans!" sign at the end.
Jamestown, Pennsylvania
(map) Another small town, Jamestown is between Cresson and South Fork and hosts an in-service road overpass over the NS line.
South Fork, Pennsylvania
(map) Home of the SD80MACs, this junction on the NS serves as the service line for coal mines in the area, which are serviced by NS' few SD80MACs. It is about thirteen miles west of Cresson.
Summerhill, Pennsylvania
(map) Summerhill is a small town between South Fork and Cresson on the route 53 railfan point list.
Lilly, Pennsylvania
(map) Just outside of Cresson to the west on the NS line, Lilly is a small town with a couple of good locations for railfaning.
Cresson, Pennsylvania
(map) Cresson is the summit of the hill for which Horseshoe Curve exists. There is an engine facility where several sets of helper units park, the SD80MACs that work in nearby South Fork spend their weekends there, and NS interchanges with R. J. Corman on the wye. There is even a city-owned railfan observation platform at the tracks across from the wye.
Horseshoe Curve, Pennsylvania
(map) Horseshoe Curve, just oustide of Altoona, is the site of a Pennsylvanian State Park and purpose-built railfan observation platform, complete with its own cable-drawn tram to get up to it. The tracks change in elevation by 122 feet as they go around the observation deck.
