The World Famous Horseshoe Curve, Altoona Pennsylvania

The Horseshoe Curve is a three-track railroad curve on Norfolk Southern Railway's Pittsburgh Line in Blair County, Pennsylvania. The curve is roughly 2,375 feet (700 m) long and 1,300 feet (400 m) in diameter. Completed in 1854 by the Pennsylvania Railroad as a way to reduce the westbound grade to the summit of the Allegheny Mountains, it replaced the time-consuming Allegheny Portage Railroad, which was the only other route across the mountains for large vehicles. The curve was later owned and used by three Pennsylvania Railroad successors: Penn Central, Conrail, and Norfolk Southern.

Пікірлер: 38

  • @tonyvillella5457
    @tonyvillella54572 ай бұрын

    Thanks ever so much for bringing my childhood memories back to me. My dad worked on the Pennsy after WWII, and lost his life in a train wreck near Loretto, PA in 1955. We would go to the Curve waiting for him to return after his shift was over, then drive down to pick him up. We lived in Sinking Valley, After his death my mother moved us to Florida, but when we go visit relatives, we would always go to the curve to watch the trains. My last visit was in 2005, and the Altoona Mirror did a story on the accident and interviewed my sister and I.

  • @philstead8756
    @philstead87568 ай бұрын

    My wife Linda and I toured horseshoe just a week after your video but were not able to make it up the stairs. Thank you for your track level view completing our memory.

  • @thetacticalpanda6247

    @thetacticalpanda6247

    7 ай бұрын

    I have seen one newspaper article, dated November 12, 2023, that the funicular (incline) is expected to reopen "in the next two months." Hopefully that will happen.

  • @doc1007
    @doc10073 ай бұрын

    Wonderful,I would give one finger to spend 1 day there in the 40s...

  • @railfan1956
    @railfan195611 күн бұрын

    That is nice climb up all those steps to the top of the grade. A rest would be required after getting up there! Thanks for the video.

  • @jcamisa50
    @jcamisa507 ай бұрын

    My son and his wife are up there as we speak. Thank you for the tour. Great video!👍👍

  • @p51mustang31
    @p51mustang31Ай бұрын

    I was just there this weekend, quite a site! Got to see a Norfolk Southern train with 9 engines pulling 191 cars! The lift is still broken as of 5/18/24 so we had to take the stairs.

  • @jamesyoung448
    @jamesyoung4489 ай бұрын

    Nice! and you even got a horn salute from the coal train.

  • @ricktrevino4371
    @ricktrevino43719 ай бұрын

    Wow amazing. Than you so much for the history the Horseshoe Curve. Really appreciated. One of these day I will make it there to visit.

  • @charlesmorschauser5258
    @charlesmorschauser525829 күн бұрын

    it would be nice for senior/ disabled if they would fix the funacular sometime soon.

  • @terrysmith7076
    @terrysmith7076Ай бұрын

    I have a very old picture of the Horseshoe Curve in my dining room.

  • @Crookedriverandeasternrr
    @Crookedriverandeasternrr9 ай бұрын

    One of my favorite places

  • @jhonwask
    @jhonwaskАй бұрын

    I was there in the early 1990's It was very exciting.

  • @donaldkarcheriii7249
    @donaldkarcheriii72497 ай бұрын

    When you were walking through the gift shop, due to the floorboard noise, it sounded like well maybe Bigfoot was your cameraman. I was expecting a giant Crunch and then the cameraman disappearing through the war

  • @GypsyTaz
    @GypsyTazАй бұрын

    I was on amtrak coming from Huntington going around Horseshoe Curve. I was a little scared but fascinated at the same time!

  • @Jillousa

    @Jillousa

    Ай бұрын

    I didn't hear much about it until the Amtrak conductor pointed it out and gave a brief history lesson

  • @Jillousa

    @Jillousa

    Ай бұрын

    I was so touched to see people waving at us while I was on the train

  • @rwendell0912
    @rwendell09129 ай бұрын

    Another one in Hyde Park Pa is pretty wild too.

  • @donaldkarcheriii7249
    @donaldkarcheriii72497 ай бұрын

    One more observation I love the common Tesla fuel. How true. They say that if 10% of the cars and trucks driven today were electric that the grid system we have right now couldn't handle it. I personally don't know how having an electric car has affected the individuals who have to charge it on a daily basis. I'd be interested to know that. There was a fellow many years ago who said that each time a fuel changes its form there is a marketed decrease in the total energy that's produced at the end of the line. Personally I think the best way to handle the power required for electric cars in the future will be nuclear power plants, unfortunately. The good old gasoline combustion engine will be here for a while.

  • @davidbross6942
    @davidbross69429 ай бұрын

    Couldn't miss the red light you drove through. Why do it? And why include it?

  • @thetacticalpanda6247

    @thetacticalpanda6247

    9 ай бұрын

    It was green, and turned red like 5 seconds after I was on the move.

  • @nobux717
    @nobux71729 күн бұрын

    You should do a separate video of the floor boards.

  • @MuzzleMike
    @MuzzleMike6 күн бұрын

    Last time I was there with my wife the incline was for the handicap. I guess they do not need to see it . Ño train for you ! ! 😮

  • @donaldkarcheriii7249
    @donaldkarcheriii72497 ай бұрын

    I know it must be kind of narrow, but are there any sightings to be used for Runaway Train at the downhilll side? I've seen CSX trains on that horseshoe curve, does any other major rail lines use it? At last question are there any restrictions to what can and cannot run on that curve? Thank you it was a very nice video.

  • @thetacticalpanda6247

    @thetacticalpanda6247

    7 ай бұрын

    The Horseshoe Curve tracks are owned by Norfolk Southern. I'm sure that other railroad lines (such as CSX) can use them with permission. Amtrak trains use the HSC as well.

  • @jhonwask
    @jhonwaskАй бұрын

    I think that train was over 2 miles long>

  • @user-oj8jz6db4c
    @user-oj8jz6db4c8 күн бұрын

    You run red lights often?

  • @thetacticalpanda6247

    @thetacticalpanda6247

    8 күн бұрын

    No, just every once in a while.😁

  • @ernestyeagley512
    @ernestyeagley5129 ай бұрын

    There was never a GP 4 and it wasn't an oil burner, it was diesel fuel.

  • @thetacticalpanda6247

    @thetacticalpanda6247

    9 ай бұрын

    A slang term. Yes, it was diesel. And you are right. It was a GP-9.

  • @donaldkarcheriii7249
    @donaldkarcheriii72497 ай бұрын

    Oops I got a question. What's the average number of trains that use that curve on a daily basis?

  • @thetacticalpanda6247

    @thetacticalpanda6247

    7 ай бұрын

    I have no idea.

  • @brentpodoll5848
    @brentpodoll58489 ай бұрын

    Love yur tesla fuel comment

  • @mcresq65
    @mcresq659 ай бұрын

    You blatantly ran a red light.

  • @thetacticalpanda6247

    @thetacticalpanda6247

    9 ай бұрын

    It turned red like 2 seconds after it turned green!

  • @jhonwask
    @jhonwaskАй бұрын

    Coal IS Tesla fuel. I wish the Democrats would realize that.

  • @jimrockford3662
    @jimrockford36629 ай бұрын

    Great video 👍🏽