Eastern Railroad Discussion > Hollidaysburg PA Petersburg branch.

On my way out to Raystown lake last friday I went through hollidaysburg. I noticed alot of stored cars mostly TTX trailers and boxcars, these looked like they have been just placed there. I was wondering what if anything is going on in the old Holliday car shops. When I went through a couple of years ago there wasnt many cars there. Also when did they tear up the Petersburg branch. I do know that they ripe up the new portage line in the early 80's. When I came back on sunday there was a long train going into Hollidaysburg with a lot of mixed freight. The train was crossing the old 220 road before you would enter Duncansville.

The old Hollidaysburg Shops were sold...to Degol Lumber I believe....NS is still storing cars there.....NS also runs local freights back and forth from Altoona to Hollidaysburg via the Cove Secondary...and switches some local industries en-route...

NS also interchanges with the Everett Railroad at Hollidaysburg.

I believe that there is still an outfit in Hollidaysburg just East of the Shops and on the opposite side of 22 that either works on, or scraps railcars.

The old Petersburg Branch has been gone for years....probably since the 1960's at least.....

The New Portage Secondary Line that ran between Duncansville and the New Portage Tunnel was abandoned around 1981 or so to allow for construction of the new 4 lane Rte 22.

The Muleshoe Curve was located along the New Portage Route......and the roadbed is still in place nowadays as a hiking trail.....

On old Rte 22 after driving down the East side of 'Cresson Mountain' where it goes from 4 lane to 2 lane, there is an overpass at the beginning of the 2 lane segment....that is Muleshoe Curve...

There should be room to park a car or two alongside 22 near that overpass...and then hike up the enbankment onto the trail...

I did it several years ago and things are so grown in on either side of the footpath that it is hard to believe that it was once an active railroad line....

Dave Williams



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/28/09 20:43 by dwi189.

They ripped up the Petersburg branch shortly after the paper mill in Alexandria closed. (late 70's)
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> On my way out to Raystown lake last friday I went
> through hollidaysburg. I noticed alot of stored
> cars mostly TTX trailers and boxcars, these looked
> like they have been just placed there. I was
> wondering what if anything is going on in the old
> Holliday car shops. When I went through a couple
> of years ago there wasnt many cars there. Also
> when did they tear up the Petersburg branch. I do
> know that they ripe up the new portage line in the
> early 80's. When I came back on sunday there was a
> long train going into Hollidaysburg with a lot of
> mixed freight. The train was crossing the old 220
> road before you would enter Duncansville.

My uncle lives in Duncansville near on foot of ten road. When I was a kid we would go up and visit. My cousin and I would hike up on the hill behind their house and go up to the new portage line. This was in the 70's and from what I can remember the line was kept up and the rails looked okay. I can also remember coming down old route 22 and seeing a train going over the roadway. When going up new Route 22 now there could of been some kind of a bridge or tunnel over the railroad if Conrail wanted to keep it open. But this was the early 80's when railroads were ripping out lines that today wished was still in. I dont think there was enough traffic to warrant the line to stay opened. Its a shame.