Steam & Excursion > 50 Years Ago NKP 759 Horseshoe Curve Trip

Just realized it was 50 years ago today Sunday September 13, 1970 I was a young 16 year old teenage passenger aboard the second trip of the weekend with NKP 759 from Harrisburg, PA up over the Horseshoe Curve and return. Here are a few shot from my Instamatic. Vestibules were crowded departing Altoona so the best I could get was the outside of the curve. Returning through Altoon was able to grab a shot of one of the Tubular Budd coaches in the deadline.
1. High Iron Company Brothers Two Harrisburg, PA
2. PC 4885 GG1 Harrisburg, PA
3. Deparrting Harrisburg, PA

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4. NKP 759 west end of Harrisburg, PA Stored REA Cars
5. NKP 759 Approaching the Horseshoe Curve
6, NKP 759 on the Hill

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7. NKP 759 drifting downgrade approaching the Horseshoe Curve
8. PRR Budd Tubular Coach Altoona Deadline.

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Great pictures of a very memorable mainline steam trip!

Alas, the 'ol HIC drumhead, pictured, was sold to a happy customer, for about $150, at the Winterail 2019 swap meet. It made somebody very happy that day. 

You and your Instamatic did a good job. Thanks for sharing.
Bob

Picture 5....

This is the crucial part of the climb...  
Under the center of the curve ahead runs a small creek: "Scotch Run",
from right to left, down hill.

It is the hardest part of the climb to Gallitzin.   The train is now on the straight 
track,  when the cars get into the curve of Scotch Run, the pull gets its toughest. 

On the 'scouting trip' a couple of month's earlier, the RFE explained to me that
" If you make it past Scotch Run, the rest of the Hill is easy!"

I'm firing for Ross in the engineer's seat, in this part of the fight, I'm repairing the 'heel'
( around the stoker elevator tube in the firebox)  putting in a layer of cold coal at the rear of the grate).
I'll repeat the 'heel repairing'  maneuver about two more times before the top,  at Gallitzin.

We're doing about 12-13 MPH, the speed dropped to 11mph as we rounded the viewing area in 
the center of the 'Curve...  At 11mph, the steam demand is fairly low, compared to the fierce 
draft up the stack... The white-hot fire made it easy to lift all three safety valves.

Everyone in the crowd and in the train, instinctively understands safety valves....
it was my way of telling the world that the fire was in tip-top shape....ready for anything.

Ross kept the sanders running, all the way up the hill,  and he had the rail washers cleaning the rail head.

Unexpectedly, the return loop at Gallitzin was a sharp 180- degrees, and on Saturday, we stopped
at the tower, the train stuck in the curve ---big mistake!    We had to back-up and try three times before
having the momentum to charge past.  The 180- deg. curve at Gallitzin was for helper engines to return
back down the hill to Altoona --- not designed for a 19-car passenger train! 

Sunday's trip we were ready for Gallitzin ...no problems..

ALL the above are Great photos from a Great trip ....almost 50 years ago!
Thanks for posting all of them.

Wes Camp

 



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 09/14/20 03:16 by wcamp1472.

Fantastic EWes, great story and your firing up to is usually superb standards! 

Thanks for another great story Mr. Camp. Appreciate all of the detail you include. Must have been a spectacular show!! Interestingly, I believe the 765 settled in at 11 mph on her trip around the curve with then NS CEO Wick Moorman in the cab. Rich Melvin tells all the details in the “Listen for the Whistle” documentary.

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Excellent pictures and memories. Next April, like you I'll be celebrating 50 years, since riding my first steam excursion behind the 2102.

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So, tell us about your 1st trip behind the 2102..., Id be very interested..

Wes C.

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