Eastern Railroad Discussion > Horseshoe curve

Planning a trip to the curve in oct. Columbus Day weekend.
What is reasonable for train traffic that Weekend?

Thanks

SouthPenn Wrote:
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> Planning a trip to the curve in oct. Columbus Day
> weekend.
> What is reasonable for train traffic that
> Weekend?
>
> Thanks


That should be a normal weekend for railroad operations. Most railroads do not observe Columbus Day.

Friday is the busiest day on the Mountain on normal weeks. So if you want traffic density Friday is the day to be there.

Tehachapi-TJ Over & Out.

tehachapi-dave Wrote:
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> Friday is the busiest day on the Mountain on
> normal weeks. So if you want traffic density
> Friday is the day to be there.
>
> Tehachapi-TJ Over & Out.


Is Friday traffic reasonably balanced between eastward and westward? I'm thinking about locations that work better for one versus the other,

Thanks

Based on admittedly limited experience, I'd say there's a slight imbalance in favor of westbound traffic during daylight on The Hill. In that regard, Cresson is one of the easier places to set up for decent side lighting if there's a morning fleet of westbounds, as has been the case during several such visits.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/16/14 17:33 by toledopatch.

toledopatch Wrote:
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> Based on admittedly limited experience, I'd say
> there's a slight imbalance in favor of westbound
> traffic during daylight on The Hill. In that
> regard, Cresson is one of the easier places to set
> up for decent side lighting if there's a morning
> fleet of westbounds, as has been the case during
> several such visits.


The highway bridge at Lilly also allows nicely side lit shots of morning west bounds from fall through winter, and allows one to be well positioned to shoot east bounds either from the other side of the bridge or around the curve back towards the signals.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/16/14 17:52 by PittsburghMike.

my observation of that weekend in the past is its an iffy weekend.
That Monday will be hit n miss, since Mondays are that way in the area.
Do hope you have fun in the area though.

Agree on the Monday "problem," for which my normal solution is to target a shortline or regional that doesn't run much (or at all) on Sunday. A side trip to Tyrone to chase the Nittany & Bald Eagle local that usually comes down there on Mondays could be productive.

I had friends who visited the Curve a couple of weeks ago, and they say that foliage has again (still?) become a serious problem.

Carl Shaver
Lombard, IL

I'll echo this comment--you will see only glimpses of trains through the trees. The Curve isn't worth going to anymore, at least to take photos.

Thanks for all the info.

How's the foliage above the east portals of the tunnels at Gallitzin? Used to be a great afternoon location.

seaboardc30-7 Wrote:
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> I'll echo this comment--you will see only glimpses
> of trains through the trees. The Curve isn't
> worth going to anymore, at least to take photos.


I agree, the park is worth it IF you stay the whole day.
Tyrone for NBER is worth it.
Gallitzin is ok, but hard with west bounds.

Don't forget the Cassandra Railroad Overlook in Cassandra. A neat place.

I second seaboard's feelings: with all the alternate spots in that area - Cresson, Lilly, Cassandra, even Gallitzin, I wouldn't even bother with the Curve or the park there.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/17/14 16:53 by moltensulphur.

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
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> Thanks for all the info.
>
> How's the foliage above the east portals of the
> tunnels at Gallitzin? Used to be a great
> afternoon location.

The view from the Tunnelhill East portal overlook is absolutely terrible nowadays....especially when leaves are on the trees....The hillside has grown in with trees and brush but there is a very narrow 'viewing window' in the tree canopy which requires you to zoom the camera to get any sort of decent shot.....plus NS has allowed trees and vegetation to grow wild along the Track 1 embankment along the slide so that there is a row of trees between Track 1 and 2/3....which further affects the view from the overlook.

When I was out there in June, I hiked down along an ATV trail that runs along the hillside just above the Allegheny Tunnel East portal and got some overhead video of trains from there...Dave Williams



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/18/14 06:55 by dwi189.

A link to a thread I posted 9 years ago of Horseshoe Curve when they had a group of volunteers cutting away the brush.....Some sort of disagreement ensued between the lead volunteer and the Railroaders Museum regarding the project and that lead volunteer resigned as a volunteer and the brush cutting project fell by the wayside....

Horseshoe Curve in 2005:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,883366,883371#msg-883371

Dave Williams

dwi189 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lackawanna484 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Thanks for all the info.
> >
> > How's the foliage above the east portals of the
> > tunnels at Gallitzin? Used to be a great
> > afternoon location.
>
> The view from the Tunnelhill East portal overlook
> is absolutely terrible nowadays....especially when
> leaves are on the trees....The hillside has grown
> in with trees and brush but there is a very narrow
> 'viewing window' in the tree canopy which requires
> you to zoom the camera to get any sort of decent
> shot.....plus NS has allowed trees and vegetation
> to grow wild along the Track 1 embankment along
> the slide so that there is a row of trees between
> Track 1 and 2/3....which further affects the view
> from the overlook.
>
> When I was out there in June, I hiked down along
> an ATV trail that runs along the hillside just
> above the Allegheny Tunnel East portal and got
> some overhead video of trains from there...Dave
> Williams

Thanks for that update.

the view eastward from the east portals used to be wonderful. But that was 20 years ago.

This is what the view eastbound looked like two years ago. It's much worse now--you can't even see the signal bridge.

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