Eastern Railroad Discussion > Horseshoe Curve, PA - May 15 - 17

Hi all,

I am planning on visiting Horseshoe Curve, PA from May 15 - 17 and I was wondering if anyone can give me some advice as to where the best time and place to photograph trains? I'd prefer to do it legally, so it sound like my best bet is the railroad park.

Does the group think I can fill two days worth of railfanning there, or should I also explore other areas as well?

Any comments or advice is appreciated. Thanks. :)

Sure, if you park your car on the outer side of the curve past the tunnel going up to Gallitzin there's a turn off spot. And walk back to the tunnel to the left there's a path up the hill, follow that to the top & you can train watch from the outer part of the curve. *Bring a backpack, easier to carry ya stuff up the steep hill* Best time to go there is morning to around noon.

Benny Curve is a good spot, its near Tunnelhill/Gallitzin. Birds Eye Road, off Tunnelhill Rd.

Thanks....I have seen quite a few photos and videos from this location and I wondered if it was legal to go there? The last thing I need is to be arrested for trespassing.

Other than the curve are there any other places along the line in the area I might want to check out?

I would recommend stopping off in downtown Altoona....There are some pedestrian bridges and vehicular bridges in Altoona that offer good vantagepoints of the railroad.....The 17th Street bridge offers a view of now closed ALTO Tower...If the Altoona Railroaders Museum is open by then, which it should be, it is worth a visit if you have never done so before.

Following Chestnut Street North, you will come to the Juniata Shop complex. There is a sidewalk that runs a good portion of this road and you can park across the road in a choice of a couple of shopping centers and shoot through a chainlink fence along the sidewalk....or find the Juniata Shops turntable where you can park along the curb of a sidestreet and shoot pics through an iron fence....A block North (Railroad East) is a vehicular bridge with sidewalks that passes over the mainline and yards at ROSE....You can park in a dirt parking lot at the North end of the bridge and walk onto the bridge via a sidewalk....

The West Slope from Gallitzin Railroad West to South Fork has a number of vantagepoints accessable from Rte 53....including Cresson, Lilly, Cassandra, Portage, Summerhill, and South Fork.....Various trackside and elevated vantagepoints are available in the Gallitzin to South Fork segment....and local roads or Rte 219 to 56 will take you down to the Conemaugh/Johnstown area where a number of vantagepoints are available as well....My parents were born in South Fork so I spent a lot of time there from the late 1960's on through the 1980's...Dave Williams



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/18/15 15:16 by dwi189.

Wow, thanks for the great info, Dave. I have a lot of planning and reviewing maps to do now. :)

v1perfan Wrote:
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> Wow, thanks for the great info, Dave. I have a
> lot of planning and reviewing maps to do now. :)

Are you staying in the Altoona area? Cresson features the trackside Station Inn http://www.stationinnpa.com if you have never stayed there before....

Cassandra has the Cassandra Overlook motel while not directly trackside is only a few minute walk or drive to trackside from the motel..
http://www.cassandrarailroadoverlook.com

Dave W.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/18/15 15:23 by dwi189.

I have always enjoyed Cassandra. Very nice place to rail fan.

I've made many trips to the area over the years.

Candidly, the curve is the last place I'd go to, with
limited access and overgrown vegetation. And how many
trackside locations do you have to pay to get to?

Spend your time along the West Slope between Gallitzin
and Portage, which provide numerous "legal" locations.
Cassandra is, in my opinion, the best.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/18/15 16:23 by NKP715.

Good point....I'll go with the experts and find other locations. :)

What frequencies should I bet setting my scanner on to pick up the traffic?

Thx.

v1perfan Wrote:
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> Thanks....I have seen quite a few photos and
> videos from this location and I wondered if it was
> legal to go there? The last thing I need is to be
> arrested for trespassing.
>
> Other than the curve are there any other places
> along the line in the area I might want to check
> out?

The best info out there indicates that to reach the outside of the curve shots, you are very likely tressapassing, so be governed accordingly. Plenty of good shots to be had at the tunnels at Gallitzin, Cassandra, and Summerhill, among other spots. That having been said, a morning at the curve within the confines of the park is definitely worth it if you've never visited. Even if the shots aren't great, it's a very pleasant place to simply watch trains.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/18/15 16:30 by PittsburghMike.

I agree that if you haven't been to the curve you should go. True it isn't the best place for photography with the overgrowth, but it is still a good place to just sit for a while and watch trains go by. I always got a kick out of watching non-railfans get excited when a train comes by, see them running to the fence to wave at the engines when most likely they wouldn't even notice a train going by elsewhere. I used to take my kids there when they were young and they loved it too.

v1perfan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Good point....I'll go with the experts and find
> other locations. :)
>
> What frequencies should I bet setting my scanner
> on to pick up the traffic?
>
> Thx.


160.800 is the NS Road channel....160.980 is the NS yard frequency in Altoona...Dave W.

Cole42 Wrote:
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> I agree that if you haven't been to the curve you
> should go. True it isn't the best place for
> photography with the overgrowth, but it is still a
> good place to just sit for a while and watch
> trains go by. I always got a kick out of watching
> non-railfans get excited when a train comes by,
> see them running to the fence to wave at the
> engines when most likely they wouldn't even notice
> a train going by elsewhere. I used to take my
> kids there when they were young and they loved it
> too.

I don't go up trackside at the Curve park much anymore since the foliage grew back in, but usually whenever I was there, non-railfans would see me with a scanner and a railfan hat and figured I know something about trains so they would ask me when the next train was coming and I would tell them based on what I was hearing on the scanner...Dave W.

The sound at Horseshoe Curve remains superb. Especially in the early Spring when the rumble of engines echoes off the stone walls on the outside of the Curve.

I'll also put in a good word for the west tunnel portal at Gallitzin. The roar of the westbound train precedes the train by a few seconds. But, I wouldn't linger, as you'll miss trains going to the other tunnel.

Cassandra, Lilly, Route 53 bridge, there are many good locations. Enough to take advantage of the light and the frequent trains.

For morning photos, I usually spend my time down in Altoona by the pedestrian overpass at the Amtrak station or in Cresson. For kids, Cresson would offer some open space to stretch their legs along with a covered area with some picnic tables and a caboose. In Gallitzin, there is a park at the Gallitzin Tunnel that also has a caboose, which may be open over the weekend.

If the Altoona Curve are at home during your visit, that would be a nice night out after railfanning. I've done that with my kids a few times.

I agree with the recommendations of Pittsburgh Mike and Lackwanna484 to spend time at Horse Shoe Curve. Many believe they can get better photos elsewhere, but I enjoy taking photos of of trains going up and down the Curve. I view the Curve as an amphitheater and feel it is one of the most dramatic places in the East to see and hear trains.

Two days will give you plenty of time to visit the locations suggested by others in this thread.

Cresson has a terminal for helper locomotives. A train-watching platform is located along the main line.

Amtrak's eastbound Pennsylvanian (42), is scheduled to arrive in Altoona at 10:01 am and the westbound Pennsylvanian (43) is scheduled to depart Altoona at 5:06 pm. This train seems to keep within 1/2 hour of its schedule most of the time. Power is typically a Genesis unit, but P32s are occasionally assigned to this train.

If your interests include railroad history, there are two museums worth visiting. The Railroaders Memorial Museum tells the story of the relationship of a railroad to a community. There is also an outside display. http://www.railroadcity.com/

The Allegheny Portage Railroad, on the other side of Route 22 from Gallitzin, interprets and preserves remnants of the Allegheny Portage Railroad, a system of canals and railroad lines to bring canal boats over the Allegheny Mountains. http://www.nps.gov/alpo/index.htm

Have a great time in Altoona, Horse Shoe Curve and other nearby places.

Attached are images of Amtrak and NS at the Curve.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/18/15 19:39 by RuleG.

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RuleG Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I agree with the recommendations of Pittsburgh
> Mike and Lackwanna484 to spend time at Horse Shoe
> Curve. Many believe they can get better photos
> elsewhere, but I enjoy taking photos of of trains
> going up and down the Curve. I view the Curve as
> an amphitheater and feel it is one of the most
> dramatic places in the East to see and hear
> trains.
>
>

+1

I couldn't agree more. If you make a two day trip to the area for the first time and do not visit Horseshoe Curve, you are cheating yourself.

It would be a mistake to go to the Altoona area and not go anywhere besides Horseshoe Curve. Its worth a visit (especially if you've never been) but I certainly wouldn't spend all day there, let alone three days.

For some strange reason, most railfans seem to believe the West Slope ends at South Fork, and never venture down the hill into Johnstown. There are several good photo angles in the Flood City, and if you get there early enough on weekdays you can also catch CSX and the Conemaugh & Black Lick.

Keep an eye out for RJ Corman coming into Cresson as well - its a very easy chase up to Fallen Timber and back on Route 53.

While I'd also suggest not limiting yourself to solely staying at the curve, the premise that one can't get quality photos from inside the viewing area is a myth. All you need is a wide lens, some creativity, and a step ladder. (All 3 shots taken back the same day during the NKP 765 excursions in May 2013). I'd obviously like to see the brush cut back on the approaches as much as anyone, but quality images can still be had.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/19/15 05:18 by PittsburghMike.

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Another popular spot, not yet mentioned that I can see, is the grade crossing at S. 10th Ave and Porta Rd, AKA, the Brickyard. Easy to get to & open area enough to park. Great for west-bounds that are really working hard to get up the hill.