Eastern Railroad Discussion > Amtrak Pennsylvanian arrives at Tyrone, PA

The Eastbound Amtrak Pennsylvanian Train 42 makes its Station stop at Tyrone on Friday this week as Easter Weekend travelers await its arrival.


Dave Williams

You must be a registered subscriber to watch videos. Join Today!

Students?  Did not know the platform is on a curve.  

boejoe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Students? 

Likely - Tyrone is the closest Amtrak stop to State College.

boejoe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Students?  Did not know the platform is on a
> curve.  


Yes, it is on a curve....The mainline curves as it passes beneath the I99 overpass just to the East of the platform.

Dave W.

At 0:28 in the video, viewers can see what looks like a depot.  This is where the Tyrone Area Historical Society & Museum is located.

To me, it is really bizarre that this building is not being used for Amtrak's Tyrone stop.  Although the structure for the stop is nicer than what was previously serving as the Tyrone station (basically a bus stop type shelter), the historical society and museum would provide more protection from the weather.

If a dedicated bus from State College/Penn State connecting to the Pennsylvanian (whose service is scheduled to double), I am sure more people will be using this stop.

RuleG Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> At 0:28 in the video, viewers can see what looks
> like a depot.  This is where the Tyrone Area
> Historical Society & Museum is located.
>
> To me, it is really bizarre that this building is
> not being used for Amtrak's Tyrone stop. 
> Although the structure for the stop is nicer than
> what was previously serving as the Tyrone station
> (basically a bus stop type shelter), the
> historical society and museum would provide more
> protection from the weather.
>
> If a dedicated bus from State College/Penn State
> connecting to the Pennsylvanian (whose service is
> scheduled to double), I am sure more people will
> be using this stop.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That Museum is open for visitors on a limited basis...a couple days per week I believe.

It's been more than twenty years since I was last inside that museum building.

For a couple of years in the early 2000's during the October Altoona Railfests, excursions were run on the Nittany and Bald Eagle RR from Tyrone to Julian and back...I rode one of those excursions.

The Museum at Tyrone was open to the public during those particular Railfest Weekends.

Dave W.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/04/26 20:42 by dwi189.

dwi189 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> That Museum is open for visitors on a limited
> basis...a couple days per week I believe.

Yes, that's what I recall.
>
> It's been more than twenty years since I was last
> inside that museum building.

I was there once or twice 15 - 20 years ago.

>
> For a couple of years in the early 2000's during
> the October Altoona Railfests, excursions were run
> on the Nittany and Bald Eagle RR from Tyrone to
> Julian and back...I rode one of those excursions.
>
I didn't know about those excursions.  In 2001 I rode a RailFest excursion around the Curve and in 2007, I rode a one-way excursion from Altoona to Pittsburgh which entered the area via the Port Perry branch and Mon Line.  That was a great trip.
> The Museum at Tyrone was open to the public during
> those particular Railfest Weekends.
>
I still think the museum building should also serve as an Amtrak station.
 

RuleG Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> dwi189 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> >
> > That Museum is open for visitors on a limited
> > basis...a couple days per week I believe.
>
> Yes, that's what I recall.
> >
> > It's been more than twenty years since I was
> last
> > inside that museum building.
>
> I was there once or twice 15 - 20 years ago.
>
> >
> > For a couple of years in the early 2000's
> during
> > the October Altoona Railfests, excursions were
> run
> > on the Nittany and Bald Eagle RR from Tyrone to
> > Julian and back...I rode one of those
> excursions.
> >
> I didn't know about those excursions.  In 2001 I
> rode a RailFest excursion around the Curve and in
> 2007, I rode a one-way excursion from Altoona to
> Pittsburgh which entered the area via the Port
> Perry branch and Mon Line.  That was a great
> trip.
> > The Museum at Tyrone was open to the public
> during
> > those particular Railfest Weekends.
> >
> I still think the museum building should also
> serve as an Amtrak station.
>  

I found a couple of Eastern Board posts that I made back at the time.

The Nittany and Bald Eagle RR Railfest excursions were offered in '04 and '05 and an Everett RR Railfest Excursion was also available in '05.

NS had informed the Railroaders Museum that Autumn freight traffic would take priority over any sort of HSC excursions so NS would not allow excursions.

Dave W

Very nice video! Yes, Tyone is indeed the closest Amtrak station to State College. I think the students who live in the Philadelphia area are probably using Amtrak over those Penn State students who live in the NYC area. There are no circuitous routings when involving an Amtrak trip to State College from Philadelphia although the trip isn't the distance as the crow flies. Those people who live in NJ in the NYC area who attend Penn State are probably driving or getting a ride by a family member or friend because of the trip on I-80 being almost a staight shot. Once that 2nd Pennsylvanian begins, it will be very interesting to see how the ridership will be at Tyrone station. Might I add that there are probably many who live in the Greater Philly area who attend Penn State who take Amtrak to Harrisburg and then either get a ride from there or take a bus. There are a lot more rail options from Philly to Harrisburg. 

Passfanatic Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Those people who live in NJ in the NYC area who attend
> Penn State are probably driving or getting a ride
> by a family member or friend

I'm not sure where you're getting your information from, but I can assure you there are plenty of Penn Staters from New York and North Jersey who take the train home.

The backstory on the 'station' is that it was a pure district pork barrel project from Bud Shuster, who was the HR transportation committee chair, and had a brass placque on it calling it the Bud Shuster Intermodal Transportation Center.   I have a picture of it.   Connecting taxi, local bus service, train service.   

When it was under construction I took pictures, and sent it to my PADOT rail contacts saluting the project.   They had no idea it was being built.   It was out of the blue.  It was totally unknown to them.   Also to Conrail at the time, and to Amtrak.

As it is on the curve where the original PRR station was, it's superelevated track on a pretty sharp curve.   Which means platform elevation on the outside rail, clearances, the works.   It won't work on that curve, not anymore.  Nobody, but nobody talked to the state, Conrail, or Amtrak about the project and design standards until it was already built.  And subsequently rejected as an unsafe location.  And later fenced off.  Historically, a PRR train derailed on that curve and kinda wiped out the first station, see Robert Reed's "Train Wrecks" for a photo of that. from 1913.

After the busses quit going down there, they pulled the "Shuster" sign off.   Made it into a museum.   Well sorta.  Community center.   Something.  But never open.   The 'bus shelter' that is on straighter track just west was mildly upgraded.

It's still one of the epic congressional port barrel projects I've ever seen in this state.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/06/26 13:59 by randgust.

I was on the westbound Pennsylvanian today from NYC to PGH, and although the ride was fine and on-time, the windows of the train were filthy, making it almost impossible to see out with the sun shining on the windows.  Surely there's a place while the train is being serviced in NYC each day that they can get the windows washed?  It was impossible to enjoy Horseshoe Curve with the grime on the windows.  
 

---

---