Eastern Railroad Discussion > No FOAMERS at Mance Training Camp?

Where were the foamers today???

It was lonely up on the curve...no trains, no humans, lots of snow!

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Ster2Block Wrote:
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> Where were the foamers today???
>
> It was lonely up on the curve...no trains, no
> humans, lots of snow!


The foamers were probably where the trains were....somewhere else.

--jag

The camp is on my "to do" list this summer. I've never been there, is it difficult to find? I would be coming in from the PA turnpike.
Bob

If you can find the Mance, Pa., horseshoe curve along the former B&O mainline, you can find the Training Camp. The closest PA Turnpike exits are Somerset (to the west) and Bedford (to the east).

bobdiesel Wrote:
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> The camp is on my "to do" list this summer. I've
> never been there, is it difficult to find? I would
> be coming in from the PA turnpike.
> Bob
The Magic Road is 160....If you get off the Pa Turnpike at Somerset onto 219 South, take 219 until it exits onto old 219 2 Lane. Follow this 2 Lane South to Berlin. At Berlin, make a left turn at a blinker near a Subway type Convenience Store and follow this road about 1/2 mile through center of town to 160. Make a right onto 160 South for several miles, it will do some hairpin turns.After these hairpins, you will see a road on the right that says Sandpatch 1 or two miles. Ignore this and proceed another couple hundred yards and make a left turn onto a road at a sign that says to Mance, and whatever miles..a couple I believe. Follow this road and you will pass a farm. You will then come to another Barn on the left and a dirt road called Mance Rd....Follow this up to Track level where there is a crossing and the Old Mance Post Office which was bought and is being restored by Railfans. To get to the Mance Training Camp, cross over the tracks and turn right and follow the right of way to the East end of the Curve where the Camp is....My signature is on the wall in the Camp Cabin several times already.....Dave Williams

dwil89 Wrote:
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> bobdiesel Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The camp is on my "to do" list this summer.
> I've
> > never been there, is it difficult to find? I
> would
> > be coming in from the PA turnpike.
> > Bob
> The Magic Road is 160....If you get off the Pa
> Turnpike at Somerset onto 219 South, take 219
> until it exits onto old 219 2 Lane. Follow this 2
> Lane South to Berlin. At Berlin, make a left turn
> at a blinker near a Subway type Convenience Store
> and follow this road about 1/2 mile through center
> of town to 160. Make a right onto 160 South for
> several miles, it will do some hairpin turns.After
> these hairpins, you will see a road on the right
> that says Sandpatch 1 or two miles. Ignore this
> and proceed another couple hundred yards and make
> a left turn onto a road at a sign that says to
> Mance, and whatever miles..a couple I believe.
> Follow this road and you will pass a farm. You
> will then come to another Barn on the left and a
> dirt road called Mance Rd....Follow this up to
> Track level where there is a crossing and the Old
> Mance Post Office which was bought and is being
> restored by Railfans. To get to the Mance
> Training Camp, cross over the tracks and turn
> right and follow the right of way to the East end
> of the Curve where the Camp is....My signature is
> on the wall in the Camp Cabin several times
> already.....Dave Williams
>
>

Thank you for the detailed directions. Maybe I'll see you there sometime!
Bob

When going south on PA 160 from Berlin, I believe the right turn that would take you toward Sand Patch is actually marked "Meyersdale 5". There's an earlier right turn off 160 marked "Meyersdale 7" and you'll go by a left that, if I recall it correctly, is marked "Glencoe 8". You can actually get to Mance by turning left at "Glencoe 8" and then turning right at the first substantial intersection, but it's easier to find Mance by turning left at "Mance 2".

Be careful on all of these roads, they are very narrow and winding.

bobdiesel Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> dwil89 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > bobdiesel Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > The camp is on my "to do" list this
> summer.
> > I've
> > > never been there, is it difficult to
> find? I
> > would
> > > be coming in from the PA turnpike.
> > > Bob
> > The Magic Road is 160....If you get off the
> Pa
> > Turnpike at Somerset onto 219 South, take
> 219
> > until it exits onto old 219 2 Lane. Follow
> this 2
> > Lane South to Berlin. At Berlin, make a left
> turn
> > at a blinker near a Subway type Convenience
> Store
> > and follow this road about 1/2 mile through
> center
> > of town to 160. Make a right onto 160 South
> for
> > several miles, it will do some hairpin
> turns.After
> > these hairpins, you will see a road on the
> right
> > that says Sandpatch 1 or two miles. Ignore
> this
> > and proceed another couple hundred yards and
> make
> > a left turn onto a road at a sign that says
> to
> > Mance, and whatever miles..a couple I
> believe.
> > Follow this road and you will pass a farm.
> You
> > will then come to another Barn on the left
> and a
> > dirt road called Mance Rd....Follow this up
> to
> > Track level where there is a crossing and the
> Old
> > Mance Post Office which was bought and is
> being
> > restored by Railfans. To get to the Mance
> > Training Camp, cross over the tracks and
> turn
> > right and follow the right of way to the East
> end
> > of the Curve where the Camp is....My
> signature is
> > on the wall in the Camp Cabin several times
> > already.....Dave Williams
> >
> >
>
> Thank you for the detailed directions. Maybe I'll
> see you there sometime!
> Bob
>If you have a copy of, or can get a hold of Railpace, Sept 2002 issue, it has detailed directions on good spots and driving directions on Sand Patch's East Slope from Hyndman, to Mance. Earlier issues dealt with the West Slope of Sand Patch through Meyersdale, Keystone, Yoder, and West. Dave Williams

Perhaps someone could explain what this is.

The Subway is after you turn onto 160 in Berlin, not on 219. There will be a sign on 219 at the blinker that points to Rt 160.

Thanks to all for the help.
Bob

I see at least one foamer at MTC!

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Plus another with the camera ;-)

I was thinking there was a sandwich type place on 219 just before you make that left turn at the blinker coming in from the North...if you didn't make that left turn, you'd remain on 219 heading toward Meyersdale....I thought that the left turn at the blinker took you through town on a connector street to 160...I recall an intersection once I got to the end of that street to choose 160 South to right,to go toward Sand Patch, or 160 North to left..which would eventually hit Windber and then Wilmore....Dave Williams

filmteknik Wrote:
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> Perhaps someone could explain what this is.

A Railfan bought some land off a farmer at the East end of Mance Curve, and built a Cabin there, with easy chairs, bunks, tv (if you bring a portable generator) and Gas Grill. It has become a Railfan haven where railfans can camp out overnight, if the owners are not using it. A tradition has started with fans to sign their names to the wood framing on inside of cabin, owner does this too. Some well known fans have visited. It is on the honor system, so the rule is, leave it as you found it, clean, tidy and undamaged. I have never stayed it it overnight, but have visited on warm Summer days and spent several hours relaxing. There is a footpath near the Cabin that leads uphill to a wooden deck that gives a nice westfacing view of the Curve at Mance. For reference, this is all located on the East end of the Curve, would be equivalent to the Kittanning Point Signal Bridge area on Horseshoe Curve in Altoona...Dave Williams

No trains in Mance????
I thought that only happened on Sundays, when I go.

Mgoldman Wrote:
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> No trains in Mance????
> I thought that only happened on Sundays, when I
> go.
> Likely related to the derailment that day at Hyndman....Dave W.
>

To all of you that helped me find Mance:
Thank you. I made a trip down there today and really enjoyed it. Only one train went through during the time I was there but I shall return.
Bob

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