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Special Features
Bikes, Barges and Trains (Part 1)
©April 2005 by Peter Lynn
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Horseshoe Curve National Historic Landmark : Pennsylvania
Area Mountain Bike Trails: Pennsylvania
Altoona has a long history as a railroad center in southwestern Pennsylvania and is home to the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site, Staple Bend Tunnel (America’s first railroad tunnel), the iron furnace at Mt.Etna and the Horseshoe Curve National Historic Landmark.
The Pennsylvania Railroad’s repair and maintenance shops, locomotive facility and test department were located here because of the city’s proximity to the Alleghenies and Horseshoe Curve route through the mountains.. The Railroaders Memorial Museum is now housed at the facility.
The Horseshoe Curve was a marvel of engineering when opened to rail traffic in 1854. Today you can ride the "Funicular" to the tracks and watch as dozens of trains round the curve each day in this amphitheatre-like setting. The "Funicular" is an incline plane designed to take passengers from the visitor center up to the train tracks, where you can experience the best train watching in North America from the benches and picnic tables.
It is open daily from April- October and weekends in November and December. Exhibits and videos at the visitor center tell the story of the Curve’s construction. There is also a gift shop with railroad memorabilia and souvenirs and a snack bar.
Contact information:
Railroaders Heritage Corporation
1300 Ninth Ave.
Altoona, PA 16602
Phone: 814-946-0834 / 888-425-8666
Website: New Hope Canal Boat Company |
