From Altoona

[jsmvmd]

Dear Friends,

There was an unusually quiet weekend in Lake Woebegone (sic) for rail fanning.  There was something neat to see.  "Downtown" Altoona Friday am there was a west bound empty coal train on the north side track, a full coal train eastbound in the center track, and a carrier train just down from "Coburn crossing" about 24Th St bridge area eastbound.  Lots of choo choo's at on time.  Fun to see, lots of noise, etc.

Our drill Sgt friend, George used to stand on the 24Th St bridge as a kid and signal the engineers to blow the steam whistle.  He said they usually accommodated him by blowing cinders all over the place !  Imagine all the cinders raining down and being enveloped in steam !

Best Wishes,

Jack

[Jim Banner]

Being enveloped in steam and cinders doesn't sound like much fun.  Unless, of course, they are railroad steam and cinders.  That is quite a different matter.

Jim

[jsmvmd]

Dear Jim,

We are talking about the 1940's when George was a boy.  Thus, lots of steam and cinders !

One can get a similar effect at the EBT in Orbisonia, PA, and at the Ma & Pa in Cumberland, MD.

Best Wishes,

Jack

[jonathan]

When railfanning, one should always bring a sack of Powdermilk Biscuits.  Heavens, they're tasty and expeditious (sic)!

J

[ebtnut]

Just a minor correction - It is the Western Maryland Scenic RR out of Cumberland.  The old Ma and Pa is all but gone now; just some spurs and yard tracks left in York, and a short preserved piece down in the Muddy Creek valley.  The Baltimore Streetcar Museum operates over a short piece of the old ROW along Falls Road.  The City uses the old roundhouse for highway maintenance parking and storage. 

[jsmvmd]

Dear Ebnut,

Thanks for the correction !

Best Wishes,

Jack

[jward]

i like to refer to altoona as the promised land. in the good old days you could sit in the park at horseshoe curve at night listening to the trains claw their way up out of altoona. if there was mist in the air, you could watch the locomotive headlights sweeping around the mountainsides.

perhaps my fondest memories of the area are the nights i spent at bennington curve, just down from the tunnels at the top of the mountain. when a train had alco century series locomotives in consist, their dynamic brake grids would glow inside the locomotive as they descended the "slide" making them look red hot. it really made a big impression on a kid just learning about trains.....

[jsmvmd]

Jeff,

You have a poet's heart.  I'll have to find Bennington and spend some time there if possible.  Thanks for the tip !

Jack

[jward]

it is difficult to get there now. but you can easily drive down to the east end of the tunnel. that is on state game land so the railroad shouldn't bother you. to get to bennington requires either driving the railroad access road (don't get caught!) or a cross country hike. it is a shame. bennington is such a peaceful and beautiful place.

[jsmvmd]

Dear Jeff,

I did a quick search for Bennington and found these sites:

1.  A description of the geology along the tracks.  Particularly interesting to me with a penchant for rocks.

http://www.jstor.org/pss/982646

2.  A nice little site with pictures.

http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/pa/bennington.html

When I get some time I will trek there or ride there on my mountain bike.

Again, thanks for the tip !

Best Wishes,

Jack

[jward]

i find the geology of the mountain above altoona interesting as well. from the top to the bottom it is like a completely different place, both geologically and climate wise as well. one of the things i really like about the lower east slope is the shale barrens around the brickyard. i would love to model one of those.

were you aware of the runaway passenger train that wrecked at bennington in the 1940s? i think it was the red arrow, and it was on #2 track, the one that is now missing on the mountain. when it hit bennington curve, it went over the bank without disturbing the 3 or 4 tracks, resulting in numerous fatalities.

[jsmvmd]

I am aware of the Red Arrow wreck.  Until last week when I found the Pennington site on the Ghost Town link, I did not know it was Pennington.  Most Pennsylvania geology is sedimentary and Carboniferous Era (Pennsylvanian-Mississippian), that is to say roughly 360-286 mya.

http://www.starsandseas.com/SAS%20Evolution/SAS%20geoltime/geotime_carboniferous.htm

There are a bunch of old timers around at our local train club who are quite expert regarding the RA wreck, some of whose fathers were part of the recovery crew.

Early this afternoon, I will take a quick side trip to the Pitcairn site you mentioned several weeks ago, on the way to visit my Mother in Boston.

Best Wishes,

Jack