Horseshoe, relics and rainbows

[Matt L]

I made a pilgrimage to one of the most famous RR landmarks in America: Horseshoe Curve. I'd actually wanted to make the trip on Memorial Day Weekend last year, but that was delayed due to my friends' wedding. Fast forward to this year and I couldn't get out of Rochester feast enough!

I arrived late in the afternoon, but I did grab my first ever shots of helpers... which were pushing a westbound mixed freight:















I also grabbed a few shots of the Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum:







Owing to the volume of shots from the afternoon, I am sharing all of them in a slide show:
http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/slideshow/2014/May%202014/0523%20PM2%20Altoona%20PA

All photos in this post and the link were taken by me Friday 5/23/2014 in Altoona, PA.

[Matt L]

The evening was spent peering through the fence at NS's famous shops, which date back to the heyday of the Pennsylvania RR.

Among other things, it looks like the OCS was getting polished up:



I'm not sure if this locomotive was being reassembled or dismantled:



The legendary sign, which goes back to the COnrai lera:



Slide show of the NS shops:
http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/slideshow/2014/May%202014/0523%20PM3%20Juniata%20PA

All photos in this post and the link were taken by me Friday 5/23/2014 in Juniata, PA.

[Matt L]

The following morning was spent at Horseshore Curve! My first ever sighting there was westbound intermodal 25Z, which had SD40Es at both ends:











Slide show with all my sighting at Horseshoe Curve:
http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/slideshow/2014/May%202014/0524%20AM1%20Horseshoe%20Curve

Slide show of my visit inside the Altoona Memorial Railroad Museum and NS action downtown:
http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/slideshow/2014/May%202014/0524%20PM1%20Altoona%20PA

All photos in this post and both links were taken by me Saturday 5/24/2014 in Altoona, PA.

[Matt L]

Another look at NS's amazing shops and ayrd:











Complete slide show of shops and yard:
http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/slideshow/2014/May%202014/0524%20PM2%20Juniata%20PA

All photos in this post and the link were taken by me Saturday 5/24/2014 ln Juniata, PA.

[Matt L]

A couple more slide shows:

1. Catching the NYC heritage unit trailing on NS 12T at Cameron, NY on Friday 5/23/2104:
http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/slideshow/2014/May%202014/0523%20PM1%20Cameron%20NY

2. Snagging the Tioga Central RR's dinner train in Tioga County, PA on Saturday 5/24/2014, along with a rainbow that appeared after a brief thundershower:
http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/slideshow/2014/May%202014/0523%20PM1%20Cameron%20NY

And finally, one more rainbow- this one appeared over the NS yard at Gang Mills, NY during my trip back to  Rochester on Saturday 5/24/2014:



All photos in the slide shows and this post were taken by me on the dates indicated. This was one heckubva trip for me, and I hope y'all like it, too.

[NSMoWandS]

Nice! Glad you have a good time... next time, head down(or up and over...LOL!) to Cresson. That is where the helpers loco shop is. There is a rail park right across the main line from it. DE Dan

[dschlegel]

Nice! Glad you have a good time... next time, head down(or up and over...LOL!) to Cresson. That is where the helpers loco shop is. There is a rail park right across the main line from it. DE Dan

Agreed DE Dan! My dad, brother, and I spend the first weekend of May each year at the Station Inn in Cresson, it is a fantastic location.

Matt-Thanks for sharing all of your photos, it looks like you had a great time!
PA Dan

[Matt L]

Thanx, guys! A fellow railfan suggested Cresson to me while I was at Horseshoe Curve... but I hadn't had a chance to see inside the museum yet.  The tunnel will happen the next time I go there.

[dschlegel]

Thanx, guys! A fellow railfan suggested Cresson to me while I was at Horseshoe Curve... but I hadn't had a chance to see inside the museum yet.  The tunnel will happen the next time I go there.

Glad you're planning to go again! Be sure to check out the Cassandra bridge while there next time too. I could honestly say the I would be content to spend an entire weekend sitting in a lawn chair at that location, it's peaceful, beautiful, and the trains are plentiful. It's my favorite location on NS's west slope.
PA Dan

[Matt L]

The bridge tip is appreciated! I figured it would be impossible to see everything on the 1st trip, so a return in the future is a must.

I have also worked out a short list of places where I can drive in 6 hours or less to see NS:

1. Bellevue, OH  (probably next year)
2. Sandusky, OH
3. Allentown, PA
4. Harrisburg, PA
5. Erie, PA (went in 2000 but saw nothing on NS!)

The game plan is to see all of them in the years ahead.