# Visiting Stations Along The Pennsylvanian



## Railroad Bill (Nov 3, 2010)

:hi: On my recent excursion to Cresson, Pa for our semi-annual railfan gathering, my friends and I visited several Amtrak stops between Altoona and Lewistown and met some interesting characters, riders, employees, and mascots :giggle:

At Altoona we waited for the westbound #43 to arrive and also was able to pick up the new Amtrak System TT (nice photo of St Louis Arch). The train was running ontime and there were about 10 passengers waiting to board. Most were headed to Pittsburgh, but two couples were going to catch the Capitol Ltd for Chicago later in the evening.

Since there is no checked baggage on the Pennsylvanian, one station agent was more than enough to meet the needs of the passengers there. He unlocks the door to allow passengers to gain access to the platform a few minutes before the arrival of the train. Our group decided to watch the arrival from the overhead bridge that spans the tracks at Altoona. (An excellent view of the Railroaders Memorial Museum is also afforded.)

The train made only a brief stop to load. About four people disembarked from the train. No smoke stop here. A quick conversation between the conductor and the station agent on the platform and off they went. A great twilight ride through the Horseshoe Curve was only a few minutes away.

The next morning we made our way to Huntingdon, Pa to catch the eastbound #42. This day the train was running very late as the Capitol Ltd had been delayed by a wreck and the Penny waited an hour to take on those passengers. We tracked its progress with Julie which gave us extra time to get to Huntingdon.

The old station there is being refurbished after the third sale of the property in the past few years. A new roof and gutters is an improvement but the foundation has a definite severe sag and hopes to restore it to its previous glory may be in doubt. According to the "station agent" the plan is to turn it into a cafe.

I mention the "agent" in quotes since Huntingdon is techically not a "manned station" but Flora and her trusty puppy are there everyday to open the small Amtrak shelter for passengers to get in from the weather while waiting for the trains. She has been working for Amtrak for 23 years and each day unlocks the doors, supplies some fresh coffee and treats, and keeps the room heated or cooled via some makeshift fans and heaters. The room has some timetables, magazines, chairs and advertisements for Amtrak.

Passengers for the morning train eastbound were mostly students from the nearby college heading home for the weekend. About 15 or so boarded the train. I did not see anyone get off that morning. <_<

The conductor was a stately gentleman who reminded me of the old time conductors. He was efficient but not overly friendly. He rushed everyone to get on board as the train was still an hour late when it arrived. The passengers were a bit tired of waiting for the train, but Flora continued to update them about the arrival times. 

Amtrak obviously serves a purpose in providing cheap transportation for students who do not have access to automobiles on campuses. 

As we continued our travels, we ended up in Lewistown to catch the westbound #43. It was scheduled to arrive on time at around 3:45 pm. As we explored the station, a gentleman arrived to unlock the gift shop operated by the PRRH&T Society, whose archives are stored in one part of the building. They have some reasonably priced shirts and souvenirs inside and we talk to the worker for several minutes, hoping to talk to some passengers waiting for the train.

But there was only one young man going to board this day. He was an energy field worker returning to his home in Longview, Tx.

He had been working in Ohio on a large gas pipeline and had recently been checking out some employment in Pennsylvania. He had never ridden Amtrak before so of course I used the opportunity to show my vast knowledge of Amtrak travel :giggle:

He had two large bags but we determined that each weighed less than 50 lbs. He had tickets for the Capitol Ltd which he would board around midnight in Pittsburgh and then ride coach to Chicago. There he was boarding the Texas Eagle for home. He wanted to know about sleeping on the train and whether he might get a roommette and how much was it anyway??. Very expensive now !!

After going over the basics of a Superliner train, stairs, food in the diner and cafe and where the restrooms were, we talked about my travels over the years and how much we enjoyed riding Amtrak. 

He seemed a bit more at ease about his upcoming voyage and we wished him well as he boarded the Pennsylvanian and headed west ward. Another one of those encounters that you have on Amtrak, always wondering what happens to the people you meet and knowing you are unlikely to ever see them again. 

It was now time to start our journey back to Cresson and a great supper at PJ's Bar & Grill. The nightly hangout for our RR group. Hope you enjoyed our visits to stops along the

Pennsylvanian :hi:


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## Shanghai (Nov 4, 2010)

Bill,

I enjoyed reading your Pennsylvania report. I have been to the Altoona museum and Horseshoe Curve.

Both are excellent. I never thought of getting off the train at various stops and reversing direction.

Sounds very interesting. Glad you had a good trip.


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## jis (Nov 4, 2010)

I was in Huntingdon two weekends back. Stayed at the Comfort Inn across the river from the railroad tracks, and watched a stream of double stacks and TOFCs go by through the night! Yes, the old station building is being restored, and the old "Hunt" Tower has been restored for other use and is in very good shape.

The real purpose of my visit though was to spend a day at the East Broad Top narrow gauge railroad. The weather turned out to be spectacular and we had a great time all around.

Incidentally the drive on Rt 22 between Tyrone and Huntingdon and then on to the junction with 522 is pretty much right along the NS ROW, and thus an interesting one for railfan types.


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## Railroad Bill (Nov 4, 2010)

Yes, we mostly spend the days covering all the railfanning photo spots between Johnstown and Lewistown for a week. Some of my fellow fanners have some very expensive cameras and lens and provide photos to magazines. Me, I just take my Kodak point and shoots and have a good time watching trains. 

With the increase in freight traffic this fall, it looks like the economy is improving.


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## Oldsmoboi (Feb 5, 2011)

Wasn't sure where else to put this. A video of a snow covered horseshoe curve from my trip last week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX-axXWVW6U


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