A visit to Altoona, PA

[coachseats]

Hello all, let me introduce myself as I am new to this forum. My name is Ben and I live in the Akron, OH area. I have just gotten intrested in train travel within the past year or so, but have gotten hooked in a hurry! A bit too much so, if you ask my wife. Anyways, I try to take a trip somewhere on the rails about once a month or so and enjoy taking pictures and writing about my travel. Hopefully I can contribute to this forum about the trains that travel through Ohio and those others on which I have the opportunity to travel on. Which brings me to my questions:

I am taking the Three Rivers from Akron to Altoona, PA for a one day trip next Saturday. If anyone lives near Altoona or has visited recently, I would appreciate some info. to make my trip a good one.

Is the railroad museum right by the Amtrak station worth seeing? About how long do you think it would take to see?

What else within walking distance would you recommend seeing? If I am really ambitious, would I be able to hike up to the horseshoe curve and back? (If the trains are on time, I'll be there from about noon until 7pm)

Where's a good place to have dinner? Not on the Three Rivers, until we get a dining car back!

Thanks!!

 

[Superliner Diner]

Ben,

First of all, welcome.

I've been to the Railroaders Museum in Altoona, and it is worth every penny of the admission. The people who run the museum also are responsible for the historic site at the Horseshoe Curve a few miles west of town. I believe the museum has four stories of railroad-related exhibits, artifacts, etc, and they focus not only on Altoona's rail history but railroading in general. You'll learn too about the history of the mainline railroad, which was Pennsylvania, then Penn Central, then Conrail, and now Norfolk Southern.

For the best information, check this site: http://www.railroadcity.com/

The Horseshoe Curve, which you will traverse by train during your trip from and back to Ohio, is probably the closest you can get. Like I said, there is another small museum at the base of the Curve, along with a funicular (incline) ride up to the track level. Without a car, however, it's tough to get there -- you might get a cab at the rail station, as it's only a several-mile trip. You might be able to time your trip to the Horseshoe Curve for when the Pennsylvanian passes through the curve, which is in the early afternoon westbound daily, and late afternoon eastbound on Sundays. On weekdays and Saturdays, the eastbound Pennsylvanian comes through in the morning so you'd miss it.

The Amtrak station in Altoona is an intermodal transportation center, so there are buses and cabs available in the same building, with the city buses a block away alongside the tracks.

Finally, I don't know if they still hold them because the people who administer the museum and the Horseshoe Curve are in financial difficulty, but every year in early October they have held large rail fests in Altoona, with free bus transportation between the different venues. They also have a rail excursion up to the Horseshoe Curve, and the Gallatzin Tunnels beyond it, and then they turn around and do it once more the other way. They also open up the Juniata Shops, which are located about 2 miles east of the station in Altoona, and give self-guided shop tours. If they do have it this year, keep tuned to the above website, which will have details.

 

[coachseats]

Thanks for all of the info! I will post a trip report after I return.