Horseshoe Curve

On Thursday, we drove the half hour to Altoona for a day of Railroading.

First on the agenda was the horseshoe curve and the tunnels. We wanted to see them before the threatening skies turned black. We were at Horseshoe Curve when Firstborn was a baby, but of course, he doesn't remember. As we arrived at the park, a large train was rounding the curve. We drove through one of the tunnels under the railroad. They are hand crafted with hand cut stone and they are so perfect. The kids, of course, were not too thrilled as we adults were.

After eating a quick hamburg and watching more trains pass through the curve we rode the funicular up the hill to the elevation of the curve itself.

From up on that height, you can see out to the valley below and the Altoona reservoirs and canal. The system was built years ago to both carry water to the city and to filter the water through the rocky debris on the bottom of the aqueduct. The reservoir sits at an elevation above the city collecting runoff from the Alleghany mountains around it. Gravity feeds the water down the aqueduct (just like in roman times) into the city.

Now a system of pipes, plumbing and water treatment facilities provide water to the city, but the infrastructure for the aqueducts still seems to be functional.

The only problem was that the whole time we were up on the hill, no trains came through. So, after a half hour or so, when Lastborn was threatening to say something to embarrass us, we headed back down on the funicular. We sent DH and the boys down the stairs. As we got ready to leave, another large train came through and I was able to snap a picture of it.

my shot of the train on the curve from below in the parking lot

Then on to the Altoona Railroading Museum. This is a great museum for train buffs of any age. Exhibits on railroading, the Pennsylvania RR company (the Pensy), and the growth and lifestyle in Altoona during the heyday of railroading are all put together into interactive and interesting exhibits. The museum is full of quotes by locals who lived in the city at that time. A kids room includes a big track and trains for the kids to play with , art supplies, a conductor's uniform and other toys.

Outside the museum, real rail road cars sit ready for climbing around. These aren't just empty shells of cars. There's a dining car and a sleeper car and an engine. They are not so much a climbing structure as they are further exhibits. But the climbing wasn't lost on the boys either.

Though the day A was a great hostess and shared her enthusiasm for the museum and her town.

At the end of the day, we took a different back road to the camp, led by A and D. They drove past Amish farms and old churches. Our kids got to see an Amish farmer drive his rig past us. Then we stopped at his farm. They own a furniture factory and D was hoping we could see some of the furniture. But the store was closed for the day. The kids did get to see some Amish kids working at their chores in the field. Of course this was a great opportunity to show the kids how nice they have it.

Dinner was at Grubb's Diner in Huntingdon. Much better food than the name would imply. Once we convinced the kids that they didn't really serve grubs, their attitudes improved.