Altoona…A Happy Accident

06/02/2024 – 06/08/2024

Are you asking yourself, why Altoona? What made you pick this area to spend a week? Well, Altoona is kinda sorta between Lancaster PA and Buffalo NY and there is an engineering marvel there. It is also close to the Flight 93 Memorial. So, Altoona is home this week.

Once we got settled, I realized there were two other National Historic sites we could visit and Bill found a railroad museum he wanted to check out. We call these “Happy Accidents”. What I thought was going to be a pretty low-key week quickly became one filled with all sorts of fascinating sights to see. And bonus, the majority were within 30-minutes of camp.

Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site

Less than 20-minutes from camp is the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site, which made for a nice late afternoon outing. In the early 1800’s, America was on the move. Canals were built to transport goods from New York to Lake Erie and into the country’s interior. Pennsylvania got in on the action and began construction of a canal system to transport goods and people from Philadelphia to Pittsburg. There was one problem standing in their way though, the Allegheny Mountains.

Construction of the railroad began in 1831. It took three years to complete “The Main Line” and it was in operation for 20 years. Using a series of incline rails, stationary steam engines and thick ropes, the canal boats were loaded on to flatbed rail car and pulled/lowered over the mountains. What once took 23 days by wagon now took 4 days by canal boat.

Incline 6

After walking through the Visitor Center and watching a short film, we took a short walk out to Incline 6. Incline 6 is located at the summit of the Allegheny’s and consists of a reconstructed Engine House, rails and a tavern.

Incline 6 is one of the 10 inclines that canal boats travelled across. The incline lifts measured anywhere from 132’ at Incline 2 to 267’ at Incline 6. To preserve the original foundation of the Engine House, the park system reconstructed a larger engine house over it. There is only a little bit of the foundation visible today.

The ingenuity of the men who designed this is amazing and all the back-breaking work of the men who built it is incredible.

Lemon House

As passengers and freight began moving across the Main Line, communities began springing up as well. Lemon House was built in 1830 and was at its prime operation during the 1840’s. Catering as a rest stop for travelers and a meeting place for the local workforce, the house offered a bar, fancy parlor and a double dining room. I wonder what stories these walls could tell…

I am pleased we found this little nugget of history and our first “Happy Accident”

Canal Basin Park

Not really part of the Allegheny Portage National Historic Site but a part of the story is the little town of Hollidaysburg and Canal Basin Park. One evening after work, we drove to Hollidaysburg to scout out a possible canoe/kayak launch, which turned out to be a bust. Then, I remembered reading a blip about the canal terminus for the Main Line Railroad being in Hollidaysburg. Google Maps led us to the park.

What a great find! We walked across a little river on a footbridge and found we were standing in what was once the canal basin! This is where the canal boats went through the final set of locks, into the basin and then loaded onto the rail cars. The locks have been reconstructed but some of the original foundation is still visible.

 About 100’ from the locks is an original set of tracks and cradle along with the area where the spindle was located. The spindle was used to pull the canal boat sections out of the water onto the rail cars. How cool is that!! Another “Happy Accident”!

Horseshoe Curve

Now we will fast forward 20 years to 1854. Locomotives are getting bigger and more powerful. Trains are becoming the preferred method to move freight and passengers, but those Allegheny’s are still standing in the way.

The “Curve” was designed by the Chief Engineer for the Pennsylvania Railroad, John Edger Thomson and built by men using only picks and shovels. It is 2,375’ from the beginning to the end of its curvature. The lower end of the curve is at 1,594 above sea level and rises to 1,716’ at the upper end. To put this in perspective the average grade is 91’ per mile. This grade is 122’ in less than a mile.

The curve is so tight that when trains descended the curve, friction from the brake application would grind away the inside of the rails. This friction and grinding actually changes the shape of the rail. To overcome this wear, the tracks were transposed, the outside rail was moved to the inside and vice versa which yielded twice the use out of each piece of rail. In the 1920’s a length of rail was only expected to last about 10 months before it needed to be transposed. That same length of rail on a straight track could last for about 20 years. Wow!

Watching the Trains

Who doesn’t like to watch a train? There’s just something about watching them go by; wondering where they are going and what they are carrying and the sights they get to see along the way. Since day one, people have flocked to Horseshoe Curve to watch the trains. Today, we are those people.

Shortly after walking up the 194 stairs from the museum to the curve, we were rewarded with a westbound train passing through. Of course, we could hear the train coming before it emerged and everyone that was waiting ran for the fence. As the engine passed, a small group of boys started motioning for the engineer to blow his horn… and he did, many times! It was so cool! Everyone was waving and it was just a happy moment.

Once the train passed through the curve and disappeared around the bend, everyone retreated back to their shady spots and waited for the next one to come down the tracks. I’d say it was only about 15 minutes before that happened. And it wasn’t one train, it was two! One heading east pulling miles of coal filled cars and one heading west with empty cars (Well, the ones we could see were empty. Who knows what was in the box cars?) Once again, the kids were pumping their arms and the engineers blew their horns! (are you singing, “Dinah won’t you blow? Dinah won’t you blow? Dinah won’t you blow your horn?) This was a great find and not an accident. 😉

An Interesting Tidbit

We learned that during WWII, eight Nazi spies came into the US via German submarines off the coast of Long Island NY and Jacksonville FL. These spies were carrying explosives and $169,000 USD with plans to destroy key industrial, utility and transportation sites. One of these sites was Horseshoe Curve. How crazy is that? Two of the spies were jailed and the other six were executed.

Railroaders Memorial Museum

After discovering all this railroad history in Altoona, we kept asking ourselves… why Altoona? It’s just a small little town in central PA. In the middle of nowhere, really. The Railroaders Memorial Museum answered this question for us and so much more.

Why Altoona?

First, let’s find out why Altoona was chosen. During the early 1800’s, Pittsburgh grew as a leader in coal production and was rich in petroleum, natural gas and lumber. However, as rail expanded west, Pittsburgh was bypassed in favor of Wheeling VA (now WV) and this threatened its survival.

Pittsburgh needed a rail connection to eastern ports. Pennsylvania Railroad competed with the B&O railroad for the right to build it. Pennsylvania Railroad won the bid. Chief Engineer Thomson surveyed areas to cross the Allegheny’s and began building the railroad. The area just below what would become Horseshoe Curve, now known as Altoona, was chosen as the base camp for workers and supplies and became the world’s largest railroad city.

By 1856 the town’s population was 3,000 and “the shops” occupied a few acres. “The shops” did everything. Locomotives were designed and built here and they had one of the largest maintenance facilities around. By 1900 there were almost 39,000 residents and the “Pennsy” workers were the elite of America’s Industrial Revolution. By 1930, Altoona’s population grew to 82,000 and the shops covered 218 acres!

Living and Working in Altoona

The museum spans across 3 floors of the former Master Mechanics shop building which was built in 1882. Click here to see what it looked like before it was restored. The museum focuses mainly on the railroad workers and the community. We learned about life in Altoona as a railroad worker.

Life as a railroad worker was hard and dirty work. Workdays were long, temps in the buildings were extremely hot and when you were “off the clock” you were still on call. Living in Altoona was dirty too. Soot and cinders were everywhere. Each morning porches and walks were swept so the soot was not tracked into the house. Curtains needed to be washed every 3-4 months and if windows were not cleaned regularly, well you could forget seeing out of them. During the age of steam, it is said that more cleaning agents were used in Altoona per capita than in any other city in America. Does not sound like a place I would like to have lived.

All Work and No Play?

It wasn’t all work in Altoona, though. The Pennsylvania Railroad believed in team building and creating good morale amongst its workers which they felt would make their workers more loyal to the company. They sponsored many teams but baseball was the most popular. Each shop had its own team and all equipment was provided by the PRR.

Railroading Today

By the end of the 1960’s diesel engines had almost completely replaced steam engines. Around the end of the 1960s and early 1970s, operations in Altoona began to cease. In 1976 the PRR merged with Conrail bringing an end to the era.

The museum does a great job telling the stories of these workers, their families and the Pennsylvania Railroad overall. There are a lot of interactive exhibits to keep you entertained too! If you would like to view some historical photos of the trains and shops, I found this cool website https://www.altoonaworks.info/pics/

 This was a GREAT find and another “Happy Accident”! 😊

Clark Bar in Altoona?

After we finished at the museum, we wanted to take a drive through downtown Altoona. Along the way, Bill sees this big sign for a Clark Bar. He says, “You know, I haven’t had a Clark Bar in a long time.” As we drive by, I notice they have a candy outlet. Check it out, Clark Bars are made right here! Along with the Mallo Cup, Clark Cup and the Smoothie Cup. Another “Happy Accident!”

Two Disasters

Johnston Flood National Memorial

I won’t call this one a “Happy” Accident, but we did discover this park by accident. On May 31, 1889, approximately 20 million tons of water dropped 450’ over 14 miles in just under 1 hour. This rush of water formed a wall almost 75 feet high and travelled about 40 mph! It knocked out everything in its path and ultimately killed over 2200 people.

This flood happened because of a breach in the South Fork Dam and to learn what happened we’ll go back a few years. You remember the canal system and incline railroad that was built to get goods and people from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, right? Well, the western terminus of the rail line was in Johnstown.

The South Fork Dam

During the first year of the Main Line, it was realized the Conemaugh River could be a problem during times of drought, and a feeder reservoir would need to be built. Construction of the South Fork Dam began in 1840 but around 1842, work stopped and the dam was only half-completed. By 1852 the dam was complete and ready for operation.

Then in 1854 the PA Main Line Canal went out of business, because now there were trains and a new rail system to carry goods over the Allegheny’s. The PRR bought the entire route of the PA Main Line including the dam and maintained it for the next 10 years. Fast forward another 10 years and the dam is now owned by the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club of Pittsburgh. This group of “la-tee-das” used the lake for recreation but failed to maintain the dam. They inadequately patched holes, lowered the top of the dam to make it wider for carriages and put fish screens over the spillway.

This picture shows where part of Lake Conemaugh was. The breeched dam is on the right side. The lake measured a little over 2 miles long and about 1/2 mile wide.

May 31, 1889

During a torrential storm, the lake levels rose and by 3PM the dam had breeched sending tons of water downstream towards the steel town of Johnstown. The wall of water knocked out everything in its path.

The Aftermath

As the water receded, help came from all over the world and Clara Barton led the American Red Cross in its first major relief effort. All in all, damages were estimated at $17M and the cleanup efforts took years.

Below is the Stone Bridge in 1889 and today.

Even though members of the Southfork Club gave large donations, many citizens blamed the group for the flood due to its failure to maintain the dam. Club officials successfully warded off lawsuits and quietly shut down the clubhouse and cottages then slinked out of town.

Meanwhile, Johnstown eventually rebuilt its steel mills and the population returned. Today, Johnstown is a thriving steel town once again.

Around the Park

Bill and I took a walk along the ruins. We started at the top of the breeched dam and continued down to the former lakebed. The trail continued along the little Conemaugh River where we saw some of the original foundation rocks for the dam.

Next a drive over to the South Fork Club was in order. The Clubhouse is in the process of being restored and all the cottages are privately owned. As we stood on the front porch of the clubhouse and looked out, we imagined where the lake would be. According to the placard, the edge of the lake ended where the grass was located just across the street.

This park was an interesting little find.

Flight 93 Memorial

Our last day in the Altoona took us to the main reason we wanted to visit this area in the first place, The Flight 93 Memorial. Disaster does not even begin to describe what happened here. I went to the memorial not knowing what to expect and left feeling incredibly sad. I have never cried while visiting any site where something tragic has happened… until today.

Where Were You?

There are times in history when you know exactly where you were and what you were doing when they happened; the bombing of Pearl Harbor, JFK being assassinated, Neil Armstrong stepping on the moon, the Challenger explosion or 9/11.

I will never forget what I was doing when I heard about the first plane crashing into the World Trade Center. It was about 5:50AM in Oregon and I was getting ready for work and listening to the radio like always. The news came on and said a plane had crashed into the trade center but there was not a lot of information. Interesting. I went in to wake Bill up like I always did before going downstairs to get breakfast and told him, “Hey, a plane crashed into the trade center.” We both thought maybe it was a small airplane that had engine problems or something.

I proceeded downstairs and turned on the local news, like always, and by that time the second plane had hit the second tower. This was not a small airplane and this was not an accident. We were both in shock. But I had to get to work.

Once I got to work, I found out another plane had hit the Pentagon and one went down in a field in Pennsylvania. My co-workers and I were gathered around a TV for most of that morning. I felt fear and uncertainty like I’ve never felt before. That’s my “where were you” story.

The Memorial

I often wonder about the thought that goes into the designs of these memorials. The 9/11 memorial in NYC is amazing and if you ever have the chance to visit it, please do. The fountains are built where the two towers once stood and are engraved with the names of those that lost their lives. They are magnificent.

The Flight 93 Memorial is no less magnificent. The walkway, the Visitor Center, the overlook, the Wall of Names, the boulder at the crash site… They are all positioned in a way that you clearly see the last few seconds of the flight path.

The Stories

Our visit actually started at Memorial Plaza with a “Ranger Talk” The ranger has a close connection to Flight 93. She grew up in the nearby town of Somerset and was in high school on the day of the crash. She has been a ranger at the memorial since it opened in 2002 and keeps the memories of these 40 passengers alive today.

An excellent job was done describing the day in detail. She told us about the passengers, some of the calls they made before boarding the plane, telling their loved one they’d see them soon and so on. She talked about the calls the passengers made from the plane, their plan to fight back, how the flight attendants were boiling water to throw on the hijackers. How those 40 souls were determined to keep that plane from crashing into its intended target, which is now believed to be the US Capitol Building. She brought these people and their stories back to life.

The Site

After listening to the story of Flight 93, we walked out to the crash site and wall of names and it was very sad. As we are walking down the wall of names, each of these people meant a little something more to me now. Then I looked up at the observation deck above and turned in a semi-circle to look out at the boulder… it does not take a lot of imagination to envision that 757 flying upside down getting ready to crash.

The Visitor Center

The exhibits in the Visitor Center very clearly tell the events and stories from that fateful day. The crash launched one of the largest FBI investigations in the Bureau’s history. The amount of information they learned about the terrorists by pieces of evidence they found is incredible. Passenger and crewmember remains were found within a 70-acre area surrounding the crash site. All 40 passengers were able to be identified by December 21, 2001.

The Final Phone Calls

One exhibit featured audio recordings of the final calls from 1 of the passengers and 2 of the flight attendants. It was heartbreaking. I listened to CeeCee Lyles call her husband and leave a message on the answering machine, telling him that she loved him and to please tell her children that she loved them very much and that she was sorry. She said she hoped to see his face again and then Good-bye.

And then I listened to passenger Linda Gronlund’s message to her sister and walked away with tears sliding down my cheeks. This is a transcript of that recording copied from the NPS website. (while reading this, picture her her crying and listen for the fear in her voice)

“It’s Lynn.  Um.  I only have a minute.  I’m on United 93 and it’s been hijacked, uh, by terrorists who say they have a bomb.  Apparently, they, uh, flown a couple of planes into the World Trade Center already and it looks like they’re going to take this one down as well.  Mostly, I just wanted to say I love you . . . and . . . I’m going to miss you . . . and . . . and please give my love to Mom and Dad, and (sigh) mostly, I just love you and I just wanted to tell you that.  I don’t know if I’m going to get the chance to tell you that again or not.  (sigh) Um. . . (unintelligible)  All my stuff is in the safe.  The uh, the safe is in my closet in my bedroom.  The combination is:  you push C for clear and then 0-9-1-3 and then, uh, and then it should . . . and maybe pound and then it should unlock.  (sigh)  I love you and I hope that I can talk to you soon.  Bye.”

I cannot even imagine the horror and fear these people were experiencing and yet they found the courage to fight back. Those passengers and crewmembers were true heroes that day.

My Humble Opinion

Friends, I try not to be political or push my views on anyone. I try to keep an open mind and see both sides of the story, but there are some things we need to take a stand on. I fear that if we do not secure our borders, our country is in store for something much worse than 9/11. As a country we promised the victims of 9/11 that we would not forget. We can never forget.

Where were you on 9/11?

Tower of Voices

The Tower of Voices was our last stop before leaving the park. The tower consists of 40 chimes representing the voices of the 40 courageous passengers and crewmembers of Flight 93. We sat and listened to the soft tones of the chimes and reflected on our day and 9/11. It was an appropriate ending to our visit.

Treat For The Week

We’re going to end this entry on a happy note…

While planning this leg of the trip Bill asked if we were going to be anywhere near Pittsburgh. Not really, we’re about 2 hours away. He proceeded to tell me about this sandwich he had there one time when he was working and would love to be able to get it again. It is stacked with meat, cheese, fries and coleslaw. Sounds good, but it will probably have to wait for another time. Lo and behold, about a ½ mile before we get to our campground, there is a Primanti Bros! Bill gets his wish and we don’t have to drive 4 hours (round trip) to get it. Another “Happy Accident!”

Primanti Bros. has been around since 1933. According to their website the sandwich was created for the hungry truck drivers and shift workers at the steel mills. It was served all hours of the day. The story goes on to say that the fries and slaw were added to the sandwich so the drivers could eat with one hand and drive with the other. It’s a Pittsburgh staple and local fav. I don’t know how anyone would eat this monstrosity with one hand, though! It was delicious!! 😊

What’s Next?

Next week will find us in Buffalo. I understand there are some pretty amazing falls up that way and I think it’s also known as the birthplace of the “Buffalo Wing”. Stay tuned…