Conrai's Pittsburgh Line served as one of it's two main arteries connecting the eastern edges of the United States to the west, the other being the Chicago Line across New York. Spanning from CP-Harrisburg in the interlockings namesake city to CP-West Pitt in Pittsburgh the line includes famous locations such as Lewistown, Altoona, Cresson, Conemaugh, and Pitcairn, amongst a variety of others. Also included is the climb over the Allegheny Mountains between Conemaugh and Altoona, with the historic Horseshoe Curve as the center piece.
You can also view this gallery on an interactive map.
Conrail operated trains over the world famour Horseshoe Curve during its entire existence. This engineering marvel is a national historic landmark, and is known to railfans around the world. Â
The 'curve changed over time. Slimming from 4 tracks when Conrail started to 3 in the early 1980s, and many of these views are of things that are gone, or are from locations you shouldn't go to (due to more stringent enforcement of tresspass laws).
This gallery is a way to visit the area and see how Conrail's ops changed, and how they've stayed the same. Included are photos from the main helper district over the Allegheny Mountains between Conemaugh and Altoona, PA.
For an even more exciting way to virtually visit the area, check out the Horseshoe Curve Ops Map.Â
Conrail's TV trains didn't always rate head end helpers, even in adverse weather. Here TV4 heads around the curve on a snowy day in March of 1988.
