A Stop in the Alleghenies for Train, Canal & Steam Buffs
Written: Nov 25 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: good views, lots to learn, a snapshot of history
Cons: not a lot of publicity, cold in winter
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| drpcp's Full Review: Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site |
Serendipity is alive and well. Sometimes you make elaborate plans to visit somewhere or learn something, and sometimes you just decide it's time to take a break on a long drive and you stumble onto something you will never forget. The latter was the case for me on a long, lonely drive from Pittsburgh, PA to State College, PA to visit a friend.
I was driving along US22 (the only way to get to this site), and for those who don't know, it's about a 3-5 hour drive up to State College. About half-way there, I realized I was going to arrive very early to meet my friend, and I decided to take a break. I looked for something interesting, thought about visiting some family I hadn't seen in many years in the area, and then I saw the sign for Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site. Now, I like history, and I happen to like railroads, so I thought that maybe, just maybe, I could kill a couple of hours there. That I most certainly did--and I wish I had had more time to hike further along (well, then again, it was cold, and I don't know that I was completely dressed for such an excursion at the time). This trip was in the early spring and shortly after some of the new remodeling was done, so there weren't a lot of people out there with me, either. Now, you don't particularly want to hear about my trip--if you are here, you want to know about the historic site.
Why was it built?
The idea of a portage railroad is to move boats/barges on ground (to "portage" them) a rail line for some portion of their trip. Now, some people unfamiliar with the terrain might be curious as to why someone would want to bother with such a mixed mode of transportation. Remember that this system was built the early 1830's, shortly after the Erie Canal was finished in New York state. Philadelphia was losing port revenue to New York, because the canal made it much more efficient in both time (~10 days instead of weeks) and money to get goods back and forth to the inland. So, Pennsylvania decided to build a canal system between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, but in the middle of the state there was the challenge of the Allegheny Mountains. In order to cross the mountains, it was necessary to portage the barges up and over mountains, and a series of stationary steam engines were positioned near Altoona which did just that. Why not just build an efficient railroad across the state, you might ask. At the time, the steam engines on locomotives were not powerful enough to pull a train through the mountains, eventually however, trains did take over the whole route (and the portage railroad was closed and dismantled in the mid-1850's).
When and how was it used?
The system opened in 1834 and closed in 1854. The combination of the canals and the portage railroad cut the trip from 23 days (in good weather) to 4 days. When a barge arrived at Hollidaysburg, the barges where loaded onto railroad cars and transported up a series of 5 inclines using a powerful steam engine to pull the cars up one by one. Once to the peak of the system (where the park is today), the cars where then lowered on another series of 5 inclines to the resumption of the canal in Johnstown. In the flat areas between the inclines, regular locomotives pulled the barges. Since this site is at the summit of the portage, travelers often stopped for a rest here, and the Lemon House on the site is believed to have functioned as a tavern for the wayfarers.
What's there now?
The park covers over 1200 acres. The main unit contains the Summit Level Visitor Center, the historic Lemon House, Engine House #6 Exhibit Shelter, the Skew Arch Bridge, picnic area and hiking trails. The Staple Bend Tunnel unit is located approximately 4 miles east of Johnstown, PA.
What does it cost?
Park fees are $2 for all adults (17 and over). NPS passes are accepted as is the SW Pennsylvania Park Pass.
Recommendations and additional thoughts
Although I knew nothing about this site when I arrived, I would highly recommend that you go to the NPS web site for Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site listed above for a better-planned trip. Special events and programs are outlined at http://www.nps.gov/alpo/event.htm .
If you are going because you are a railroad buff, you will likely also want to visit the Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum and the Horseshoe Curve National Historic Landmark less than 30 minutes away.
For those of you interested in modern archeology, the Lemon House is an educational find not to be missed. Since virtually nothing was known about the history of the house itself, much of the information used in deciding its furnishings and function have been determined in recent years by a combination of period historians and archeologists looking at artifacts found on the site.
Like steam engines? You have to go visit Engine House #6 to see how some of the really big ones were used (and what it took to use them).
Just think about how exciting it must have been to be pulled up the side of a mountain by a set of ropes! What would happen if they broke? (I recommend the exhibits to tell you about the safeguards against such an occurrence).
You can see some of this area if you take Amtrak's Pennsylvanian or Three Rivers route. At least at one point, during part of this trip a narrator would come on board (part of the year) to talk about the history of this region. Even if that does not still exist (I can't find anything about it at the Amtrak web site), you can see the famous Horseshoe Bend and the area around this historic site.
Even if you don't care too much about the history of the site and the region, the views are worth the trip.
Recommended:
Yes
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drpcp
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Reviews written: 12
Trusted by: 8 members
About Me:
I'm a neurobiologist with a variety of interests, both in and out of science.
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