Planning a trip to Horseshoe Curve.

Watch out for rattlesnakes if your talking about the Calif. one.

If you are planning on staying the whole day, pack a lunch.  All they have are soda machines.  There might be some snack machines too.

While you are there, go to the top at Gallitzin, the tunnels are always good to see.

Go into Altoona and visit the RR Museum and stand around and watch trains through town.

Also go to "Brickyard crossing" just west of town as the grade starts.    

there is also a highway bridge on the east end of town with sidewalks where you can watch action at that end of the yard.

You can easily go up to the Galitzen Tunnels on top of the mountain.   There is a bridge right over the west end of the double track WB tunnel.   

The whole NS line from Altoona west to Johnstown has lots of scenic spots for train watching.

Lots of good information is on this website:

http://www.railfanguides.us/pa/altoona/map2/

Click on any of the areas in the list to see more details.  The map at the bottom shows about all of the good stuff there is to see.  Depending on how much time you have, the Portage Museum near Gallitzin and the Railroaders Memorial Museum are worth a visit.  You can get a combo ticket for the Railroaders Museum and the Curve.

John talk to Mike at the club he has a house up there at curve.

 He should be here Monday.

+1 On ALL of the above.  I've been to "The Curve", Gallitzin, The Brick Yard (a little hard to find but worth the trouble) and Cresson.  It's like the Holy Land for Norfolk Southern Followers.  Definitely make a stop at Gallitzin.  Here's a Linky to Gallitzin Tunnels Park & Museum. http://www.gallitzin.info/tunnels.php.  Here's another Linky for a map of the general area as well https://www.google.com/maps/se...unnel+Gallitzin,+PA/. There is another tunnel on the other side of town and I believe it is called The Portage Tunnel.  This one's a little hard to find but you can ask some of the locals.  It's a GREAT time.  Have Fun and Be Safe!

Chief Bob (Retired)

You may want to stay over in Cresson.  The name escapes me right now,but there is a place to stay and watch trains .  I'm sure that someone will chime in.

Not train related,but beautiful and serene---the Schwab Gardens at St. Francis University,about 5 miles away.  There is a 9 hole Donald Ross course also.

Norm

It all boils down to how much time you want or can spend in the area. For Pa.  the roads are pretty good and easy to get around. If you go anywhere you can meet people from all over the US doing the same thing. Lots of friendly folks there.

Due to the way the foliage has grown up at the curve, being right at the curve itself is not all that great a spot these days. The 180+-degree view angle that used to be there is now only about a 60 degree view angle before trees and other foliage get in the way.

Watching them put the helpers on ("snappers" in PRR language) in Altoona is interesting. Take a scanner and listen to the action there with the Pittsburgh East Dispatcher and the train crews.

How many years since they cut all those trees down ??  The museum did it. Sure grew back fast.

If you have the time visit Neely's in Altoona.  His train store is set up in the old Hanum's Auto Parts.  Very friendly, knowledgeable, and the biggest train store in the area.

The Station Inn in Cresson is the world-famous railfan spot. (stationinnpa.com)
I have been going to Horseshoe Curve and environs since 1973(Penn Central days), but the best time was in May,2013, when I rode behind #765 between Lewistown and Gallitzin.
Here are 2 Fujichromes shot on 10/15/1994, when it was all Conrail blue, during some of the most spectacular fall foliage I've ever seen up there. Due to the aforementioned tree and brush growth, this view remains one of the best photo angles.
Photography by Warren W. Jenkins

Good morning John,

Foliage or lack of eating places it is still the Horseshoe Curve !!!!!

I am not sure where you are from but when you are in the Altoona and surrounding areas and you are looking for something to eat or drink and a good cup of coffee look for a Sheetz store they are all over the place.

The make your food to order and it's always fresh.

The Altoona Memorial Museum is worth going thru.

The museum is right along the main line in Altoona.

As someone mentioned there is a walkway over the tracks that is great for photos and you can also get a glimpse of Alto tower.

If you ask anyone at the Museum they could most likely get you directions to Juanita Shops, Rose Yard or the Brickyard Crossing.

Both places are about 15 minutes from the museum.

When you are finished at Horse Curve and want to go onto Gallitzin.

When you exit from the Horseshoe Curve parking lot turn right. Go thru the tunnel under the main line and follows this road to the top, about 3 miles.

At the stop sign turn left.

Follow this road for  about 2 miles and you will come to the town of Gallitzin.

Look for the signs for the Gallitzin Tunnels.

If you want to go to Cresson from Gallitzin come back up to the top of the hill from where you turned to go to the tunnels and make a right.

Follow this road to the intersection to PA State Route 22.

Follow PA State Route 22 West to Cresson PA about 2.5 miles.

Get off the first Cresson Exit and make a right.

Come straight down into town and go straight thru the first stop light.

Sheetz store will be on your left.

You will see the main line right a head of you.

Make a right turn and travel up this street going thru about 2 stop signs.

The Station Inn will be on your right half way up this street.

A neat place stay for train watching.

Just a bit further up the street is the Cresson Observation deck.

From here you can look right across into the Cresson yard where the helpers (snappers) are serviced.

If you want to go to Lilly or Cassandra Bridge.

Go back down the street towards the Sheetz store.

At the stop light at the Sheetz store make a right turn, this will be PA Route 53 South.

Follow 53 South to the town of Lilly, about 3 miles.

The main line will be on your right.

Travel thru Lilly and go about 2 miles and you will go down a slight grade and the turn for the Cassandra bridge will be on your right.

There is an old gas station on your right that I think is abandoned.

Follow the signs back to the bridge thru Cassandra.

You will have to park your care and walk back to the bridge.

If you go back out onto PA 53 South and travel about 8 miles you will come to Summerhill which has some good train watching spots.

Like someone said this is the holy land for Norfolk Southern.

If you want to see trains this is the place.

Have a great time !!!!!!!

This is the view from on top of Gallitzen Hill, right over the tunnels...

Good so far, so I'll add:

The Station Inn is the Cresson hotel you're thinking of. Book early, because they're nearly always full. It's right across the street from the tracks with a big front porch where you can sit and train watch all day.

John Shuniak has a motel in Cassandra. It's not fancy, but it's clean, comfortable and not expensive. You can't get a good view from there, but the overlook is a couple of blocks away. Altoona has chain motels, but they're almost always packed and the prices are higher. If you stay at John's, he has some snacks or you can run down to the Sheetz (or a couple of fast food places) at Portage. There's a coffeemaker, fridge and microwave in the rooms.

If you're fanning near the museum in Altoona during daylight hours and it's rainy, hot or cold, park across from ALTO in the Boyer Candy lot and duck into their factory outlet store. Not responsible for weight gain. 

There's a neat little museum in the Gallitzin city building across the street from Tunnels Park. The people there know a lot about the area. It's even more fun if anybody's around the caboose, because you can hear all the stories, jump up to get a picture, go back to the stories...You can watch trains from the front doors of the city building as well.It's another good spot to duck into if it's too hot, cold or stormy. There's a Martin gas station and convenience store on the other end of the bridge. They have a deli and there's a discount store next door for anything else you forgot.

if you go as far west as Johnstown, the flood memorial at St. Michael is an eye-opener. What's left of the dam now has a branch line running through the 1889 breach. Down in Johnstown itself, take the Incline to the top and railfan from up there--the town looks like a giant model layout!

a view from the 8th st overpass

If you're looking for passenger trains, Amtrak's Pennsylvanian comes through the Curve at around 9:50 AM and 5:15 PM for the eastbound and westbound trains, respectively.

If you stay at the Station Inn, be advised it is aimed at railfans.

Go to their website, like it says, you may want to warn your wife or other if she is going too.   There are no antiques, no doillies on the dressers, no TV or Phone in the rooms.

But there are lots and lots of trains, a great porch, a wonderful breakfast and a fantastic train watching location.

I sure miss the old Brickyard!

Hope this helps. Here's a few videos I did back in July 2010 & Aug 2011 at HC. Only difference besides the trees since the last time I was there back in 2011, you won't see Ex. Conrail's, unless you see NS ES44AC #8098 CR Heritage.

July 2010

August 2011

Wow, I'm blown away from all the great responses.  Thank you very much, and will now sit down and map this trip out.  I will admit I'm a little disappointed about all the foliage,  but hey any day railfanning is great.  Since I'm coming from Harleysville, just up the road from Henning's Trains, my wife and I plan to spend 2 days in the area.

Thanks again for all the help.

John

I moved in the area of Horseshoe Curve about 11 years ago.  You cannot go wrong with any of the places that everyone suggested.

Outside of the Curve, there are always lots of Railfans staying in Cresson at the Station Inn.  It's a nice place to watch trains as it sits across from a very long straightaway with 3 lines.   If you want to meet a lot of railfans then Cresson is the place to go. 

The other place I really like is the overlook in Cassandra.  Not many people suggested it.  However; it's a great place to watch trains.  Also, the museum in Altoona is a must for all railfans.

I like that Gallitzin Tunnels but the there are two tunnels on opposite sides of town.  You miss the east-bound trains. 

The brickyard is neat as well.

Cassandra is nice but no one has mentioned South Fork and it is one of my very favorite spots. Early morning light is great and I have taken some excellent photos at dusk. Have a photo of a coal train coming up with its light shining through rain and reflecting off large puddles of water.

Whatever you do, make sure things are open on the day you are planning to go there.  Once the state started running the curve years ago, they actually locked the access when they were closed.

Fred