Cresson and Horseshoe Curve

Thinking about going up to the curve and Cresson area soon. I know traffic is heavy, but how many trains a day traverse the curve? And would a stay at the Station Inn in Cresson be worth it? Also what other locations in Cresson are good to watch trains? Not very familiar with the area. I'm from Northern VA.

Just returned from a trip to Altoona, including a visit to the Curve. We stayed trackside along the Curve from about 10:00am to about 2:00pm last Thursday. During that time we saw:

- Amtrak, eastbound at about 10:08 (he's due at Altoona at 10:19am)
- NS intermodal westbound about 10:45
- NS light power eastbound at about 11:00

There was a lull until about 11:30am, when the action really started.

Here's what I can recall from 11:30am-2:00pm
- A trash train westbound
- An intermodal eastbound
- A light move westbound
- A gon train eastbound
- Two manifest freights eastbound
- And autoracks westbound.

So that amounts to 10 movements in 4 hours...7 of which occurred between 11:30am and 2:00pm.

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Don't know about the Station Inn at Cresson because they don't allow kids, and I was with my family.

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Best of luck to you...hope you have good weather...enjoy!

The NS Pittsburgh Line has a distinct traffic pattern from Horseshoe Curve onto the West. Most regulars and locals call it the 2x3. It basically means that there are 2 dead/slow periods and 3 marathon periods in a normal 24hr day. It generally goes like this:

1. 20:45-01:00 is pretty heavy.
2. 01:00-04:45 is very slow, but not dead.
3. 04:45-11:45 is very fluid. If it seems like it's dying...Amtrak is close.
4. 11:45-13:00 is slower, DS might slip in some slower unit trains or position lite helpers for the fleet.
5. 13:00-20:45 sees the mail/van fleet, and uses every bit of track. The best time of day by far.

There are a ton of other places. Look around on the internet photo sites, and check out places like Cassandra, Lilly, Summerhill, South Fork, and East Conemaugh.

The trip is definitely worth it in my opinion. I've been going out there for 20 years, since I was very young. The area has a magnetism about it. The trains are just a huge bonus. For a first timer, I would highly recommend The Station Inn. Tom Davis, the owner, is a great guy, and a guru of the area's history. For the price, and the endless trackside view, you can't beat it. Make sure to partake in his breakfasts too. They're legendary to past guests.

I warn you though. Once you get there, you'll never want to leave. Even without the trains, it's a awesome place.

Thanks for the information. Sounds like I will definently have to go up there very soon!

The line between Altoona and Johnstown averages 60-70 movements in 24 hours including helper moves....The West Slope is the place to be after visiting Horseshoe and Altoona....If one is an avid hiker, some interesting spots are accessable on the East Slope via state gameland trails, but the West Slope is much more accessable than the East Slope, especially between Coburn and Horseshoe, and between Horseshoe and Gallitzin..

Be careful of trespassing; I got thrown out at MG tower, and that was Conrail; NS cops are reputedly much grouchier than CR.
(If that proves not to be true, I apologize in advance!)
I see the OP was posting in August, and wonder if he got here. It gets cold in our mountains, especially near Cresson.
Robert Peary was a native...
Anyway, hope you made the trip and enjoyed it.
Malley