As Amtrak Train 42 makes its way around Horseshoe Curve in Altoona, PA on 6/25/2017, the former New York Central observation car "Babbling Brook" brings up the markers.

The World Famous Horseshoe Curve

Grain train 50T wraps around the valley on the Horseshoe Curve. Built by the Pennsylvania Railroad and opened to traffic in 1854, Horseshoe Curve fil... (more)

"One Goes Up, One Goes Down". NS 23Z climes the East Slope of the Allegheny Mountains with NS 4002 leading the charge. At the same time, NS 38Q glides down the adjacent with an all EMD... (more)

With helper sets on both the rear and front of the train, NS 17G climes the steep grade over the Alleghenies Mountains.

Eastbound down, Westbound up, NS 25Z Meets 38Q around Horseshoe Curve Friday afternoon, 25Z has NS 4002 (AC44C6M) leading supporting the cool looking paint scheme.

Spending the afternoon at Horseshoe Curve, NS 17G is grinding up hill with a helper set on the front and also on the rear to help get this freight over the hill.

A set of SD40E helpers based out of Cresson shoves train 16G through the Horseshoe Curve ignites before arriving in Altoona for crew change. There the helpers will be cut off the train and proceed... (more)

NS Train 21V heads West through the famous Horseshoe Curve. The curve opened February 15, 1854 and was engineered by J. Edgar Thompson. It is located at Kittaning Point, at the base of the Alleghe... (more)

Westbound helpers head into Horseshoe curve.

A welded rail train meets an intermodal train as it passes the Horseshoe Curve near Altoona, PA.

Meets are common at the Horseshoe Curve, but it's a rarity that the trains meet at the apex. Here, NS 98N meets 21Z.

The Silent Watcher

Long-silent Pennsylvania Railroad GP9 #7048 stands watch over Horseshoe Curve. In September, she will have been here for 30 years--2 years longer than 1361 was. On... (more)

Drifting Down the Hill

NS 9271 leads 22W down the mountain, the length of its consist stretched out along the entire west leg of Horseshoe Curve, around Allegrippis Curve, and beyon... (more)

Trains aren't the only thing snaking their way through the mountains near Altoona: Timber rattlesnakes are abundant in the hills! This slithery example had 8 buttons on its tail, posing on an ol... (more)

NS 1006 & BNSF 5507 westbound with an intermodal train.