Well, between 1993 and 1995 sometime. I went with my family to Horseshoe Curve outside Altoona, Pa. Talk about timing... not 30 seconds after I arrived at the train watching area a TV train was rounding the curve. One 89' flat car with trailer load was rocking heavily, resulting in the car rolling onto it's side.

The train went into emergency stopping a little ways down the hill past the signal. The rear of the train had enough momentum that it caught up to the front half and slammed into it, causing this...

You can barely see the tops of the derailed cars and trailers in the trees. A better view could be had from the street below.

I came back the next day and the flat car had been moved to clear up a second track for passage of trains.

And a truck brought in to pick up the boxes of detergent that had been spilled and transload the remaining contents of the trailer.

By now there were clean up crews working at the scene.







And the rear cars that were still on the track were pulled back from the derailment site.







It was an interesting weekend listening to all the traffic and MOW crews on the scanner.

Dave

What an interesting and rare series of photos! I imagine this wasn't what you were expecting to see during your visit to the Curve but it made for some great pics!

Ralph

What an interesting catch!

- Dan

Thanks for posting that!!! I'm always interested in seeing these types of events. Wonder what was wrong, that the car was rocking so much??

well, you don't see that everyday

Wow, how awesome (in a rather unfortunate fashion). Have you ever considered submitting them to a railfan mag?

I doubt they are of good enough quality for a railfan mag. I was about 17 when I took those. I have several more of the derailment, and a whole series of photos of Altoona/Juniata that I will put up soon.

Dave

Cool. I've certainly not seen that when I've been there!

You might be a redneck if you think family entertainment is gathering to watch them clean up a train wreck...

I think they have a few more derailments on the curve then they admit. I have been there on 2 different occasions when they had cars on their sides. I have video of one of them.
I used to go 4 times a year, but those are still long odds to see a derailment once, let alone twice.
Charlie

We knew you were coming, Charlie...didn't want you to go home without some GOOD photos ! I've never even been there (OFF the rails). Bob C.

Bob C Wrote:We knew you were coming, Charlie...didn't want you to go home without some GOOD photos ! I've never even been there (OFF the rails). Bob C.

Hey Bob.
I have only been to the curve one time since the government take over. IMHO they screwed that up too. The last time I was near we just went up the access road to MP241. The good picture location is kind of off limits unless you are an ATV rider. I wonder why they don't make a trail through the one water runoff pipe to the east so you could access the old right-of-way and put an observation platform there. I'll bet they could do it for less than 20 million
I'll bet you were there hundreds of times on the rails. Any photos?
Charlie

Charlie, I did a lot of that stuff when first hired, then lost most, along with 20+ years of HO stuff, tools, magazines & books to an upheaval in my personal life, and basically "gave up" on the hobby. Still have my Canon A-1, but haven't used it in years, and never graduated to digital (except the cell). "Someday" I'll stumble on some old photos & try to scan them in. When NS cut the rock back along the East Slope, they removed some good photo spots (Photographer's Rock, near the wers end of the curve, for instance), and Homeland Security has made photographers "unwelcome", and NS at least, disallows operating personnel use (maybe even possession?) on duty (the only time one is allowed on the property !), so Yardies, clerks,TM's RFE's, and other folks who don't work "ON" the railroad, get all the Calender shots ! ...and Yes, for 20 of my 33 years, around 200 times a year up or down the 'Shoe - and some trips on the "Mule Shoe", too ! :o Bob C.

I never saw a train on the Mule shoe. I hated to see it go.
Charlie