1/8/2025
View Photos
·
Home
·
Newest Photos
·
Editors' Picks
·
Contributor Picks
·
By Date
·
By Photo Album
·
By Location
·
By Map
·
By Railroad
·
By Locomotive Model
·
Search
·
Frame/Serial XRef
·
Most Photographed
·
Rolling Stock
·
Contributor Sites
Members
·
Log In
·
Register
Viewing Album: PRR: "The Hollidaysburg Branch" ~ 2001
By:
Thomas C. Ayers
Dates:
1/1/2001 - 1/1/2001
Album Info:
Here are the front cover and an 11-page excerpt from David W. Messer's 2001 book entitled "Triumph IV: Harrisburg to Altoona, 1846-2001," pages 256-266. This excerpt consititues a portion of the chapter called "Facing The Barrier." "After the New Portage line was reopened in 1903, this connection provided a bypass primarily for coal tonnage headed eastward." (Page 256)
Page Controls
View:
Grid
List
Pics Per Page:
10
20
30
40
50
100
Title:
"The Hollidaysburg Branch," Front Cover, 2001
Description:
Here is the front cover of David W. Messer's 2001 book entitled "Triumph IV: Harrisburg to Altoona, 1846-2001." Partial Caption: "The eastbound 'St. Lousian' headed by a trio of newcomer E7's meets a westbound string of empty hoppers led by a veteran M1a, making a statement of its own on this ca. 1950 invasion of its territory." Aerial photo by Tom Hollyman. The locomotive road numbers, the exact date, and the location are not recorded.
Photo Date:
1/1/2001
Upload Date:
2/26/2020 1:01:48 AM
Location:
Marysville, PA
Author:
Thomas C. Ayers
Categories:
Steam,Passenger
Locomotives:
Views:
53
Comments:
0
Title:
"The Hollidaysburg Branch," Page 256, 2001
Description:
Here is page one of an 11-page excerpt from David W. Messer's 2001 book entitled "Triumph IV: Harrisburg To Altoona, 1846-2001," page 256. Partial Caption: "The Hollidaysburg Branch (often called the [Cove] Branch) continues south of Altoona to New Portage Junction, between Hollidaysburg and Duncansville. Here it connects with the New Portage freight line to the west and the Petersburg Branch to the east." Also depicted at the top left-had corner of this 1903 USGS map is the Pennsylvania Railroad's Horseshoe Curve.
Photo Date:
1/1/2001
Upload Date:
10/12/2022 12:01:21 AM
Location:
Hollidaysburg, PA
Author:
Thomas C. Ayers
Categories:
Locomotives:
Views:
25
Comments:
0
Title:
"The Hollidaysburg Branch," Page 257, 2001
Description:
Here is page two of an 11-page excerpt from David W. Messer's 2001 book entitled "Triumph IV: Harrisburg To Altoona, 1846-2001," page 257. Top Photo, Partial Caption: "WYE Tower was located at the junction of the Hollidaysburg Branch with the New Portage line and the eastward connection to the Petersburg Branch." Photo by Edward H. Weber. Bottom Illustration, Partial Caption: "WYE controlled the junction as well as ELDO interlocking on the Hollidaysburg Branch." (For more on this, see my RRPA album entitled "WYE Tower; Duncansville, PA ~ 1960-2001" at http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/archiveThumbs.aspx?id=116697)
Photo Date:
1/1/2001
Upload Date:
10/12/2022 12:03:43 AM
Location:
Duncansville, PA
Author:
Thomas C. Ayers
Categories:
Track
Locomotives:
Views:
46
Comments:
0
Title:
"The Hollidaysburg Branch," Page 258, 2001
Description:
Here is page three of an 11-page excerpt from David W. Messer's 2001 book entitled "Triumph IV: Harrisburg To Altoona, 1846-2001," page 258. Partial Caption: "Hollidaysburg remained a small hamlet during the early 1800's. However, the town grew rapidly once the Canal Commission selected it as the site of the junction of the canal basin with the Allegheny Portage RR, shown here in a woodcut ca. 1840." The thoroughfare ascending the hill is presently known as South Montgomery Street.
Photo Date:
1/1/2001
Upload Date:
10/12/2022 12:08:50 AM
Location:
Hollidaysburg, PA
Author:
Thomas C. Ayers
Categories:
Locomotives:
Views:
32
Comments:
0
Title:
"The Hollidaysburg Branch," Page 259, 2001
Description:
Here is page four of an 11-page excerpt from David W. Messer's 2001 book entitled "Triumph IV: Harrisburg To Altoona, 1846-2001," page 259. Top Photo Caption: "The original passenger station in Hollidaysburg was constructed in 1854. The early frame structure was replaced in 1870-1 by the brick station shown here in a ca. 1915 postcard view looking west." The Station is located at the junction of Bedford (foreground), Broad (left background), Blair, and Allegheny Streets.
Photo Date:
1/1/2001
Upload Date:
10/12/2022 12:11:35 AM
Location:
Hollidaysburg, PA
Author:
Thomas C. Ayers
Categories:
Station,Signal,Passenger
Locomotives:
Views:
41
Comments:
0
Title:
"The Hollidaysburg Branch," Page 260, 2001
Description:
Here is page five of an 11-page excerpt from David W. Messer's 2001 book entitled "Triumph IV: Harrisburg To Altoona, 1846-2001," page 260. Bottom Photo, Partial Caption: "When PRR reopened the New Portage line and upgraded the Petersburg Branch starting in 1903 to become a major freight bypass (primarily for eastbound coal traffic) it needed space for new shops and classification yards, so in typical fashion the landscape was altered to fit the railroad's needs."
Photo Date:
1/1/2001
Upload Date:
10/12/2022 12:14:08 AM
Location:
Hollidaysburg, PA
Author:
Thomas C. Ayers
Categories:
Yard,Steam
Locomotives:
Views:
36
Comments:
0
Title:
"The Hollidaysburg Branch," Page 261, 2001
Description:
Here is page six of an 11-page excerpt from David W. Messer's 2001 book entitled "Triumph IV: Harrisburg To Altoona, 1846-2001," page 261. Top Photo, Partial Caption: "This view looking west in 1920 shows the completed Westbound Yard in the foreground with an abundance of empty hoppers. The shops are situated in the center, with the Eastbound Yard at the left." Bottom Photo, Partial Caption: "Here's a closer look at the rather imposing 24-stall roundhouse and other shop buildings constructed east of Hollidaysburg in 1903."
Photo Date:
1/1/2001
Upload Date:
10/12/2022 12:16:14 AM
Location:
Hollidaysburg, PA
Author:
Thomas C. Ayers
Categories:
Yard,Steam
Locomotives:
Views:
46
Comments:
0
Title:
"The Hollidaysburg Branch," Page 262, 2001
Description:
Here is page seven of an 11-page excerpt from David W. Messer's 2001 book entitled "Triumph IV: Harrisburg to Altoona, 1846-2001," page 262. Partial Caption: "The face of Bald Hill was carved away and the course of the Beaverdam Branch of the Juniata River was shifted southward to make room for the original yards, roundhouse, and shops. In the early 1950's, the roundhouse and shops were leveled, the face of the Earth and the yards were again reworked, and the new Samuel Rea Car Shop and Scrap Reclamation Plant built in their place." Note that the tracks are labelled "Penn Central" in this map dated 1972.
Photo Date:
1/1/2001
Upload Date:
10/12/2022 12:18:23 AM
Location:
Hollidaysburg, PA
Author:
Thomas C. Ayers
Categories:
Locomotives:
Views:
27
Comments:
0
Title:
"The Hollidaysburg Branch," Page 263, 2001
Description:
Here is page eight of an 11-page excerpt from David W. Messer's 2001 book entitled "Triumph IV: Harrisburg to Altoona, 1846-2001," page 263. Partial Caption: "The old shop buildings are virtually all demolished in this 1950 aerial view that looks eastward toward Bald Hill ~ at left is the Westbound Classification Yard and at right is the Eastbound [Receiving] Yard." Photo by Tom Hollyman. Also notable are the Yardmaster's Office at the far left, a "Mikado" shifting cars and the steam-era water tower in the center, the Eastbound Receiving Yard further to the right, and the Bedford-Cumberland Branch line at the far right.
Photo Date:
1/1/2001
Upload Date:
10/12/2022 12:21:16 AM
Location:
Hollidaysburg, PA
Author:
Thomas C. Ayers
Categories:
Yard,Steam
Locomotives:
Views:
40
Comments:
0
Title:
"The Hollidaysburg Branch," Page 264, 2001
Description:
Here is page nine of an 11-page excerpt from David W. Messer's 2001 book entitled "Triumph IV: Harrisburg to Altoona, 1846-2001," page 264. Partial Caption: "In a [1955] view, we get a look at the completed $14 million state-of-the-art facility ~ it was the largest and most modern shop of its type in the world. Named in honor of PRR's ninth president, who was a Hollidaysburg native, the all-weather shop was over a half-mile in length and 270 ft. wide." The photographer is not identified. Also notable are the Westbound Classification Yard (with a "Mikado" working the hump) at the far left, the steam-era water tower in the center, what's left of the Eastbound Receiving Yard further to the right, and the Bedford-Cumberland Branch line (with girder bridge crossing the Juniata River) at the far right.
Photo Date:
1/1/2001
Upload Date:
10/12/2022 12:24:25 AM
Location:
Hollidaysburg, PA
Author:
Thomas C. Ayers
Categories:
Yard,Steam
Locomotives:
Views:
37
Comments:
0
Title:
"The Hollidaysburg Branch," Page 265, 2001
Description:
Here is page ten of an 11-page excerpt from David W. Messer's 2001 book entitled "Triumph IV: Harrisburg to Altoona, 1846-2001," page 265. Partial Caption: "The interior has three through tracks for freight car repairs." The photographer is not identified. In this context, gondolas own the field. On the left, old cars are repaired, refurbished, and repainted. In the center, a new gondola is suspended in the "rotisserie," thereby facilitating flat-surface welding. On the right, new ones are built from scratch in winch-it-forward assembly line fashion. (For more on this, see my RRPA album entitled "PRR-PC-CR-NS: Samuel Rea Shop ~ '55-'06" at http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/archiveThumbs.aspx?id=118348)
Photo Date:
1/1/2001
Upload Date:
10/12/2022 12:27:32 AM
Location:
Hollidaysburg, PA
Author:
Thomas C. Ayers
Categories:
Locomotives:
Views:
38
Comments:
0
Title:
"The Hollidaysburg Branch," Page 266, 2001
Description:
Here is page 11 of an 11-page excerpt from David W. Messer's 2001 book entitled "Triumph IV: Harrisburg to Altoona, 1846-2001," page 266. Partial Caption: "Father East, work is well along in constructing a new Scrap Dock and Reclamation Shop in a 1950 view." Photo by Tom Hollyman. Also notable are both the old and the new versions of US Route 22 at the far left, the Westbound Receiving Yard next over, and the Eastbound Classification Yard down the bank a bit. The latter was built in 1903 over the watercourse of the Pennsylvania Main Line Canal.
Photo Date:
1/1/2001
Upload Date:
10/12/2022 12:30:44 AM
Location:
Frankstown, PA
Author:
Thomas C. Ayers
Categories:
Yard
Locomotives:
Views:
50
Comments:
0
Page
1
of
1
Site Design ©2001-2020 Tim Huemmer
Photos © respective authors
Contact:
info@rrpicturearchives.net
