3 Conrail trains pass as they battle famous Horseshoe Curve. 10/10/1989

We are on ex-PRR mainline at Horseshoe Curve in Pennsylvania, as we watch a west bound fight its way up the hill in the Allegheny's with helper units shoving on the rear. As the helpers pass on the opposite side the curve, and east bound drifts down grade, also with help on the hind end for braking. Another west bound works hard up the grade, and passes the east bound. Video taken October 10, 1989. Thanks for watching, Jackmp294...
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[@RRYankfan]

I would give anything to go back to these times.

[@theaveragerailfanner7447]

I love Conrail, especially Conrail SD80MACs

[@MrAdrianc100]

If only 1989 was still today!

[@tommythomason6187]

I miss the variety you used to have in railroading, though I like the contemparary railroading, also. Miss Conrail, Chessie System, Southern Railway System. Each had it's own image, personality and philosophy. Many operated in parts of the country, whose scenery embellished the type of railroad that operated there.

[@NSHorseheadSD70]

Three train meets are hard to come by but they happen they are as close to awesome as you can get. I remember my first one which happened on the other side of the hill at Cassandra, PA. It was incredible to see all those cars moving at once and being 16 at the time, I'm pretty sure that sealed my fate as a railfan lol.

[@MattsTrainsTractors]

I was there in July and the sounds haven’t changed at all

[@dheerajrao]

One of THE best videos on KZbin! Just awesome!

[@coltonstigall32]

Awesome catches with the CR units! Classic 1990s train action!

[@edwardcdaves]

I can only imagine what it must of been like back in the day of steam with stalk talk climbing up this grade. Great vid, thanks for posting

[@geoffreylee5199]

Visited here twice, waited 90 minutes both times. No Trains! Poo. The silence was beautiful.

[@allenmurray7893]

Beautiful show.

[@PennRailVideos]

Very nice!

[@megatwingo]

That´s what I call a diesel-inferno! :) Thumbs up!

[@deniob86]

Love this video, so much action going on!

[@1jackdk]

@Trainmaster189 I have a lot of footage from that area, but not sure of the dates. Thanks for watching...

[@mdonato249]

Great video Jack, thanks for sharing!

[@unitedwithbritian]

Norfolk Southern, Conrail, CSX. Just remember it was the PRR that built it!!

[@Hail2Pitt412]

Just awesome sounding stuff Jack, thanks for sharing.

[@meccaturbo]

Both Conrail and Norfolk Southern are worthy successors to the once mighty Pennsylvania Railroad that built this line. I cringe to think of the shoddy operations that would have occurred around Horseshoe if CSX had acquired this line in the Conrail split. CSX still has a ways to go before they become a truly first class operation like Conrail or NS.

[@videobruceb8879]

CSX will NEVER be a "first class operation" !! First ass, but surely no class. They are still fighting the war and loosing (business).

[@mepcolo]

Very nice. Thanks for sharing.

[@pittsfordredfox]

AWESOME VIDEO!!!!!!!!!

[@revolution1one]

Wow, lots of action on one curve in 5 minutes.

[@Cornelu]

Super video!

[@ArvidvonTaube]

Sensory overload!!

[@richardhill3531]

Brilliant how you pulled back at 1:32 to show the big picture. Very good,

[@branchlinebuff]

Awesome video, Jack!

[@andrewdannunzio146]

Amazing video

[@1jackdk]

Thanks Andrew. Glad you enjoyed it. Not like Mr Thomas Lalor above you, that thiks he knows everything, but has no video work of his own. Thanks for watching

[@brunowesleymonteiro1933]

Great video

[@1jackdk]

Thanks Buno, glad you enjoyed them, and thanks for watching...

[@tedcartwright3183]

Fourth !!! Seems to me in the dino age of steam there was like 7. Well, maybe not. I wasn't there either.

[@davidm1050]

Great video. One note, on this mountain, the helpers at the rear of a train moving east (downhill) do not help with braking. It is against logic, but the helpers gently push the train downhill. The train brakes are sufficient to hold the train; they are set by the lead locomotives at the top of this steep mountain several miles back, but as the grade somewhat flattens out and the train binds on the curves, it begins to slow. It would stop if it weren't for the helpers keeping it moving. BTW, because of the slow-regenerating nature of the train air brake system, the brakes cannot be released at any point while moving down this mountain, otherwise they would have a runaway.

[@1jackdk]

David! My son runs up and down this mountain a couple of times a week. He runs coal trains out of Shire Oaks, and they change crews at Altoona. They infact DO use up to four units on the hind end to keep the 19000 ton coal trains from running away. 3 lead units are not going to hold that kind of weight, especially going over the slide! You have NO IDEA! How many seasoned engineers are scared to death of going down that mountain, and some doing everything in their power to go on the law a "C". It is the engineers responsability to set the right amount of air on his train. To much! and you will have to drag the train to the bottom. Not enough air? You could be in trouble. So yes! The helpers are used for dynamic braking to keep the tonage under control...

[@davidm1050]

Hmmm. Once we began the eastbound push over the mountain, I would NEVER apply locomotive brakes on my rear helper units until the train had come to a complete stop, usually at Slope or Alto. To apply brakes (whether air or dynamic) on my rear helpers while the train was moving down this mountain could have cost me my job, or worse. Helpers are occasionally used on the front, they WILL use dynamic braking. BTW, I was a Conrail locomotive engineer, working helper service out of Altoona, two SD-45 helpers, we pushed trains from Altoona west over the mountain, stopped, cut away, then pushed a different train east of the mountain, so I have a pretty good idea. Did this all day, all week, for years. You are correct, the 2.2% negative grade on the slide demands the respect and the complete attention of engineers on both ends of the train.

[@1jackdk]

David M Roger on that Dave. I know my son says that sometimes they get helpers in the lead, and also on the rear, but that usually happens when they are on the law sometime after "C" or near Cresson. They enjoy that! They can just lean back, and enjoy the ride. He also said that sometimes the engineer will put to much air on, and they got to drag the thing down the hill. I'll have to ask him more about this. He is working the C44 tonight. I am only going by stories he tells me. I don't know first hand. NOW!!! After 45 years of driving 18's! I'll tell you what Jack Brake stage to use, or how many gears down, or anything you want to know about getting 80000lbs, off Doner Pass, or the Grapevine. LOL

[@davidm1050]

Certainly miss railroading. That's why I enjoy your videos, they bring back great memories. Keep it up.

[@brunowesleymonteiro1933]

Cool

[@christianmetal5150]

This looks like its like footage that wasn't used on the Horseshoe Cure Pentex video

[@1134REN]

nice

[@stlgevo51]

That was nice. Great meet. Were those SD45-2s pushing on the rear of the first train?

[@AndrewTheRocketCityRailfan4014]

How did that guy get up there?

[@buixrule]

Is that the tree that they just cut down recently at 0:44?

[@OwenConcorde]

Awesome 80's Conrail video! Do you have any early 90's Horseshoe Curve footage?

[@TwoWheelDriveOnly]

Was Horse Shoe curve one of Conrails lines that NS and CSX got?

[@1jackdk]

NS got the ex-PR-Penn Central-Conrail Horse Shoe curve

[@sergio9603]

Correct

[@starcraftguy1]

Cool! Your Videos are AWESOME! Do you know why they removed the fourth track?

[@ljones121]

starcraftguy1 cost cutting I'm guessing

[@josephsiler1946]

Why not build a bridge across the valley before the curve and you would solve problems like derailment!

[@Jaidyn228]

One: most likely the cost Two: It takes away the significance of the historic railroad landmark Three: the valley has too many obstructions for the supports to be constructed

[@jpsholland]

On what system is this recorded?

[@1jackdk]

It was a Sharp Slimcam VHS camcorder. Thanks for watching...

[@branchlinebuff]

@Flipperpat11 June 1999

[@UnimatrixOne]

fourth track?

[@gregburrell6244]

ripped up when conrail took over..

[@josephsiler1946]

w