Altoona, PA: Early Pennsy Roundhouses & Shops, Railroaders Memorial Museum and Depot

12th Street: (Satellite, 2,576 photos)

Chestnut Ave, Roundhouse: (Satellite)

Chestnut Ave, Transfer Table: (Satellite)

Depot: (Satellite)

Pennsy's shops started near downtown and became known as the 12th Street Complex. The current shops are northeast of here. Altoona also had some serious coaling towers.

Craig Hensley Photography posted

Scenes from the Railroad

The Railroaders Memorial Museum in Altoona hosts a nice variety of old Pennsy equipment at the roundhouse located across from the Amtrak station in Downtown. When I visited in October, I scoped it out with the drone and snapped a couple of pictures just before sunset.

More info about the Museum here: https://www.railroadcity.org/

Altoona, PA - October

Larry Stultz posted two images with the comment: "An artist's rendition of the PRR car shops along Chestnut Ave in Altoona PA. All credits are on the drawing, and this was posted by George Coy, from the Library of Congress files. Enjoy."

Raymond Storey shared

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Jackson-Township historical preservation posted

Pennsylvania Railroad Round House and Locomotive Finishing Shop in Altoona in 1950. In the upper left you can see the Tank and Steel Shops. To the right are the Westbound and Eastbound Preference Yards. Farther right is the Eastbound Receiving Yard.

(Photo from http://www.billspennsyphotos.com/)

Roger Eyrich shared

Filmmaker Mark Frederick posted

By 1925, Altoona was home to the nation's largest concentration of railroad shops, with 16,500 people employed in several locations.

Blair County: A People’s History, a 90-minute documentary event, premieres on April 17 and 18 at the Historic Mishler Theatre.

Photo courtesy Hagley Museum and Library. #BlairHistory

[Some comments indicate that is the 12th Street Bridge.]

Mark Frederick shared

This topo map shows all three roundhouses and backshops that used to be in this area.

1920 Altoona Quad @ 62,500

In fact, in 1904, just one shop had three roundhouses.

Tim Starr posted
Diagram of the Altoona locomotive shops in 1896 after they were upgraded by the Pennsylvania Railroad. This was one of four PRR shop sites at Altoona. (American Railroad Journal)

Tim Starr posted five images with the comment: "The Pennsylvania Railroad shops in Altoona from my postcard collection. The largest railroad back shops in the world for many years."

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Jackson-Township historical preservation posted
Aerotrain passing through Altoona by the Seventh Street Bridge in 1956. The Aerotrain was a streamlined trainset introduced by General Motors Electro-Motive Division in the mid-1950's. Starting in February of 1956 the Pennsylvania Railroad ran the Pennsy Aerotrain between New York City and Pittsburgh.

Back at the museum, note the turntable peeking out between the two passenger cars. Some photos show that the museum has a model railroad depicting Altoona.

Street View, Jul 2023

Larry Stultz posted
This is a photo of the #2 Roundhouse at the 12th. St. complex in Altoona. This structure was built in 1854 and was demolished in 1926 to make room for the machine shops built on this site. Photo is courtesy of Jack Eichenlaub. Enjoy.

I presume that the buildings used by Altoona Pipe & Steel Supply used to be part of the Pennsy backshops.

Satellite

Most museum collections do not include a heavy-duty flatcar. 

Railroaders Memorial Museum posted
Beautiful
Marc Uribe: The first Sd60 to be preserved.
Thomas Dowling: I have long been fond of the big drop-center flat. I don't recall if there is a maximum gross weight marked on it.

Using the heavy-duty flatcar as a stage explains why they acquired one.

Local Guide 10, Jun 2019

David Loose posted three photos with the comment:

1200 9th Ave. Altoona, PA. 

Railroaders Memorial Museum. The Museum is housed in the former PRR Master Mechanics Building, constructed in 1882. This four-story building once held 

administrative offices and the PRR's Test Department. It also once housed the Railroad's police headquarters and medical offices until it was vacated in 1984.

The Railroaders Memorial Museum opened at this location in 1998 and the building houses an extensive collection of memorabilia and displays of Altoona's PRR history.

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Steve Hammons posted three images with the comment: "Here's one someone might have posted already, a roundhouse in Altoona, PA seen from Google Maps satellite view and a street view of its backside.  It's now a learning center."

Richard Shulby: Actually built over time between 2004 and 2012 by the museum for display and restoration.

Jason Hirsh: PRR k4 1361 is being restored in the round house

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Raymond Storey posted four images with the comment: "THE PRR ALTOONA PA."

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I presume that today's Amtrak depot reused the land of the above depot.

Street View, Sep 2023

At least this Amtrak depot does have some character.

mcLa twofivesix, Jun 2021