A World-Famous Attraction, Pennsylvania’s Horseshoe Curve Was A True Feat Of Engineering
By Beth Price-Williams|Published June 30, 2022
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Beth Price-Williams
Author
A professional writer for more than two decades, Beth has lived in nearly a dozen states – from Missouri and Virginia to Connecticut and Vermont – and Toronto, Canada. In addition to traveling extensively in the U.S. and the U.K., she has a BA in Journalism from Point Park University (PA), a MA in Holocaust & Genocide Studies from Stockton University (NJ), and a Master of Professional Writing from Chatham University (PA). A writer and editor for Only In Your State since 2016, Beth grew up in and currently lives outside of Pittsburgh and when she’s not writing or hanging out with her bunnies, budgies, and chinchilla, she and her daughter are out chasing waterfalls.
Pennsylvania’s Horseshoe Curve draws visitors from around the world for its sheer natural beauty and to marvel at this true feat of engineering. Perhaps one of the best day trips in Pennsylvania, Horseshoe Curve offers plenty to do – from visiting the on-site museum to climbing aboard the funicular for a scenic ride. A trip to this engineering marvel, called “The Gateway Through The Mountains,” is a must for any Pennsylvanian.
A feat of engineering that draws visitors from around the globe, Horseshoe Curve did something that, at the time, seemed almost impossible.
The Allegheny Mountains, standing 2161 feet above sea level, proved a robust barrier to westward expansion in the 1850s. However, the barrier would be overcome - with some engineering genius.
Using such methods as switchbacks, construction workers were able to lessen the grades of the mountains by creating the Horseshoe Curve and allowing the trains to pass over it.
It took three years of hard labor, mostly completed by Irish immigrants, for the Horseshoe Curve to be completed. It quickly become a worldwide wonder after debuting in 1854.
Measuring 2,375 feet long and 1,300 feet wide, the Horseshoe Curve helped merged the east with the west, even earning it the title of the "Eighth Engineering Wonder of the World."
Today, visitors from around the globe flock to this engineering marvel for a closer look. A funicular will take you to a platform, which offers sensational views of the curve.
Have you been to Pennsylvania’s Horseshoe Curve? What did you think? Share your experience in the comments. Did you know that Altoona is also one of the most haunted towns in Pennsylvania?
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