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Looking up Inclined Plane #6 from Skew Arch Bridge
(All photos mine unless indicated otherwise) |
I just finished a short vacation and I wanted to do a post of something a little different I did last week. So, for today's post, I'm highlighting the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site in Blair and Cambria Counties, Pennsylvania. The Allegheny Portage Railroad was not a railroad in the traditional sense, though. Composed of 10 inclined railways and a series of mule-drawn rail lines, the 36-mile line was built from 1831-1834 using manual labor, the final link in the Pennsylvania Canal system connecting the Delaware River in Philadelphia to the Ohio River in Pittsburgh.
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Old Portage Railroad by George W. Storm (1839)
(Public domain) |
The Allegheny Mountains are part of a nearly-unbroken barrier ridge stretching from southern Tennessee to just southwest of Albany, New York. The Cumberland Mountains are the southern extension of this, while the Catskill Escarpment and Helderberg Escarpment are the northern portion. While not particularly high in most areas, this ridge, combined with the Shawangunk/Kittatinny/Blue Mountain ridge and Blue Ridge Mountains to the east, formed a significant barrier to westward travel in the first third of the 19th Century due to the lack of remotely-flat routes between Albany and Alabama. No real roads crossed the mountain range in this area, with rugged wagon trails being the only way across.
After the 1825 opening of the Erie Canal in New York and with the construction of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal in Maryland, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania believed that freight and passenger traffic would begin to bypass Pennsylvania entirely. Thus, funding was provided to create a canal across the Commonwealth. The Allegheny Mountains presented a massive challenge. From Altoona in the east, the vertical ascent to the ridgeline was 1,399 feet, and all cargo then needed to descend 1,172 feet to Johnstown in the west. Steam-driven inclined planes, 5 on each side of the ridge, powered the vertical ascent, while boats were pulled between the inclines on mule-driven railroads. Included in these mule-drawn rail lines was the 900-foot Staple Bend Tunnel near Johnstown, the first railroad tunnel in the United States. Once operational, the canals and Portage Railroad reduced a 23-day trip across Pennsylvania to 4 days.
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| Model of segmented canal boats used on the Portage Railroad at visitor center |
During a 20 year period between the mid-1830s and mid-1850s, the Portage Railroad was a driving force behind the country's westward expansion, carrying people west and crops east. But as the portage railroad rendered wagon travel across the mountains obsolete, the Portage Railroad and canals were put out of business by the Pennsylvania Railroad in the 1850s, shortening travel time from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh from 5 days to 13 hours (all historic information from Wikipedia and the Historic Site's resources).
I honestly didn't plan to take a hike when passing through this area, nor did I plan to spend more than half an hour at the site. But, between the visitor center and the 1.25 mile hike I took down to a historic bridge on the property, I was here for nearly 90 minutes. Time well spent, in my opinion. If I had another few hours, I would have driven a few miles west to visit the Staple Bend Tunnel, which can be reached with a 4-mile round-trip hike. But since I didn't, that will have to wait for another day.
A visit to the Allegheny Portage Railroad begins at the visitor center, located next to the parking lot. The visitor center contains several displays explaining the railroad's history, as well as a 20-minute introductory film, which I recommend watching to learn the historical background of the Portage Railroad. The historic site is free to visit.
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| Operating model of Inclined Plane #6 |
Once you're done and have a map, a boardwalk leads from the visitor center to the site of Inclined Plane #6, the uppermost plane on the east side of the summit. When the Portage Railroad was abandoned, all rails and equipment were scrapped; most of what exists today is reconstructed.
At the south end of the boardwalk, there is an overlook with interpretive signage. This was the upper end of Incline #6. A short section of the incline and the engine house have been reconstructed.
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| Interpretive signage for engine house |
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| The Portage Railroad is a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark |
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| The reconstructed engine house |
Walking west past the engine house, there is a short reconstructed section of the summit mule-drawn segment
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| Looking east toward the engine house |
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| Looking west along the former line |
At this location is a historic tavern, the Samuel Lemon House, which served travelers on the Portage Railroad. The first floor of the Lemon House has been restored and is open to the public during park hours.
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| Interior of the Lemon House. |
At this point, I haven't really done any hiking. That was about to change. Returning east past the engine house, we reach the upper end of the "6 to 10 trail", which follows the eastern part of the railroad. Roughly 0.4 mile and 200 feet downhill is a historic road bridge that formerly crossed the railroad. Known today as the "Skew Arch Bridge", this was the only bridge built to cross the Allegheny Portage Railroad.
This trail is generally marked with National Parks Service logos on posts and trees. Generally gravel, there are some sections of mowed grass. The trail runs alongside the old Incline #6, but the incline's path is apparent.
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| Incline #6 from the trail |
After a short downhill hike, we reach an overlook and interpretive plaque for the skew arch bridge.
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| The Skew Arch Bridge, located in the median of Old US Route 22 |
But you can certainly get closer. A mowed grass path leading left from the above sign connects to a gravel road. The 6 to 10 Trail crosses this road and proceeds through the woods, but the easiest way to get to the bridge is by turning right on the road and walking right across the westbound lanes of Old 22 to the bridge in the median.
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| Looking along road from trail. Old US 22 is in the background. |
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| Looking up Incline #6 from gravel road |
The median has a couple of parking spaces for people who prefer to drive here, as well as a large monument to the Allegheny Portage Railroad, erected at the railroad's centennial in 1934. Each side of the stone monument contains a plaque.
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| The image here is identical to the historical drawing at the beginning of this post |
To the east of the monument is the Skew Arch Bridge, which carried what later became the William Penn Highway and US Route 22 across the Portage Railroad. When this section of 22 was widened (date unknown, but pre-1958), the old bridge was preserved in the median. In the 1980s, this was bypassed again about a mile to the north and, as such, there isn't much traffic through here.
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| Looking east at bridge |
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| Pennsylvania historic signage |
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| Historic plaque on bridge |
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| Looking under bridge |
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| Abutment detail |
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| Looking northeast across brdige |
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| Looking east from bridge |
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| Looking west along Incline #6. Engine house is in the distance. |
While the bridge was cool, I had other things to do, so back to my car I went. I thought I saw a trail marker across Old 22 near the bridge and I was correct. With short steep sections leading down to Old 22 on either side, it's much easier to cross at the gravel road.
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| Looking back toward bridge from where trail "officially" crosses Old 22 |
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| Looking along 6 to 10 Trail from Old 22 |
Retracing my steps along the 6 to 10 trail and boardwalk to my car, it was a relatively easy climb that was made much harder by the weather. Temperatures near 90 degrees and high humidity does not make for easy hiking.
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| Looking up the trail next to the incline |
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| Near the top of the trail |
Relieved to in my air-conditioned car, I drove on, continuing my travels. But I'll definitely be back to this area, preferably on a cooler day. Way more to see around here and I just didn't have the time to do it justice.
Getting Here
The Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site is located at the Gallitzin interchange on US Route 22, between Altoona and Ebensburg. GPS devices may try to have you enter via Old 22; while the access road shows on maps, it is closed to vehicles and the only access to the parking lot is from Old 22 or Gallitzin.
Resources
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