[ebooks] Around Sylvan Beach by Brandy Ann at Arts-Photography

Description

The Horseshoe Curve is known worldwide as an engineering achievement by the Pennsylvania Railroad. This landmark; located just west of Altoona; opened to traffic on February 15; 1854; and it enabled a railroad line to climb the Allegheny Mountains and the eastern continental divide. The Horseshoe Curves construction impacted railroad design and development for mountainous terrain everywhere; enabling access to coal and other raw materials essential for the industrial age. J. Edgar Thomson; chief engineer of the Pennsylvania Railroad; is widely recognized for his engineering and design of the Horseshoe Curve; a concept never utilized previously. Today the curve is still in use and sees approximately 70 trains daily. Through vintage photographs; Horseshoe Curve chronicles how this marvel remains one of the vital transportation arteries linking the east and west coasts of the United States.