Allegheny Portage Railroad

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I'm a little bit of a train lover, not an expert or a buff, but I do like trains.

Saturday we went to the Allegheny Portage Railroad Museum...and I learned things I never knew before:

• There was an Allegheny Portage Railroad
• It linked the 2 halves of the canal that ran from Philly to Pittsburgh

• They built the canal to compete with the Eerie Canal so that PA wouldn't be passed over in the trade routes
• When they started building the canals (from each end) they didn't have a real plan on how to cross the mountains around Johnstown/Altoona PA, but they thought they'd figure it out when they got there
• They decided to put the canal boats on train cars and carry them over the mountains to the other canal on the other side
• It worked cutting the 25 day trip from Philly to Pittsburgh (by wagon) down to 5 days (by canal) which was progress

This was a neat museum that preserves some of the state's railroad history. This past Saturday was a free day without admission, and that made it all the better!





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The Lemon House is also preserved on the property at the portage Railroad. The Lemon House was situated between the Turnpike to Johnstown (what is now is old Hwy 22) and the rail line. The house served as tavern, resturant, store, and hotel making money off of the passing travelers.

They have restored the first floor to what it may have looked like at the time.




Supper wasn't too shabby for $0.25. Back in the day supper cost as much as a room at a quarter!

Now it's fake food and dressed up folks showing you around.

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On the way away from the Allegheny Portage Railroad we passed a cemetery with an odd sign.

The little sign on the pretty gate sign reads: No Dumping. Odd.

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Thunder in the Valley this weekend.
If you like trains and like bikes, what more could you ask for?

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http://www.visitjohnstownpa.com/thunderinthevalley