Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-08-22
ALTooNA's IMMENSE CAR SHOPS.
tn Exciting Ride UP the Noun'ains
Sidcs-1sicb Boys as FirCmti.
lAlroonn Pa.l Cor. New York Sn.l


tAlroonn GPal Cor New York Sup.l
Altoona has a strange attraction lO'
great many people There is nothing on
earth here but the immense car shops of the
Pennsylvania railroad. and the workmcn in
the shops compose great majority of the
population But Altoona supports hotel
large enough for Jersey sea side resort,
and people flock to it and crowd it up
all summer. They like to sit on the broad
piazza md watch the trains come in from the
east AMI west. for the hotel is built almost
over the tracks They like to soc the long
coal trains, with engines at both ends pulling
the blacklist kind of smoke. roll INTO Altoona
after wild dash down the mountains. Then
there is fascination about the makeup OF
train just about to hcEin that wonderful
climb up the Alleghauics Two engines are
usually required and frequently there is "A
third engine behind The train rolls up nm
incline the very moment it leaves the hotel
depot. winds and twists around the mountain
sides make, Ia curve at the Horseshoe. and
finally dashc- 10y Cresson Springs at the top,
$500 feet up III the air, at lightning speed. for
then begins the down grade ON the other side.
The Logan house guests never miss train
that is about to begin the ascent. They al
ways have II lingering fear that they haven't
seen the last of it. The Chicago limited,
which leaves New York in the morning, and
pulls into Altoona late III the afternoon, i'm
presses them more or less with awe, and
when it pufis up the mountains ii is followed
with every pair of ewes about the hotel until
it is lost to sight Suppose coupling should
break, what then: There isn't guest in the
hotel who doesn't instinctvely dread pict-
ure of a carload of passengers rushing back
nd t1o sid tnnls
through Altoona at fearful rate, should it,
indeed, escape a plunge over some steep
precipice This, perhaps. is the great mag
net which draws people to Altoona. They
want to lie there when it happens. OF course,
there is little or no danger, but there is IA
feeling of instructive dread nevertheless
The great car shops spread themselves over
Il good deal of ground. Their smoke paints
the place black. but people don't seem t.
mind il.
"A boy will 20 Ia work on a railroad wher
lac won't work anywhere else, said one OF
the Logan house GUESTS. There is something
of dash and danger about railroad life, and
the average boy. inclined Ia Ice somewhat
wild, is fond of danger. ! am told that any
number of rich boys have been tir"men ON
the shifting engines that are continually run.
ming up and down these mountains. This
used to be the case more than 1t is now
These young men liked the excitement of the
ride over the mountains. They would fire on
the engines or work in the shops during the
day. In the evening they would dress them
selves up and daEce at the Logan house hops
or run up to the Cresson Mountain house to
listen to band concert They were mostly
gentlemen and the sons ut gentlemen, and
were always favoriteS with the girls. What
becomes of them all: As said some grad
uate from the car shops and engines and are
promoted ON the road Others have no need
To work, but leave the shops with good
trade to fall back upon"