Alto Tower Altoona PA DVD

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Alto Tower, in Altoona, PA, controlled the former Pennsylvania Railroad's busy four track main over the Alleghenies, including the passenger station, the sprawling shop complex, a major freight yard and access to the Holidaysburg secondary. Chester Kamuda enjoyed the action at the tower and recorded his memories on video. He was twice invited into the tower, once under Conrail and again after Norfolk Southern. One hour and 40 minutes, maps and Narration.

In the era before remote communication, railroads relied on control towers to set switches and signals to route traffic at the request of dispatchers. The late, great Penssy was no exception. Their four track mainline over the Alleghenies required numerous examples to maintain the smooth flow of many high speed passenger jobs and slower moving freights. The busiest of these was Alto tower in Altoona, the Penssy's hub. It controlled the main to and from Horseshoe, the passenger station, the sprawling shops, the large yard and access to the Holidaysberg secondary. Alto was the last of its breed and is now closed. Chester Kamuda loved to shoot video at Alto and was twice invited in.