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| HORSESHOE CURVE 150 ANNOUNCED https://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=6661 |
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| Author: | Alexander D. Mitchell IV [ Sat Aug 16, 2003 12:29 pm ] |
| Post subject: | HORSESHOE CURVE 150 ANNOUNCED |
Forwarded from PRR-FAX Yahoo-group: For Immediate Release: Contact: Harry Webber Press@BrandedFilms.com EIGHTH WONDER OF THE MODERN WORLD, THE WORLD FAMOUS HORSESHOE CURVE GETS READY TO CELEBRATE ITS 150TH BIRTHDAY. ALTOONA, PA. In 1851 a brash young civil engineer by the name of J.Edgar Thomson set out to build the first railroad to scale the mighty Allegheny Mountains in Central Pennsylvania. When his boss balked at putting up the money for this seemingly impossible task, young J.Edgar got himself elected to the Presidency of the Pennsylvania Railroad one year later and raised the $3 million dollars it would take to get the job done. Considered an engineering masterpiece even today, his 14.4 mile climb from Altoona up the face of the east slope of Allegheny Mountain, reverses itself at Kittanning Point into an amazing Horseshoe and ascends almost 2 feet every 100 feet, clinging to drop dead valley walls and ridges all the way to the summit. Within three short years J. Edgar Thomson had opened up an East-West corridor that made possible the industrialization of an entire nation. John Edgar Thomson is also credited with being the first to organize a corporation into line and staff management positions. For this significant achievement he is considered to be the father of the modern day global corporation. For this reason alone this event is expected to receive wide support from America's business community. Taking the lead in celebrating these amazing and historic events the Railroaders Memorial Museum in Altoona (the base for Thomson's assault on the Alleghenies) has planned a month-long series of commemorative events. With a kick-off planned for the Museum's annual Railfest event in October of this year, a special excursion train lead by the last remaining passenger locomotives of the once-mighty Pennsylvania railroad will travel from Philadelphia to Altoona for the occasion. The actual February birthday will feature a dedication event sponsored by the American Society of Civil Engineers which had named the Horseshoe Curve one of the original Seven Wonders of the Modern World in the early 1900's. ASCE will designate the Curve as a National Civil engineering Landmark at the February event to be held in Pittsburgh. In preparation for the June 2004 month-long celebration the Museum will release an RFP to assess the possibility of returning the last remaining K4 steam locomotive currently under restoration at Steamtown to Altoona in time for the celebration. Once the assessment is completed the Museum will seek a Corporate Sponsor to partner with the State's Department of Transportation to make it happen. The centerpiece of the 150th Anniversary will be the dedication of the nation's first Railroaders Memorial Monument to be unveiled at the apex of the Horseshoe Curve on Memorial Day of 2004. The Memorial will commemorate those men and women who have given their lives in service of the Railroads of North America. The Museum has issued an open invitation to all operators of classic locomotives in North America for them to participate in a Memorial Display of Motive Power that is expected to be the largest collection of vintage steam and diesel locomotives in the nation's history on July 4th. The Railroaders Memorial Museum wants everyone to remember the men and women who gave their blood, sweat and lives to build "the Eighth Wonder of the Modern World," the 150 year old Horseshoe Curve and every other mile of track across this great nation. Museum President Dr. Andy Mulhollen puts it best, when he says, "These men, these women, they truly are the backbone of America. They cannot be forgotten. They will not be forgotten." A press conference announcing the slate of events will be held will be held at 10AM on August 18 in the theater at the Railroaders Museum LNER4472-NOSPAM-@bcpl.net |
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