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While the Allegheny Portage Railroad solved transportation issues until the mid-1800s, it was obsolete in the locomotive age. However, train travel between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia could not happen until there was a way to traverse the steep Allegheny Mountains. The answer was the "Horseshoe Curve" which connected one valley to another, avoiding the steepest point in the Alleghenies. The Horseshoe Curve National Historic Monument tells the story of the immigrant workers who built the curve, and the history of the curve (which was apparently so strategically important that it was targeted by Nazi spies during WWII). There is a visitor's center that has exhibits and a film, "The Birth of the Curve." The highlight however is the funicular ride (or walk) to the curve itself, which is still one of the most congested rail traffic areas in the country. Particularly late in the week, a train comes by approximately every 15 minutes. There is an admission charge for the funicular and the visitor's center--you can walk up for free. |