Horseshoe Curve
measures 2375 feet from the beginning to the end
of its curvature.
The lowest end of the curve id 1594 feet
above sea level, the upper
end id 1716 feet. (That's a difference of 122 feet)
The average grade is
91 feet per mile. That is also 1.8%, or 1.8-
foot rise for every 100 feet of run. At the center of the
curve the
grade is reduced slightly to compensate for the increased friction
of
the curved track.
The Curve was opened
on February 15, 1854, and tow tracks were
in full operation by the end of that year. In 1898, a third
track was
added, and in late 1899 to early 1900, a fourth. Conrail
removed
the second from the inside track in 1981, due to a decline in
traffic.
Horseshoe Curve has
been in continuous use since it opened, with a
few exceptions: strikes have briefly halted operations, and there
have been weather related closures, such as those resulting from the
Johnstown floods of 1889 and 1997.
An average day's
traffic is 60 trains, in both directions, not counting
returning helpers. For comparison, in 1904, a high point,
there were
168 trains per day.
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