I spent some time over the weekend capturing more of my 8mm video footage; here are the first two fruits of that labor, highlights from the fireworks and light show done in celebration of Horseshoe Curve's 150th anniversary. Since it probably would have been a bit chilly to do such an event on the actual anniversary date (February 26), the festivities were held on 4th of July weekend.

The event was designed to recall the centennial celebration in 1954, when the PRR and Sylvania Electric orchestrated a famous photograph of several trains posed on the Curve, lit by thousands of synchronized flashbulbs and a fireworks display. For the sesquicentennial, NS and Osram Sylvania put together a light show driven by dozens of spotlights mounted on the hillsides around the Curve and at the base of the park area, as well as on a special train consisting of specially-lit locomotives, a commemorative boxcar, and TTX well cars to carry the spot and strobe lights. The fireworks were fired from a jetty running out into the reservoir at the base of the mountain. The park itself was reserved for VIPs, who rode out to the Curve on NS office cars. Us peons were bussed out from the Railroader's Memorial Museum in Altoona and watched from the grassy areas on either side of the road leading past the Curve site.

The weather tried real hard to dampen our spirits, not to mention clothing - we were bussed out to the Curve about 2 hours before the main event, and shortly after settling into our spot on the grass we were slammed by a heavy cloudburst; the kind that blows the rain along the ground in bands. Hardly anyone in attendance had come prepared for rain, and there was a mad dash for ANYTHING that might help one keep dry - garbage-bag ponchos were the popular fashion that night. Even then it was little protection, and eventually everyone just resigned themselves to getting soaked to the bone to be there - no one moved an inch, we just hunkered down and waited. By some stroke of luck, the rain broke about a half-hour before the show began.

Part 1 opens just after a series of speeches by the dignitaries in attendance - IIRC the Governor of Pennsylvania and the CEO of NS were among them. VP Cheney was supposed to put in an appearance but was stymied by the weather on approach at the airport. After all the speechifying was done, a horn blast from C40-9W 9822 on the light train signaled the start of the light show as the train pulled forward around the Curve. Once the train was in position, the spotlights remained fixed as the fireworks began, set to 'Fanfare for the Common Man' by Aaron Copland. I still get chills watching the opening fireworks, and not because I'm remembering being soaking wet...

Part 2 continues with highlights of the fireworks, including the massive barrage of the finale. The show was still on for us railfans after the fireworks were done - as the light train backed away, the office car train pulled forward for loading, led by a pair of elephant-style SD70Ms. Two SD40-2 helpers were on the back end to make the reverse move back to Altoona, separated from the office cars by an idler boxcar.

It was difficult to keep up when things were happening in 360 degrees, and in all the hubbub I forgot to turn off the timecode display. (insert forehead-slap here) Despite that, and the rain, and the hour-long wait to get back to Altoona on a standing-room-only schoolbus....it was most definitely a night to remember.

Horseshoe Curve 150th Anniversary - Part 1

Horseshoe Curve 150th Anniversary - Part 2

That must have been difficult to shoot and one of those events were you really had to be there to capture the full effect. Very interesting light show

<sigh> Yeah, it was difficult, it really was sensory overload. I had made the decision not to bring a tripod since we were already toting a baby stroller and that was a PITA itself to get onto a seriously packed bus. One of these days I'd like to get a poster of the official photo when the fireworks were in full swing.

So would I, if you know of a link post it here

This poster at the museum store looks pretty nice, although I'd much prefer a simple unobstructed view of the entire Curve vs. the collage around the edge...

Horseshoe Curve 150th Anniversary Poster

They have a slightly larger picture linked off the museum website too:

Poster Enlargement

Muchos Gracious