00:20 - Welcome to the railroaders memorial museum.

00:22 - I am Joe di francesco I'm the executive director.

00:25 - Of the museum.

00:27 - This museum has a special and unique treasure to central Pennsylvania and the region.

00:32 - Focusing on the railroaders perspective of the railroad industry.

00:36 - Altoona railroad city was created in the eighth eighteen forties.

00:40 - As an industrial hub.

00:42 - From wilderness

00:43 - to industrial empire.

00:45 - This city was the pace making

00:47 - workforce

00:48 - and that formed the backbone of what would become the world's first billion dollar

00:52 - corporation.

00:54 - The Pennsylvania railroad.

00:56 - This museum was founded in nineteen eighty as a grassroot it's organization.

01:01 - Established by founding members from the horseshoe curve chapter.

01:04 - Of the national railway historical society.

01:07 - And effort

01:08 - put in place

01:09 - to create an altoona museum.

01:11 - Previously in the nineteen sixties.

01:14 - There were

01:15 - decisions made

01:16 - to place the state railroad museum of Pennsylvania

01:19 - and strasburg.

01:20 - Altoona was a secondary option.

01:23 - These grass roots members wanted to preserve what would become.

01:27 - A world class facility

01:29 - from grassroots efforts.

01:31 - To this multi million dollar facility.

01:34 - Today visitors can.

01:36 - Come to this museum and step back in time to the nineteen fall Ortiz.

01:40 - Inexperienced with life and culture was like

01:42 - in altoona.

01:44 - The museum

01:45 - is much more than artifacts

01:47 - it is living history.

01:49 - Beyond this facility we have the horseshoe curve visitor center

01:53 - located five miles outside of altoona.

01:56 - Additionally on the campus here at the museum we have the Harry Bennett

01:59 - more around house.

02:01 - Where visitors can take a sneak peek behind the scenes of restoration work.

02:05 - Including.

02:06 - K four thirteen sixty one the official state steam locomotive of Pennsylvania.

02:11 - Currently under restoration.

02:14 - The museum

02:15 - and the staff welcome you

02:17 - to join US on a tour today.

02:19 - The eighteen thirties

02:21 - was a time of industrial revolution.

02:25 - And invention.

02:26 - In england the steam engine was invented.

02:29 - While it was being refined the canal system took hold here in Pennsylvania

02:33 - and across the world.

02:35 - The canal system.

02:37 - Was slow.

02:38 - Dangerous

02:39 - and not always reliable.

02:41 - When the rivers ended.

02:43 - So did the routes.

02:45 - Until the invention of inclined planes such as the allegheny portage railroad.

02:50 - That would take canal boats out of the river one rail cars

02:53 - attached by pulleys to get over

02:55 - the allegheny barrier

02:57 - and drop in the johnstown.

02:59 - In the eighteen forties railroads were taking hold.

03:03 - The.

03:04 - State assembly of Pennsylvania.

03:07 - Decided to charter

03:08 - the Pennsylvania railroad system.

03:10 - A way to compete.

03:12 - With other

03:13 - states.

03:14 - And other railroad companies such as the Baltimore and Ohio.

03:17 - At a Baltimore.

03:19 - The race was on

03:21 - to connect east and west

03:23 - star being from Philadelphia.

03:25 - The Pittsburgh.

03:26 - Having a direct route from Pittsburgh to Baltimore.

03:30 - Philadelphia merchants were

03:31 - concerned with being cut out of commerce.

03:34 - So the charter of the Pennsylvania railroad was much more.

03:37 - A result

03:38 - of

03:39 - a reaction.

03:40 - To connect east and west.

03:43 - As the surveyors

03:44 - plotted through Pennsylvania

03:46 - there were several routes selected.

03:48 - With the middle route.

03:50 - Being the choice.

03:52 - Jager Thompson.

03:54 - Designed in

03:55 - and surveyed.

03:56 - That middle route.

03:58 - Which

03:58 - altoona.

04:00 - Was the base what would become the base of operation.

04:03 - Over the hurdle west over the allegheny mountains.

04:07 - When the Pennsylvania railroad was chartered

04:09 - it consolidated a lot of the assets of the canal system.

04:13 - Utilizing old canal bed

04:15 - as new rail bed.

04:17 - And merging technologies with the canal systems.

04:20 - With the unkind planes with the new railroad.

04:23 - The Pennsylvania railroad.

04:25 - Was able to conquer.

04:27 - West of the alleghenies

04:29 - and get into Pittsburgh.

04:31 - As a part of that development.

04:33 - The horseshoe curve was established in which opened in eighteen fifty four

04:36 - connecting east and west.

04:38 - Making altoona and a central repair.

04:41 - Facility for.

04:43 - Railroad equipment.

04:45 - Through that

04:46 - came jobs and opportunities.

04:49 - And.

04:50 - With jobs and opportunities come people.

04:52 - People come.

04:53 - Diverse.

04:54 - Ethnic cultures.

04:56 - And diverse heritage.

04:58 - Altoona became a melting pot.

05:00 - As altoona would become an established support and repair facility.

05:05 - For the Pennsylvania railroad.

05:07 - Trains still took time to travel east and west.

05:11 - Trains heading west would stop at the Logan

05:16 - house a river to hotel that was constructed.

05:17 - To house

05:18 - passengers overnight or provide meals

05:21 - while the trains were being serviced.

05:23 - That hotel would later become famous and eighteen sixty two.

05:27 - One was home to loyal word governor's conference.

05:30 - Where the union

05:31 - governors met

05:33 - at the Logan house.

05:34 - To confer whether or not the support Abraham Lincoln's efforts.

05:38 - During the civil war.

05:39 - They can't came under the guise

05:41 - of secrecy.

05:43 - And without anyone

05:44 - knowing until after the fact.

05:46 - They met here in altoona.

05:48 - And.

05:50 - Some would speculate.

05:52 - Decided the fate and outcome of the civil war.

05:55 - By creating the union.

05:58 - Later the Logan house would just become a.

06:01 - Simple hotel.

06:02 - And unfortunately in the nineteen thirties was razed

06:06 - to make way for development.

06:09 - Altoona would also.

06:10 - Host famous individuals such as babe Ruth

06:13 - who would play baseball at the famous cricket field and altoona.

06:18 - George burns.

06:19 - A performer.

06:21 - Would entertain guests at the mishler theatre and other playhouses in altoona.

06:27 - As railroad city grew leaps and bounds

06:29 - from the eighteen sixties all the way the nineteen teens.

06:33 - Altoona became a diverse.

06:35 - Center for culture and ethnic heritage.

06:38 - Neighborhood spring sprung up such as little Italy.

06:41 - Dutch hill

06:42 - Jew hill.

06:44 - And other sites.

06:46 - That rift elected the people who settled here they came to work for the railroad.

06:51 - The Pennsylvania railroad.

06:52 - Like many railroad companies

06:54 - were the great equalizer.

06:56 - Where men and women were giving

06:57 - given opportunity.

06:59 - To give a good day's work.

07:01 - For an honest wage.

07:03 - What set apart the Pennsylvania railroad and altoona.

07:06 - Unlike mining companies and other towns is that it was not a company town.

07:12 - The railroad did not own the shops or the houses.

07:15 - The workers earned a wage.

07:17 - And they bought their homes

07:19 - and they owned them.

07:20 - They went to the store such as gables department store to buy their goods.

07:24 - Or other mom and pop shops.

07:28 - Neighborhood butcher shops like in little Italy

07:30 - and.

07:31 - Dutch hill sprung up.

07:33 - Where.

07:34 - Local residents would go to their own

07:37 - butcher shops.

07:38 - And on every corner it was said that there could be a church.

07:42 - Or a bar.

07:44 - So you had.

07:45 - German churches you had ira arish churches you had.

07:49 - Italian churches.

07:51 - You had synagogues

07:52 - and worship centers.

07:54 - Even parishes of the catholic church.

07:57 - Had.

07:58 - Ethnic followings

08:00 - such as

08:00 - Polish.

08:02 - And Italian and Germans.

08:04 - St Mary's mount carmel

08:06 - and the cathedral.

08:07 - From religion and culture.

08:10 - Also came activities.

08:13 - The railroad would sponsor athletic teams.

08:16 - Bands.

08:17 - As well as host civic organizations such as the y m c a.

08:22 - Or later the y w c a.

08:25 - Here in this area the museum you can see artifacts of religious nature.

08:30 - Of athletic nature as well as

08:32 - musical nature such as the band uniforms.

08:35 - Representing the altoona shops

08:37 - bands.

08:39 - Fraternal

08:40 - and brotherhood.

08:41 - Was something that was apart

08:43 - of river city.

08:45 - From tradewinds hall.

08:47 - The knights of Columbus.

08:50 - To the masons.

08:52 - The Jaffa mosque

08:53 - later the Jaffa shrine center.

08:56 - Brotherhood.

08:57 - Is what united.

08:58 - Railroad city.

09:02 - Here at the museum you will see number of

09:05 - immersive exhibits such as the home exhibit.

09:07 - Home was a big part of life in altoona.

09:09 - When railroaders were not in the shops around on

09:12 - duty.

09:13 - Over the road.

09:15 - They were at home.

09:16 - Waiting by the telephone for the next call.

09:19 - The report in for work if they or an engineer

09:21 - or a fireman or conductor.

09:24 - Or they would listen

09:25 - for the shop whistles.

09:27 - Summing them to work.

09:29 - Railroaders would sometimes.

09:32 - Take surplus paint

09:33 - and nails home to do some basic repairs.

09:36 - So such as this exhibit shows the house.

09:39 - Being somewhat painted in a railroad

09:42 - red color.

09:46 - Railroaders.

09:47 - Were loyal to their family

09:49 - and their families were loyal to them.

09:52 - Whether the husband worked for the railroad or the wife stayed at home taking care of

09:55 - the family.

09:57 - Or even found opportunity working.

09:59 - At gables

10:00 - or

10:01 - department stores

10:02 - or even in the railroad such in this building in the eighteen hundreds and nineteen

10:06 - hundreds.

10:07 - Women found work an opportunity for the Pennsylvania railroad.

10:11 - As secretaries and clerks.

10:13 - And later

10:14 - with the invention of the telephone they work switchboards.

10:17 - Often leaving their home.

10:19 - There was quite a time for advancement.

10:21 - All things considering.

10:23 - Here in the home exhibit you will find.

10:26 - Elements

10:27 - that made home.

10:28 - Home.

10:29 - In the kitchen you will find baked goods.

10:32 - The classic.

10:34 - Stove

10:35 - that that really takes you back in time to the nineteen thirties.

10:40 - When constructing a railroad some of the first jobs that are needing to be completed

10:44 - is roadbed and track construction.

10:46 - Irish settlers

10:48 - found work and opportunity working those track gangs.

10:52 - In some areas such as the construction of the horseshoe curve.

10:56 - Picks

10:56 - hand tools

10:58 - black powder.

10:59 - Wheelbarrows and very very basic and primitive.

11:03 - Excavation equipment.

11:04 - We're using carving away mountainsides.

11:07 - Where even.

11:08 - Digging away at hillsides.

11:10 - Burrowing and

11:11 - into the side of hills to crater tunnels.

11:13 - The work was dangerous

11:15 - many were injured on the job because of the primitive nature and the dangers

11:19 - that were there.

11:20 - From natural disaster to man made disaster.

11:24 - And creating roadbed.

11:26 - You have to carve away an area

11:28 - survey it.

11:29 - Level it out.

11:30 - Build it up

11:31 - level it out.

11:33 - And create.

11:35 - A level route.

11:37 - For trains that travel.

11:39 - With slight.

11:40 - Increases to grade.

11:43 - Or banking.

11:44 - Known as

11:45 - elevated

11:46 - curves.

11:48 - To

11:49 - assist trains in traveling up and down mountains.

11:52 - Or

11:53 - grades would change.

11:56 - The average rail

11:57 - would be one hundred pounds per foot.

12:00 - All laid by hand.

12:02 - And gangs.

12:05 - Also known as gandy dancers.

12:08 - So along with right away.

12:09 - And construction.

12:11 - Came tunnels and Bridges.

12:14 - Engineers and mechanical departments and

12:16 - right away in real estate departments.

12:19 - Would.

12:19 - Devise plans of bridge construction.

12:22 - Starting with truss

12:23 - design.

12:24 - They eventually constructed.

12:26 - Stone arches which are still in service to this day over a hundred years.

12:31 - Later.

12:32 - Beyond the right away.

12:34 - Came the shop forces such as the juniata locomotive shops the altoona car shops.

12:39 - The altoona machine shops the south altoona foundries.

12:43 - It was a process from taking raw material.

12:47 - And creating a product.

12:49 - Apprenticeship was a big part.

12:52 - Of

12:53 - working for the Pennsylvania railroad.

12:56 - Altoona was no exception

12:57 - there was a co-op program between the Pennsylvania railroad shops here.

13:01 - And the altoona school district.

13:03 - Where high schoolers would learn

13:05 - drafting trades.

13:07 - And later would succeed as engineers.

13:10 - For the PR are here in altoona.

13:12 - Those engineers were responsible for the design.

13:16 - And creation of parts and components.

13:19 - Those designs would then be transferred to the pattern shop where pattern makers.

13:24 - Would then create.

13:26 - The wooden forms.

13:28 - And mold making.

13:30 - Were raw material what the south altoona foundries would be then produced into

13:33 - components such as wheels

13:35 - and other key castings.

13:38 - Those workers.

13:39 - Began mostly as

13:41 - German immigrants.

13:43 - Later.

13:44 - Italian immigrants would be their helpers.

13:47 - And

13:48 - the ethnicity

13:49 - in diversity was

13:50 - rather reflected within.

13:52 - Railroad management.

13:54 - Early on those of English and Scottish descent.

13:58 - Rose to the top

13:59 - of PR management.

14:02 - Germans would work as machinist.

14:05 - Italians and the shops.

14:07 - Irish and Mexicans.

14:10 - On the right away.

14:12 - As track laborers

14:14 - and masons.

14:16 - The division of work within the shops.

14:19 - Began.

14:21 - At the bottom.

14:22 - To the next level up.

14:24 - And as the generation of railroaders would succeed one another.

14:28 - Those minorities would rise through the ranks.

14:31 - Where Italians would be in management

14:34 - by the nineteen fifties.

14:36 - In the early days of rail travel.

14:38 - It was very primitive and uncomfortable.

14:42 - George Pullman saw an opportunity to create

14:44 - Pullman palace cars.

14:47 - The evolution of.

14:49 - Passenger cars went from.

14:52 - Virtually wagons on rails.

14:54 - To.

14:56 - The luxe.

14:58 - Accommodations.

15:01 - Later dining service.

15:03 - Bedrooms.

15:04 - And sleeping compartments.

15:06 - Was something.

15:07 - Offered on frankly most trains.

15:09 - And it became the norm.

15:12 - The Pennsylvania railroad.

15:14 - Prided itself in the standardized service.

15:18 - Claiming to be the standard railroad or the world.

15:21 - Through it's service

15:22 - one is passenger trains.

15:25 - Pullman porters.

15:26 - Largely African American.

15:29 - We're the backbone.

15:31 - Of passenger service.

15:33 - For the Pennsylvania railroad.

15:36 - Almost militaristic.

15:38 - They were a well oiled machine.

15:41 - From turning down beds

15:44 - to serving and dining cars.

15:46 - The shining shoes.

15:48 - Focusing on.

15:50 - The passenger's perspective of quality.

15:54 - Ensuring.

15:55 - That their travel was seamless.

15:58 - Comfortable

15:59 - and reliable.

16:00 - The Pullman Porter.

16:03 - Provided

16:04 - that service.

16:05 - They were the deluxe.

16:08 - In a standardized industry.

16:12 - During wartime.

16:13 - Railroads are the greatest asset.

16:15 - In defending

16:16 - a nation.

16:18 - The Pennsylvania railroad during world war two went from five thousand to twenty two

16:22 - thousand.

16:23 - Female employees.

16:26 - The five thousand were tradition and traditional roles and offices clerks

16:30 - and

16:31 - during the war

16:32 - they were greater opportunities.

16:34 - As men went off to fight in Europe

16:36 - and the pacific scenes.

16:38 - Women

16:39 - were needed to fill the shoes

16:42 - and the shops.

16:43 - On the roads.

16:45 - And across the system.

16:48 - Mrs Casey Jones.

16:49 - Was a PR slogan by the Pennsylvania railroad.

16:52 - Molly pitcher nineteen forty four.

16:55 - It was a great.

16:57 - Time.

16:58 - For women to get into the industry.

17:01 - And frankly because of world war two

17:03 - it opened up opportunity later

17:05 - for women to become railroaders.

17:08 - G eyes and troop trains.

17:10 - Were very common on the Pennsylvania system.

17:13 - The canteen behind the

17:14 - former Pennsylvania railroad station.

17:17 - Was used.

17:18 - To entertain passing troops.

17:24 - At the height of

17:25 - world war two traffic

17:27 - there were said to have been over fifty passenger trains.

17:30 - Coming and going

17:31 - through altoona

17:32 - every day around the clock.

17:35 - The Pennsylvania railroad.

17:37 - Served

17:38 - the nation during world war two.

17:41 - And women.

17:42 - Were very much.

17:43 - The credit

17:44 - for the success.

17:46 - Of the war effort

17:48 - on the homefront.

17:49 - Also of note during world war two

17:51 - was operation pastorius.

17:53 - It was a Nazi plot

17:55 - to destroy.

17:56 - Industrial sites and the United States.

18:00 - Hitler.

18:01 - And his cronies

18:02 - targeted horseshoe curve.

18:04 - Tunnels Bridges.

18:06 - And factories.

18:08 - Fortunately it was stopped.

18:11 - Many aw Tunisians.

18:13 - Were interrogated.

18:15 - At the local post office.

18:17 - As the f b I.

18:19 - Searched.

18:20 - For German spies.

18:22 - Because of this it shows the significance of altoona.

18:26 - And it's.

18:27 - Stature during world war two.

18:31 - The Pennsylvania railroad.

18:33 - Was much more

18:34 - than just operations.

18:37 - Great emphasis was put on testing and development.

18:41 - The museum building was once the original home

18:44 - of the altoona

18:45 - test department.

18:47 - Which in nineteen oh six was expanded.

18:50 - And the adjacent property to it's own facility.

18:54 - Pennsylvania railroad management.

18:56 - Look to Europe.

18:58 - For innovation.

19:00 - By means of scientific experiment.

19:03 - Which led to development.

19:05 - And standardized practices.

19:08 - Anything from oranges.

19:10 - The white bulbs.

19:12 - The gloves.

19:14 - To metallurgy.

19:16 - The chemicals.

19:17 - Was all put.

19:19 - The tests.

19:20 - Here now tuna.

19:22 - Because if a penny could be saved.

19:26 - It meant millions of dollars.

19:29 - To the corporation.

19:31 - Out of the altoona tests department.

19:34 - Came one of the most iconic steam locomotives.

19:38 - Pennsylvania railroad k for.

19:40 - Thirteen sixty one.

19:42 - Which is in the museum's collection today under restoration.

19:46 - The k four.

19:48 - Is a living example.

19:51 - Of what the test department

19:53 - could accomplish.

19:55 - Every rivet

19:56 - every nut

19:57 - every bolt.

20:00 - Was sourced.

20:02 - Through testing.

20:04 - And through testing.

20:06 - Came.

20:07 - Real thoroughbreds.

20:09 - Of steam locomotive technology.

20:13 - This test department.

20:16 - Silicon valley.

20:18 - Of the nineteen teens

20:20 - and nineteen thirties.

20:22 - In the United States of america.

20:26 - Beyond technology.

20:28 - In terms of testing.

20:30 - They tested safety appliances

20:32 - such as gloves.

20:34 - To protect workers from high voltage power lines.

20:39 - Safety goggles.

20:40 - In terms of

20:41 - debris.

20:44 - In shrapnel

20:45 - from accidents to protect.

20:47 - Hardhats were tested.

20:50 - As well as air quality.

20:53 - Particles.

20:55 - Were sampled.

20:56 - To ensure that

20:57 - the Pennsylvania railroad workers.

21:00 - Had the safest environment.

21:02 - To work in.

21:04 - Additional.

21:06 - Testing was done for water quality.

21:09 - Many of the reservoirs and the communities that serviced.

21:13 - By the resurface by the Pennsylvania railroad.

21:15 - Had water

21:16 - reservoirs for consumption.

21:19 - By the residents as well as the steam locomotives have required water.

21:24 - As a fuel source.

21:25 - So the Pennsylvania railroad was not only.

21:28 - In it for the company but also the communities.

21:32 - That form the backbone.

21:34 - Of the company.

21:36 - From light bulbs to oranges.

21:38 - The oranges were even tested for passenger cars

21:41 - and dining service.

21:44 - Different oranges

21:45 - were put to the test in terms of ripeness

21:48 - condition

21:48 - species.

21:51 - The find out which ones would last the longest but also yield

21:54 - the most juice

21:55 - to serve the passengers.

21:57 - Of the Pennsylvania railroad.

22:00 - After world war two there were changes in

22:03 - locomotive technology

22:04 - steam engines were a thing of the past.

22:07 - Diesel locomotives

22:09 - were the thing of the present

22:10 - and the future.

22:12 - What that meant for cities like altoona were downsizing and workforces.

22:17 - No longer needed were skilled tradesmen

22:19 - craps.

22:20 - Or the large amount of workers.

22:23 - So slowly.

22:25 - Industrial cities

22:26 - became

22:27 - rust belt

22:28 - cities.

22:30 - Today the railroaders memorial museum

22:33 - pays tribute.

22:34 - To the men and women.

22:36 - Who created.

22:38 - An industrial.

22:40 - Empire in altoona.

22:44 - The Pennsylvania railroad.

22:46 - Gave way to mergers.

22:49 - Such as the merger with rival new York central to form the penn central

22:53 - corporation and nineteen sixty eight.

22:56 - That was a short lived

22:58 - railroad.

22:59 - Which was faced with bankruptcy.

23:01 - Due to

23:02 - changing economic factors beyond.

23:05 - The industry.

23:08 - It gave way to conrail.

23:12 - Which lasted until nineteen ninety eight.

23:14 - When it was split between csx transportation.

23:18 - And Norfolk southern.

23:20 - Today the museum not only celebrates.

23:23 - The accomplishments of railroaders for the Pennsylvania railroad.

23:26 - But those who served during penn central.

23:30 - Conrail.

23:31 - And Norfolk southern.

23:33 - The museum blends past and present.

23:36 - By offering visitors a chance to view railroading today.

23:40 - At the world famous horseshoe curve.

23:44 - Where trains

23:45 - can be seen.

23:46 - Approximately every every thirty minutes going west

23:49 - and east.

23:50 - Hauling freight as it did.

23:53 - In eighteen fifty four.

23:56 - The railroaders memorial museum.

23:59 - Is entirely supported.

24:01 - By visitors.

24:03 - Members

24:04 - and donors.

24:05 - We encourage you to take advantage.

24:08 - Of a membership.

24:10 - And to attend events.

24:12 - All of this information can be found

24:14 - at river city.

24:16 - Dod work.

24:17 - I welcome you.

24:19 - Personally to visit.

24:20 - The museum.

24:22 - Or the horseshoe curve.

24:24 - Thank you for joining US.