Early 1850
- Construction begins on the first buildings of the Altoona railroad shops.
September 11, 1850
- Locomotive "Allegheny" makes first trip to Duncansville wye.
September 16, 1850
- Regular service to Duncansville begins.
October 1, 1850
- The PRR is connected to the Allegheny Portage Railroad.
February 1851
- PRR board authorizes the purchase of property in Altoona and the construction of an office with dwelling attached.
March 4, 1852
- Pennsylvania authorized resurvey of New Portage Railroad.
December 1, 1852
- The Headquarters of the Transportation Department is moved from Harrisburg to Altoona.
December 1852
- The first units of the Altoona Shops open; over 100 workers are transferred from Harrisburg.
1852
- Double-tracking of the main line begins.
April 3, 1853
- The Altoona Machine Shops complete repairs to their first locomotive, the "Greene."
April 13, 1853
- PRR board authorizes construction of the Logan House hotel in Altoona.
May 17, 1853
- PRR special committee reports on plans for Altoona Station (Logan House) to be brick building to be done by
the time the Mountain Division opens.
November 1853
- PRR buys land for Altoona depot and Logan House hotel.
February 6, 1854
- Altoona is incorporated as a borough.
February 15, 1854
- The Mountain Division opens between Altoona and South Fork, bypassing the Allegheny Portage Railroad.
February 1854
- The Logan House opens in Altoona serving as a station and dining room for meal stops.
1854
- Enginehouse #2 opens at Altoona.
January 1, 1855
- The PRR opens its own telegraph line between Pittsburgh and Altoona replacing those of the Atlantic & Ohio
Telegraph Company.
July 1, 1855
- The New Portage Railroad opens.
September 21, 1855
- Future PRR president, Samuel Rae, is born at Hollidaysburg.
1855
- A new foundry and erecting shop open at Altoona.
January 1, 1856
- Telegraph lines open between Altoona and Harrisburg.
October 23, 1856
- The PRR Road Committee authorizes construction of a gas works at Altoona.
1856
- The first local mutual beneficial society is formed by workers at Altoona.
November 1, 1857
- New Portage Railroad is abandoned and rails removed in 1858 for use on the Pittsburgh, Ft. Wayne, & Chicago.
November 13, 1858
- The Altoona Mechanics' Library & Reading Room opens in space provided by the PRR, incorporated May 3, 1860.
December 22, 1858
- PRR Board authorizes the construction of houses for officials at Altoona.
1858
- PRR builds new freight car shop, paint shop, and transfer table at Altoona.
January 1, 1859
- MW Department placed under William Hasell Wilson as Resident Engineer based at Altoona.
December 15, 1859
- Gas light installed at Altoona Shops.
January 9, 1860
- A new alignment of the branch between Altoona and Hollidaysburg is opened, eliminating deep cut at west end
of Altoona.
1861
- Freight car shop at Altoona converted to passenger car shop.
September 10, 1862
- PRR Board orders Altoona Shops closed on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 3:30 pm to drill employees to prepare for
possible Confederate invasion.
October 1, 1862
- Altoona Militia force of 500 men called to Mt. Union in special train to protect PRR from possible Confederate
advance from Chambersburg, return when danger passes.
1862-1864
- All PRR locomotives converted to coal-burning.
June 27, 1863
- Patterns and materials evacuated from Altoona Shops to the Snow Shoe Branch as a precaution against
Confederate raids.
July 1864
- PRR installs first 150 tons of imported cast crucible steel rails (56#) at Altoona and Pittsburgh yards as and
experiment, purchased 1863.
July 26, 1864
- 58-ton mortar built at Ft. Pitt Iron Works arrives in Harrisburg enroute to New York on special car built at
Altoona Shops.
June 1865
- 100 tons of imported crucible steel rails are installed on yard tracks at Philadelphia and Altoona, all 56#.
October 9, 1865
- Steubenville Bridge over the Ohio River opens as the first railroad bridge across the Ohio below Pittsburgh,
fabricated at the Altoona Shops.
1865
- A new freight car shop is completed at Altoona.
- A new machine shop opens at Altoona.
Early 1866
- Mifflin Shops downgraded and most work moved to Altoona.
July 1866
- A new smith shop opens at Altoona.
November 1866
- The first new locomotive to be built in Altoona is completed by the Altoona Machine Shops.
February 1867
- Enginehouse #3 (Western Enginehouse) opens at Altoona with 44 stalls.
November 1869
- Altoona Shops complete 25 new coaches with modern type clerestories, gas lighting, and Westinghouse air
brakes for New York-Chicago service.
1869
- Altoona Car Shops built.
1869-1870
- PRR becomes first organization to establish a standard clock by linking it's Altoona clock to the
Allegheny Observatory
January 1871
- New Altoona Car Shops completed east of 7th street, car and locomotive shops entirely separated, old
car shops between 9th and 16th streets become Altoona Machine Shops.
1872
- Iron train shed, 271' x 48', built in front of Logan House at Altoona Station.
- New foundry built at Altoona.
February 3, 1873
- New foundry opens at Altoona for casting car wheels, piece work is introduced.
February 2, 1874
- Workdays at the Altoona Shops are increased to 9 hours.
March 1, 1874
- Workdays at the Altoona Shops increased to 10 hours.
March 1874
- The Department of Physical Tests is created under the Master Mechanic at Altoona.
1874
- A new erecting shop opens at Altoona.
- A new wheel foundry is established at Altoona for "steeled" wheels.
January 2, 1875
- Nine hour workdays resume at Altoona Shops.
February 24, 1875
- The PRR YMCA is organized at Altoona.
April 10, 1875
- A new Erecting Shop No 1 is completed at Altoona.
October 1875
- Gas lighting is installed in the Altoona Shops allowing work to go on until 10:00 p.m.
1875
- A new wheel foundry opens at the Altoona Shops.
March 1876
- The Altoona Shops complete 100 special passenger cars with plain interiors for Centennial passenger service.
September 1876
- The Altoona Shops are almost idle and many employees are laid off.
1876
- The first chemical laboratory opens at Altoona.
May 21, 1877
- The telephone is demonstrated at the Altoona Shops, later installed and becomes the first railroad telephone
installation and grows into the world's largest private telephone system.
June 18, 1877
- Eight hour workdays resume at the Altoona Shops.
1886
- Plans for a new locomotive shop are developed in Juniata, now part of Altoona.
September 15, 1888
- Construction begins on the Juniata Shop.
1890
- The new Juniata Shops are mostly finished.
July 1891
- The Juniata Shops complete their first new locomotive.
1891
- Biggest year of new locomotive production at the Altoona Machine Shops with 140 locomotives.
1893
- Biggest year of new locomotive production in Altoona with a total of 244 locomotives between the Altoona Machine
Shops and Juniata Shops.
November 1, 1900
- A new eastbound classification yard east of Juniata Scales at Altoona opens for eastbound coal traffic.
1900
- The employee library is moved from the Logan House to an old renovated church.
February 27, 1901
- PRR Board authorizes construction of addition yard tracks at Blair Furnace Yard (East Altoona) for hopper
cars to relieve yards at Altoona and Harrisburg.
December 16, 1901
- New scales at MD east of Jones Street in Hollidaysburg placed in service.
April 15, 1902
- Work begins on new westbound hump classification yard at Bells Mills (East Altoona).
April 23, 1903
- BO interlocking placed in service at west end of Altoona.
May 11, 1903
- New westbound hump yard opens at Bells Mills (East Altoona), first hump yard in the U.S.
December 23, 1903
- ANTIS Tower placed in service at East Altoona.
December 1903
- The first all-steel subway car is built at Altoona to the design of George Gibbs.
January 1904
- The Altoona Machine Shops complete their last new locomotive.
September 7, 1904
- South Altoona Foundries foundry #2 opens.
November 21, 1904
- The East Altoona Enginehouse is completed with 52 stalls & 100 foot turntable which makes it the largest
roundhouse in the world intended for locomotive servicing.
December 1904
- Enginehouse #1 at Altoona is abandoned and enginehouse #2 converted for passenger locomotive servicing.
1904
- East Altoona yard completed.
- Altoona Shops prepare design for 58-foot coach with steel frame and sheathing.
June 14, 1905
- PRR Board authorizes construction of an additional erecting shop at the Altoona Machine Shops.
June 16, 1905
- South Altoona Foundries foundry #1 opens.
September 19, 1905
- PRR authorizes construction of westbound hump yard at Altoona.
1905
- The locomotive test plant is installed at Altoona, near 17th street.
June 11, 1906
- Altoona Shops complete the first class P-85, all-steel, passenger car.
1906
- Baseball league formed for MW&S clerks at Altoona.
January 1907
- Over 15,000 people are employed by the PRR at Altoona.
November 17, 1907
- RV Tower is placed in service in Altoona.
1907
- Biggest year of new locomotive production at the Juniata Shops with 220 locomotives.
March 21, 1908
- Hollidaysburg Car Shops closed and work moved to Altoona. (when was this shop blt?)
March 23, 1908
- PRR furloughs 2,140 men at Altoona and hours of all others increased from 32 to 36 hours per week,
7,695 surplus freight cars stored near Hollidaysburg.
July 28, 1908
- The number of surplus freight cars stored near Hollidaysburg reaches 9,257.
September 2, 1908
- Hollidaysburg Car Shops reopen to begin repairing stored freight cars.
July 9, 1909
- The PRR recalls 1,500 workers to the Altoona Shops.
September 2, 1909
- All freight cars formerly stored near Hollidaysburg are back in service.
December 28, 1909
- The eastbound yard at Hollidaysburg is reopened.
March 23, 1911
- Shop employees at Altoona and Hollidaysburg are cut to 45 hours per week and 12 main line crews are
let go because of business slow-down.
May 31, 1911
- 700 shop employees strike at Altoona.
June 3, 1911
- Striking Altoona shop employees return to work to save their seniority.
November 12, 1913
- PRR Board authorizes acquisition of property for new Altoona station.
1914
- A new 5-story testing laboratory building opens on 16th street at Altoona.
1916
- A brake shoe testing machine is installed at the Altoona Test Department.
- PRR adopts new motto, "Standard Railroad of the World" after dropping "Standard RR of America."
1917
- The Hollidaysburg freight yard is enlarged.
June 1919
- The only articulated locomotive to be built in Altoona is completed, largest of its type ever built.
November 11, 1920
- The PRR lays off 1,350 men at the Altoona shops, about 15% of total.
February 17, 1921
- 875 men furloughed at Altoona, employment at Juniata Shops now under 900 down from 2,300 in November 1920.
March 7, 1921
- PRR nearly closes Juniata Shops cutting employment to under 300 men.
April 20, 1922
- PRR lays off 250 men at East Altoona enginehouse because of coal strike.
January 1924
- PRR begins concentrating repairs at Altoona and laying off shop forces assigned to local enginehouses and shops.
1925
- The large erecting & machine shop addition to the Juniata Shop is completed on the east end, includes four
bays, twenty some tracks, and a turntable.
January 1926
- Eighteen stalls of Altoona roundhouse extended by 30 feet to accommodate larger locomotives.
(which roundhouse? East Altoona?)
April 20, 1927
- New Plate fulcrum scales placed in service at Juniata Scales for eastbound freight.
1927
- A new tankcar repair shop opens at Altoona.
July 1928
- The name Altoona Works is adopted for the entire PRR shops complex at Altoona which includes all locomotive and
cars shops plus the South Altoona Foundries and East Altoona Enginehouse.
1928
- Peak year for employment at Altoona Works, over 19,000 people.
July 16, 1931
- Shop and engine terminal at Hollidaysburg closed and yard converted to storage of idle cars and locomotives.
April 20, 1931
- Demolition of Logan House begins.
December 27, 1931
- Fire destroys portions of the Altoona Machine Shops at 12th Street.
January 1932
- A new brass finishing shop opens at the South Altoona Foundries.
March 27, 1934
- PRR announces it will recall 1,200 furloughed men for work on electrification and at the Altoona Works.
1936
- A new air brake and welding shop opens at Altoona.
August 1938
- All remaining locomotive work at the Altoona Machine Shops, renamed 12th Street Car Shop, is transferred to the
Juniata Shops.
1943
- Biggest year of new locomotive production at the Altoona Works (Juniata Shops) with 111 locomotives.
July 1944
- 1,070 women are employed at the Altoona Works.
- Peak month for Chemical Laboratory with 11,117 test and samples.
September 1944
- The only turbine to be built in Altoona is completed.
Spring 1945
- PRR Q2 6175 sets all-time record of 7,987 indicated horsepower on the Altoona Test Plant, the most horsepower ever
recorded for any steam locomotive.
1945
- Spectrographic laboratory installed at Altoona Test Plant.
June 1946
- The Altoona Works completes its last new locomotive.
September 29, 1947
- PRR announces it has completed a new X-ray lab at the Altoona Test Plant to detect flaws in metal.
1947
- Fire destroys blacksmith shop #1 at the Juniata Shops, rebuilt with "fire proof" roof which possibly saved
it during the fire of 1981.
1949
- The Erecting & Machine shop is retrofitted for diesel locomotive maintenance.
Early 1950's
- Construction begins on a new power plant for the Juniata Shop inside the existing building.
May 12, 1950
- 12,000 workers at Altoona are idled.
May 17, 1951
- PRR announces it will lay off 3,500 car shop workers at Altoona because of low freight rates and falling traffic.
December 2, 1951
- PRR announces it will build 5,000 freight cars at Altoona.
November 12, 1952
- PRR Board announces $47 million upgrade program to include a new car shop at Hollidaysburg.
1954
- Reclamation plant opens at Hollidaysburg Car Shops
May 7, 1955
- PRR announces is will recondition about 30 steam locomotives at Altoona because of heavy freight traffic,
18 already in service.
November 1955
- The new Sam Rae Car Shop in Hollidaysburg opens, work transferred from 12th Street Shops, Altoona Car Shops and
South Altoona Foundries, building is 2,760 feet long and covers 17 acres.
June 8, 1957
- PRR K4s 1361 is dedicated at Horseshoe Curve.
August 28, 1957
- PRR announces the installation of a quantometer at the Altoona test lab which detects minute quantities of metal
in lubricating oil and records results automatically.
November 27, 1957
- Last regular steam to operate in Altoona, coal drag from Cresson.
1957
- Last steam locomotive maintenance performed at the Juniata Shop.
July 1, 1958
- The PRR temporarily closes electric and diesel shops at Altoona, idling 1,600 employees.
October 28, 1959
- PRR announces it will furlough 3,500 more workers at Altoona because of steel strike, employment at Altoona Works
has fallen from 15,000 in Feb 1951 to 6,800.
November 2, 1959
- PRR suspends freight car building at Altoona for one month because of steel shortage.
November 20, 1959
- PRR announces it will recall 3,500 workers at Altoona because of end of steel strike.
February 24, 1960
- PRR Board authorizes retirements of door shop, dry kiln, and grit blast buildings at Altoona Car Shop.
Fall 1960
- The train shed of Altoona station is demolished.
November 1960
- PRR orders 1,000 ore jennies to be built at Sam Rae Car Shop.
June 1, 1962
- 200 workers are furloughed at Altoona Works.
April 16, 1964
- PRR announces a $5 million modernization program for the Altoona Shops, only a partial upgrade.
August 30, 1965
- PRR announces it will build an experimental 150-ton covered hopper car at the Sam Rae Car Shop
1966
- The predecessor of the PRR Technical & Historical Society is formed in Altoona.
January 5, 1967
- 365 employees furloughed at the Altoona Works.
April 3, 1967
- 350 more employees furloughed at Altoona.
February 1, 1968
- The New York Central and Pennsylvania Railroads merge, creating the Penn Central RR.
March 1968
- The massive concrete coaling station at East Altoona is demolished, first attempt only drops it upright.
April 13, 1968
- Test Department placed under an ex-NYC man, orders PRR test facilities at Altoona closed and PRR test
files destroyed, all testing and research concentrated at NYC facility in Collinwood, OH.
April 28, 1968
- Keystone tubular cars retired to Altoona Shops because of need for expensive repairs.
1968
- The East Altoona roundhouse is demolished.
The PC years
- The 'test shed,' the modern day equivalent to the former test plant, is built at the Juniata Locomotive Shop.
Early 1970
- A Bag Filtration System is added to the Juniata Power Plant to comply with EPA regulations for emissions.
April 1, 1970
- PC closes East Rochester Car Shops and assigns work to Sam Rae Car Shop.
1970
- PC donates mechanical department photographs to Altoona Area Public Library.
May 1, 1971
- Amtrak is formed by the federal government and begins to take over intercity passenger operations.
March 20, 1972
- PC announces that all freight car repairs will be transferred to Altoona/Hollidaysburg.
October 30, 1972
- The Altoona Railroaders' Memorial Museum is organized.
March 6, 1974
- The PRR Technical & Historical Society is incorporated in PA, successor to the PA Research & Information
Association.
October 8, 1974
- PC opens a new locomotive maintenance training center at the Juniata Locomotive Shop.
August 5, 1975
- PC begins recalling 550 employees furloughed in June to Altoona under USRA-funded equipment repair program.
April 1, 1976
- The Penn Central RR and many others are merged into the Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail).
- The Sam Rae Car Shop is renamed the Hollidaysburg Car Shop.
April 9, 1981
- Miscellaneous Shop #1, which during the steam era was a boiler shop, is destroyed by fire. The paint shop at
the time was next door and was saved possibly due to its "fire proof" roof.
1982
- A new modern paintshop is constructed on the site of Misc. Shop #1, which was destroyed by fire the previuos year.
1983
- A major modernization program is completed, bringing JBS up to state-of-the-art technological standards for
diesel locomotive maintenance. Included in this modernization was the addition of 'E bay' which enclosed a large
open area between the original E&M shop and the original Juniata Shop buildings.
May 1, 1991
- Conrail's Office Car Special maintenance is moved from Reading to Juniata.
November 1994
- The first new locomotive is built at the Juniata Shop since 1946 under contact from Electro-Motive Division.
Many more would come.
April 1998
- The Altoona Railroaders' Memorial Museum opens the Master Mechanics building, built 1882 and once part of
the Altoona Machine Shops.
November 1998-June 1999
- Only time in history that new EMD and GE locomotive are built under the same roof, Juniata Locomotive Shop.
June 1, 1999
- Conrail is split between CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Corporation.
- OCS maintenance is concentrated at Juniata, but there is no longer special OCS power.
2002
- Norfolk Southern closes the Hollidaysburg Car Shop.
January 1, 2005
- Any locomotive rebuilt or overhauled after this date has an Auxiliary Power Unit installed. The APU circulates
engine fluids which helps emissions and fuel consumption when the main engine is shut down. The APU also allows
the main engine to be shut down in cold weather.
January 2006
- AltoonaWorks.info is created as a tribute to Altoona's railroading heritage.
March 2007
- The Juniata Shops complete overhauls on three of four F units to power Norfolk Southern's OCS trains,
replacing regular freight power.
- NS 100, the first 'genset' built in Altoona, is released from the Juniata Shops.
Sources:
- PRR Chronology by Chris Baer
- Pennsy Power by Alvin Staufer
- NRHS Horseshoe Curve Chapter
- Conrail Historical Society
- other online sources
Copyright © 2007-2008 Lance Myers. All rights reserved.