GFE Stumpes: Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site (8/4/2025)

Monday, August 4, 2025

First stop today at the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site in Gallitzin, PA

Along Old Route 22 is Skew Arch Bridge that carried a
roadway over the railroad (1831-1834): the first railroad to
cross the Allegheny Mountains as an extension of the
Pennsylvania Main Line Canal, which was a direct
route between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh

The railroad included 10 inclined planes to haul canal boats
and barges over the divide between the Susquehanna
and Ohio Rivers, from the Main Line Canal in
Hollidaysburg to the Main Line Canal in Johnstown

Monument (1934) for the 100th anniversary of
the opening of the Allegheny Portage Railroad

Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site
Visitor Center (1992, renovated 2019)

Wire rope was introduced by John Roebling,
and was tested on Incline 3 in 1842

Model of Skew Arch Bridge

Model of Engine House No 6 and Lemon House

Full-scale model (1893, by Joseph York)
of The LaFayette steam locomotive (1837,
Norris Locomotive Works) represents the type
of engines used on the Allegheny Portage RR

Model of The George Washington steam locomotive
(1836, by Norris Locomotive Works), the first engine
to pull a load up a 7% incline (Belmont Inclined Plane
near Philadelphia) under its own power

Model (by Fred Connacher) of a passenger canal boat

Model of a cargo canal boat (no windows)

Inside a replica canal house boat

The Main Line Canal network, including the
Allegheny Portage Railway, assisted many
freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad

Goods were shipped in barrels, including ...

Dishware ...

... and cheese

A boardwalk down to Engine House No 6

Replica Engine House No 6 is located at the summit
of the railroad

Inclined Plane No 6 heads downhill to the east

Inside the Engine House, a stationary steam
engine powered the continuous rope to which
the cars carrying the canal boats were hitched
to be pulled up the hill or lowered downhill

Park volunteer Fred Connacher was also responsible for
recreating the workings of the stationary steam engine here

Lemon House (1834), a tavern to service passengers of
the Allegheny Portage Railroad; Samuel and Jean Lemon
originally moved to the area in 1826 and built a log tavern
for those traveling in Conestoga wagons moving west