The Norfolk Sothern’s Pittsburgh Line is the main artery for NS connecting the Mid-West and the East Coast. This Pittsburgh Line runs from milepost PT 353.3 (Pittsburgh, PA) to milepost PT 118.9 (Duncannon, PA) and crosses right through the heart of the Allegheny Mountains. This line was constructed by the Pennsylvania Railroad in the 1800s and eventually was taken over by Conrail in 1976. Then in 1999, the Conrail split, and the NS ended up with the Pittsburgh Line to itself. The history of the Pennsy Railroad was very apparent until 2019 when the documented Position Lights were removed from existence. One of the most well-known operations on the Pittsburgh Line has been manned helpers that operate on the line to get heavy trains over the mountains. During the Conrail days and into NS the days SD40-2s were used, then NS used SD40Es, and then that was phased out to SD70ACUs being used to this day. Norfolk Southern power leads every freight train due to cab signals but there have been rare occurrences where a foreign leader leads due to unusual events. The mix of intermodal, unit trains, mixed freight, and the Amtrak Pennsylvanian make it an exciting line to fan. Of course, Horseshoe Curve is the main attraction for the casual fan, families, and tourists from all over the world, but you need to follow the line to really take in what the railroad has to offer in these parts.
