41 Denholm

 

The Norfolk Southern requires passenger operations to slow to 50 mph for the 3.6 degree curve at the base of Blacklog Mountain at the east end of the Jacks Narrows section of the Juniata River Valley. The speed reduction would be solved by the realignment in yellow from milepost 157.7 (40.608739N77.450569W) to milepost 157.2 (40.607639N77.444017W). This would be a 1 degree curve capable potentially of 110 mph.  

This site is near Denholm, PA. In the days of steam locomotive operations in the period 1910 to 1957,  a large coal was located at Denholm. The Pennsylvania Railroad's coal and water facility was 12 tracks wide at Denholm.  Stopping for coal and/ or water lengthened the time on the road between terminals.

Elsewhere on the PRR track pans were placed between rails filled with water. These track pan locations were 800 to 1200 feet long. A scoop was lowered from the locomotive tender. The forward motion of the locomotive forced water into the tender tank at speed.

 

The signal bridge in the distance is at milepost 157.8 at the beginning of Blacklog curve into Jacks Narrows looking east from near Denholm, PA. The soot covered space between the light colored ballast between the track on the left and the track occupied by the freight train on the right is the result of decades of steam locomotives passing through the coal wharf that once spanned 12 tracks nearby.