The Tyrone History Museum will host an informational introduction to a new book by Leonard E. Alwine and David W. Seidel titled Images of Rail: Altoona and Logan Valley Electric Railway on Thursday, November 3 at 7 p.m. at the Tyrone History Museum.
The program, titled “Blair County’s Forgotten Railway” will include an exhibition, presentation and question and answer session with the authors.
Published by Arcadia Publishing in early October, this 128-page book discusses the Altoona and Logan Valley Electric Railway, dating back to 1882.
The Arcadia Publishing website describes the book, “The Altoona and Logan Valley Electric Railway has humble origins, but it quickly became a viable transportation system serving the city of Altoona.
“The railway employed 300 people, transported 11.5 million passengers a year, and traveled 7,220 scheduled route miles a day until economic conditions forced the line to discontinue service on June 2, 1954.
“Altoona and Logan Valley Electric Railway documents the history of a streetcar network that served the employees of the Pennsylvania Railroad as well as the community. Through 200 images and informed narrative, this book retraces the history of the Altoona and Logan Valley Electric Railway and its successor, the Logan Valley Bus Company.”
The book ties into Tyrone’s railway history when, in 1901, Tyrone businessmen organized the Tyrone Street Railway which was to run from Tyrone to Bellwood.
Branch lines to Nealmont and East Tyrone were soon built and by 1902 four cars were in operation.
A year later, Tyrone was also linked with Altoona and Hollidaysburg when it was absorbed by the Altoona and Logan Valley Street Railway.
In 1916 the 12-mile railway ride from Tyrone to Altoona took 30 minutes.
Authors Leonard Alwine and David Seidel are involved with many area organizations and are very knowledgeable when it comes to area railroad history.
Alwine is a member of the Horseshoe Curve Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, the Railways to Yesterday and Rockhill Trolley Museum, and the Lakemont Park Historical Museum. He has written numerous works on railroad and firefighting history.
Seidel is a founding member of Horseshoe Curve Chapter NRHS, serves as its chapter historian, and is a frequent contributor to the chapter’s website and publications. He also is a founding member of the Railroader’s Memorial Museum and its predecessor, the Altoona Railway Museum Club.
For more information, visit the Arcadia Publishing website at www.arcadiapublishing.com or the Tyrone Area Historical Society website at www.tyronehistory.org.
The public is invited to attend this event, meet the authors and discuss area railroad history.
