The worst RR was the Wopsononock RR (Kittanning Indian dialect), meaning: "White (mans) Rock Land" aka: Wopsy RR, aka: Altoona Northern, aka: Altoona Ebensburg & Eastern, aka: Altoona Johnstown NantyGlo Ebensburg & Eastern, and was renamed @ 7 other RR names. The most often bankrupted and traded RR in Pa, it was created as a 36" NG tourist RR in 1897, later SG in 1902, and survived as a coal & lumber line finally closing in 1920. The rocky roadbed is still maintained by avid wintertime snowmobilers tread tracks, by equestrian horse riders, and by the Juniata Hunting & Sportsmens Association. The wooden RR ties are still in place in certain spots even though they are over a century old, and the RR ballast was indidgonous limesone slabs and rock cut right from the hillsides. Very little, or no real RR ballast was used, earthen fills were the norm, and it truely was a backwoods rustic RR.
Its creation was for taking the rich & famous coal, oil and banking barrons families as vacationers from Juniata (elevation 1000') up to the summit at the Wopsononck Hotel & Resort (elevation 2750'). In 1902 a raging forest fire (thought to be from locomotive sparks) destroyed the Wopsy Hotel, Phiadelphia Tobagan Co Merry Go Round, Horse Stables, and 2 mile long wooden boardwalk out to the 4 story wooden Wopsononock Overlook bandstand tower, which served a dance hall for elegant women in hoop dress's and elaborate hats of the era, and men in tuxsedos, derbys, and top hats. The hotel was declared a total loss with an underinsured rebuilding value of $125.000.00, a huge sum of money in that day and age.
The ride from Hollidaysburg (still the home of the Slinky Toy factory) to Juniata via the Altoona Electric trolly system cost an astronomical 45 cents, and the 11 mile steam locomotive ride from Juniata, up to the Wopsy Hotel summit, cost a whopping 15 cents !
Elaine Conrad, and her late husband maintained a great webpage, with hundereds of links all about the WopsyRR and Altoona. Sadly the original webpage has been discontinued and lost forever.
http://wopsylady.webs.com/
http://wopsylady.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=59515210
Urban legands of the "Lady In White" ghost stories are associated in the Wopsy Hotel area near the trecherous Devils Elbow mountain road catstrophy which claimed the lives the womans husband and infant in a horse and buggy cliffside accident. And in this photo the "Ghost of the Lady In White" is thought to be seen in the second story right central window above the porch steps enterance:
http://wopsylady.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=58837238
The Lady in White ghost is thought to still inhabit the scene of the wreck searching for her loved ones. It is rumored that people who stop to assist the lady in white, who like a banshee is standing in the middle of darkened mountain roadway at night, and drivers who stop give her a ride, look in the rear view mirror, startled to see no refection of the aberation who is sitting right in their backseat.
Other worthless off topic rambling, a segway of irrelevant triva: Boyer Mallow Cups, Boyer Peanut Butter Cups, and Boyer Smoothies are manufactured in Central Altoona, and the Benzel Brothers Bretzel & Cookie factory in South Altoona are still in operation. Bretzels are not your average pretzel, hence the intentional mis-speling by the Bretzel Factory and is a registered trademark. Sadly, Waffle King a 40 year old Altoona resturaunt icon was sold to a loser soon to be going out of business italian resturaunt. Altoona tower is slated for complete demolishion, or movement to a possible relocation site a couple thousand feet away, to the RR Memorial Museum, soon.
