In WWII there were over 350 passenger trains through Altoona per day; now there are 3.
The PRR, NYC, and other RR's needed 4 or more tracks to handle the hundereds of freights daily; now you are lucky to see 70 freights per day on a 3 track mainline, that was once 4 tracked.
NS will eventually be 2 tracked, with passing sidings, and NS regularly underpowers freights, and tell them to get as far as they can up the "Hill", until they stall (then they send helpers, cut off from a passing train).
Tracks that were once used heavily, are now only used during derailments that block the mainline.
Once a track gets to such a delapiated condition with sinking sub-roadbed (like PC was: a standing derailment, just waiting to happen), all the ties and rails need to be replaced, and the entire sub-roadbed needs undercutting, cleaning, and re-balasting, with laying new ties, spikes, tie plates, pandol clips, joiner bars, and new rails ... which is esentually re-laying a brand new track and trackbed.
It probably costs more to quick patch a 4 track mainline (one track at a time), than to re-lay a once abandoned line from scratch.
As 50 passengers were awaiting the Pennsylvanian at the Altoona station, up track 4 came one of the several stinky NYC Garbage/Trash trains. Almost everybody was baffing, or running up the steps for fresher air. Nice conditions we have here, few trains, unergonomic user unfriendly scheduals, and overcrowded sparce trains. Makes sence.
