I just picked up and read this months Trains and saw with some dismay that NS will be closing Alto Tower. On the bright side it looks like between the Pennsylvania Railroad Museum and the Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum, the interlockings and the building may very well be preserved. It is the passing of an era.
Even though I have moved to modelling the proto freelanced Grand Trunk Southern, I am still an SPF at heart as my two Horseshoe Curve based layouts attest. I have been to Altoona at least once a year continuously since 1970, my goodness, I just realized that is 42 years, and it won't seem the same without Alto or its operators and their instructions to train crews coming over the scanner.
I fully realize that change is inevitable, however, as long as Alto stood you could still imagine M1's and Tuscan E8's charging up the hill. It would be nice if the negotiations between the Museum and NS left the tower in its current position and open to visitors.
John
