ALTOONA, Pa. – On Saturday June 16, at 12:13 p.m., Norfolk Southern’s Alto tower in downtown Altoona was vacant for the first time in 97 years, as signal crews shifted authority from the Alto control operator to a Norfolk Southern train dispatcher. Maintenance crews also removed the classic Pennsylvania Railroad signal bridges from both ends of the interlocking, placing in service new color light signals on aluminum cantilevers and masts.
The closing of Alto completes a $6.3 million dollar project to modernize the interlockings within the 5-mile Altoona terminal, making way for the future installation of positive train control equipment along Norfolk Southern’s busy main line between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, Pa.
