What is the WORST city or town in Pennsylvania? (Erie: how much, job openings)

[mancat100]

Originally Posted by pman

if the state had any sense it would be restoring train service to reading & philly as well as hershey and harrisburg via lebanon. you can see the positive impact its having on the keystone corridor towns.

Yes. That would help.

[CHIP72]

Norfolk Southern would probably have issues with any passenger rail service between Harrisburg and Reading via Lebanon.

With all the Mon Valley towns mentioned, I'm surprised Homestead wasn't mentioned.

[PhillyPhan95]

Gotta throw in a vote for the city of Coatesville.... What a mess.

[escilade18]

Originally Posted by CHIP72

Norfolk Southern would probably have issues with any passenger rail service between Harrisburg and Reading via Lebanon.

With all the Mon Valley towns mentioned, I'm surprised Homestead wasn't mentioned.

At least Homestead has shopping at the Waterfront, a lot of the Valley towns lack any decent shopping whatsoever

[2nd trick op]

Originally Posted by pman

if the state had any sense it would be restoring train service to reading & philly as well as hershey and harrisburg via lebanon. you can see the positive impact its having on the keystone corridor towns.

The problem with this is that the Keystone Corridor has very few highway crossings, is electrified and signalled for operation at speeds up to 100, possibly 110 MPH. The Reading line to Harrisburg (which passes within 50 yards of my "downstate" home), is geared to freights at 40-50 MPH, and hosts about thirty of them every day -- and about twice that number west of Reading.

To make a direct New York-Allentown-Reading-Harrisburg service viable, the freight would have to be re-routed. probably via the "Trenton Cutoff" via Harrisburg's West Shore (Enola); Columbia, Coatesville and Norristown. There would also be the problem of crossing or joining the Northeast Corridor (passenger) and former Royal Blue (Baltimore and Ohio / freight ) lines in the vicinity of Trenton. All this is feasible in theory -- the grade is intact, but cut down to a single track for no more than four moves a day. The combination of diverting the freight and upgrading the two lines would require a generous supply of FeddyBucks.

Not likely to materialize within the remaining life expectancy of most of the regulars here.

[pman]

Originally Posted by 2nd trick op

The problem with this is that the Keystone Corridor has very few highway crossings, is electrified and signalled for operation at speeds up to 1oo, possibly 110 MPH. The Reading line to Harrisburg (which passes within 50 yards of my "downstate" home, is geared to freights at 40-50 MPH, and hosts about thirty of them every day -- and about twice that number west of Reading.

To make a direct New York-Allentown-Reading-Harrisburg service viable, the freight would have to be re-routed. probably via the "Trenton Cutoff" via Harrisburg's West Shore (Enola); Columbia, Coatesville and Norristown. There would also be the problm of crossing or joining the Noertheast Corridor (passenger) and former Royal Blue (Baltimore and Ohio / freight ) lines in the vicinity of Trenton. All this is feasible in theory -- the grade is intact, but cut down to a single track for no more than four moves a day. The combination of diverting the freight and upgrading the two lines would require a generous supply of FeddyBucks.

Not likely to materialize within the remaining life expectancy of most of the regulars here.

id imagine the speeds are in the 79 mph range. va has seen good ridership on conventional speed routes i dont see why this wpuld be any different. the route would go to philadelphia via reading , stopping in pottstown , phoenixville. no reason passenger and freight cant mix, happens every day.

[PreservationPioneer]

My votes on the western Pennsylvania side would be (in no order):

McKeesport
New Castle
New Kensington
Altoona

These towns have few redeeming features. What historic architecture they had, has largely been destroyed. Their downtowns have been gutted by demolition.

Reading is actually in quite beautiful shape compared to these western PA towns. Compare Reading to McKeesport, for instance. One is intact, preserved, and functional. The other is none of those things.

[SandyLuvsToTravel]

Oh how sad, especially that one downtown pic one of the Posters showed! I was born/raised in the 1950's in western PA (Monaca, in Beaver County). I remember very well the towns around there: Rochester, Aliquippa, Ambridge, Beaver Falls. So many places to work in that area; ConRail Yard, Kobuta, Kaufman's, American Bridge Company, J&L Steel.... and dozens of little diners, ice cream shops, clothing/shoe stores.

Have not been back there to visit since 1975 and wonder if the once-bustling downtown areas in those towns are now empty and forlorn looking

[PreservationPioneer]

Originally Posted by SandyLuvsToTravel

Oh how sad, especially that one downtown pic one of the Posters showed! I was born/raised in the 1950's in western PA (Monaca, in Beaver County). I remember very well the towns around there: Rochester, Aliquippa, Ambridge, Beaver Falls. So many places to work in that area; ConRail Yard, Kobuta, Kaufman's, American Bridge Company, J&L Steel.... and dozens of little diners, ice cream shops, clothing/shoe stores.

Have not been back there to visit since 1975 and wonder if the once-bustling downtown areas in those towns are now empty and forlorn looking

Monaca still looks okay, but probably a far cry from 40 years ago. Beaver Falls and Aliquippa's downtowns are rough. They tore down the old movie theater in Beaver Falls. Here's my Aliquippa photo tour: Discovering Historic Pittsburgh: Aliquippa, Pennsylvania (Photo Tour)

[SandyLuvsToTravel]

Originally Posted by PreservationPioneer

Monaca still looks okay, but probably a far cry from 40 years ago. Beaver Falls and Aliquippa's downtowns are rough. They tore down the old movie theater in Beaver Falls. Here's my Aliquippa photo tour: Discovering Historic Pittsburgh: Aliquippa, Pennsylvania (Photo Tour)

thanks kindly for the link/photo tour! such empty streets and folded buildings; nothing but ghosts and shadows remaining

they tore down all the movie theaters in Beaver Falls? Rialto, Regency, Granada, and State? Sad... We used to go there in the 1950's and watch films for .50 cents