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Observation End of Penna. Limited, on Horseshoe Curve.
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Observation End of the Penna. Limited, on the Horseshoe Curve, by William Rau. Passengers dressed in their finery, sit outside, at the rear of the train, as it travels around the Horseshoe Curve.

Credit: Courtesy of American Premier Underwriters, Inc. (reproduction provided by the Library Company of Philadelphia)

In the 1800s passenger trains revolutionized Pennsylvanians" lives by collapsing time and space. For the first time people could move at unprecedented speeds across mountains, rivers, swamps and open ground, regardless of the weather or season. Rail travel also enabled people to see the state and the nation. A leisurely way to pass the time on a trip was to sit on the open platform of the observation car. In this photo passengers take in the sites as they pass through Pennsylvania's famous Horseshoe Curve.

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