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Altoona Horseshoe Curve: A Vital Link
Background Information for Teachers

The Pennsylvania Railroad [PRR] became the nation's first trans-Allegheny through-service rail line when its Horseshoe Curve and Allegheny Tunnel were opened in 1854. During the Civil War, the PRR provided heroic service to the Union. At the same time, it took extraordinary measures to safeguard the security of its property. It is reported that encampments with low stone battlements were built atop the two ridges within which the Curve rests. Confederate forces made several attempts to disrupt the Pennsylvania's operations; but, as it turned out, there was no immediate threat to the Horseshoe Curve.

Labor unrest and popular anti-corporate sentiment in 1877 and at other junctures in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, led most railroads to employ police and security personnel. Politically potent, railway companies readily obtained the services of National Guard units and the United States Army when disruptions threatened and railroad property seemed endangered. State police intelligence units also played a role. All of these security groups plus direct federal government control and operation of the nation's railroads during World War I, secured the rails at that time. Counter-intelligence provided by the U.S. Army's Continental Command was also helpful in preventing sabotage of railroads.

World War II found the United States more ready and able than ever to protect its war-related transportation and industrial infrastructure. The Federal Bureau of Investigation had become a first-class professional organization by the 1930s; and, the wartime Office of Strategic Services, while mainly a foreign intelligence-gathering agency, devoted attention to domestic threats as well. Military intelligence again played a key role. State and local police intelligence squads also kept steady alerts for potential sabotage. Added to these agencies were civilian groups such as Air Raid Wardens and others who kept constant vigilance, lest enemy agents or domestic dissidents hatch plots to undercut the US war effort. Working within this generally effective network were the police and special security agents of the privately-owned Pennsylvania Railroad.

The above essay broadly discusses state of security for United States railroad network from the opening of the Horseshoe Curve in 1854 to pre-World War II. For thorough background information on the development of the Horseshoe Curve, see The Pennsylvania Archives Document Heritage online.

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