Gallitzin - 'Bird Eye Road'?

Folks, and especially folks who know the Gallitzin area; would you be so kind as to comment on the following:

A few weeks ago I took my kids on a long-promised trip to the Horseshoe / Gallitzin area. We ended up in a VERY strange place there last time. There's a famous location there called Bennington Curve. Have a look at this google map of the East portals of Gallitzin tunnels:

http://maps.google.com/maps?client=safa ... 23775&z=16

You see a road called 'Bird Eye Road'? It's marked on the map, it's a public road, it has a name, it goes to an old abandoned cemetery... it looks a bit close to the tracks. Sure enough, when you get there you're literally driving down the ballast, about 10ft from the track! Weird place, I'd never have thought of going down there - but the map is unambiguous about it being a public road. How on earth did the tracks get built so close to a road? Or vice-versa. There's a barrier across the road - well it's not a road, it's a dirt track - just East of the marked location of Bennington Cemetery, so the 'round trip' which looks to be possible via Bird Eye Road and Strip Mines Road is no longer possible. Still it's an interesting location, I was surprised to find only one other carload of railfans down there - is it a well-known spot? Googling it shows _nothing_!

Yeah you can go down the dirt road to there. (but, read the last line)

I did researched and saw this cementary and dirt road in 94 or 95. I went to CR Juntia shop and talked to CR cop. They said that I can go down there without any problem. However they advised me to that if I decide to go down there, I would need 4x4... That time I didn't had - just Olds cutlass supreme... not an ideal off-road vehicle.

But while I was sitting at top of the hill, a fancy conversion van went down the dirt road.. keep in mind that the trees and bushes werent trimmed.. They even made down to the track.

Since that day, I have 4x4 truck now, but I have not had any chance to go down there. And I need to stop by Juntia shop to talk with NS cops again to assure that they, like CR, dont have any problem with me going down there. 2 different companies, 2 different minds, you know... and NS cops are more harsh on railfans - cant trust them.

You can drive down the road and you don't "need" a 4x4. I was there in sept. There is a sign that reads travel at your own risk at the beginning. It goes through state game lands. There is another dirt road on the other side of the tracks too but I didn't go down that one. Someone there told me you can drive and watch from that road as well.

mikedc3 wrote:You can drive down the road and you don't "need" a 4x4. I was there in sept. There is a sign that reads travel at your own risk at the beginning. It goes through state game lands. There is another dirt road on the other side of the tracks too but I didn't go down that one. Someone there told me you can drive and watch from that road as well.

thanks for update. Back in mid 90's, you would definately need one. It wasn't evenly road, deep gut from water run-off. And I havent gone back to see the road since then.

Roads like this are always interesting to me as they represent some of the best access to railfanning in ruel areas. Out west they are every where. Look up the Santa Fe Fire Road among others.

I went to Horseshoe last weekend and I found a really good spot.

Put this into Google maps, it's the sites coordinates: 40.496742,-78.428854

gprimr1 wrote:Roads like this are always interesting to me as they represent some of the best access to railfanning in ruel areas. Out west they are every where. Look up the Santa Fe Fire Road among others.

I went to Horseshoe last weekend and I found a really good spot.

Put this into Google maps, it's the sites coordinates: 40.496742,-78.428854

I think that location is called the Brickyard, by the locals. I went there a few times when I lived in PA, good spot!