There is disappointment growing in one Cambria County town ahead of the much anticipated appearance of the Union Pacific railroad’s ‘Big Boy’ locomotive.
As we reported last week, Union Pacific said Big Boy will be traveling through a side tunnel outside Gallitzin when it comes over the mountain from the Horseshoe Curve.
That means it will not come through the main tunnels in the middle of the town.
Members of the Gallitzin Borough Council say they had no idea that the largest locomotive in the world would not be coming through the part of town that they are most proud of.
Gallitzin’s Tunnels Park and Museum sit across the tracks from the Tunnel Inn and right by their Alleghany Tunnel.
But according to Big Boy’s published route, it will not be coming exactly that way.
Thus, the borough council says it is pleading with Union Pacific to change course and allow railroad fans the excitement of seeing that steam locomotive coming right out of their tunnel.
Members of Gallitzin’s tourist council say everybody from police and fire to everyday citizens are preparing for the nation’s anniversary, and when they first heard about Big Boy they were overjoyed but then dismayed.
“We thought, ‘oh wow, we’re going to have it coming right out of our Allegheny Tunnel.’ But now they will be using the new Portage Tunnel, which is on the south side of town. There’s another bridge up there. It will be coming that way. Although, you can’t see the tunnel from that bridge. So, there will be a lot of disappointed fans in that regard.”
In an email shared last week, Union Pacific said the path through Gallitzin is subject to change.
We reached out again to the company this week to see if they are making any changes to the Gallitzin visit, but we have not heard back yet.