| New Portage. Here is a portion of an unidentified map that depicts a small part of western Blair County, Pennsylvania. Shown here is the upper part of the New Portage Railroad's right-of-way. At the bottom is the Muleshoe Curve and at the top is the New Portage Tunnel near Gallitzin. The New Portage Line was constructed to replace the Allegheny Portage Railroad with its ten inclined planes, but was paid for by Pennsylvania taxpayers. Construction of the Line began in 1852 and was completed in 1855. It was then purchased by the privately-owned Pennsylvania Railroad in 1857 and promptly abandoned. It was later rebuilt and double-tracked by the PRR in 1903. The second or eastbound track was torn up by the PRR in 1955, while the remaining track was torn up by Conrail and the line abandoned once again during 1981. |