Lecture highlights history of RR towns

For almost 100 years, the Pennsylvania Railroad was the powerhouse of the rails. During the height of the company's power, its annual budget was larger than that of the federal government.

The massive steam engines that climbed the mountains and traversed the country all sprung from the small western Pennsylvania town of Altoona.

Peter Barton, director of the Nevada State Railroad Museum, will present a free lecture at 7 p.m. Wednesday focusing on the Pennsylvania Railroad Co.'s impact and importance to Altoona because of its manufacturing and repair facilities.

Barton said he will talk about why the company chose Altoona, what skills were required to build and maintain the massive steam engines, and how the changes to railroad technology affected the community.

"It's a different perspective of a historic railroad out East and connections to us out West," Barton said.

He will also talk about the decline of the community after companies switched from steam to diesel power in the 1950s.

"Thousands of workers had to go look for work elsewhere when the railroads went to diesel. The boilermakers and maintainers were no longer needed, and diesel engines were easier to maintain," Barton said.

Barton said the Pennsylvania city is similar to Sparks, but on a much larger scale.

"They were both born and survived by the railroads. Hundreds of engines were repaired in Sparks before heading over the mountains," Barton said.

Before Barton joined the State Railroad Museum, he served as the executive director of the community railroad museum in Altoona.

The program will also include a viewing of the documentary "Altoona at Work: An Era of Steam." Produced in 1997 for the Altoona museum, the 27-minute film won the U.S. State Department Golden Eagle Award for a documentary best portraying American life and culture.

• Contact reporter Jarid Shipley at jshipley@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.

If you go

What: "Altoona at Work: An Era of Steam" presentation by Peter Barton

When: 7 p.m. Wednesday

Where: Nevada State Railroad Museum, 2180 S. Carson St.

INFO: 687-6953 or www.nevada

culture.org