Virtual railfan cameras11/18/2023 ![]() Shuniak spent three years creating a picnic and viewing area near the bridge for people to enjoy, and local businesses and private parties have donated benches and tables to accommodate visitors. They know the conductors that are on those trains.” “A lot of them even know the engineers that are on the trains. Shuniak said the rail fans not only know when the trains are coming through, but where they are heading and what they are carrying. “It is a huge hobby among people, and they are just so knowledgeable about the railroads that run in this country,” he said. Starting with just two rooms, the nearby trains drummed up enough business for Shuniak to expand to six with free wifi service. It wasn’t long before Shuniak converted this business into the Cassandra Railroad Overlook Motel. “I was just curious and went up to the bridge,” he said, “and these people were standing on the bridge with cameras, and I just asked them what they were doing, and they said, ‘We’re just here to photograph trains.’ ” Sitting in front of his building, which housed his used car dealership and auto body shop, Shuniak said, “three or fours cars went by, and I noticed that they were all out-of-state plates.” He said that the cars were headed up to an old pedestrian bridge that crosses over the railroad and that nobody ever waved the way a local or visiting relative would do. ![]() Situated exactly halfway by rail between Johnstown and Altoona, Cassandra has become a required stop for train enthusiasts, and Cassandra native John Shuniak figured that out one day in the late 1990s. ![]() “It’s a long stretch that goes down to Portage, and it’s a pretty cool shot to get with the sun setting in the background and the train coming east – it’s a pretty cool shot.” “That’s a nice point looking west,” Jones said. Not realizing in the beginning that people even watched trains as a hobby, Jones is discovering a passion for photography and has already passed his passion onto his son, Benjamin, 11: “He’s all about trains.”Īlthough he enjoys capturing images of trains anywhere in the country, Cassandra is Jones’ favorite spot. Heading out once or twice a week, Jones regularly taps internet chat rooms, websites such as Trainorders and a Youtube channel featuring live views of the Horseshoe Curve to plan his excursions. It’s something that I think everyone should experience.” “Just the power, the variety of cars, and how long the train is,” he said.
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