Plasser American Donates GRM2000 To Penn State – Altoona Railroad Engineering Program
Written by David C. Lester, Editor-in-Chief
Plasser American GRM2000 tamper, the model donated to Penn State – Altoona. Photo courtesy Plasser American.
ALTOONA, Pa. –– This week, Plasser American Corporation donated a $200,000 GRM2000 tamper to the Penn State – Altoona Railroad Engineering Program.
Penn State University – Altoona offers the nation’s first and only bachelor’s degree program in rail engineering. The University is located near Norfolk Southern’s Horseshoe Curve, which is considered one of the most interesting and historical railroad engineering wonders in the world. Altoona is also adjacent to NS’s line from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh and serves as a gateway through the Allegheny Mountains.
The railroad engineering program covers the following:
- Engineering of rail and track structures
- Civil engineering proficiency
- Rail operating practices and safety
- Wheel and track dynamics
- Construction and maintenance of railroad infrastructure
- Railroad communications and signals
- Business, accounting, and management know-how
- Railroad history
- Government and labor relations
At Penn State – Altoona this week, Plasser American president and CEO Thomas Blechinger, according to the Altoona Mirror, said that the donation of “a $200,000 GRM2000 tamper machine from Plasser American to Penn State – Altoona is not just a donation, but an investment in the next generation, in safety and in the long-term strength of the American rail network.”
Blechinger said that the University’s rail transportation engineering program is a “national asset,” and “the only bachelor’s program of its kind.”
As part of his remarks at the donation ceremony, Blechinger also said “We’re not giving this to you to look at. We’re giving it to you to use, to understand and to challenge because that’s how engineers are made; not through theory alone, but when theory meets steel. We believe in what you’re doing here.”
The Mirror also reported that Penn State – Altoona Chancellor Ron Darbeau said “By providing this gift, the GRM2000, it is another indication of the industry’s investment in what we’re doing. It’s a nod to the quality of students we graduate, and I am deeply grateful for the evolving partnerships that are happening between us, the museum and the industry in general.”
Penn State – Altoona locomotive donated to the University by Norfolk Southern, now housed at the Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum. Photo courtesy Penn State – Altoona.
