I would like to visit the Altoona rail shops in PA

I believe you can get a glimpse inside on a weekend in the fall. It's an interesting place, but it's way more fun to be there when it's working full bore ;)

What was this place for?

The NS locomotive shops.

Can you explain that more clearly?

Sorry I responed to the wrong thread

Primarily railcar construction. Pressed Steel Car originally specialized in tank cars, I believe.

There was another plant owned by Trinity nearby which was also used to build jeeps during WWII. I forget who owned that one before Trinity.

Trinity bought all this and liquidated it, which is why I was there. No, they aren't trying to eliminate all their competitors. It just looks that way! ;)

I always hear the more conservative politicians talk about free market economics and how competition is a great thing. And yet nobody seems to be doing anything to keep the market competing. We've got three car companies left, only two of which are US-owned. And one of them seems to make mistake after mistake, not counting having to be baled out during the recession. Japan has something like 7 or 8 still very viable companies. I don't know too much about the state of rail companies, but I can't imagine there are that many still around.

My rule: ALL politicians are basically worthless :) They are owned by special interests of one sort or another, and have little knowledge to understand an increasingly complex and technical world :)

Isn't it funny how small "resource-poor" countries like Germany and Japan can continue to be industrial powerhouses? Not that they don't have their economic issues, but...

Lol pretty much, yeah. I used conservatives as an example because they're always preaching pro-market philosophies. But yeah, they're all bought out by somebody.

Notice too that they manage too that they manage to do it while being more pro-union than we are. In fact I believe, if I remember correctly, the unions in Germany actively participate in running the companies in some way or another.

Internet shows a good chunk of these buildings still standing as of early 2015, surprisingly!