Carl Huth’s The Reading Lines in Southeast PA, HO Scale, time frame is between 1952 and 1976, with all diesel motive power. Most trains are mixed freight, 2 passenger trains, and a circus train. Our operating nights consist of 24 scheduled trains, with coal extras and locals thrown in as needed.
The system is EasyDCC by CVP Products. All main line switch motors are 28vdc. rotary relays, controlled both from the CTC tower and at local positions. All track is code 100 flex, and various brands of switches. There are 13 yards of various sizes. The largest yard is Rutherford Pa. with a capacity of 300 cars, Reading and Philadelphia yards are a little smaller.
The track plan is in the shape the letter "X", with Reading at the center. The Reading was a bridge line, passing trains on from the west to east and back. Coal was their major product with mines in the northeast Pa. area. There are 4 hidden staging areas, West Trenton with 4 tracks, Harrisburg and Shippensburg with 3 tracks each, and 2 tracks at the east end of Philadelphia.
The layout takes up about 1800 sq. ft. with a work shop, storage area and a men's room. It's about 25 years old now, a large work in progress.
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