PRR Allegheny Subdivision

[shark_jj]

Asciibaron, here are a few shots of my previous layout, showing the Curve and the K4.  It is currently in a box just waiting for the day when it will once again sit in the sunshine.

[Mark5]

West side of the Curve

Effective use of photos in the backdrop. 

[GonzoCRFan]

Damn John, that's a nice model of The Curve. How wide across is it?

It's almost too bad you don't model it in 2007, or you could put a model of these bozos up there:





 ;D

[asciibaron]

i might have to get a Passport so I can see that sucker...

-Steve

[shark_jj]

GonzoCRFan, I started out modelling the current day.  I even started switching to NS from Conrail.  By way of background, I have been visiting the Curve since 1968 so my roots are in PRR, PC, and early Conrail.  In HO I modelled the Pennsy, but when I switched to N, I didn't see a whole lot of PRR equipment but I wanted to model the Curve.  This lead to modern day Conrail/NS.  As you all know equipment availibility has changed dramatically in the last few years and I wanted to change the layout to make it more prototypical and the previous Curve was fully enclosed with the reservoir being a pop up.  I will be 60 this year and that pop up was getting tough when I wanted to clean track.  In this version I still wanted the interior scenery on the Curve which is why I went with the slide out.  Now I can pull the reservoir out and walk into the Curve for maintenance or working on scenery etc.  The old Curve occupied an area that was 12 feet long by 10 feet wide.  This Curve is slightly smaller.  8 feet deep by 8 feet wide.

Here is the only photo I have taken in the Conrail days on the old Curve.



PS: you will note the K4 had been replaced with the Geep and this photo taught me a valuable lesson about how bright those woodlands scenics trees look in photographs.

[wm3798]

Shark, you have absolutely nailed that scene.  Having visited regularly since 1968, you could probably build it blindfolded.  The slide-out reservoir is a great idea.

Lee

[Dave V]

I agree 100%. I've been to the Curve a few times myself...  That absolutely nails it!  And, this reinforces my belief that this is where N scale shines.  You really can capture the size of the Curve in N without having a warehouse in your backyard.

Good on you, Shark; can't wait to see more!

[Caleb Austin]

NICE!!I awesome backdrop!

[inkaneer]

Nice job!!!!  I am glad to see someone else models the hallowed ground of the PRR east slope.  I never made it to the curve when PRR steam ruled to hear what some called the "Symphony of the Alleghenies".  But I have been there since and will go back again and again and again.  I have accumulated a lot of information on the curve in an effort to model it in 1:160 scale.  It is very doable.  The 12 X 10 area that was mentioned will accomodate the curve with no compression.  I have seen several models of the Curve done in HO scale with a lot of compression and the effect was just not there. 

[Dave V]

I have seen several models of the Curve done in HO scale with a lot of compression and the effect was just not there. 

How about those folks that stick a factory or a roundhouse in the middle of the Curve?  I'd rather just not do the Curve at all if I couldn't capture the isolation and scale of it all.

[shark_jj]

Hi all.  I've been missing in action for a while.  I've been heavily involved with CARM (Canadian Association of Railway Modellers) activities, working on a 20X40 HO modular layout my N scale operating group decided to build as a sideline, and organizing and running a new Train Show.  In between I have still been working on the Allegheny Division so I thought I might post a few updates to let you know how I am progressing.

In this first post I will share some photos from the first true operating session on the layout.  I wanted to test just how it would run and so I created a schedule for a two hour operating session.  This would let me know if the times I had set out were adequate and whether the helper operations on the grade were feasable.  From lower level staging to upper level staging, it takes a train running at scale speed, 15 real minutes.  Closer to 20 real minutes if one has to stop and tie on helpers and then release them in Cresson. 

I had 8 operators in the layout room and the first good thing was that the open spaces that had been created in this design proved adequate for 8 guys.  These are 4 of the fellows from my N scale operating group.



In this photo we see a manifest (NF8) making its way upgrade.



Photos 3 and 4 show the helpers operating behind the train.  Someday those SD40's will get repainted.





The helper operation worked like a charm with no derailments as a result of the pushers.  It does take effective ongoing communication between the head end engineer and the helper engineer.  I made sure that two of our best operators were assigned to the helper positions.

[shark_jj]

I also resolved the problem I had been having with manual switch controls.  I have been using DPDT switches under the layout with a solid airplane control rod out through the fascia.  The troublesome part of this was getting the positioning of the hole through the fascia in the right place, plus since it was a rigid system, I had switches in a few locations which didn't lend themselves to this system.  The solution that I came up with was to use flexible airplane control rods known as GOLD-N-ROD.  Works like a charm.  Have converted over 80 switch controls to this system.  Here are some photos of the installs.

Here is the original rigid system.



Here are some standard GOLD-N-ROD installs.



This photo shows the most interesting install and the flexiblity of these rods.  The curved rod shown in this photo is going to a turnout which is 2 feet directly left of where the rod comes through the fascia.  The rod makes a 180 degree turn in an arc to control the turnout and operates "smooth as silk".



This photo shows the rods coming through the fascia.  I have not yet installed knobs on the end of the rods.  Thats the next step.

[shark_jj]

Finally, over the last two weeks I got a real "bee in my bonnet" to get going on the Curve again.  My goal was to get the "greenery" finished so that I could start to work on the detail stuff, the reservoir, the road, and the gift shop.  Here are some views of the current status.

First a photo by Edward Miller from the book Pennsylvania Standard Railroad of the World by Jeremy Plant and Robert Yanosey so that you have a sense of what I am trying to achieve.



Here is the current state with most of the trees installed.  I had the camera up around the ceiling.  I really must buy some lights to help me take better photos.



A close up of the park.  The horseshoe and the flagpole are not installed, I just wanted to see what they looked like.  The flagpole is ok, the horseshoe however is too large.  The next one I make will have to be about 75% of the size of this one.

[shark_jj]

Somewhere I read a tip about using Pot Toppers from Michaels to simulate long grass in HO.  I decided to see how it would work in N Scale.  Here is a shot of the top of the Curve with some of the Pot Topper installed to represent long grass along the right of way.

[wm3798]

This is the gift that keeps on giving!  Amazing progress...
Lee