Should I design the new layout for two eras?

[Denver Road Doug]

Well, I would say go for it.  Utilize the tricks mentioned and it should be do-able.

But, this is one of a few topics that I seem to get blasted from the planet for suggesting is a viable thing.  (along with using any vehicle that costs less than $20 on a layout, and a few others)   

One thing I will say is a risk and that's the economics of doing it.   If your hobby budget and/or time is somewhat limited, you could dilute your theme for both eras if it prevents you from buying/building key pieces.  (signals come to mind, at least in my case.  Not sure if the PRR stuff hung around that long but I'm thinking it would have at least until the late 90's.)

[ljudice]

Ed: okay, the thought here is that the line received some level of subsidization (as per the Southern Tier - and like the Tier it is organized as a district, not a division).  Central PA businesses, governments and of course Bethlehem Steel pushed very hard to keep the line open, which Conrail has relunctantly done. It is not cleared for doublestacks, but might be because some of it is pared down double track, offering additional tunnel clearance. It has become a principal route, however for Oak Island bound traffic to avoid congestion through Harrisburg, in addition to the Buffalo Line traffic which shows up on the busy middle piece around Williamsport/Lock Haven. It also carries autoparts traffic and steel from the west down to Edgewater, DE.  Also a lot of dimensional and military trains tend to be put onto this line.  It also sees the eastbound coal from the Clearfield area to power plants, ore and coke trains, etc.  In a word all the stuff I like.  Might even put the system maintenance of way shop somewhere in there too... 

Again the geography is Allentown (where HS interchanged with CNJ, LV) west to around Alliance, OH where it hooks up to jumble of lines that bisect through there.  The Buffalo line uses the HS from Williamsport to Lock Haven. I suspect D&H has some sort of access into Lock Haven and the yard and steel plant.

I also have a kind of cool idea for a website for the railroad - a completely retro - awful looking thing that looks like it was an early attempt by the district superintendent's nephew or someone - filled with geeky managers, interesting railroaders and model photos.  The people will be digital cartoons, something I do as another "hobby" as well as occassionally for my business.  For the older stuff, they could appear in black and white in a "history" section.   

[rogergperkins]

One approach for modeling two distinct eras of railroading on a single layout is based on creating an impression of an area and era without including all the fine details.

This approach is used successfully in theatrical stage productions, movie sets, and many other forms of art.  This is why I used the words poetic license in my initial comments.

I have described an approach that satisfied my own interest to recapture my own memories of 1940's in a small village in south central Illinois.   I have not included every stray dog and cat or any roadkill.   
I have a long range goal of scratch building some more retail business structures.  In the interim, I am using several kits as stand ins.

[lock4244]

One thing I will say is a risk and that's the economics of doing it.   If your hobby budget and/or time is somewhat limited, you could dilute your theme for both eras if it prevents you from buying/building key pieces.  (signals come to mind, at least in my case.  Not sure if the PRR stuff hung around that long but I'm thinking it would have at least until the late 90's.)

The PRR PL's were alive and well on the west slope of Horseshoe when I was there in 1999. Also, the PL's on the Buffalo Line were operational in 2009 when I was shooting the WNYP's Driftwood Turn, however they've since been de-energized and some heads pointed away from the tracks as I noted in October during my most recent visit.

[bman]

    I like the idea, as challenging as it sounds.  I'm trying to do the same with a small segment of the old PRR Panhandle on the east side of the Newcomerstown area(I don't have a lot of space for a layout), so I am thinking it will be easier for a smaller layout than a larger one.  I am building modular sections be able to (hopefully) make the scenery changes easier to do(I only have 12' along one wall in an apt).  With a little creativity and planning, I don't see where it would be too much to be able to pull off successfully.  The hardest thing I have run into is the economics of expanding my locomotive and freight car fleet to reflect the different eras.  For me, the best part has been reading books and watching videos to see what the area looked like through the years, as well as visiting the area today to see what has and hasn't changed.  Have fun with it.

[bbussey]

I plan on having a dual-era layout, 1956 and 1980.  I'm fortunate though in that the route between Bridgeport and New London still is in use today.  The Maybrook freight route is gone today, but it and Poughkeepsie Bridge will still exist in my 1980 world.

[wm3798]

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Why only two?
Lee

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I like the "avoid Harrisburg" idea. The HBG terminal can get to be a choke point, and that's now that a lot of it has been cleaned up.

There's also something else to think about. After the state of NY paid some of the tab to rehab the tier, CR was obligated to run a certain number of trains over it. When traffic dipped below that amount, they often ran trains of empty hoppers from one end to the other and back. How fun is that?

[ljudice]

Lee - awesome!

Ed - my thought would be that the line would have a fair base of traffic.  The yard between Lock Haven and Williamsport is called
AVIS I believe.  I think in the 1990's the hump if there ever was one would be closed and it would be used for some block swapping.
I would envision the NJ-Chicago/St Louis MAIL trains on the line, as well as 1-2 TV trains.   Originally there would have been
trains like AVAL, AVNS (NS/SR), AVCS (Chessie), AVEN and AVBA and western trains AVBU, AVCN (CN),  AVEL and AVIN, but these would be combined and just do swapping of
some blocks at AVIS. A small engine facility for the large group of locals based at AVIS would still be operating. As I mentioned,
perhaps a carshop would be a system MOW shop.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Interesting, so you'd have almost everything originate or terminate there?

You've got a copy of Conrail Commodities, right? One of the things that blew my mind reading it was how intertwined everything was. Block swapping alone would probably create a lot of work without needing the whole overhead of a large classification bowl.

[ljudice]

Ed, the idea would be that originally AVIS had lots of originating and terminating trains, like Allentown. But eventually it's importance diminished and trains would be mostly through trains - like OIIN which would drop a block at AVIS for Buffalo to be picked up by ENBU. etc...

Yes I have Conrail Commodities - a great book. It explains how railroads are basically "programmed".