Proto-lanced Pennsy: The West Slope

[LIRR]

Use as generous a mini in radius as you can. 12-inches is pretty tight unless you have no choice.

[chicken45]

Finally got around to printing up the new plan:

[DKS]

You probably realized there should not be a decimal point in front of the "2" on the coal mine sidings... but just in case...

[eric220]

This is going to be hawt.  Can't wait to see it come to life!

[chicken45]

So now I want to build Fast Tracks turnouts.
Should I use code 55 or 40?
This is all for mainline traffic, so did the Pennsy use 100lb rail that was 5.5" tall?
ME track:
Code 55 = 0.055" Tall or about 9" N Scale height
Code 40 = 0.040" Tall or about 6" N Scale height

Looks like code 40 is the answer, but https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=15294.15 is convincing me to roll code 55.

[chicken45]

Lemosteam has informed me that Pennsy used 150lb rail which is a pretty good ringer for code 55! So Atlas code 55 is pretty much dead on.

I also picked up a K4!
Trix shell on a Kato c55 body with a Faulhaber motor, all wheel tender pickup, and DCC. It's going to get the post war facelift soon.

[pjm20]

It's going to get the post war facelift soon.

NOOOOOOOOO! Go with pre war, they look so much better. The only Pennsy steam that looked good with a face lift was an I1, and that's because it was already a brute. 

[chicken45]

NOOOOOOOOO! Go with pre war, they look so much better. The only Pennsy steam that looked good with a face lift was an I1, and that's because it was already a brute. 

haha! I don't necessarily disagree, but my layout timeline is ALREADY creeping in to the 60's , so leaving it be may be pushing it. I may or may not turn this into 1361. Mike Spitzer did a superb job.

I'm still thinking about FastTracks turnouts.

AnyRail uses the minimum possible turnout size in their track library. I'm thinking to replace my Atlas code55 #7's with the FT. Since those turnouts aren't as long, I am wondering if

Also, the diverging route is shorter, It brings my track 2 scale feet closer, to 13 scale feet from the centerlines of the track. That's pretty prototypical. They are 15 scale feet with the Atlas turnouts.
I'm thinking that these shorter turnouts will let me compress MG interlocking (which is good!) and in turn, and let me push the innermost track 6 scale feet towards the edges for slightly larger curve radii.

[chicken45]

So I've burned my ships: sold my c55 turnouts and will be going with FT.

So right now I use 2 inch pink foam on a HCD. I wasn't happy with the foam because it is not completely flat. To make matters worse, the foam separated itself from the door. I glued it down with Liquid nails. Either way, I think I want to go with Gatorboard now.

[chicken45]

Just thought I'd give a little update.
Yinz guys should know that we are relocating to Baltimore in June. However, we found our current apartment to be a lead hazard so we moved out a few days ago in to a smaller place. So in 6 months, we get to do it all again!

Things here have been scaled back. I'll be focusing on my station. I've been working with John (Lemosteam) on building Gallitzin station. We have been working from photos and diagrams. One issue we are having is that we can find photos of only three sides! What a maddening problem to have.
The book, Pennsylvania Railroad Facilities In Color Volume 9: Allegheny Division Antis To Derry lists this as a type W103 Combination Station, but the Trackside on the Pennsylvania by Jeff Scherb book illustrates the W103 plan being quite different. Not even close, in fact. I know the stations varied in size and all that, but I haven't seen any photos of the roadside side of the station. The only pictures I have seen of it are in the above book, but we only get to see 3 sides of it.

Does anyone have any information as to what that other side looked like? was it flat? Did it have a bay window?

 
I understand there were two stations in Gallitzin because of the main line split. One was a combo station, the other was a passenger "shack." The only photo of this shack I have seen was from Ken Rideout's layout.

[dougnelson]

But let's talk paint.
Cody O has been asking me about the different Tuscan Reds. Well, here's a picture of them.
From top to bottom:
1. Kato RPO
2. HGM RPO painted with a 50/50 mix of zinc chromate and boxcar red, sprayed with dullcoat. Yes, I will be painting the stirrups black. And when MTL comes out with those new trucks, it will get those as well.
3. MTL RPO

Hi Josh:

Nice job on the Hell Gate BM70k RPO.  For correct trucks for this car, the best choice is the Kato 6-wheel trucks that come on the Kato RPO (available from Katousa.com).  These were not available when we came out with this car.  I have not used these trucks on the RPO yet, but I have a couple of sets on order.  May have to do some adaptation to the bolster, but should be doable.  An alternative truck is the 6-wheel truck that comes with the Model Power/Lima P70 cars.  Install metal wheels with same axel length as Atlas.  These trucks were used on BM70k cars that were converted from earlier classes.

For paint, whatever looks good, but there is some concensus that Floquil and PollyScale Box Car Red was the closest match for post-war PRR passenger paint.  Now if it can only be found.

Doug.
Hell Gate Models.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Don't waste too much time on that Pennsy stuff. In a few months I'll have you patching everything with little slanty "CR"s anyway.

[chicken45]

Hi Josh:

Nice job on the Hell Gate BM70k RPO.  For correct trucks for this car, the best choice is the Kato 6-wheel trucks that come on the Kato RPO (available from Katousa.com).  These were not available when we came out with this car.  I have not used these trucks on the RPO yet, but I have a couple of sets on order.  May have to do some adaptation to the bolster, but should be doable.  An alternative truck is the 6-wheel truck that comes with the Model Power/Lima P70 cars.  Install metal wheels with same axel length as Atlas.  These trucks were used on BM70k cars that were converted from earlier classes.

For paint, whatever looks good, but there is some concensus that Floquil and PollyScale Box Car Red was the closest match for post-war PRR passenger paint.  Now if it can only be found.

Doug.
Hell Gate Models.

Wow! Thanks Doug! That means a lot coming from you. I am aware of the trucks, and I do own extras from Kato...however...guess what trucks happen to come with the MTL's new diner? That's the only reason I haven't converted.

Ed- I do love me some Conrail. That's what I grew up with. Also Amtrak. Once I get my Pennsy house in order, I'll buy wear my official CRHS Conrail Queen Fishnets and join you and Russ.
I do own an SD80MAC.

[chicken45]

Wow! Thanks Doug! That means a lot coming from you. I am aware of the trucks, and I do own extras from Kato...however...guess what trucks happen to come with the MTL's new diner? That's the only reason I haven't converted.

Ed- I do love me some Conrail. That's what I grew up with. Also Amtrak. Once I get my Pennsy house in order, I'll wear my official CRHS Conrail Queen Fishnets and join you and Russ.
I do own an SD80MAC.

[dougnelson]

...guess what trucks happen to come with the MTL's new diner? That's the only reason I haven't converted.

Ooooooooooh!   That's good news MTL will have a new Pennsy truck for the diner.  The only issue is that the MTL 6-wheel trucks for the Pullmans is that they put the bolster off center.  If they do the same with the diner trucks you will need to relocate the bolster on the BM70k.

Doug.