T-Trak The N scale Pennsy Juniata Division 2.0 - TTrak!

[Ed Kapuscinski]

You will note that I have not opened my mouth about larger radii...although it's been difficult. 

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

Lol, we all appreciate your restraint. 

[Dave V]

You will note that I have not opened my mouth about larger radii...although it's been difficult. 

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

So, Bob, the good news is I already know how you feel. 

But yes, thanks much for biting your tongue!

[wazzou]

Needs a helix.   

[Dave V]

Needs a helix.   

[davefoxx]

I’m thinking of you today, @Dave V.  I’m working on my spring 1972 fleet and am starting to build a rainbow-era Amtrak train.  I dug out this PC 10-6 sleeper today and replaced its couplers.  I’m going to apply some decals next, to give it a name and road number.  I’m limited to the Walthers decal sheet, and, unfortunately, none of the cars included on that decal sheet (mostly from the “Rapids” class) made it to Amtrak.  I’m disappointed but willing to overlook this problem.  Sadly, I can’t plausibly use any of the Pennsy cars that I have on even an early Amtrak train, e.g., Catalpa Falls and a B60b.

I’m probably going to go with “Octoraro Rapids” (No. 4350) for this PC sleeper, since I grew up not far from the Octoraro Creek in Cecil County, Maryland; I had friends in high school that lived in the neighborhood, “Octoraro Lakes,” on that creek; and, of course, the PRR’s Octoraro Branch ran near here.  There’s also a sweet picture of the Octoraro Rapids on the Passenger Car Index website, so I can get the lettering correct.



DFF

[Dave V]

Very nice! I sold off my Kato Penn Central stuff... 

[Dave V]

So, except for a few highway signs, these modules are done.



@Ed Kapuscinski has permanently planted the idea of "negative space" in my head, and corner modules are great places for that. You don't want to draw attention to the curve radius so much.

Now, I have done zero with wiring other than dropping feeders in the blue-white-white-blue arrangement. I'm gonna need a tutorial on T-Trak wiring. I feel like I have some sort of learning block against it for some reason.

[davefoxx]

Dave:

That looks totally bad a$$.  The whole thing: the ballasted track, the highway, and the greenery.  You’ve clearly still got it.

Kudzos,
DFF

[Dave V]

Dave:

That looks totally bad a$$.  The whole thing: the ballasted track, the highway, and the greenery.  You’ve clearly still got it.

Kudzos,
DFF

Thanks! I appreciate it! Been spending so much time refining my Colorado High Country scenery, it wasn't a given that I could do Pennsylvania effectively again.

[Dave V]

By the way, the road meets all applicable standards for a two-lane US highway in accordance with the Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices in effect in 1950. Lane width is 12 feet, and the stripes are 15 feet long with 20 foot gaps. I believe the real gap length would have been 25 feet but I wanted to compress it a little bit considering how compressed the scene already is. I had trouble finding out what the road surface would have been on US 22 in Pennsylvania then…could have been concrete slab or could’ve been asphalt. I read that concrete slab was usually closer to cities with higher traffic volumes and asphalt usually more rural, so that’s what I went with.

[randgust]

OK, negative space and all.

But here's an idea for that corner.   Did a little research.   I do remember going across PA in the 60's, and it long predates that into the 40's.

The Howard Johnson's chain.   Billboards were showing up along major routes from late 1940's.   That's what that corner needs.   They had the PA turnpike concession from the start, all across the state. 

For non-railroaders, three things scream era - cars, music and signage.  They don't get the trains, the other stuff sets the era.

Auction site has some nice color postcards, scan those to .JPG's, resize to fit,  and you're there.   It will also pull your eye away from the curve.

Mind you, that's a 10 as you finished it, but also see Bruce Arbo's work, and he's really set the era with details.

[Dave V]

OK, negative space and all.

But here's an idea for that corner.   Did a little research.   I do remember going across PA in the 60's, and it long predates that into the 40's.

The Howard Johnson's chain.   Billboards were showing up along major routes from late 1940's.   That's what that corner needs.   They had the PA turnpike concession from the start, all across the state. 

For non-railroaders, three things scream era - cars, music and signage.  They don't get the trains, the other stuff sets the era.

Auction site has some nice color postcards, scan those to .JPG's, resize to fit,  and you're there.   It will also pull your eye away from the curve.

Mind you, that's a 10 as you finished it, but also see Bruce Arbo's work, and he's really set the era with details.

Funny you should mention that. I had a Penn's Cave billboard on the old JD 1.0, and was already thinking about doing that again. "Auction site." LOL, we can say eBay here... I never understood why we couldn't on the old Atlas board.

EDIT: Yeah, so what the heck? I remember making the billboard and adding it to the road climbing up over the tunnel, but I can't find a single photo of the old layout where it exists.

[Point353]

By the way, the road meets all applicable standards for a two-lane US highway in accordance with the Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices in effect in 1950.

Would you expect passing/overtaking - as indicated by the broken center line - to be permitted on such a curve?

[Dave V]

Would you expect passing/overtaking - as indicated by the broken center line - to be permitted on such a curve?

You know, I went back and forth on that. It's kinda gentle, so you could conceivably see ahead since there are no obstructions to the inside. I plan to put a 50s style curve ahead sign there. Plus a 50s-style US 22 sign.

The dashes were also a lot easier to make than a curved, continuous line, LOL.

[nickelplate759]

One (not the whole set) Burma Shave sign.
Slogans by year are here: https://www.skypoint.com/members/schutz19/burma2.htm.

Blair Line sold some once upon a time, but they don't list them any more.