NO engines on the trestle–got it.
The gas-electric was history in 1940. I have an E-7 that will service the area. The engines that will stay on the layout are a pair of S1’s. The engine house is there to keep snow off of them. I’m not sure what the PRR did. Maybe some of you PRR fans can clue me in.
I’m pretty sure the meat would have come in through the wholesale grocer.
This is just a guess, but the Old Dog would picture freight on the Indiana Secondary as being operated as a “turn”. The engine and train would operate from their home terminal to the junction, then run down the branch and return in one shift. Hence, there would be no need to store the engine at Indiana.
Depending on how the gas-electric was operated, there might have been a need to store it at Indiana especially if it just ran back and fore on the branch. Since the maintenance requirements for the gas-electric would have been somewhat unique, sending it to the roundhouse might have been of limited value.
Have fun
[quote user=“tomikawaTT”]
Chip,
I LIKE IT!
Just a couple of addenda, starting with staging:
Or, you could save track 6 by putting in a vertical backdrop and hiding the lower edge with ground cover. Logical place for a true-to-prototype photomural.
Or, make it a crossover, and use the left end spur as an engine pocket for the road loco while the switcher is swapping consists.
As for the consists, I could see this as a home for a local diesel switcher, with G5 passenger power and H9 or L1 freight. As for the cabin, unless there are automobiles to be spotted or you’re on the passenger train’s time, it could be left standing adj
You’re right I didn’t actually come out and say it, but I did say that it was taken from aerial photos and Sanborn maps. Thanks for the complement.
Thanks for the prototype hints. I don’t have much rolling stock yet, so I hope I won’t make too big a mistake.
I haven’t worked out much on the coal trestle. I may have to dig beneath it.
Sorry, no cannons.
Check your email.
The engine house was listed on and off the Sanborn Maps (as if it was not being used.) I could see it in the 1938 aerial photos. I may just make it a shed roof.
Ok, Keep the Grocer. You need those reefers.
Someone posted about the Brewhouse buying the freight station, why not just serve the brew house via the freight station? The purpose of this freight station is to serve customers without a direct rail link.
The only thing that is left is the mass of switches on Railroad AVE. And you need a run around worthy of the name. Because you might need a handle of a few cars to get the hopper up onto the coal trestle.
Cheers.
I really like it too. The layout is 30"x96" with 48" staging.
I see this as a break for working on the 1880’s and a way to run my early PRR desiels left over from my club days. I will have to scratch everything. Some of the buildings are really cool. I plan to make cardboard mock-ups and replace them as I get the urge. Eventually, when I get the access for the entire basement (when my 90-year-old mother-in-law moves on) This will move into my newly vacated office. I’m not in a hurry other than getting things running track-wise. I also plan a couple experiments on this layout that will determine how I handle certain aspects of the basement layout. Right now, the basement layout is moving foreward, but I am a long way from running trains.
Yes, I am lucky that where I live turns out to be so interesting. I tried looking at a couple other areas, but my downtown area just kept getting better the more I looked at it.
To get the best help on your layout, you should start your own thread. Post what you have done so far. What kind of research have youd done?
All above the above are provided for by the layout in other ways with the exception of the coal trucks. The real traffic for this branch are the huge coal mines in the area. There is so much traffic that three railroads work the area, the Buffalo, Rochester, & Pittsburgh (with B & O having trackage rights), the Cambridge and Indiana, once known for being the richest small railroad in the world because they bought and leased coal cars to the rest of the nation, and the PRR. They would have unloaded the trucks and equipment right at the mines. These mine are/were huge.
The PRR thought it was a good idea. I was planning on doing it too.
The Indiana Brewery was about 5 blocks south. I’ll have the refers dropped off with the grain, etc. When the local switcher goes out.
Stewart’s Hardware was four separate buildings. Two of the buildings were contractor and building supplies. The Farms supply is on the north end of the layout.
Good ideas Dog.
With only one siding in the opposite direction they could have just taken that car in on the other side of the train to begin with. Loco center train. Of course I guess 1/4 mile isn’t very far in the prototype world.
That is an idea that is way too good to leave alone!
Unless Paul objects, I am going to try to incorporate that idea in my own 210 cm (82") shelf layout, which also has a 115 cm (45") traverser for staging.
Splitting the traverser into a visible scenery extention with hidden staging tracks behind the scenery makes the modelled part of the layout 1.5 times as long, at the cost of only two staging tracks.
I’d better get back to the drawing board - I have to try out few changes here, too!
And Chip - very neat layout! The coal trestle is the only thing that looks like it might get a little on the steep side. Then again - nothing says that the trestle has to go up - you could equally well have the track stay level (on a “bridge”) while terrain under the trestle go down enough to fit a truck under the trestle- ie a dip/ditch or some such thing.
Smile,
Stein
The idea the Dog was thinking of was delivery of new coal trucks to a truck dealership.
The reason the Old Dog suggested the beer distributor is that it could receive beer reefers from any brewery. A brewery would normally by limited to shipping it’s own brands limiting the beer reefers that could be used.
Have fun
I get you. They can still be handled by the freight depot. In PA, still you have to get your beer form a distributor. State fricking law.
Chip it looks great!..I’m glad the Sanborn Maps helped you out. As you research takes you closer to completion of the layout most of the trackage placement will become clear. We all know that the PRR would not put any track down if was not needed. The big challenge will be to find out what each building looked like. Are any still standing today? I find that looking on ebay sometimes you can find postcards of the depot that show surrounding buildings. Also local historical societies are a big help. Well good luck with the railroad…tkat
I went to the historical society and they said that 1950 was too recent for them. If I would have wanted 1800’s it would have been another story. Some of the buildings are standing, but for the most part, they leveled the square and built a courthouse in 1964. Stewart’s hardware was also demolished as well as Buchanan’s Grocery. There are actually fewer standing that were demoed. I was told, by the historical society to ask a guy who I knew from my old club. So I may have a way to go. Fortunately, Stewart’s hardware, because of Jimmy has been photoed a lot.
Space Mouse,
It’s sad they demolished Stewarts Hardware. According to the book I read on him, it was opened in 1853.
It was his parents and grandparents hope he would eventually take it over.
But that wasn’t to be.
In the book is a picture of him in uniform in the store.
If yourself or anyone is interested in reading a really good book on him, get a copy of “JIMMY STEWART BOMBER PILOT”
Written by Starr Smith.
Not just a story about an actor, but an exceptional American, and an exceptional man.
There’s even a story about a train ride in the book.
Happy MRRing
TheK4Kid
To see what the Old Dog is thinking, look here
And maybe here
http://www.showcaseline.com/Reefers/Billboard/woodenreefers_in_stock.html
“In PA, still you have to get your beer form a distributor. State fricking law.”
Precisely the point! State law requires that beer be sold through wholesalers.
BTW, how to kill an afternoon in PA in the early 1960’s. At that time the local beer distributors would delivery beer by the case to your home. It some happend that one of the local Civics teacher who was also head of the Women’s Temperance Leaque lived next door to a drug store. In them days, drug store normally included a soda fountain. By sitting in a certain booth one could view the teacher’s front door from the drug store. Some of my friends used to like to go, order a milk shake, slip over to the pay phone, order a case of beer deliveried next door, drink the shake slowly, and watch the “fun” when the beer delivery man showed up.
Have fun
Our H.S./library had a lot of stuff like old newspaper clippings, altases, commercial directories, town/county centennial books, industrial PR, stuff like that. Some of the old directories and industrial PR were good because it would have streetside photos of businesses from ads and whatnot. Good ideas of what was sold and by who. (For example, I found coal was still pretty common for home heating in 1961. I would’ve thought in towns it would be nearly supplanted by gas or oil by then.)
Newspapers frequently published directories or flyers showing businesses - maybe they could help, or the Chamber of Commerce?
KL
Your modeling skills have improved greatly young Skywalker (Spacemouser).
But you know little of the power of the darkside (PRR)
Let me explain, I’ve spent half of my life playing with trains, the rest i just wasted.
I used to model BN circa 1980, my youth watching trains was life at its best.
Before I discovered girls, cars, beer, & lifes other temptations.
Fast fwd a few years, I join a club and see a BLI sound loco…I must have it.
To make a long story short; I have 5 BLI steam engines, a fleet of passenger cars and
more books / knowledge about the Pennsyvania RR. than my beloved BN. I have even made
two trips to Horseshoe curve, Altoona…WOW. My current layout is not BN and features no
green SD40-2’s.
Anyway back to the original subject. The PRR is a fascinating prototype but be aware for being
the STANDARD railroad, it is anything but. The more you learn, the more you know what you
did wrong…ignorance is bliss, as far as the PRR is concerned.