Im looking to put a fictional shortline on my (eventually built) PRR layout. Well, I’m planning to do a freelanced PRR in the early 50s (but with a bit of alt history- the first generation diseals were not built until the early 50’s and didn’t end up on the PRR until April 1960). So anyway, I was thinking of building two big cities, one with a Union Station, and a medium sized as well. A few other towns with smaller stations ( commuter trains and one named train). So anyway, I was asking to those who model the PRR; What industries do you have besides the obvious coal mine/power plant? The PRR locos you use (Ive got two K4s already, a tank, a T1, a GG1 that I would probably not use, a USRA 0-8-0, a doodlebug and that’s it), and for the shortline, what colors would be believable for a shortline with only two “third hand” Harriman coaches?
I’d suggest looking at the actual shortlines that were in the region that you’re looking to model. Photos of many of these are likely available on sites such as Railroad Picture Archives.Net.
For starters, short lines in Pennsylvania would minimally include: Belefonte Central RR; Cambria and Indiana RR; Chestnut Ridge Railway; Everett RR; Johnstown & Stoney Creek (owned by U.S. Steel); Lake Erie, Franklin & Clarion RR; Maryland & Pennsylvania RR; Middletown & Hummelstown RR; Montour RR; Northampton & Bath RR; Pittsburg & Shawmut RR; Pittsburgh, Chartiers & Youghiogheny Ry; Stewartstown RR; Strasburg RR; Upper Merion & Plymouth RR; Winfield RR.
In the early 1950’s, a short line may still be operating steam, which would likely appear well-used and somewhat tired. Such lines were switching to diesel then, and end-cab switchers such as Alco S2s or EMD SW1s were not uncommon. Those were often obtained with fairly nice paint schemes as was common in that time. In the early 1950’s that short line may be able to lease a diesel from a nearby larger line for awhile, but would not be finding used diesels on the market as most were still in service to their original owners.
Bill
One thing to consider with passenger service is to include a mail/baggage car. The mail contract kept many of the shortline passenger trains operating. For example, when the Maryland and Pennsylvania lost their mail contract in 1954 they dropped passenger service at the same time.
Good luck
Paul
I have a Combine and a coach. I think that may be enough to justify running the shortline passenger service. As I have it now, I may have this short line (Austinville and Dynamite City), Leasing an old, beat up Small Pennsy steamer (Like a Parie or smaller), still in Pennsy livery. I was also going to use my Heavyweight IHC cars for commuter service behind a K4s on the Pennsy section. I will also start looking for a lot of streamlined PRR cars, and will use my T1 for that service (Like Isaid before, no diseals). Basically my HW cars are the standard baggage,Combine, RPO, Two coaches, a diner,Sleeper, Observation, BPO. over the course of a few train shows, I picked up a Riverossi HW coach and Parlor, a streamline Fictional “Theater” car I built myself, a P70 diner from Spectrum, and the two harriman coaches.
Btw, there’s the fictional Theatre car…First kitbash, so could you go a little easy on me?
Pennsy was fully dieselizied by 1957. Thus, circa 1956, and prior, satisfies prototype inspiration for a choice of steam, and 1st-generation diesel in Western Pennsylvania west of Altoona’s Horseshoe Curve.
In Greater Johnstown – Conemaugh & Black Lick Railroad, served over 20 miles of Bethlehem Steel’s mills including bar, rod, wire, open hearth, slag (i.e. 2b-type stone), wheel manufacturing, Bethlehem Mines, and; Bethlehem Freight Car Division (now FreightCar America) of BethGon fame including customers like TTX (Trailer Train) and Class I railroads such as Burlington Northern – Boxcars, coal hoppers, gondolas, TOFC (Trailer On Flat Car), and covered hoppers were manufactured. (P.S.: My father was Freight Car Division’s industrial photographer). Virtually any need to further serve incuded power substations, car engineering, blacksmith shops, parts repair shops, etc. Diesel power was always the smaller EMD SW1500-type switcher back even into the 1950s.
Pennsy had an elevated 4-track mainline through Johnstown, stopping briefly at the Union Station, and Bethlehem industrial yards. PRR primarily served the mentioned industries, coal, and the Broadway Limited (now Pennsylvanian) passenger service with EMD F7 & E8 (and PA) diesels – Now a 3-track Norfolk Southern mainline.
United States Steel also had a large mill in town, served by the industrial Stoneycreek Railroad (like C&BL), and take special note – Baltimore & Ohio had a busy southern-approach spur into Johnstown serving smaller industry including metal fabric
On Keystone Crossings website you can download CT1000 which lists every industry on the mainline and most branchs. That should give you all you need to know. The mile in Philly I am modeling had 87 industries on the mains and 67 on one branch alone and there are four branchs in that stretch.
Oh wow. Thank you so much for that source of information! 
After some time in GIMP, this is what I came up with for a possible shortline paint scheme.
Jimmy —
Lots of good advice. PRR influenced an awful lot of activity in the industries & RR’s of the Commonwealth. For ideas, I strongly urge you to find copies of Gary R. Carlson’s Pennsylvania Short Lines books, volumes 1 & 2 (published by Mporning Sun). Maybe somebody would let you borrow their copies. These books give snapshot views of just about every shortline that operated in PA during your target time period, so it will show a lot of the various equipment used, the industries served, the paint schemes, etc.
Most of your PRR locos are passenger engines, and that’s fine since you have said you want to have a good bit of passenger service. The GG1 would be restricted to electric territory; but on the upside, the GG1 has the advantage of being suitable for either passenger or freight service. I don’t know what you mean by a “tank” engine. I’m not aware of any correct PRR saddletank steamers on the market currently. I assume it’s something like a saddletank or side-tank 0-4-0t or 0-6-0t. Since it’s not really right for PRR, you could use it as a plant switcher for a large industry or as an A&DC engine. The USRA 0-8-0, similarly does not represent any PRR type. The only large roads to use that type in your area were NYC, P&LE, Erie, and NKP. Conemaugh & Black Lick, Aliquippa & Southern, and possibly other industrial lines also used engines that followed the USRA 0-8-0 pattern. So your 0-8-0 could be lettered to represent any of these, or a fictional plant switching operation, or the A&DC. If you want an ex-PRR steamer for the A&DC, your best bet would be a Penn Line or Bowser H9s 2-8-0 on the used market, or the new PRR H10s 2-8-0 coming soon from Paragon.
I’m not sure what you would want to do about interchanging freight with the PRR. If you need a
The tank is the 0-6-0 Spectrum released a while ago. For freight, I was thinking of a coal “dock?” for one or two loaded cars to be taken down by the AVDC engine a couple times a session. For loads leaving, I was thinking of some kind ofeither transfer warehouse, or an interchange with a direct line to the inbound yard. The 0-8-0 is an US Army surplus locomotive (lettered for USARMY)