A Pennsylvanian Shortline

[bertiedog]

I really need to get a US HO 16.5mm line up and running; there is a gathering group of EMD switchers on the workbench, and a small collection of other HO steam equipment, PRR and Ma &Pa.

 

I had a picture stored way of a small line in the States, sited in Pennsylvania State, the Stewartstown shortline, a shot taken in 1910 of the loco yard and Pennsylvanian style engine house. A search on the net shows many more details, the line still exists, although out of use today. It is a listed site of US Historical interest.

 

http://www.stewartst...d.com/index.htm

 

Sited in the Pennsylvanian hills, it connected to the PRR, and is not far from Ma&Pa Railroad country as well. The line ends at Stewartstown, but once fed a further extension to The New Park & Fawn Grove Railroad, independently owned and run, but closed in 1935.

 

 

 

There are plenty of photographs of the old line and stock, once steam Freight and Passenger, then passenger by Railcar, and finally diesel goods with a Plymouth, and a 44 ton, plus EMD switchers.

 

The buildings are distinctive, and the single track line had a trestle bridge of substantial size, along with assorted road bridges. There is a support group and society trying to reopen the line, which still has it's complete layout and rights of way, but halted after storm damage a few years ago, and remains in limited use and storage at present. The photographs are assorted copyright and provided by the Society for modelling reference purposes.

 

The main station is part brick construction, a nice design.

 

 

 

 

 

Apparently the engine house is a rare design, Pennsylvanian Dutch barn shape, and is a listed structure.

 

 

 

So a shortline of the right type, features and connections, with a few additions like connecting at the far end to the Ma&Pa, will make small shelf layout, modular to allow for extension around the wall of a 12*12 room. The trestle will allow connection of the main line to the shortline, with the main a continuous loop, representing the PRR and the Ma&Pa as needed. The main will run hidden behind the shortline modules.

 

The various elements of the real thing will be distilled and shuffled to provide the main board, with a yard and station; the station though will be a through line back to the mainline loop.

 

I have the structural basis of the line, the baseboards of an old HO European line stored in a back room, so baseboards are available, and a new design can be worked out very quickly, and track laid to get things up and running quite quickly.

 

Some existing stock I have is liveried for my old Citadel and Starlight Railroad, the C&S, so the line might be renamed.

[shortliner]

Stephen - you may already have seen these

 

http://www.blackstoneriverproductions.com/stewartstown_2003.html

 

 

http://www.wx4.org/to/foam/warstories/stewartstown.html Love the refueling facilities, and another view of the Loco shed

 

 

[bertiedog]

Stephen - you may already have seen these

 

http://www.blackston...stown_2003.html

 

 

http://www.wx4.org/t...ewartstown.html Love the refueling facilities, and another view of the Loco shed

 

 

 

Thanks for the extras, I had the shot from the coloured postcard for years, but the other details have been gathered from the net over two days or so. I assume this has been modelled many times, and that station looks suspiciously familiar, perhaps a craftsman kit from past years.

At least the re-fueling is simple to model! and the extra shot of the engine house is usful for windows and doors in the side.

 

Stephen.

[Tony_S]

There were apparently plans for connecting Stewartstown RR to the Ma&Pa in 1890 (to Delta)and to the Emons Industry Ma &Pa (by reinstating North Central trackage )in 1980.

(from George Hilton, The Ma & Pa)

Tony

[shortliner]

If you want something small to shuttle cars on, This idea was triggered by the Ferdinand Railroad[ an "on its uppers" shortline], and is an "opposite way" Inglenook . More info here http://www.abandonedrails.com/article.asp?id=483 Sorry for the hijack

[bertiedog]

The first building will be the Loco shed, working from this shot to get dimensions for a drawing. Nice simple construction, lots of strip wood to cut, I need a new bandsaw fine cut blade to ease the finishing of the strips. I have stacks of oak parquet blocks that can be cut up for the wood.

 

 

Each building will be on it's own base, it eases fitting.

 

Most operation will be simple through running, minimal shunting around station, emphasis mainly on the structures.

 

Stephen

[alastairq]

nice photos.....notice the rail? Must be the prototype equivalent of code 35?

 

maybe they used old Woolworth's curtain rail?

 

In HO one could get away with rail made out of wire.......

 

 

I see a use for one or two of Bachmann's very nice spectrum 4-4-0's?

 

http://www.on30trains.co.uk/ProductWindow.asp?ProductID=428

 

 

for ??65 a bargin?? http://www.on30trains.co.uk/Details8.asp?ProductID=428

[bertiedog]

The Railcar looks a nice project, and yes, the line is light weight rail, typical shortline. It is Standard gauge of course, not 0 16.5, but it seems the Bachmann 440 is Standard gauge.

 

The Historical Society site state most of the rail is original. They are in the midst of trying to save the line at present, threatened with a forced sale to settle debts etc.

 

[bertiedog]

And of course it is possible to get a good look around Stewartstown, in Goggle, and Street View, lots on the current views, the Loco shed looks in much better condition.

[bertiedog]

I rather got the impression that the Stewartstown Station was against a hill or slope from the older photos, but Google has revealed all with Google Earth, with good views of the Railroad and the Station, as it is all flat around the valley within the township.

 

The Street View shows the Old Loco shed very clearly and the street view also shows the backside of the main structures including the Station building, complete with the damaged roof, which has been repaired by the Historical Society.

There is a wye of track within the township, and a feed to an industrial site, with a parked up caboose when the photos were taken. There are no remains of the extension left now, or the old station, the site of which was moved.

 

The "refuelling facility" is still there, just off the roadway, where the track remains show the link to the extension across the street.

 

Fortunately Google really scores here, there are plenty of views of the rest of the line as well, although the resolution is not really high. The site of the large wooden trestle bridge is just about traceable, all filled in these days, but the track is still there.

 

The track is certainly light weight, code 65 flat-bottom should be about correct, I will have to source some or nearest, but I do have 83 code flat-bottom. Whilst the RM web is down I'll do a drawing and outline the buildings to be done.

 

Basics are the Station, Loco shed,and an industrial site, with a couple of Pennsylvanian style houses in the back ground, well in keeping with the area.

 

Period will be the 1930's/40's or so, both steam and diesel, plus the Gas Railcar, with a couple of passenger coaches, and a handful of older boxcars and flats for local produce and the industrial site. I'll see if Labelle do a suitable pair of period coaches, I like their wood kits a lot.

 

Stephen.

[bertiedog]

Seems Peco have no code 65 now, so what suppliers in the UK are there for 60 to 70 code flatbottom rail section?

I have found they do code 60, now where do I get scale spikes in the UK, probably N scale?

Stephen.

[alastairq]

C&L sell n/s code 70 flatbottom rail...which is I think about as close as you'll get....

 

Those pix have forced me to get out a gas doodlebug I've had for a few years...make not known..but I suspect LaBelle body [combine]...not sure of trucks, but trailing wheelsets have the scalloped insides..

 

the power truck looks suspiciously like one of those in my B/mann 44 tonner...which is an early model with two power trucks...

 

an ebay punt quite a few years ago now....

[bertiedog]

I think the track may be sorted, C&L do a code 55 rail section in flatbottom and list N gauge spikes as well, nearer scale size for HO

 

I did think rail pads would be needed,but it looks as if the Stewartstown Track was direct spiked to the sleepers, makes life easier.

 

They still have original old 1880's rail section in use, which may help explain the 10MPH speed restriction on the line when it's in operation.......

 

 

The track will be wooden sleepered, glued down sleeper and rail, with spikes added to pre-drilled holes in each sleeper, via a steel jig. PC board for the points, again with added spikes in drilled holes.

 

Stephen.

[tebee]

Some of the US lines where built with incredibly light rail, SG on weights that we would think twice about running 2 ft gauge on.

 

This logging line used 30 lb rail all it's life and ended up running some large(ish) mallets on it http://www.yesteryeardepot.com/CSFE7A.JPG

 

and here is an early view of a trestle on the same line

http://www.gearedsteam.com/other/images/caspar_south-fork_eastern_1-p134-redwd-lbr.jpg

 

one of my favourite lines in Florida was laid with similar weight rail. When the steam engines wore out they started using what where basically motorized PW trolleys though they still hauled full sized freight cars over the line. Have a look at the track under the steam engine in the first picture here

 

http://taplines.net/tfc/tfc02.html

[bertiedog]

Before we go off for the holiday, whilst Andy re-boots, a composite shot of the Station, and the re-fueling facilities!!

The road behind the station does go up hill a bit, the road goes on past the loco shed.

That rail is worn, very worn, makes the Dungerness RHDR track look great!

Stephen.

[bertiedog]

It seems direct images are still problematic, back to the workshop on woodcutting strip wood.... photos via photobucket.

Modified design for Gas Station.

Original modern Stewartstown site which used to be Gas station, will be fitted out with the older design and pumps.

Stephen

[bertiedog]

 

Basic outline plan for the model, it's got the main Stewartstown features condensed down to fit the available space, and assumes the old trestle bridge is still in operation, in real life filled in, and about two miles down the track. The drawing is a bit compressed on the right hand side, there may be a bit of extra space available to ease the main curve.

 

A work yard is on the open site used for school bus storage these days. The small yard behind the station is dropped to save space, and there is a smaller period gas station added opposite.

 

Al the road crossings are Railroad exempt type, no lights etc., so only low speed movements allowed.

 

The buildings are on inserted baseboards, to allow full finishing off board. Track 55 flatbottom spiked, and PC points, with 12 Vdc control,

 

Stephen.

[bertiedog]

A possibility for a decent use for a spare Underground Ernie Bo-Bo chassis, an IR Boxcab Diesel unit. Plenty of details on the net, a sheet brass body, might even leave the simple bogie sideframes, or just add the compensating beam. The Ernie chassis runs well, and good power haulage as well. Lots of riveting detail to add! Very suitable unit for an industrial siding on a shortline.

 

Stephen.

[alastairq]

nice idea, that boxcab.....a use for a redundant MDC IR boxcab shell? { the underground ernie chassis would be easier on the ears than the old Roundhouse mechanism ??]

[bertiedog]

nice idea, that boxcab.....a use for a redundant MDC IR boxcab shell? { the underground ernie chassis would be easier on the ears than the old Roundhouse mechanism ??]

No Roundhouse shell available! I did have one years ago, pity Roundhouse never got the hang of drive systems, gears and suchlike! ....and then they had to try a Shay!....bad move....

 

Somewhere I think I have a Red Ball/Suydam Boxcab shell stored, but not seen for ages.

 

Stephen.

[alcoRS1]

Here is a nice brass one, in operation, with sound

Bronx Terminal

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch#playnext=1&playnext_from=TL&videos=73uA9NkWDxA&v=pErgphjRECo

[alastairq]

somewhere, I have a drawing...I believe from a Model RAilroader mag.....of a longer version ..GE/IR still....

 

My boxcab has been turned into an electric.....many years ago....end platforms, Sommerfeldt pan...and the trucks were moved further out....extended the drivelines a bit....it worked..once.....one day a resurrection may occur

[shortliner]

Email me, Stephen - I have some - chacmool at lineone dot net

[bertiedog]

Email me, Stephen - I have some - chacmool at lineone dot net

I have sent a PM which appears to be working, if you do not get it, post here and I will email direct.

Stephen.

[shortliner]

Nothing received - you have email