Alcanman Posted May 21, 2023 Share Posted May 21, 2023 (edited) Continuing my theme of building layouts inspired by the Reading & Northern railroad in eastern Pennsylvania, here is my latest effort. The R&N successfully began a transload facility in West Hazleton PA in 2020. I decided this would be an ideal subject for my latest layout. I did have a UK themed layout already built which had been languishing around for a few months due to lack of modelling mojo and it occured to me that it could easily be repurposed into a small US switching layout. A couple of weeks ago I started work transforming the layout and here is the result - A simple inglenook with 2 industry spurs. Edited October 10, 2023 by Alcanman 13 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcanman Posted May 23, 2023 Author Share Posted May 23, 2023 The Reading & Northern interchanges with Norfolk Southern giving me the opportunity to run my NS GP38-2. After posting these photos on a Facebook forum, I received an unusual request. A NS engineer asked me if I would like to sell NS #5664 as he had worked on the engine. Interestingly, he lives in Pennsylvania and used to work for Reading & Northern. I had to explain that I live in the UK and didn't want to sell as US locos are hard to come by here. 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcanman Posted May 24, 2023 Author Share Posted May 24, 2023 (edited) I usually make seamoss trees and bushes to use on my layouts, however, I thought I'd try out some ready made Noch Profi trees and place them in front of my seamoss bushes. Noch use they same type of leaves leaves that I use, so they blend in quite nicely. Edited May 24, 2023 by Alcanman error 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcanman Posted May 27, 2023 Author Share Posted May 27, 2023 A short ops video of the layout. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcanman Posted June 23, 2023 Author Share Posted June 23, 2023 More switching action at West Hazleton Transload. 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcanman Posted June 27, 2023 Author Share Posted June 27, 2023 A few random photos of West Hazleton Transload .... and how the layout looked in it's original guise as a UK themed small steel terminal.. 7 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcanman Posted July 9, 2023 Author Share Posted July 9, 2023 A new addition to my small fleet of freight cars is this highly detailed Athearn Genesis boxcar and the most I've ever payed for a freight car at £40.00. The car includes rotating axle boxes. One had come loose so I tried to refit it only for the tiny part to fly off , land on the floor, and become gobbled up by the carpet monster! Thoughtfully, Athearn had included 2 spares. Sadly, they also met the same fate as the original! Personally, I would prefer less detail and cheaper models! 2 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcanman Posted July 20, 2023 Author Share Posted July 20, 2023 I weathered another new freight car. I like to use prototype photos where possible. rrpictures.net is a great source. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=5161544 5 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supaned Posted July 20, 2023 Share Posted July 20, 2023 I can also recommend https://www.railcarphotos.com/ as a source of inspiration for weathering & detailing 4 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcanman Posted September 28, 2023 Author Share Posted September 28, 2023 During the summer, I decided to rebuild West Hazleton Transload to include a run around. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the layout had originally been built as a UK themed small steel terminal. I do prefer to see trains arriving with the loco leading and also like the idea of simply placing outbound cars on the run around track. The long spur at the back has now receives flour in covered hoppers, in addition to boxcars and corn syrup tank cars. The transload spur at the front receives steel loads in gondolas. The prototype WHT actually receives steel coil loads. Good progress so far with track laid and wiring completed. I'm enjoying the simplicity of operations.. 7 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcanman Posted October 9, 2023 Author Share Posted October 9, 2023 Progress update. Track painted and ballasted and a few weed have begun to appear. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supaned Posted October 9, 2023 Share Posted October 9, 2023 The real Humboldt Industrial park has 3 companies that receive covered hoppers - Vitapet pet foods and Cargill (which presumably receives cocoa beans to make chocolate) . There's also a company by the yard office on White Birch Road that takes plastic pellet hoppers inbound. liking the theme 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcanman Posted October 10, 2023 Author Share Posted October 10, 2023 (edited) 13 hours ago, Supaned said: The real Humboldt Industrial park has 3 companies that receive covered hoppers - Vitapet pet foods and Cargill (which presumably receives cocoa beans to make chocolate) . There's also a company by the yard office on White Birch Road that takes plastic pellet hoppers inbound. liking the theme Thanks for the info. Cargill looks like a good choice. I wasn't aware they received covered hoppers. I've changed the layout name to Humboldt as the Humboldt Industrial Park was the original inspiration for the layout. Edited October 10, 2023 by Alcanman 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcanman Posted October 29, 2023 Author Share Posted October 29, 2023 I've started to add some greenery between the tracks using grass tufts and static grass. 7 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcanman Posted November 4, 2023 Author Share Posted November 4, 2023 Added more greenery and a sea-moss tree line this week. Also tried out a new grass mat from Dutch manufacturer 'Lars Op't Hof Scenery. Very pleased with the results. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcanman Posted November 5, 2023 Author Share Posted November 5, 2023 I've been working on the small Transload area, which mainly receives steel pipes in gondolas although the occasional boxcar may turn up. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcanman Posted November 6, 2023 Author Share Posted November 6, 2023 Finished off the grass/weeds between the tracks to give an overgrown look. 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clan Mcadder Posted November 6, 2023 Share Posted November 6, 2023 (edited) excellent looking layout , really inspiring . Edited November 6, 2023 by Clan Mcadder 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcanman Posted November 7, 2023 Author Share Posted November 7, 2023 R&N #1540 switching Cargill Foods. 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcanman Posted November 10, 2023 Author Share Posted November 10, 2023 First video of Humboldt featuring a short ops session. Enjoy! 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcanman Posted November 14, 2023 Author Share Posted November 14, 2023 A couple of pics showing the entire scenic portion of the layout. 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcanman Posted March 15 Author Share Posted March 15 Finally got my modelling mojo back after a few months of inactivity. Fired up my favourite U23B and enjoyed a short switching session. Originally, I had intended to scenic the staging track, however, I never got round to it. Somehow it wasn't working for me so I decided to use a road bridge to hide the staging track. This would also provide space to store spare locos and rolling stock. I dug out a road bridge from an old layout and adapted it to fit. Much happier with this arrangement. 4 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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