Not much new, sworn to secrecy, or what?

[ryourstone]

I picked up a sampling of the Sommerfeldt stuff over a year ago when it was rumored PCM would do the GG1. Really good to see Kato stepped up instead! I was considering a portable layout based on South Amboy.

Now what about the MU cars... MP54's can probably be bashed but Silverliners would be a challenge for anyone except Chris333!

-Rich



 

[John]

I posted a link here previously .. of a youtube video .. in proto photo .. that has GG-1s running up and down the NEC ..

http://therailwire.net/smf/index.php?topic=12163.0

So .. now all of us can say we heard a GG1

[ljudice]

Thanks for the encouragement - this is interesting....  I'd appreciate some further input/comments on the following random thoughts...

- Where? Although my layout space is pretty good sized, I would tend to think the best idea is to model ONE major station point in the middle, the line up and down from it - and one or two of the many branches/secondaries - arriving and leaving the main at two major "flying junctions".

- I am sort of thinking Baltimore - below grade - which I like; tunnels on both ends right?? Station over the depressed tracks and platforms.  Also you are down to 2-3 tracks in this area, right?

- I need to look at the lines west of Philadelphia (not really the corridor, per se). I know there was quite a network of branches, just not all that familiar with them.

- 1970-72 era - this is pre-IPD boxcar, pre-COTS label.   Frameless tankcars the norm, but older ones still around.  What % 40' boxcars? 

- For Catenary, the supports are so distinctive they would have to be modelled. My thought would be to do it so it was comaptible with the Somerfelt overhead (building the wire itself is totally beyond my patience and soldering ability).  Maybe there is a product idea here!!!

[3rdrail]

Some years ago I looked at the possibility of making PRR catenary supports for my own layout, both single track and single pole, double track (PRR had a lot of these), using brass wire and Special Shapes brass milled shapes. Each support would require 8-10 individual pieces which would have to be cut from 5-6 different shapes, and soldered together in a jig in two separate steps.

Far too much work to run an MP54 on a 2 ft. by 4 ft. layout, and far too complex to try to sell at a price others would pay. Now, others may have better ideas of how to make these...

[John]

You could make a master .. then cast the rest ..


some years ago .. there was an article in one of the mags, where they cut the catenary support from plexiglas ...

[3rdrail]

You could make a master .. then cast the rest ..


some years ago .. there was an article in one of the mags, where they cut the catenary support from plexiglas ...

Cast out of what?? White metal would be too soft, and I don't have a centrifuge to cast lost wax brass... Talk about expensive!

The plexiglas supports were North Shore latticework supports in HO by Eric Bronsky. PRR's were solid H beams.

[DKS]

The catenary supports are simple enough, I would think that you could just use Evergreen structural shapes and some sheet stock. Set up some jigs to mass-produce them. Smack 'em all with a load of rust and call it a day.

[John]

The catenary supports are simple enough, I would think that you could just use Evergreen structural shapes and some sheet stock. Set up some jigs to mass-produce them. Smack 'em all with a load of rust and call it a day.

would that be stiff enough?

[up1950s]

Me thinks within 2 years of the GG1 on store shelves , there will be a set of plastic supports somebody will offer . If I were a plastic parts manufacturer , I would be looking at exactly what type of plastic would be the best for this . Think of the profit they can make . One item in the shape ruffly of a goal post assembly with warts , almost just 2 dimensional . Can be made as 1 piece . 10 copies per package . You add your own pantograph wires , real , or phony , or not at all as you see fit . All they provide is the PRR H stanchions . To me , that sounds like a easy way to make a buck , and now with a market , how can something that easy not be made .

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Do Baltimore!

Penn Station is available as a kit from Custom Model Railroads.

There are also some GREAT photos on the HABS-Haer images at the Library of Congress site and some good drawings on Jerry's site.

You may also want to look at Wilmington.

[John]

Me thinks within 2 years of the GG1 on store shelves , there will be a set of plastic supports somebody will offer .

Looks like a job for .... BLMA Man

[DKS]

The catenary supports are simple enough, I would think that you could just use Evergreen structural shapes and some sheet stock. Set up some jigs to mass-produce them. Smack 'em all with a load of rust and call it a day.

would that be stiff enough?

You're right, it might not. I was just trying to think of something more economical and faster than brass shapes.

[ljudice]

Holy cow - that Baltimore station is awesome!   

My long term dream - for like 30 years was to build a station like that with tracks below. I believe this all goes back to reading a Model Railroader decades ago and seeing photos of someone's layout - Frank Ellison perhaps???

Re: Catenary - click over to http://www.eurolokshop.com then go to Somerfeldt - then to the N scale SBB (Swiss Federal Railways) - to see what needs to be provided. As it, it's no good, but this is the basic idea.

Lou

[Ed Kapuscinski]

You should see Hiroe's stuff in person.

You need to start working up a bribe...

B'more is great, plus you have the MA&PA right across the river.

Check out this great stuff from Jerry:
http://kc.pennsyrr.com/maps/index.ws4d

http://kc.pennsyrr.com/maps/images/map_balt_mummert.jpeg

And this, thanks to Lee:
http://picasaweb.google.com/ed.kapuscinski/HistoricBaltimoreTrackMaps

Oh, and this, thanks to the Federal Govt:
http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=hhphoto&action=browse&fileName=md/md0600/md0603/photos/browse.db&recNum=12&itemLink=D?hh:2:./temp/~ammem_2Ewn::&linkText=-1&title2=Northeast%20Railroad%20Corridor,%20Amtrak%20route%20between%20District%20of%20Columbia%2fMaryland%20state%20line%20%26%20Maryland%2fDelaware%20state%20line,%20Baltimore,%20Independent%20City,%20MD&displayType=1&maxCols=4

If those images don't do it for you, well, I don't know what will

[Mark5]

Penn Station is available as a kit from Custom Model Railroads.

The kit is pretty cool. The model is scaled down compared to the proto (which is a good thing for model rrs!)