PRR/Conrail Juniata Division Engineering Report

[DKS]

You've mentioned several times that you'd like to replace the track on the Juniata with Code 55 (which I think is a worthwhile effort). Why not start with this? Might be more than enough to do. Then, when you reach that milestone, you might be ready for HCD #2.

[Dave V]

Agreed...  although the realist in me wonders if it might turn out to be more work than starting over.  It will require MUCHO care to keep the roadbed level after ripping out the old stuff.  The Woodland Scenics Trackbed needs to come out too...  It's a great idea with a lot of merit, but the very sponginess that makes it easy to work with and quieter than cork makes it too soft to hold good alignments and embankments over time.

[mu26aeh]

Millersville grad, huh?  Awesome!  I would love to teach there after the Air Force.  My folks are about to move back to Lancaster.

They have a very well respected program there, and great professors as well.  Even though I'm not in a met career, I enjoyed my time there.

[chicken45]

Oh man, there will be riots in the streets if you "recycle." But from the fire and ashes, the phoenix will rise.

[eric220]

You are NOT allowed to recycle anything until I have a chance to see the Juniata Division in person.  Based on your comments, it doesn't sound like anything is imminent, but I would very much appreciate enough warning of any impending destruction to buy plane tickets.

That said, I think I agree that "fixing" the current layout will be more work than building a new one.  I for one am excited by the idea of you starting over.  As awesome epic as the current layout is, I have every confidence that the next one will be even better.

[M.C. Fujiwara]

As a former teacher & prof myself, I can realistically say that you will have no time, for the first year or so, with all the "learning curve" and "figuring out how ***** works", academically-wise, beyond eating and spending some time with family.
(Howz that for commaz?  Which will soon command your life)

Plus, you will be so popular that all the cadets will be lined up to flood your office hours.
(Careful: some of those leaning non-chalantly against the moulding of your office door might be some asshats on covert ops to "save" your HCD before you "destroy" it )
Happy you're thinking of modeling ahead will the avalanche of new teaching job on the horizon.
(Teaching: the classes are the easy/fun part.  Meeting with students: solid gold when the light bulbs go off!!  It's all the paperwork BS behind it that sucks____________ [fillintheblank])

I'm all for destruction and re-creation, however!
For the first year or so, a realistic project might be a nice thin (18"x72"?) HCD between Juniata and Enola to create a "U" of lovely Penn industry.
This will make a nice shelf section of your "real" home layout down the line, when you're not USAF Blue.
Think SUPER DIORAMA.

11' x 15.5' is sooooo much more space than most "spare rooms": don't be afraid to shove part of the layout against the wall.

Foods for thoughts.
And wishing you and your family (and layout) well in the new Western Universe 

[Dave V]

Thanks for the comments...

Realistically NOTHING is happening this fall.  In addition to doing some of the finishing work on the basement myself we're hiking or railfanning every weekend.

USAFA teaching is a different animal, to be sure.  Office hours are implied any time during the duty day that I am not otherwise teaching (I meant to say 6 hours every other day).  The learning curve is especially steep because of the learning-focused pedagogy and the multitude of systems used to assess their performance.  I have always wanted to do this, though, and there are (highly competitive) opportunities to make academic rank as well as military rank.  To do so will require research and publication, and in a uniquely service-academy way, likely another deployment.  The best thing about deployment is the cash they bring in.  Cash = more choo choo.

LOL, better not be ANY cadets "leaning" in my doorway!  Standing upright, sure...   

Usually when I get to feeling this way about starting over, I just need to go look at the layout for 10-15 minutes...and remind myself just how much work and time it will take to recreate it.  That usually sets me back to doing just the little upgrade projects.

[CodyO]

I`ll add your base to my "dream sheet" i ship out for basic November 12th and if i end up at your base I`ll be more than happy to help with layout work
gota get that train fix in!

[M.C. Fujiwara]

I'll try not to wave my little pinky at you while leaning nonchalantly in your office's door jamb

Good luck and all the best with the teaching and publishing-not-perishing jig, prof!

Always looking forward to seeing your modeling magic.

[GimpLizard]

"I should also mention I am 100% open to discarding the original Juniata Division (after recycling all the goodies of course)."

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!! 

(Fine works of art should last forever.)

[Dave V]

There will almost undoubtedly come a time when the Juniata Division has run its course (and quite frequently I feel it already has) and at that time I would be an idiot not to dismantle it and save every last tree, telephone pole, figure, structure, and other detail.  The layout represents a substantial investment in money and time and to simply set it aside on a shelf someplace while my modeling efforts go elsewhere would be the real waste.

I appreciate everyone's support for the layout, but in the end it serves one and only one purpose...to make me happy.  At whatever time it stops doing that for me, its days are done.

That said I am not closed off to the idea of re-tracking it and trying to reuse it.

[conrail98]

Would a U-shaped layout like what David Popp did be good start? Where the staging would be behind the center door and maybe use the yard on the one side?

Phil

[chicken45]

I would at least lay track on a new door before scrapping the old so you can run trains in the interim. Hell, I bet someone would buy it even with buildings missing.

[DKS]

Agreed...  although the realist in me wonders if it might turn out to be more work than starting over.

Nothing wrong with starting over, IMO. Done it enough times already (and pissed off enough "fans" of prior layouts). Lessons learned from the current Juniata could lead to a mind-blowing new one.

Could just have them sitting side-by-side and transfer bits of the old one over as needed.

[Dave V]

I would love to explore some ideas that turn the current layout into a U-shaped one that give me more run.