PRR/Conrail Juniata Division Engineering Report

[wm3798]

Popp's layout is an excellent one to study.  I really like how it works, and apart from the impossibly garish fall colors, how it looks.  It's compact, and it's only liability is the need to access it from four sides.  But if you have space, it's a model to model.

There's also an exhaustive library of its progress thanks to its prolific builder.

Were it not for the Kalmbach gag order that prohibits him from cavorting with other N scalers, I'd love to see him post here.  (Also, why spend a bunch of time spewing wisdom for free here when they pay him!)

Lee

[pjm20]

I gots an idea:

You can incorporate the old Juniata in the middle and even reuse the top portal of Spruce Creek (unless your going 3 track). Before anybody says anything, I know that I have the location backwards from Lewistown to Tyrone, if the general direction is followed, but that's how it worked out. Then you could include the Mapleton curve on the right door and then extend Spruce Creek Tunnel around the curve of the top right of the right door. Then on the top left of the left door you could recreate Tyrone's curve and interchange. The bottom of the left door could be generic scenery or open staging. If these doors are going to be pressed against the wall, then Tyrone could move to where the open staging is and Lewistown could become the open staging.

[Dave V]

I had something like that in mind although I really see the Juniata Div being an "end lobe" rather than a middle piece...  Making it a middle to something else will likely cause such trauma that I may as well start over.

Something to consider is whether I can fully integrate the Juniata's 2-track main into a larger layout and still keep it viable as a stand-alone piece.  I have an idea I may sketch out tonight.

[chicken45]

I admire that! Like previous sentiments, if you do start anew, it'll be better than ever, especially if you build it for planned expansions.

Just take thousands of pictures of the current layout and leak them out on Facebook and your blog so the Internets don't know it's gone.

[MichaelWinicki]

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

Well Dave you could test a small section of the layout for re-tracking.  Do a spur and see how well the WS roadbed comes up. 

It might surprise you.

As far as the yard goes.  You could simply swop out the CI throws for some micro-switches.  You've already got the wiring run. 

Maybe the yard serves as the go-between the JD and another door-sized layout.

[Dave V]

Actually I've already torn out a spur and relaid with code 55.  The Trackbed came up OK except in spots where it was bonded too well to the foam.  In those cases it either left some behind or took a little foam with it.

Will be using cork next time.

[MichaelWinicki]

Actually I've already torn out a spur and relaid with code 55.  The Trackbed came up Oak except in spots where it was bonded too well to the foam.  In those cases it either left some behind or took a little foam with it.

Will be using cork next time.

Ah!

That's right.

I don't think re-tracking it would be that big a project.

[Bsklarski]

Dave,

I believe you have said in the past that the layout was starting to show some age and issues like sagging int he middle. I am sure you know that you can order custom size HCDs. Maybe something like 42" x 80" and still get it around places? Or is there a size restriction on the movers? Maybe you can sell it to raise funds for a new layout? Knowing what you know now, I bet you could come up with a killer layout on a new HCD

[Rich_S]

Actually I've already torn out a spur and relaid with code 55.  The Trackbed came up OK except in spots where it was bonded too well to the foam.  In those cases it either left some behind or took a little foam with it.

Will be using cork next time.

Hi Dave, It's funny the subject of replacing your existing track with code 55 has come up at this time. I've been kicking around the same idea for the P&WV long valley branch. I'm currently on a fence, do I want to relay the existing layout with code 55, start over with a new HCD or can I live with the code 80 for a few more years? Keep us posted on your thoughts and decisions while I sit here on my fence   

Rich S.
Modeling the P&WV in "N" scale.

[Bsklarski]

Popp's layout is an excellent one to study.  I really like how it works, and apart from the impossibly garish fall colors, how it looks. 

Only if he lightly sprayed the trees with a dusting of grey or smoke color, it would be perfect.



Lee

[chicken45]

Popp's layout is an excellent one to study.  I really like how it works, and apart from the impossibly garish fall colors, how it looks.
Lee

I know I'm just another jerk with a computer, but I bought the Scenery by the Seasons for Popp's section on autumn, and was like...really? I never saw trees look like that.

[Bsklarski]

The colors are just too bright. Living in Western Mass and working up into Vermont, I have lots of time to study this stuff as we drone up and down the tracks. Its nicely done, dont get me wrong, but just way too bright. Lots of photos on the net are adjusted. Maybe once in 25 years you get colors that bright. This year may be the year lol as we have gotten so much rain.

[wcfn100]

I never saw trees look like that.

I wouldn't matter, because it's just to hard to accept the bright colors even if they were 100% correct.



Jason

[John]

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.

Does USAFA fall under what I used to know as Air Training Command - and will you have to get USAF instructor qualified (I actually qualified as an AF master instructor ) ... for one of my practice teaching projects, I taught everyone how to make a ham sandwich ...

and we had lunch afterward

[John]

Actually I've already torn out a spur and relaid with code 55.  The Trackbed came up OK except in spots where it was bonded too well to the foam.  In those cases it either left some behind or took a little foam with it.

Will be using cork next time.

Maybe you could use some of that BESTINE stuff .. its apparently a glue remover ...