PRR/Conrail Juniata Division Engineering Report

[Dave V]

Just soak Enola in 91% Alcohol and reuse all the track and other assorted details.

This goes without saying.  Some of the trees on the JD are on their third layout.  I save everything.

[VonRyan]

I say go for it.
I was hesitant about ditching my first true layout even though it wasn't even semi my complete. I just saw too many faults to even bother attempting to correct. Finally I just removed all the track (c80) to give away, and then stripped the door bare and donated it to the local ReStore.

[conrail98]

Enola doesn't work well for anything beyond equipment storage and display.  I also don't have room for more than two doors. 

Are you thinking like Popp with the two connected by 4 feet or so or are you going 2 36" doors in an L?

Phil

[Dave V]

Are you thinking like Popp with the two connected by 4 feet or so or are you going 2 36" doors in an L?

Phil

Would like to do the latter; another 36" wide door in an L off the main JD.

[Rich_S]

That would be this, then?

Dave, One way of eliminating the back up moves would be to use David's plan above that originally appeared around page 65. Then create a few cassettes that would plug into the end of Enola. The cassettes could be stored under the layout? and be used as removable staging. The latest MR project railroad even has a cassette in the form of a car float. This could be a way to expand, without having to toss out Enola, just an idea?  As far as era's, I can't help you there, I'm still trying to pick between five different railroads and three different eras 



 

[Dave V]

Okay, so I guess I'm having trouble clearly articulating how poorly Enola works for me...  Dave's plan is awesome, but even with cassettes, it doesn't eliminate the stub-endedness that just doesn't work for me.  The essence of the JD is still the original door, and for as many times as I've been tempted to ditch that, you guys have convinced me.  Not so Enola.  I've taken to using it as a scenicked car display.  It works in THAT sense, but it could work so much better.

I'm happy to entertain ideas that involve translating some of the elements of Enola (the engine shops, the tower, etc.) into run-through staging, but I've never really been satisfied with it as-is.  Remember that this has to work for me as I'm a lone-wolf.

[Rich_S]

Dave, I understand Enola being stub ended is a issue.  You know the old joke about the mind is the second thing to go? I don't remember how much room you have to work with? Do you have room to create a mirror image of Enola, plug it onto the end of Enola and add a reversing loop to the end of the new section? That coupled with David's plan would eliminate all backup moves, plus provide some yard work for the Juniata Division Crews; namely, you, yourself and Yinz  . I'm just throwing ideas out and maybe one of them will either stick or a light bulb will come on 

[Dave V]

Dave, I understand Enola being stub ended is a issue.  You know the old joke about the mind is the second thing to go? I don't remember how much room you have to work with? Do you have room to create a mirror image of Enola, plug it onto the end of Enola and add a reversing loop to the end of the new section? That coupled with David's plan would eliminate all backup moves, plus provide some yard work for the Juniata Division Crews; namely, you, yourself and Yinz  . I'm just throwing ideas out and maybe one of them will either stick or a light bulb will come on 

No, I don't have room for that.  Not now, and probably not some future home either.  As much as I'd love to retire here, it still may not happen.

I'm beginning to wonder if you guys all like Enola so much if I need to put it on the market!

[crrcoal]

While ideally we'd all love to have the ultimate through yard, the nature of space and necessary compression often pushes us towards the stub ended yard. Looking above at the plan Rich posted from page 65; I think that works for what you want to do. or at least for what I think you want to do. The plan gives you a arrival/departure track and a nice yard lead. As a lone wolf you can make up and break down trains all day long without effecting the original JD. No need for those insanely long back up moves (which would drive me crazy too) anymore. And then as a lone wolf you can run a train out of the yard and onto the JD where you can either do some switching as a local, make a passenger stop, or run a through freight. Then head back to Enola and break it down and classify the cars. The beauty of this plan is you can make the ops as simple or complex as you would like depending on the time you have available. Having a visitor or two over? One runs a local, one works the yard.

I totally get what you say about the current Enola you have, but I would suggest you try the plan Dave drew up. I think it would give you a whole new look on Enola. If you wanted too (and have the space) you could add a staging plank over at Lewistown. This would give the trains leaving Enola a destination and vice-versa.

Just my thoughts......

[crrcoal]

No, I don't have room for that.  Not now, and probably not some future home either.  As much as I'd love to retire here, it still may not happen.

I'm beginning to wonder if you guys all like Enola so much if I need to put it on the market!

Well disregard all that I just wrote in my previous post. If you have no space for that plan then it is a mute point.

Yes you could sell Enola as a stand alone layout. I'm sure someone would buy it in an instant.

[Dave V]

In what way does Dave's plan relieve the stub-endedness?  I'm not following.  Yes, there's a wye, but to negotiate the wye, there's still a considerable backup move.

[Dave V]

Summarizing my Unitrack adventure: 

I replaced a kinked section of code 80 track (visible in the first two photos) with Kato Unitrack.





I painted the Unitrack with Floquil paint pens.  Painted track above, plain track below:



I added shims to match the original superelevation in the curve:



Removed the old track and roadbed:



Screwed up trying to shove a code 55 joiner onto the code 80 rail:



Removed more track:



The final result, ballasted and weathered:

[Rich_S]

In what way does Dave's plan relieve the stub-endedness?  I'm not following.  Yes, there's a wye, but to negotiate the wye, there's still a considerable backup move.

Dave, You would need to add one more cross-over on the other side of the Enola highway bridge, that would connect the center mainline track to the outside mainline track. Then as long as the trains never exceeded the turnouts by the wye, you be able to pull in, run around your train and shove the cars into the yard.

I guess I like David's plan as it reminds me of Lewistown. Sure the branch is on the other side of the station, wait a minute..... Here is another idea, instead of Enola, using David's plan model the couple of industries along the branch that runs Northeast out of Lewistown? That little branch even gives you a little street running 

[Dave V]

I've thought about that, actually!  I have a few Walthers Vulcan Mfg kits with an eye toward building Standard Steel at Burnham!

The other idea is to make the other door represent somewhere near and east of Harrisburg under the wire.  I have a serious fetish for PRR electrified ops, and would consider doing some sort of abbreviated catenary using green EZ Line to represent the trolley wire.  Then my Vulcan kits become Bethlehem Steel's plant at Steelton, just below Harrisburg.  I even have a kit for HARRIS tower.

[eric220]

Dave- I may get flogged for this, but I've never really liked the plan for Enola. I've never understood how it was supposed to work, beyond being staging with some very short tracks. It seems extremely limited for the amount of room it takes up. The execution is beautiful, but I think there are many more possibilities for operating and general interest if the same space was used differently, especially if "that's it" for available space.