PRR/Conrail Juniata Division Engineering Report

[chicken45]

Ed's got dibs on some of the PC stuff but I may break the ice by selling off a few of my locomotives to bankroll RGS #40 in HOn3.

I've got that gon that I didn't weather for you yet. I can just give that to ed if he pays you!

[Dave V]

Haha!  I'm sort of in the same boat.  A few weeks ago, I decided to attempt liquidating a few pieces of motive power and rolling stock that sees little use on my layout, to fund the purchase of a couple of IM SD40-2s with DCC and sound.  However, IM has now further delayed the SCL and SBD SD40-2s into late Spring 2017 at best.

So, since the eBay sales did better than I expected and I've got a little cash burning a hole in my pocket, I've decided to go in a different direction.  I'm now selling off a significant chunk of my fleet, because I'm seriously considering purchasing a second generation Mazda Miata (1999-2005).  Ever since my brother owned an MG Midget in the 1980s, I have long wanted to own a soft-top, two-seat roadster.  While the MGs are cool, let's face it, Miatas are much more reliable and less expensive to maintain.

DFF

Hey, hold on.  Flag on the play!  What the hell happened to the On30 Tweetsie?  That was gonna be my new favorite thread!

[davefoxx]

Hey, hold on.  Flag on the play!  What the hell happened to the On30 Tweetsie?  That was gonna be my new favorite thread!

I've sworn to myself that I will not start any new layouts until I finish off the layout room.  At present, it's a painted concrete floor, sealed concrete block on three exterior walls, open studs on the fourth interior wall, and an unfinished ceiling with a hodgepodge of wires and lights.  It's a serious project that I keep procrastinating on for the obvious reasons: time, money, and laziness.   

Oh, and don't worry, regardless of how much of my N scale fleet that I sell (I've even fantasized about how much I could sell the layout for), I'm not getting rid of my On30 ET&WNC No. 14 ten-wheeler.

DFF

[muktown128]

Dave,

Congrats on the new house and having a clear direction on your next layout.  Your JD has been an inspiration to me.  Hopefully I will be able to acquire a PRR item or two as a memento to the JD. 

Regards,
Scott

[Lemosteam]

I officially nominate this thread to be another Best Of and bne pinned at the top, which will still allow Dave to make additions and have discussions about the JD.

[unittrain]

They JD has always been one of my top favorites on here and a source of inspiration.

[Dave V]

Thanks for the kind words, guys!

The Juniata Division has essentially been in stasis for years now, so in that respect....nothing's going to change much.  The Enola Yard section makes the whole layout awkwardly sized and shaped and frankly serves no more purpose than as a scenicked shelf for my lesser-used rolling stock to gather dust.

Starting out in HOn3 is almost starting from scratch, so I don't expect I'll have a new layout overnight.  I will have many a craftsman structure kit to build in the meantime!

[davefoxx]

@Dave Vollmer,

There's two things that I missed when I tore down my expansion: (1) the loss of the extended mainline (which is not an issue for you), and (2) staging.  I have an idea, which I realize you won't bother with before the move, but perhaps you can put it to use in the new house and keep the JD interesting to run.

Take a look at the siding that comes off of the loop and feeds Enola.  Instead of running off of the end of the HCD, you could bend that siding to the right to go off the side of the door.  That could allow you to put a narrow (say 8" or 12" deep) shelf on the wall for, say, a three-track staging yard.  Nothing fancy, just stubs.  But you could minimize handling your rolling stock and swap out trains from time-to-time.

Thinking about this further, maybe you could even consider saving one Conrail and/or Penn Central train to mix it up occasionally.

DFF

[Dave V]

@Dave Vollmer,

There's two things that I missed when I tore down my expansion: (1) the loss of the extended mainline (which is not an issue for you), and (2) staging.  I have an idea, which I realize you won't bother with before the move, but perhaps you can put it to use in the new house and keep the JD interesting to run.

Take a look at the siding that comes off of the loop and feeds Enola.  Instead of running off of the end of the HCD, you could bend that siding to the right to go off the side of the door.  That could allow you to put a narrow (say 8" or 12" deep) shelf on the wall for, say, a three-track staging yard.  Nothing fancy, just stubs.  But you could minimize handling your rolling stock and swap out trains from time-to-time.

Thinking about this further, maybe you could even consider saving one Conrail and/or Penn Central train to mix it up occasionally.

DFF

I appreciate all of that, Dave, but I've made up my mind.  The more I try to save the more I'll be living in this in-between world that has not been working well for me.  The 36" x 80" and the 30" x 60" CMRy can occupy part of the open area in the new basement with that new bedroom to be HOn3.  If you've kept up with prices in HOn3, you can pay $80 for a single car and $100 for a structure kit...  Nope, I'm gonna need to liquidate most of my stuff.

Just be glad the JD isn't completely going away.  It came close!

And before everyone calls for me to subsume the entire basement with trains, I have two boys (one is now a teenager!) who play X-box down there and aren't into trains.  They have friends over and we also sponsor USAFA cadets who like to chill down in our basement when they're allowed off base (phone time with girlfriends, video games, sleep, etc).  Maybe after my youngest moves out...  Hmmm...

[Cajonpassfan]

Dave, a basement is a wonderful thing, we don't have those in California; I had to build an above ground "basement" behind the garage for my trains. When I built it, I didn't want to fill it with a layout, and left room for other activities, including a crew lounge. Some years later, our kids grew up and moved on and all of a sudden I didn't need the ancillary space. The "lounge" moved into the family room where there is a nice sitting area, a fireplace, and access to the kitchen and restroom, and the newly available space got filled with more layout. Of course I designed the original layout with this potential expansion in mind.
That's something you may want to think about as you design your layout; if it never happens, fine, but you have that option for down the road. It's gonna be a while before you get there with this new HOn3 adventure anyway.
My best to you in your new home.
Otto K.

[Dave V]

Some day, sure...  But as I said for now, we intend to use that basement space for much more than trains.

We're putting in a bar, and we also have an enormous air hockey table that sees a lot of use.

[wazzou]

We're putting in a bar.

A voice of reason.

[basementcalling]

Some day, sure...  But as I said for now, we intend to use that basement space for much more than trains.

We're putting in a bar, and we also have an enormous air hockey table that sees a lot of use.

I considered a bar in my basement when I redid the floor under the old layout before starting the Idaho Belt. I decided that might be the only thing I could put in my basement more expensive than a model railroad. 

[mcjaco]

Bars can get out of control if you want them too.

Either way, a bar near the railroad room is always a good idea.  I approve.

[amato1969]

Some day, sure...  But as I said for now, we intend to use that basement space for much more than trains.

I feel you, brah!  Compared to 10 years ago, there's a lot more teenage competition for my basement these days.  Definitely impacts layout work!

  Frank