The Transcontinental PRR

[S Class]

Flows much better, looks better and makes more sense to have the terminal in the middle tracks. Less chance of your eastbounds blocking your westbounds or vice versa (not sure which way is east or which track the PRR used) also makes the passenger terminal more independent of the through/freight lines.

[eric220]

That's pretty much my assessment as well.

[eric220]

I hosted the Gandy Dancers again last night.  We continued on the start that we got last week in adding grade for the railroad.  This part is heading railroad east of River City and the upper staging yard.  Hopefully, in the next few days, I'll be able to get the track gang (me) out there, and get some cork and track down.





The grade has not yet been adjusted, and there are a few repositionings that need to occur.  I am very pleased that now that the roadbed is up, it is quite clear that this does not interfere with the (future) view of Horseshoe.

[John]

Looking good .. its always hard to visualize a drawing .. real lumber is much better

[GaryHinshaw]

Yes, looking good.

I'm eyeing your wall-mounted supports in the back of the alcove, especially the gusset system.  Are the boards 1x3?  Are you happy with the strength of that arrangement?  I'm looking to do the same thing on my upper deck and I like the thin profile you get.

Thanks,
Gary

[eric220]

Gary - The gussets were built by one of my Gandy Dancing buddies (nickname "Dr. Sawsall").  They seem to be quite sturdy.  They are comprised of two 2x3's and two triangular supports.



Obviously, Dr. Sawsall needs to come back and do a little trimming to length, but they are doing their job.

I managed to get the grading gang out tonight.  I got the grade set, and roadbed down.



I've got some other things to do tomorrow, but I'm hoping to get enough time in to lay some track.

[eric220]

With the addition of a diner, the PRR executive train (or 1947 Broadway Limited) has finally been completed.



The railroad's executives were quick to take the new train out for a spin.

All the way out to the end of the line.

[John]

Nice milestone ..

[eric220]

I have a question for everyone.  I've been thinking about the Shurkyll River crossing after Newark:



Originally, I had planned to use Walthers truss bridges.  Once I discovered that one of TrainCat's two-track bridges was based on a PRR prototype, I decided that I would simply have to use it instead.  Then I found out that it wasn't going to be produced in N Scale.  Next the idea morphed into trying to build a lift bridge of some kind.  The major stumbling block there is that I'm not familiar with anyone who makes an N Scale double-track lift bridge, so it would mean scratching.

All of these thoughts had centered around the idea that this would be a navigable water channel.  That mindset originated from my desire to use a Sylvan boat on the layout, and the very first designs of the river crossing that included a small dock on the side opposite Newark.  That dock was one of the first things to go when I realized that the layout was getting too crowded, and the aisles in the back corner by Newark were too narrow.  I've recently begun toying with the idea of doing a stone arch bridge with the Atlas viaduct kit, vis:



Of course, that firmly cements this water channel as non-navigable by anything larger than a rowboat.  On the other hand, it would allow me to make the river wider, as I could extend it until at least the first turnout of the crossover at the bottom was out on the bridge.  Also, it means that the river wouldn't have to be as deep, leaving more clearance for the staging level balloon loop bellow.

After seeing Rockville and some of the other PRR stone bridges in the Harrisburg area earlier this year, the stone arch bridge certainly has some appeal, and could easily be made into a distinctly PRR structure.  On the other hand, the challenge, sheer awesomeness, and opportunity for an added wrinkle during ops sessions that comes with building a working lift bridge certainly has its appeal as well.

Thoughts?

[Dave V]

Stone arch=PRR.  Do it!

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I second the stone arch idea, but for what you're doing, the Atlas spans are way too small. They're for streams (that's what I'm using them for).

[conrail98]

Eric, what about something like the Manayunk Bridge, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manayunk_Bridge? A little higher and almost the same angle and approach to your design,

Phil

[DKS]

I'd go with either stone arch or Phil's Manayunk suggestion, depending on whichever is more feasible.

[M.C. Fujiwara]

Scratch the stones!
("Scratch" as in scratchbuild, "stones" as in the rocks in the bridge)
Originally I was going to have a stone arch bridge on my Mt. Coffin & Columbia River layout, but the wood truss bridge bug bit.
But I do have a long stone retaining wall / abutment that I carved out of pink foam with a thin layer of lightweight spackle spread over it (gives it a "stoned" texture):









Just used an xacto knife, lightly scoring the lines and then going back and pushed the stones a little away from the lines to give separation.
Painted with cheap-o craft paint & weathered with "Big Jug O' Stain" washes.

I think you'd have a lot of fun carving the stone bridge: just draw a template for the arches and carve away.
I was going to use sandpaper over a large dowel (like a closet rod) to get the inside of the arch smooth.
I'm sure you can do a groovy job, and then you'd have a kick-a$$hat hand-carved stone bridge on your layout.

[eric220]

Phil-  I looked at the Manyunk bridge very seriously as a possibility.  I worked on Boathouse Row for several years, and I always loved that bridge.  Unfortunately, it's just too tall.  I've got staging tracks below, so the river can only be so far below the bridge.  I suppose I could try to design a (vertically) shorter bridge using the same arch-on-arch look, but I'm not sure how it would work in my (linearly) limited space.  For that design to fit, I think I'd have to figure out a way to expand the bridge so that the crossover is on it, and to hide the linkage to the switch machine.  Not easy with such an airy structure.

There also the Connecting Railway Bridge that carries the NEC over the Schuylkill

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Railroad,_Connecting_Railway_Bridge

Of course, that guy's just a giant stone-arch bridge.  Custom Model Railroads makes an HO stone arch bridge that would be a possibility, that is, if it were produced in N...

M.C. - Interesting idea!  There's also always that Silhouette that I keep thinking about...