Ken’s Juniata Lines is a 4 track main line HO layout that starts at WORKS Interlocking. It continues E/B through Altoona Yards and the city of Altoona. All the buildings are scratch built from photos of the area era c.1951. This year was selected because it had a nice combination of late steam and early diesel motive power. The line continues past ALTO Tower and the rear of the downtown business area. We then pass the 27th St. turntable where the helper locomotives are turned after their assignment of helper service. SLOPE interlocking is next. This is a steady 2% grade to the famous Horseshoe curve where many photographers took thousands of photos of the many trains that passed every hour day and night. We then pass MG tower. (Due to limited space Bennington curve was eliminated) As we continue we go through the tunnels leading to Gallitizin. The speed limit here is 12 M.P.H. The powerful blowers blew the smoke ahead of the locomotives at 13 M.P.H. The other side of the tunnels is AR interlocking the apex of the layout where the helpers are cut off and sent back light to Altoona. The train continues E/B to Cresson. The layout is DCC with sound. On operations night, thereare 26 scheduled trains that run on a time schedule. The staging area is computer controlled. There are four tower operators, a dispatcher and a number of train enginemen and helper operators. We try to operate like the PRR did years ago.
Westbound:
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Rail Fanning:
