Map of the Northern Central (as I plan to model it)

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I just cooked this up for my site but figured I'd share it.

I did it in Illustrator so I can resize it however large I need.

For now, here it is:

[wm3798]

I had to chase the image down some, but I found it finally.  Looks swell.

I'm still betting you'll be painting keystones on everything before long...

Are you planning double track, or the more intense CTC on single track version.  What did Penn Central have there before the floods came?

Lee

[keystonecrossings]

No image showing for me...

And I heard you are considering going back as far as Pennsy... push, push... 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Thanks guys. Image is fixed now.

As far as pennsy, ain't gonna happen, (but that doesn't mean I won't have side-projects...).

[keystonecrossings]

Probably ought to add the Cumberland Valley branch heading west out of Lemoyne... and perhaps the Low Grade line heading southeast out of York Haven.

Depending on the era of the map, if it is pre-1976, perhaps you should label the Lurgan and Reading lines as Reading RR.

[amato1969]

Nice -- that's a lot of railroad for one layout.  How much space will you have?

[Mark5]

Ed,

This is cool, I guess I'll have to download the image to really see it (I'm on a 21" monitor) but I already know some of the ROW.

Is this gonna be a "what if" where the NC was never abandoned, and eventually "spun off" to form a smaller railroad? Circa 1985?

Cheers,

Mark

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Then plan is (and this explains the lack of the Port Road...) that Hurricane Agnes wiped out the Port Road but largely spared the NC. The NC was then rehabed to serve as CR's gateway to Baltimore (and the south, via RF&P and Sou connections in DC).

I intend to do 1985, since it has the right mix of equipment: cabin cars & no Dash 8s, and since it's also a few years on from the rehab job.

I also intend to do some embellishing of the truth to up the online industries (ie, maybe an Automotive stamping or engine plant on the York IT east of York proper).

I'd love to model the whole thing (ha!) but I'm going to do bits an pieces until I can do the "thesis" layout someday.

[sirenwerks]

Even as a hypothetical exercise, I sense the hair bristling on the neck backs of a lot of property owners in Sparks and Glencoe as we talk... especially if you're thinking double track. The auto industry in York's not too far off. They already have Harley Davidson there. Why not something like an Allison transmission plant? It would generate traffic for GM downstream in Baltimore proper.

[Bob Bufkin]

There's also a plant that makes heavy tracked military equipment near there that is served by rail.  Don't remember the name but they made the M88 tank recover vehicles for one thing.  If you moved a little later you could include some F units in Conrail (check out the latest issue of Diesel Era).  Since I'm from near there don't forget the many fruit orchards (I picked my share of reefer traffic as a kid)  which could provide tons of traffic before trucks took it away.

[wm3798]

Ed, your hypothesis would put a lot of coal and containers/TOFC coming down the pipe.  That's what ran on the Port Road in those days.  Since the NC had to dump out onto the corridor, you'd have to pile thru trains up until 11:00 p.m. to satisfy the Landlord, Amtrak.  That means dimmable room lighting, and lots of structure and street lights...  The good news is, most of your local switching and working the Flexi Flo at North Ave. can occur in daylight.

I also don't think it would be out of the question for Amtrak to want to run a section of the Broadway directly from Baltimore/DC up your main line to Harrisburg, possibly including a local stop at Cockeysville.  Imagine, the 1920's era concrete overpass with a 1970's era Amtrak double wide...

Keep throwing stuff up against the wall...  see what sticks!
Lee

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Ugh, Trailvans... I know it's inevitable, but I'm not looking forward to buying Eric Smith his second Lambo...

Hopefully Atlas will come to the rescue. I'd have NO trouble springing for Cory's Benz (although I bet he'd actually get an Audi).

I do anticipate some AMTRAK service, as well as MARC service (which I mentioned before). I don't think that AMTRAK would stop at Cockeysville (but maybe), but I do know I'd schedule a stop in at York. I think I wouldn't use the current station (as I think it's repurposement is more amusing), but instead I'd erect an amshack next to it.

I also thought that 85 was before the AMTRAK curfew, so that while traffic would have to compete with the AMTRAK "schedule", it could still cut across to get to Bayview. I'd planned it so that CR would take ownership of one of the tracks along the NC to get to Bayview, like they did to go from Park Jct to the Delair Bridge in Philly.

I'm going to plan on working up an actual train list shortly, and will be tossing that up.

[amato1969]

Just think about all the cool TOFC paint schemes, like the SP trailers with the pigs on them.  That's some serious 80s mojo.

[keystonecrossings]

Ed, once a week (present day) the huge paper mill at Spring Grove receives a huge train (100 cars or so) of coal through the NCRy via Enola. Then the empties go back the other way, of course.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Oh yeah, Glatfelter will definitely be seeing a train via the NC. That's part of the reason the Frederick Secondary goes that far (as opposed to having the MMID get it all the way to York).