Proto-lanced Pennsy: The West Slope

[chicken45]

Gallitzin is located in the Alleghenies in Cambria County. It's on the eastern border of the county and I believe Blair Country begins just after Gallitzin. It's halfway between Ebensburg and Altoona.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Gallitzin,+PA&hl=en&sll=40.441721,-78.511047&sspn=0.432174,0.480652&oq=gallitzin&hnear=Gallitzin,+Cambria,+Pennsylvania&t=m&z=15

[Hornwrecker]

Here's a list from the USGS of the main formations in that county, and the percentages of it on the surface.

http://mrdata.usgs.gov/geology/state/fips-unit.php?code=f42021

Looks like the Glenshaw formation is the majority; pretty much all of it is shades of gray, with a few red beds, thin black layers, and maybe a grayish brown sandstone.

See if you can dig up any color photos of rock cuts in the area: railroad and/or highway.  That will help a lot in capturing the look of the area.

[Lemosteam]

Culverts anyone?

[chicken45]

I was wondering, did you make them to spec? Is that hole 8ft in diameter?

[Lemosteam]

What are those hairs you were talking about?   I's 8.5', 0r 0.0375" oversize.  I thought the drawing said 8'-6".  But now that I have the process down...

[chicken45]

I can tell you 100% that it being 8'6" doesn't bother me one bit. But I am pretty sure that it's only supposed to be 8ft. The plan says 8'0", but that zero does look like a six. Then I noticed in the bottom right of the plan, it says in the second largest font on the page "8 foot diameter."

I totally missed that until I went back and looked at it just now 

So before I cry "foob!" ( ) I just looked at my N scale ruler and chuckled at how little of a difference 6 inches is going to make! My question was asked because I simply didn't know how large it was, but figured you'd nail it (you did).

I should also say how awesome TRW is. We talk about something, someone actually makes it, and we all grow in the process.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Interesting.

I think you're going to find it very challenging capturing the immense scale of the PRR's infrastructure out there on the door like that.

But Dave did it, so it can be done.

That being said, I think you should toss the extra sidings. If you want to replicate the feel of the area, it's mostly mainline. There are a few sidings here and there, and I know there are the holding tracks at AR, but I think you'll do yourself a real solid by leaving more room for scenery.

For the Gallitzin side, it'd bug me a bit because it's "backwards". The tracks curve the opposite way from the Route 53 overpass between Cresson and Gallitzin from what you've got (they hang a right heading east into Gallitzin). But then again, I have issues...

On the MG side, I'd center the tower along the length of the layout, and keep the track straight. I've built up quite a bit of research on MG over the years (I'm still planning on doing an NTRAK module of it someday), and it's in the middle of a tangent on the center of a big S curve. If you keep it all straight in there, you can do the crossovers.

  ////
 ////
 ||||
 ||||MG
 ||||
 ////
////

I'd also keep the tunnel portal opening into the MG scene around the corner, so you can't see it with the tower in view.

All of that criticism said, I think it'll be really interesting to see how you scale it all down.

[kelticsylk]

Josh,
Not sure how accurate you want the scenery to be, but I have USGS topo maps for the Altoona quadrangle from 1920-1930. They show the PRR mainline from east of Altoona to west of Cresson. I can send it to you if you feel you'd like to look at it.

[chicken45]

Yeah! This is the discussion I wanted have!
Frank, I'll take what ever you have to offer! It must be no coincidence I read through your entire railblog last night!

Ed,
I like where your head is. I added a double crossover at MG. What do you think about doing the other two tunnels? That's what really screams Gallitzin to me. In reality, they are just sidings on my door, but I think if I put my freight depot there, it's close protypically to where it originally stood.
I realize traffic usually comes out of the Gallitzin tunnels, rather than in, it's more of an aesthetic decision at this point.

There are indeed challenges of getting that Pennsy flavor with 2 tracks.

It could be fun to model the Jackson Street bridge, but I don't know how that would work out. I hear coke was big in Gallitzin. I'd like to do some beehive furnaces if feasible. I don't want to cram too much in.

[Lemosteam]

I see a future table taking you from Gallitzin down to the Curve assuming those two tracks are above the NPT tracks.

[Dave V]

Oh, no, you did not just put in a double crossover!

Please, for the sake of all things Pennsy, reconsider this highly unprototypical arrangement and use four switches like PRR would have.  Please?   

[chicken45]

Thanks, Dave! I'm still pretty green in "how the Pennsy did things." I suppose that only comes with more research and experience.

Four turnouts it is!

[Lemosteam]

Bayliff, smack his pe pe.

[chicken45]

Did I get this right?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Much better.

If you're going to do the two tunnels AND "The Slide", the siding that comes off straight in the front would be a natural for it (being a single track). Even if it doesn't go anywhere right now.

From your drawing, I'd say bring the tunnels back even further around the corner. You don't want to see them at MG, and since the track there swings around the curve anyway, it'll be much better.

As for the track layout in Gallitizin, with the town, etc... Go use Bing to look at the area. I think you can get closer than you have there, especially if you're willing to sacrifice the sidings (specifically the one that pierces into the center).

Are you using RTS for this? Send me the file (ed@kapuscinski.net) and I'll take a look at illustrating my point.