Calculating Freight Car Ratios for the PRSL

[GonzoCRFan]

Lastly, a truly prototypical layout would probably have about 80% run through cars to off line industries, not have most cars stop at local industries, and the average freight car fleet for any era/area would probably be pretty representative of "typical" traffic.

But that's not the case here. The PRSL served south Jersey, so it wouldn't carry any bridge traffic coming from the east or from the south. All the inbound traffic it saw came from the west (PRR and RDG connections) or the north (PRR and CNJ connections). It could have theoretically seen some bridge traffic from North Jersey that went west via the PRR or RDG, but that traffic could have went directly west on those roads from the North Jersey area. But everything else would be outbound traffic originating on-line. This should help simplify the task of determining what belongs and what does not.

[Rossford Yard]

Well, then I agree you need to embrace the research aspect of the hobby and find out what might have gone in and out in that time period!  Have fun.

[Philip H]

This has been an interesting thread for me, and somewhat mirrors my own process.

I started with a 2002 ORER, calculated percentages by car type of each railroad I was actively modeling (mainly KCS and IC/ICG/CN) and then looked at which industries I had modeled and then what they would receive.  SO for discussion's sake from the ORER a railroad might be 25% covered hoppers, 10% boxcars of all types, 10% non-tofc flatcars, 30% tank cars, etc.  Then I look at the kinds of revenue cars that will actually interchange on my layout (tankcars, covered hoppers, open hoppers (for pet-coke service), boxcars and reefers) and build a fleet that reflects the proportions of those cars in the overall Railroad fleet propostions.  I have a few other oddballs (tofc flats, depressed center flats, etc) just for operational interest.

[Rossford Yard]

Phillip,

I fall in the same camp as you.  It is your railroad and if you want the occasional odd ball, then have at it.

While I agree with the fun of getting it generally right, who among us doesn't want to fudge a year or a few miles to incorporate our favorite locos or cars?  A few, I know, and adhering strictly to your modeling era/theme/region certainly saves some money.

I am just in the "close enough" camp, figuring we really don't know that on any given day that more or less tankers, whatever didn't show up.  For that matter, if we decide to model a refinery it might generally raise those numbers of cars.

[JMaurer1]

While Tony Thompson models the Southern Pacific in HO, he has done several articles in his blog about modelling a freight car fleet and even includes some data about Pennsy in his examples. I would Google 'Tony Thompson Southern Pacific' and you should easily find his blog. Check out Dec 10, 2010 and Dec 30, 2010 for info about choosing a car fleet. There is also a TON of information about operating a model railroad as well. Hope that helps...

[rickb773]

Since the PRSL was basically a one-ended connection (to farms, chemical, oil and coal power industries), typical PRR traffic ratios would not really apply here. I have a tremendous amount of flexibility between my 15 sidings and run through industries (beyond the modeled portion).

Every town had 1 or 2 home coal dealers and a lumber yard. I have the 1954 shippers guide and a lot of memories (Growing up, I always lived 1/2 block or 1 block from the Millville/Vineland "mainline".)

Modeled:

Westville (modeled) had oil (Texaco refinery), consumer coal, cement, and food distribution (replacing a lumber yard with a later era food distributor).
Woodbury (modeled) had icing operations, lumber, a bottling plant, and a yard that collects car from the mainline and 2 major branches.

Camden has RCA, Campbell Soup and a major player to be named later.

Off the modeled portion:

The unmodeled Penns Grove branch had a Shell chemical plant (Thorofare), oil refineries (Paulsboro) DuPont chemicals (Deepwater) and a power plant (coal) for run-through traffic.

The Salem branch had loads of farming to feed Campbell Soup.

I lived 1/2 block from the tracks in Woodbury Heights  which was on the branch to Millville/Vineland (heavy farming and sand). Owens Corning was in Clayton and Glassboro was a junction with another branch. Traffic on the Millville/Vineland line had a lot of coal hoppers (2 bay) and box cars, and gondolas with sand and covered hoppers. Tankers were relatively rare back then on the Millville line. (But there were always tankers on the middle siding in Westville (Texaco) and on the Penns Grove branch to Paulsboro's refineries).

Don't remember a lot of reefers but Woodbury once had an icing facility.

Here is a diagram that helps explain why traffic congregates at Woodbury:


Note that Thorofare, Paulsboro, Pedricktown, and Carney's Point are all on the Penns Grove Branch. Various trains only went so far on their runs on the Penns Grove branch. My modeling ends at Woodbury. but has all the branches coming into it.

Here are the 1954 Freight Shippers guides for the modeled towns and some of the towns beyond.





Layout:
The layout has 2 small scenes in Philadelphia, Camden (5 sidings and the major yard), Bellmawr (no sidings just 2 traffic circles), Westville, 5 sidings, Woodbury (5 sidings, a  small yard to collect  traffic from 2 branch locals and the "mainline" to Millville, Vineland, and the Jersey shore).

P.S. Never knew about the Pennsy connection to the FGE. Thanks for the information. That probably explains why their wooden reefers were so boring!

P.S.S. Agree with Sean. The major railroad ratios don't apply to a one-ended railroad.

[VonRyan]

Damn... I guess that the gravel pit in Repaupo was closed up in 1954...
Looks like it's back into the DeLorean for me...


-Cody F.