Prototypical Nscale Jan 54-Sep54 PRR Passenger Trains

[CodyO]

I may be going spreadsheet crazy...
I really wanted to breakdown and analyze what was needed to model the Pennsy Middle Division Passenger trains between Harrisburg and Altoona. Not including cars that would have been removed from the trains before it transverses this section.

I complied the data from Multiple sources Keystone Crossings, PRR Passenger Trains and Consists 1952(A little early but gives good insight to the consists) and the 1953 Consist Book which provides the trains and what sleepers where assigned, The Timetable also helped mark the times they passed key points.

PDF of one tab of the excel sheet
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Each car has the sleeper cars that could be assigned to the train normally(Always some kind of exception)

Another Tab breaks it down to class required
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Plain P70s where rare, normally used as rider cars on the weekends or would be dropped at Harrisburg.
We really need P85`s,P70GS/KR`s, and 21 Roomettes.
And it showed it really is possible to model most of the equipment if your willing to build the cars.

Finally I needed to break this all down so I can clearly see what would be easy or difficult to model
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With this I was able to chose my first 2 trains:
New York-Pittsburgh Express
The Metropolitan
The Gotham will be my next train but I wanted to take this a small bite at the time.

The lack of Heavyweight Pullman cars kills a good chunk of the trains but I`m trying to work to fix this injustice.

I`ve ordered all the parts and this really wouldn`t be possible without Laser Horizons and the American Limited core kits.
I`m also having new decals made for full length stripes to help with the massive list of decal jobs ahead of me.

[Altoona]

I would be interested in a couple of the decal sheets

Judd Barton

[jargonlet]

I also would be interested in the decals. 

[Lemosteam]

As would I.

@CodyO , I assume you will be using Lima models for any P70 content?

If so I found the perfect filler styrene for the groove down the side.  it is sold by Eileen's Emporium

The strip is 020" x 0.025" styrene sold in a 50 pack here.

[CodyO]

As would I.

@CodyO , I assume you will be using Lima models for any P70 content?

If so I found the perfect filler styrene for the groove down the side.  it is sold by Eileen's Emporium

The strip is 020" x 0.025" styrene sold in a 50 pack here.

John, P70s are near the bottom of the list due to the amount of work required to bring them up to par.
I`m hoping over the next 5-10 years someone makes them and saves me the work. Thank you though!!

@Lemosteam, @jargonlet @Altoona

The sheets won`t come cheap $35 each if your interested, PM me.

[Mark5]

Isn't the Bachmann heavyweight coach a P70 (modernized)? Or is it too loosely based on the P70?

[Point353]

P70s are near the bottom of the list due to the amount of work required to bring them up to par.
I`m hoping over the next 5-10 years someone makes them and saves me the work.

BLI has released three production runs of the P70/P70R in HO, thus far.
It's time they made it available in N scale.

Has anyone tried this shapeways P70 model?
https://www.shapeways.com/product/CSKM3K5AR/n-scale-1-160-prr-p70-passenger-car

[muktown128]

BLI has released three production runs of the P70/P70R in HO, thus far.
It's time they made it available in N scale.

Amen to that!

[OldEastRR]

I assume one of your books is "Pennsylvania Railroad: Passenger Trains, Consists and Cars - 1952 / Vol. 1: East-West Trains" by Harry Stegmaier, Jr.  It's very handy for this task.
As for the trains themselves, I'm working on completing prototypical consists for some through trains, using the KATO BL sets as basic building blocks and reworking several manufacturers' stock cars to make the prototypes I need: PB70, 8-1-2, 14 section, P70Gr, P70FBR, 6 DBR-Lounge, and others. I also kitbashed a prewar boattail obs but then Bachmann came out with the exact prototype (of course). I did use the old RR/Atlas PRR observation to make the almost similar version of the Harbor that was used on trains other than the BL. KATO did sell 21 roomettes in a separate add-on set, so look for those on the net. Other non-KATO cars you can use are the MTL parlor, the IM P85s, and head-end stuff like x-29 express boxcars (several mfgs) and limited-run kits for B60b and R50b, tho I think those are not available anymore.
MicroScale has a pretty good selection of car names on their PRR decal sheets -- one is nothing but names - which also allows for some cut and paste to get specific names. There are no 14-section car names but I managed to piece together enough word parts to get one. Their PRR decals are pretty decent, you might want to look at them before you have some custom made.
I hope someday to sell these PRR consists --- since I've since changed to the NH. Except I have to finish all the conversions first.

[Alwyn Cutmore]

BLI has released three production runs of the P70/P70R in HO, thus far.
It's time they made it available in N scale.

Has anyone tried this shapeways P70 model?
https://www.shapeways.com/product/CSKM3K5AR/n-scale-1-160-prr-p70-passenger-car

Those Shapeways models have been around for a while. Mike has produced a number of the P70 models. The only problem I can find with them from my perspective is the post on top of what is an expensive model. The post to me downunder is getting to be prohibitive.

https://www.shapeways.com/shops/mmrrp?li=pb&section=1%2F160%20N%20Scale&s=0 This is a link to Michael's full range.

Regards

Al