Progress has been slow but steady. Construction started in the summer of 2000, and we have benchwork hangers installed around three walls and have built the structure of the peninsula. Hangers and backdrop have been installed on the peninsula, and the West End (lower) staging yard has been built, and body tracks in the Northumberland staging yard are down. Wiring and installation of the switch machines in West End staging are in progress. Once the West End staging yard is complete construction will begin on the structure of the laundry wall and Mole benchwork.
Here are a few photos
of the layout. Again, please pardon the mess -- we've got a railroad
to build!
West
End Staging Yard
The West End staging
yard is nearing completion. The track is complete, and installation
of switch machines and track wiring is underway. This is the west end
of the yard. To the left the track climbs a 1% grade and then enters
the visible portion of the layout at Hyde Wye in Scranton. The
tracks running off the edge of the layout in the center right are a remnant
of the old layout and will be removed. About 9" above this yard
will be the visible Taylor Yard.
To the right of the last photo is the east end of the yard, beyond
which the tracks will enter the Mole's area. the Mole will be behind
a false wall in the far corner just out of the picture to the right.
Moving back to the west end of the staging yard, tracks climb a 1% grade to reach Scranton yard and, just before entering the visiblbe portion of the layout, split into the three tracks which entered Scranton from the west.
Backdrops have been installed in Scranton Yard, and the upper level hangers are in. The upper level will be built on 1" extruded foam placed on the hangers, with 1" strips of hardboard added as longitudinal support on the aisle end of the hangers where necessary. The tracks from staging will enter at the far end of the backdrop.
Just east of Scranton
is the curve where the passenger station will be located. The station
will be on the lower level in the center of this picture. The grade
into the Poconos actually began just after Bridge 60 on the Main Line,
and the east end of City Yard was built on a rather steep grade to reach
the Main Line. Although the model's Main Line grade will be constant
through this area, the prototype line was level at the station so
passenger trains could get started without helpers.
The Scranton City Yard tracks rejoined the Main Line east of the
station, and
the switches and crossovers will be slightly to the right of the center
of this picture. Since the yard was so short, it was common for freight
trains making setouts or pickups at the City Yard to be stopped on the
Main Line past the station.
East of the station
benchwork construction gets a bit more complicated, because here there
are three levels of layout. On the lowest level, where the plans
are laid out, will be the Rupert interchange. On the main level just
above will be the Main Line as it begins the climb into the Poconos, and
on the upper level will be the Mt. Pocono auto facility.
Stroudsburg and Rupert/Bloomsburg
Three levels are visible
in this photo. The lowest is the eastern end of the Rupert/Bloomsburg
area and the Reading interchange. the middle level is the Main
Line climbing from Scranton to Mt. Pocono, and the upper level will be
East Stroudsburg. The upper level will cross the aisle to the far
wall on a nod-under bidge and shortly will enter the East End staging.
On the middle level, the grade out of Scranton, Nay Aug will be
at the end of this segment of benchwork, in the distance. Nay Aug
is where the railroad crosses over Roaring Brook and immediately enters
a short tunnel. The model's tracks will round the end of the peninsula
here, and the tunnel will help disguise the curve and ease the scenery
transition from lower level to upper level.
Nay Aug and Elmhurst
The peninsula end.
Just visible on the lower right is the end of the curve. The
tunnel will be about the left side of the picture, and the nod-under will
be out of the photo on the left. In the distance will be Elmhurst,
with the reservoir beyond the tracks.
Moscow
Around the bend from Elmhurst is Moscow, now on the upper level. The lower level is the Bloomsburg Branch, below which is the Northumberland staging yard. Tentative plans call for a three-track representation of the Portland yard and Metropolitan Edison Power Plant on a narrow shelf above the upper level, to provide as destination for the coal trains. The jury is still out on that one, though, since it will be rather high and visibility and access issues have not been resolved yet. Immediately to the right of this area the track curves behind the photographer and the Bloomsburg Branch enters Taylor Yard.
That's all for now.
Feedback and comments are welcome!
Send your thoughts to
jwmutter@yahoo.com
Thanks!