The Path Valley Railroad

Malware

2011-11-23T19:05:00.000-08:00

I had to delete one of my links because it was causing the site to be flagged as malware. My apologies to anyone who tried to access the site and was scared away.

By removing the site the problem seems to have been removed as well. Fortunately according to the webmaster tools site no malware has been downloaded from this site, so nothing on this site will have affected your computer.

The link was to modelrailroaders.ca for anyone who is curious. It is now removed from the sidebar.

Updates

2011-09-28T15:07:00.000-07:00

The National Narrow Gauge Convention in Hickory NC has come and gone.

I didn't attend, no good reason just other things came along.

I never got my Saltillo modules done, so I guess it really doesn't matter anyway.

Another Atlas Pacific has joined the ever-growing standard gauge fleet, and three little Z scale Mikados arrived last week to begin their transformation. I
have RLW parts for the pilots and cylinders and I have Bachmann 0-6-0 shells, but I could really use one more.

I'm trying a little something different with tenders this time around, I have an RLW K36 tender that I am going to put together as a temporary stand-in until I am able to afford the EBT Mikado kits. I think it will do OK, if I like it I will get two more.

And now I'm saving my nickels and dimes and writing letters to Santa for three Republic Locomotive Works EBT Mikado kits.

I would say something about benchwork, but alas I have made absolutely no progress. I have this convertible Mustang you see, and the days have been warm and sunny...

Top picture, from left to right; scratchbuilt tender Bachmann shell, completed locomotive; K37 tender, Bachmann shell, newly started locomotive; RLW EBT Mikado kit, completed locomotive. The next two pictures show the tenders in the same order. The K37 tender needs to have its upper flange repaired, I broke it off when I was examining it.

I have two other Mikados to transform besides the one pictured, so that will bring me up to a grand total of five Mikados, one Mogul and an American. I have enough rolling stock for a rock train, two TOC coal trains (one for the Mogul and one for the American) and a passenger train. I really need one more bobber and one more eight-wheeled EBT caboose, and then I need to start acquiring and building coal hoppers. I also need to add a good number of boxcars and flatcars to the mix as well. As it is I will end up having more locomotives than trains.

I also need to dig into the new Atlas and find out why it all of a sudden just stopped running. I think I have enough rolling stock to keep most of my standard gauge locos gainfully employed, and I'm hoping the new Atlas will double-head with the Model Power Pacific.

I really need to get started on benchwork now. Winter is coming, so progress should be made sometime soon (I hope).

Motive Power, Part 3

2011-06-14T19:25:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I have updated the site.

The Pennsy L1 is done, the paint just went on it this last weekend. It is a beautiful loco and a strong puller. It won't stay on my current horrible trackwork, but all of that will change when I get the new layout up and running.

Speaking of the new layout, I have finalized the plan for the PRR portion of the Path Valley. The PRR portion is just a double loop that incorporates an interchange with the SR&W at Duncannon PA, not prototypical at all but it will suit my needs. It will be built on a 3x7 door. I'm hoping to have construction started soon, but I have been hoping to have construction started for quite some time now.

The Atlas locos have both been re-motored and they are running fine. The Mikado does not like my trackwork any better than the Kato, but the Pacific does just fine. Both of these have to be run on a transistorized throttle that I built from an MRC unit, they ramp to full speed and don't have any fine control on a rheostat throttle. Just as well, I suppose, since I was planning on building more transistorized throttles anyway.

I picked up an Arnold Pacific as well, so now I have three Pacifics and two Mikados. The train set Consolidations have been shipped off to a new home where hopefully they are providing their new owners with good service and much enjoyment.

The train table has been cleared of trains and the track is being pulled up a little at a time. When the track is all up I will dismantle the table and hopefully be able to use it's pieces for the new benchwork. I don't know what I will end up doing with the roundhouse and turntable, but they will be stored away for future use or sale depending on what happens.

I also picked up another J class, but it is the older model and does not run. I am investigating the possibility of sending it to Bachmann for replacement, we will see how the warranty goes with the new warranty policy.

Turnouts, part 3

2011-02-15T17:03:00.000-08:00

All five turnouts are now complete. Next I build the framework and module tables. I am planning on going with two standard Nn3 modules in the size of 1'x4', 1x3 framework and 1" foam on top. Track will be at the 6" centerline as per Nn3 Alliance standards.

I will also have to scratch build some structures, but I'll deal with that issue after the track has been planned out, the road bed has been laid and the whole shooting match is ready for scenery.

I haven't been able to find out if there are going to be any Nn3 clubs at the convention, so I am not sure how to go about getting the modules entered. First things first though, they have to be built before they can be entered.

Turnouts, Part 2

2010-11-01T16:17:00.000-07:00

So far I have built two turnouts, one left and one right, with the Fast Tracks jig. The toughest part is gapping the point rails after everything is soldered together. So far the X-acto razor saw is doing the job just fine.

I ordered a stock rail filing tool to assist in the turnout building, it should be here soon. This is the first time I have built turnouts, and the jigs certainly help the process. I don't know if I would have wanted to tackle the project without them.

Turnouts

2010-10-11T02:58:00.000-07:00

The package containing the Fast Tracks turnout kit is waiting for me at the post office. I'll be picking it up today and perhaps I'll be building some turnouts this weekend.

The shed has also arrived and is being filled with things that previously had no real place to be stored. The train room will be getting cleaned out this weekend as well.

There are eleven months remaining until I must have the Saltillo modules finished.

Three Little Locos

2010-09-19T01:20:00.001-07:00

The L1 lacks only paint and finish. It doesn't like the tight corners, but should run OK on a 15" minimum radius. I modified the drawbar connection by removing it from the locomotive and attaching it to the tender, it now hooks downward into the trailing truck to prevent contact between the loco's metal frame and the brass hook. I also hard-wired the tender to the LED light board in the locomotive, so it picks up on both sides from both locomotive and tender. The tender now needs a little weight to improve the contact, but this locomotive is as stall-free as the Bachmann Spectrum F-7's are.

The Atlas Mikado and Pacific have both received new gearmotors. They run well, but because they only pick up on one side of the locomotive chassis they can be a bit balky over turnouts. There doesn't seem to be any way to fix this, the original design had the tender picking up on one side and the loco on the other. The Bachmann tenders allow pickup on both sides, but since the Atlas frames still only pick up on one side of the locomotive a stall can occur if both tender trucks hit the same dead spot. Fortunately that doesn't happen often, and when it does a bit of track cleaning has so far taken care of it.

The Atlas locomotives run well with each other, but due to gearing differences they are both slower than the Kato mechanism under the L1. I haven't tried double-heading the Pacifics, but I will be surprised if the Model Power runs at the same speed as the remotored Atlas. The remotored Mikado isn't a very good puller when compared to the Kato, but that is no doubt due to the heavy pewter shell of the L1.

The Class J, by the way, has had it's drawbar shortened as well. Turns out that Bachmann supplied two holes to attach locomotive to tender, and it was at the furthest hole. The fix was to simply attach the locomotive to the closer of the two connecting holes.

So at this point the Atlas locomotives are complete and ready for service, and the L1 shell and tender will be painted as soon as I have time off from work to do them, along with the white metal bits on tender and loco mechanism. The Class J was ready to go from the time it came out of the box, but has now had it's minor quibble repaired. All of these locomotives have received Micro-Trains couplers on their tenders and all but the Class J has a Z scale Micro-Trains coupler in it's pilot. The fleet grows (but will soon contract by two train-set Northerns and two train-set Consolidations), so it's about time to give them a place to run.

I have ordered a new shed to be built and brought to the house, this will give me the much-needed storage space to de-clutter my "train room" and so give me the room I need to start building the new layout. First things first, the carpeting will come out and be replaced with a hard-surfaced floor of some sort. I have stick-on simulated wood strips that I will use if I have enough of them, and if not I'll see if I can find some more. If not once again, I'll look into some engineered wood floors.

I have also obligated myself to building a pair of Nn3 modules based on the East Broad Top Railroad's operations in Saltillo PA for the National Narrow Gauge Convention to be held next September in Hickory NC. To that end I have ordered the Fast Tracks Nn3 turnout kit for a #6 turnout, so I'll get to try my hand at building turnouts. If all goes well I'll get one for the standard gauge as well, and maybe I'll get crazy enough to get the ones for dual gauge. On top of that, I am trying to finish the dollhouse for the granddaughter before Christmas.

All in all I will be very busy for the next year.

Update on Motive Power

2010-09-09T02:11:00.000-07:00

Almost all of the pieces have arrived.

The kit for the L1 Pennsy 2-8-2 is going well. At first I thought I would not be able to use the tender casting, but when I took a good look at the Bachmann tender I found that it's shell pulls straight off the top and has what looks suspiciously like a decoder in it. At any rate, with a bit of judicious trimming of both tender floor and the casting, including removing the coal bunker floor and replacing it with a piece of styrene cut to fit just a bit higher, the Pennsy casting will work fine on the Bachmann floor.

I had to modify all three of the tender drawbars by gluing in a piece of styrene and drilling a hole to connect to the locomotives. On the Atlas locos I drilled a hole in each of the trailing trucks and bent a thick piece of brass rod as a connector. On the Kato I bent a piece of the same brass rod to fit in the existing trailing truck hole. All three tenders will now connect to their respective locomotives, but I might have to rethink the Kato as it is a bit too close for operations on tighter curves. I'm planning on running a minimum of 15" on the standard gauge, but I'm not sure if the Kato will make a curve that tight with the current coupling distance.

I also modified the slope-back tender for the 0-6-0 by clipping the part of the old tender's drawbar that connected to the locomotive and trimming it to fit inside the new tender's drawbar opening. Now I have a good tight fit and a better contact system than before so this locomotive, already a good performer, is now a great performer. It is very difficult to stall this locomotive now since it picks up from both tender trucks as well as from four of the six locomotive wheels. It still won't pull a full length freight train, but the prototype never did either. It does just fine with a cut of four to six cars, I haven't tried it on anything more than that but this will likely be it's standard train length anyway.

The worms have been removed from the Atlas locos along with their enclosures, they will be sent to the Motorman to be installed on the gearmotors that are being built for them. At present the only one of the three locos that run is the Kato, and it is a real jewel. I have to finish detailing the L1 shell and it will be ready for paint and decals. It is a running locomotive that needs cosmetic work, the Atlas locos are good cosmetically but don't run. All that will change when the new motors get here, but there is no rush since I don't have an operational pike for the moment.

There has been one final addition to the roster, and this one is completely non-prototypical. It is a Bachmann Class J Norfolk and Western 4-8-4 with auxiliary water tender. I have to install couplers to close the gap between the tender and aux tender, and I would also like to close the gap a bit between the loco and tender, but it is as beautiful as it's prototype counterpart. It is road number 611, which is also the only surviving prototype of it's class. In my opinion, the N&W J class locomotives were the most beautiful steam locomotives ever produced.

So what is a N&W J class doing on a PRR themed pike? The story I'm making up is that it's leased with an option as the "PRR" contemplates a switch to diesel. In the real world, it's my railroad and I'll run what I like.

Nowadays of course the N&W and the PRR are combined into the Norfolk Southern on the part of the Pennsy system that I'm modeling.

Upgrading Motive Power

2010-07-15T01:01:00.000-07:00

I have just sent away for the final bits and pieces for three more locomotives.

I have been a dedicated train set Bachmann locomotive purchaser since I started in N scale, and I can certainly say I have gotten what I paid for. The Bachmann train set locos have gotten better in recent years, but they are what they are.

I have older train set versions of their F-9, 4-8-4, and 2-8-0 locomotives. The F-9's aren't so bad, but they aren't so good either. The steam, on the other hand, is mostly horrendous.

I have puttered around with them a bit, adding tender pickups and even re-motoring the Northerns. The results have been mixed at best, they are better than what they were but it is still trying to make silk purses out of sows ears. So, I have been slowly working on an upgrade program for the steam motive power that will pull the Pennsylvania and standard gauge Path Valley trains.

I purchased a Kato Mikado mechanism without shell when they were on sale, and purchased one Atlas Rivarrosi Mikado and one Atlas Rivarrosi Pacific mechanisms off of an Email list, with shells but without motors, later on.

I have just purchased the Pennsy L1 pewter kit for the Kato, one gearmotor each for the Atlas Mikado and Pacific, and three Bachmann medium length Spectrum tenders, one for each locomotive. When all of the pieces get here I will assemble each of the locomotives and will then have a pair of Mikados and a pair of Pacifics.

At that time I will "retire" my train set Consolidations and Northerns. I will retain the Spectrum Consolidation and the Spectrum F-7's, and the non-Spectrum F-9's will become the exclusive property of my 11 year old. I'll also keep the 0-6-0 switcher but it is getting a Spectrum tender as well.

That will give the "PRR" one authentic Mikado, one non-authentic Mikado, and two non-authentic Pacifics. The Mikes will pull the freights and the Pacifics will handle passenger duties.

The standard gauge portion of the Path Valley will have a Consolidation (also non-authentic) and an 0-6-0 switcher (need you ask?) for the processing plant. The narrow gauge will have to soldier on with the collection of two Mikados, one Mogul and one American that it already has.

I suppose I'd better get to work on the new pike so all of them will have a place to live.

Progress, At A Price

2010-07-04T17:33:00.000-07:00

The dollhouse has been moved out of the "train room" soon to be followed by it's table and sundry articles. After that the train table will be disassembled and an around-the-room setup started.

This comes at a price. My dear wife departed this mortal plane a month ago, on the third of June. The dollhouse will be finished and given to the granddaughter, according to her wishes.

My only regret is that I didn't get it done for her.

Idling

2010-04-15T12:27:00.000-07:00

I really wish I had an update, but the "train room" has gotten rather clogged as of late with the wife's dollhouse. The dollhouse had to be moved for Daughter's wedding. The wife has since decided that she doesn't want the dollhouse back where it was because the room it was in looks so much bigger without it there.

The only hope I have is to finish the dollhouse so that it can be moved out into a display location. Maybe then I'll be able to re-claim my "train room" again.

ICC Valuation Maps

2010-03-12T08:44:00.000-08:00

The Interstate Commerce Commission evaluated the Susquehanna River and Western Railroad around 1917 or so during its valuation of all railroad properties in the United States.

I searched the database online at archives.gov and found the following information:

Record group number: 134
Series designator: Railroad Valuation Maps, ARC ID 562366
Individual File Notation: Valuation maps for the Susquehanna River and Western Railroad, ARC ID 1566749/Local ID Susquehanna River & Western RR

I made an inquiry to the archives and got the following back:

RG 134: ICC R.R. Val. Maps; Susquehanna River & Western
Bundle 1109, VS: 1 Maps: 1-14 (14 maps)
Size: each 24" by 56" Date: ca. 1917 Scale: 1":100'

The archivist informed me that the maps were the blueprint copies showing "tracks, structures and lands belonging to the railroad" including "annotations showing new acquisition to the railroad or track/property no longer in use."

By 1917 the SR&W owned both the former Perry County Railroad and the N&SVRR, and the track from New Bloomfield to Newport was extant but no longer in use.

The next step is to contact one of the contractors and see how much it will be to have the maps reproduced for me.

UPDATE: Over $500 for all 14 maps.

Research

2010-02-27T04:51:00.000-08:00

Someone else is doing some research on the Newport and Sherman's Valley Railroad. I'll be checking in on him from time to time to see what he finds.

I haven't heard anything from Mr Tressler. A visit to some of the Perry County libraries would be very helpful I think.

Here's To You

2010-02-03T15:27:00.000-08:00

Arrival

2010-02-02T14:05:00.000-08:00

The Kato mechanism arrived yesterday and all I can say about it is "wow." It is everything that I have been led to believe and more.

I have been contemplating building a pulse throttle of this type, and with this mechanism all the flaws of the old throttle are apparent. The throttle that I have is an old rheostat model that jumps from 0v to about 2v without any transitions, and the mechanism jumps into life as soon as it sees that voltage.

My old train set locomotives behave just fine on this throttle, but the Kato is such a beauty that it deserves something better. There isn't any way I can make it creep, even with the throttle turned to pulse power. My remotored Northerns act the same way, but I was willing to live with it for the train-set Northerns. Now I've decided that I need a throttle that will allow the locomotives to perform at their best.

Other than that the mechanism is smooth, even over my less than perfect trackwork, and it is dead quiet. The low profile wheels means it won't have any problems on code 55 track, and with the pewter shell it should be a strong puller.

Now I need to get this kit and put everything together. It looks like the Pennsy will soon have a Mikado to use at the SR&W interchange.

New Motive Power?

2010-01-21T08:51:00.000-08:00

Kato is having an end of year sale, and one of the items is the mechanism for their legendary Mikado. At the price they are offering it's darn near impossible to pass up, and in fact I have already ordered one.

My plans are to build the GHQ kit for the Pennsy L1, offered through Republic Locomotive Works. Of course the management questions my need for another piece of motive power, especially considering that this one is a kit and not a finished locomotive.

I am going to have to find a suitable tender for it, but unfortunately the tender trucks are out of stock at Kato. I'm thinking one of the Bachmann tenders might do the trick. I don't really need a Mikado for the Susquenanna River and Western branch of the PVRR, but I couldn't pass it up.

In Memoriam

2010-01-16T01:05:00.000-08:00

Pliny G. Holt, Naval Aviator and model railroader, passed away on January 4, 2010 at the age of 99. Captain Holt was, at the time of his passing, the oldest living Naval Aviator. He modeled the Southern Pacific Railroad in N scale and was also a noted model ship builder.

He attended Naval Aviation flight training with Captains "Bull" Halsey and John S. McCain (grandfather of Arizona Senator John S. McCain III), although he was but a cadet. He was NMRA MMR #178 and also held masters certificates in model ship building.

Fair winds and following seas Captain.

Science!

2010-01-07T20:17:00.000-08:00

Next time someone picks at you for playing with trains, show them this link!

Photo by Elle Starkman

Zn3?

2009-12-10T06:55:00.000-08:00

David Smith, he of the world's smallest layout, has decided to plot a new course.

He's dabbling in the idea of narrow gauge, and has contemplated an EBT theme.

His narrow gauge world would be in Z scale. That would make a distance between the rails of 4.15mm.

I do believe that would be the smallest scale EBT themed layout in existence. I wish him the best of luck.

UPDATE: The subject of the only Z scale narrow gauge model (that I know of) will be the Pine Creek Railroad in New Jersey, not the EBT. Less ambitious, but more practical. Take a look!

National Narrow Gauge Convention

2009-12-10T06:51:00.000-08:00

It's in Hickory NC in 2011. Maybe I'll be able to get to this one, and hopefully by then I'll have something to show there.

If nothing else, maybe I'll be able to run some of my trains and pick the brains of the Nn3 Alliance members.

Layout Planning

2009-12-04T10:46:00.001-08:00

David K. Smith, builder of the famous "Worlds Smallest Layout", had an article on his N scale blog (he has one on Z and one on T scales as well) about the familiar 4x8 layout.

Many layout designers are attempting to break away from the traditional 4x8 sheet, for good reason. A 4x8 takes up much more room than it's size would suggest, and in the long run it would be better to spread that 4x8 into smaller chunks around the perimeter of a room rather than smack dab in the middle because it gives you much more usable space in the room. Only one aisle is needed for around-the-room layouts, while aisle space is needed all the way around a 4x8, so right away a 4x8 adds another 2 1/2 to 3 feet along each side (5 to 6 feet to both dimensions), meaning a 4x8 will actually require at least a 9x13 foot room to operate.

David notes that, despite the drawbacks, the 4x8 track plans remain very popular going by the number of hits he gets on his track plans link. He speculates, and I believe he is correct, that the primary reason for the popularity of a 4x8 is quite simply the fact that is what size a standard sheet of plywood comes in.

However, there is a different reason that I can see why a 4x8 remains popular. This is based solely upon my own observation as I try to come up with a new plan for the Path Valley. I want my minimum standard gauge curves to be 15" or better because I have a Bachmann Spectrum Consolidation and a Model Power Pacific that I want to run on it; my current layout has the toy train 9 3/4" curves and these locomotives just won't run on them.

To have the minimum 15" curves on an around-the-room type layout I have to put balloons at each end measuring at least 3x3. These balloons are too large to reach across to get to the back corners, so access holes have to be cut in them. Worse, the balloon that would be needed in the middle of my particular plan would have to be made big enough to pass a line along the front, so it would have to be even bigger than the ends. This creates even more problems for reaching the narrow gauge line in the case of derailments or mishaps, the upper level of which would be atop the standard gauge return loop (which would itself be hidden by scenery).

It's much easier to put large radius curves at each end of a 4x8, although it decreases the overall area you have for actual layout elements along the sides. If you lay N scale track in an HO scale footprint you get a nice 19" curve that looks great and any locomotive can handle. You will only get 4-5 feet in the middle of each side to put the rest of your railroad if you don't want to resort to a "spaghetti bowl" look, but at least the curves are nice and big, and you don't have to worry about special wiring for end loops and the like.

Each setup has it's own pros and cons, but the advantages of the tried-and-true 4x8 (ease of build, simplicity in track plans) will assure that it will remain a favorite, particularly among beginning modelers. And truthfully, what's wrong with that?

Link

2009-09-11T23:27:00.000-07:00

Kevin Strong is another EBT fan, as well as being the editor of the Friends of the East Broad Top's "Timber Transfer" magazine. Kevin models the fictitious Tuscarora Railroad, based on the real-life East Broad Top and Tuscarora Valley Railroads.

Kevin is also doing real model railroading since, unlike myself, he has the real estate aspect nailed down.

Since the actual Path Valley Railroad had proposed connections to the East Broad Top in or around Blair's Mills, Kevin is right around the corner (providing I can ever get the track plan for the PVRR finalized).

Track Plans, Part 2

2009-07-30T07:09:00.000-07:00

Due to a compromise worked out with the management, I have decided to go with an L shaped layout. Track plan forthcoming, the PRR will not be represented because there just isn't enough room.

Input!

2009-06-29T19:24:00.000-07:00

I sent an email off to the Historical Society of Perry County and got a reply from Carl Tressler, their President. Hopefully he will be able to supply some data, especially maps, that will be of help in my planning stages.

As a side note, Tressler's Farm is where the original disputed crossing of the PCRR and N&SVRR took place by way of a diamond, and after the court action where the trestle was built. I don't know if there is a connection, but I did ask.

UPDATE: There is a connection, the owner of Tressler's Farm was a several-greats uncle. Still waiting to see if there will be any information that I can use, any little bit will be helpful.

Track Plan?

2009-06-21T09:03:00.001-07:00

The figure 8 in yellow is the narrow gauge portion of the line, the blue around the outer edge is the standard gauge part. The double tracks in green represent the dual gauge trackage in New Bloomfield, the ore processing plant at the top is in New Bloomfield Junction.

This is a very rudimentary track plan on a 4x8 table, there is another that I am contemplating which will be an around-the-wall type built on modules. I am trying not to build a "spaghetti bowl" type setup, but there is a lot of railroad to represent for a short-line.

The around-the-room plan has the benefit of not being as cramped, so things can be laid out more or less linearly. Also, the number of tunnels can be reduced or eliminated all together as the prototype only had one attempted tunnel (which will end up being a cut in my plan).

The drawback is that it will take up more room, but it should be easily portable on the modules as long as the joints are well planned.

Staying Alive

2009-05-27T16:03:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted for a while, mostly because there hasn't been much movement on the Path Valley Railroad. I'm at a standstill due to time, funds and space constraints.

One of the things I have been trying to do is come up with a suitable track plan. This relies on two factors, both having to do with real estate. The first factor is the type of layout, I haven't decided on an island (in which case it would be a 4x8) or an around-the-room (in which case it depends on if I get to keep my room or not). There are pros and cons with both approaches, but I'm leaning towards an around-the-room in a modular format.

I want to represent three different railroads, which presents problems of it's own. The first railroad to be represented would be the mighty Pennsylvania, with it's four track mainline, in Duncannon. This would actually be simpler than it sounds because I would only need a relatively short stretch. I'm thinking of a double-track dogbone with the sides close together to simulate the four tracks. That way I could have a passenger train orbiting in the center and a freight working the outsides to interchange with the Susquehanna River & Western in Duncannon. PRR locos would range from Consolidations and Northerns to F-7 diesels. My Pacific would handle the passenger trains.

PRR purists will shudder, because none of the steam engines are PRR prototypes and the F-7's aren't detailed with the proper antennas and such. Also, I'll be using steel cabooses because that's what I have. It's my railroad, I'll run it like I want.

The second railroad, therefore, would be the SR&W from Duncannon to the dual gauge yard in New Bloomfield. It would serve strictly as a connector, so it can be fairly simple - the two terminus points and some straight track between. I have some 4-4-0's and a Spectrum Consolidation that will call this road home.

Last, but certainly not least, will be the narrow gauge Newport and Sherman's Valley railroad. Here's where it gets interesting. In the real world the N&SV ran from Newport to New Germantown with a spur into New Bloomfield until 1921. At that time the road from New Bloomfield to Newport was taken up and the road then ran from New Bloomfield to New Germantown. It left New Germantown for the last time in 1933 and steadily retreated from there, tearing up it's rail behind it, until finally it's backwards march brought it to it's New Bloomfield terminus in 1934 and it was no more.

In my world, the line from New Bloomfield to Newport was saved and a railcar ran the route for passenger and LCL traffic. I'm not really interested in representing Newport so much, a line running off "in that direction" is good enough for me (in actuality that line will run up the backside of the Conococheague Mountain to the Conococheage Gap). So for the narrow gauge portion of the line it's very likely that only New Bloomfield and the mines at the Conococheague Gap will be modeled.

That is still a lot of railroad for a relatively small space, so until I get my real estate woes solved once and for all, most of this is still up in the air. In essence I will have two roundy-round type circuits, one double-tracked, joined by a point to point line. I have several ideas on how to make it all work, but so far they are all just ideas.

But the armchair modeling is fun, too.

Duncannon

2009-03-25T23:59:00.000-07:00

View Larger Map

Duncannon was the eastern terminus of the Perry County Railroad and subsequently served as the end of the line for the Susquehanna River and Western as well.

It was in Duncannon where the connection to the Pennsylvania Railroad was made between Shermans Creek and the Little Junaita creek, near the Susquehanna River. The SR&VRR's station was on South High Street, where the New Bloomfield road curved to enter town and became South Market Street.

The SR&WRR exited town to the northeast, roughly along the same track as Highway 15 takes now. The site of the former station is now occupied by the north ramp of the Highway 15 overpass and the southbound exit ramp to New Bloomfield Road (State Road 274).

Nowadays the only tracks in Duncannon are owned by the Norfolk Southern Railroad. No trace of the Susquehanna River and Western Railroad remains.

Something Completely Different

2009-03-25T23:13:00.001-07:00

I am a big fan of the show Bullrun, mostly because I just like cars.

One of the episodes was a bit interesting because it had two railroad-related checkpoints. The first was Stove Pipe Wells, which caught my interest because Tom Knapp models it in Nn3 as part of his Carson and Colorado Railroad, although I don't know if the actual Stove Pipe Wells had rail service or not.

The second was Durango, of which no explanation is necessary.

There wasn't anything train related in the episode, but I found it interesting nonetheless.

An Auspicious Discovery

2009-01-18T02:48:00.000-08:00

"April 12, 1914 - New Germantown: Trace amounts of a rare metal, called unobtanium, have been discovered in rock samples collected near the site of an unfinished and abandoned railroad tunnel on the Conococheague Mountain.

Unobtanium is highly sought after due to it's extensive use in the manufacture of replacement machine parts.

The Conococheague Mountain tunnel was an attempt by the Newport & Sherman's Valley Railroad to expand southward to Hancock, Maryland from it's New Germantown terminus, using a charter granted to the Path Valley Railroad on October 23, 1893.

It appears that the rock specimens were collected by one Phillip T. Watts, who was working as a day laborer at the tunnel site during the last failed attempt to drill the bore. Mr. Watts is now attending Pennsylvania State University pursuing a geology degree, and the rock samples he collected were being analyzed as part of a course assignment.

Whether or not these samples indicate larger amounts of the ore is yet to be determined, but any deposits would have to be quite large indeed to justify the cost of transportation to and from the remote Conococheage Mountain site."

And thus begins our alternate history...

Susquehanna River and Western Locomotive 10

2008-08-23T17:18:00.000-07:00

The standard gauge Perry County Railroad purchased all of it's engines used from the Pennsylvania Railroad. All of the locomotives purchased prior to the 1903 sale to David Gring were 4-4-0 type Americans.

Locomotives 1 and 2 were not included in the sale due to their light construction and advanced age. Locomotive 3 was scrapped in 1911, being worn to the point that it was no longer serviceable. Locomotive 4 threw a driving rod sometime prior to 1924, destroying most of her right side gear. That left locomotive number 5, herself being a lady of vintage.

Locomotive number 6, a light 2-4-0, was purchased from the Baltimore and Ohio to fill the void, but proved insufficient even for the short 11 mile line and was soon scrapped. The last locomotive to be purchased was an ex-PRR H3b Consolidation like the one pictured above. It was numbered 10 and served the road until abandonment.

The H3b is not available in N scale, but the Bachmann Spectrum Consolidation comes close. The biggest difference is the lack of a Belpaire firebox. For my purposes, this shortcoming can be overlooked.

Bachmann locomotives have a deservedly poor reputation in regards to standard N gauge steam offerings, but the Spectrum Consolidation is one of the best locomotives on the market in N scale. It runs quietly and at closer to prototype speeds than the train set varieties, the detail is superb, and the running qualities are second to none.

Here, then, is my version of SR&WRR Number 10 in it's unlettered and un-numbered form. It is the last of 3 Bachmann Consolidations purchased, and is the only Spectrum on the roster so far. The other two are standard (in other words, train set) locomotives and are quite different in appearance. In fact, the only thing the two locomotive types share is their wheel arrangement.

As you can see from the upper photograph, the Belpaire firebox is quite evident just in front of the cab on the prototype locomotive. Anyone who is familiar with PRR engines will recognize right away that the model is not an accurate copy of a Pennsylvania H3b. If I were so inclined, it may not be difficult to modify this locomotive's shell. There is ample room between the cab and the first dome to add the Belpaire, but honestly I'm not that concerned about it. However, for anyone wishing to make an accurate copy of the PRR H3 class, Bachmann's Spectrum Consolidation would be a fine starting point.

H3b photo courtesy of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.

Thievery on the East Broad Top

2008-07-06T18:13:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have been paying attention, you are aware of my particular fondness for a little railroad in south-central Pennsylvania.

For those of you who have not been paying attention, I have a particular fondness for a little railroad in south-central Pennsylvania.

The short story; the East Broad Top is a narrow gauge railroad 33 miles in length that mostly made a living hauling coal from the east side of the Broad Top mountain (there was a standard gauge railroad that took care of the west side, called the Huntingdon and Broad Top).

The railroad closed down in 1956 but the new owners didn't scrap it. In 1960 they brought 5 of the 33 miles back on-line as a tourist attraction. The rest of the road has sunk into 60 years of decay and negligence - but lest you think I'm saying something against the present owners, nothing could be further from the truth.

The railroad is still there, all of it (that hasn't fallen or been torn down), against all odds, and at great personal cost to the family. They are to be commended for their sacrifice, and my undying thanks go to them.

Apparently last week some sub-human miscreants made off with a quarter mile of the hundred year old rail, likely to cut it up for scrap.

This was no casual in-and-out lift a few rails into the back of a truck common thievery. Oh no, this was carefully planned and executed, complete with official looking fake contracts complete with forged signatures.

Several locals checked on the work in progress to see what was going on, and were convinced by the falsified paperwork that all was in order. The thieves made a clean getaway.

Since the East Broad Top is a National Historic Landmark the act of thievery may itself be a felony, added with the fraud and forgery charges.

One can hope that this slime is apprehended and has a lot of time to regret what they have done.

If, by rare chance, anyone stumbles upon this story and has anything to add please contact the Huntingdon County PA authorities and/or the East Broad Top Railroad.

UPDATE: The thieves have been caught and the rail recovered. Unfortunately the rail has been cut up into 3 foot lengths and cannot be reinstalled.

Photo by Larry

New Bloomfield

2008-07-03T22:03:00.001-07:00

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The events that brought not just one, but two, railroads into Perry County were mostly political.

New Bloomfield was - and is - the county seat in Perry County, but Newport was - and is - larger and busier. Newport had an advantage over sleepy little New Bloomfield because the Pennsylvania Railroad ran through the center of it.

Because of this disparity in size and vigor, political pressure was being raised to move the county seat to Newport. If the seat were to remain in New Bloomfield, a connection must be made to the outside world.

A charter had been granted to the Duncannon, Bloomfield and Loysville railroad in 1872, but nothing had been done with it. This charter was resurrected in 1887 as the Perry County Railroad, and the line was completed from Duncannon to New Bloomfield in September of 1889.

David Gring, a logger from next-door Huntingdon County, had recently lost his lease on the tracts of land he was currently operating on and was casting about for a new location. Meanwhile in Newport, so as not to be outdone by the Perry County Railroad, businessmen and farmers were clamoring for a route to market. David Gring saw an opportunity to harvest timber from the Sherman's Valley, a deal was quickly struck and a charter for the Newport and Sherman's Valley Railroad was granted on July 30, 1890.

The road was narrow gauge because the equipment that David Gring brought with him from the Diamond Valley railroad was 3 foot gauge. It was completed to Loysville in 1891, but missed New Bloomfield by about two miles.

Trouble erupted when the standard gauge Perry County attempted to complete their own line to Loysville and then to Landisburg, because to do so they would have to cross the narrow gauge at two points.

A crossing was built without permission one night, and the court battles immediately began. The narrow gauge eventually emerged victorious and the Perry County Railroad was forced to make it's crossings via trestle instead of diamonds.

David Gring purchased the Perry County on September 14, 1903 and it's operations were soon cut back to it's original terminus in New Bloomfield. The narrow gauge built a spur to New Bloomfield to make a connection, and in 1921 the rails to Newport were removed. The narrow gauge's shops and offices were relocated to New Bloomfield, and that borough became the terminus of both railroads.

Little evidence of either railroad remains in what was once the central focus point of both. The dual gauged yards started at Church Street and straddled Carlisle Street just south of Barnett Street. A small path extending eastward from Barnett Woods Road, called Train Lane, is the only reminder of the twin roads' existence. Evidence of the standard gauge roadbed can be seen running eastward past this point, but is soon lost in the fields and farmlands.

New construction has obliterated the remains of the yard, and the only structure that is referenced on the maps in "Narrow Gauge in the Sherman's Valley" is a big red barn east of Carlisle Street. There is one on or near that spot now, but it is impossible to tell from just the satellite map if it is the same structure.

The Susquehanna River and Western shops were located about a half mile east of town. As with the narrow gauge shops, nothing of it remains.

Newport

2008-07-02T22:40:00.000-07:00

View Larger Map

Although the borough of Newport has not seen a narrow gauge train in the better part of a century (the last one left in 1921 and pulled up the rails behind it) the satellite imagery shows that quite a bit of the railroad remains to the careful eye.

If one were to zoom in on the above map to the area just to the left of Keystone Way as it leaves Newport heading south (marked as highways 849 and 34) and just below the South 4th street label, one would find the area once occupied by the Newport and Sherman's Valley Railroad shops. It is little more than a widening in a dirt path now, but this is where the sheds, shops, sidings and scales were.

In Newport itself, the station was located in the northwest corner of the parking lot at the intersection of Walnut and Third (zoom in on the map using the buttons provided). The Pennsylvania Railroad tracks once ran down third street until the early 1900s when they undertook a large grade-reduction project. A part of the mainline is still evident to the northwest, and appears to have railcars parked on it.

Peach Street is between Third and Fourth Streets, and is little more than an alleyway. This was once the roadbed for the N&SVRR as it made it's way from the station house to it's shops complex. The tracks crossed Mulberry street and turned south southwest before crossing 4th street just to the north of the Little Buffalo Creek bridge. They continued past the shops complex and crossed Little Buffalo Road not far from the Keystone Way intersection. A dirt path follows the right of way.

The section of railroad from Newport to Loysville was the first to open, and the section from Newport to New Bloomfield Junction was the first to be taken up. All together the narrow gauge served the borough for which it was named for only thirty years. By the time the rails were removed the Newport and Sherman's Valley had been incorporated into the Susquehanna River and Western, although the narrow gauge locomotives would wear the N&SVRR logo until the very end.

Actual Timeline and History

2008-07-01T19:20:00.001-07:00

The following time line and history is based on the actual events as they transpired for the railroads located in Perry County, Pennsylvania as recorded in the book "Narrow Gauge in the Sherman's Valley" by Gary Kohler and James D. Weinshencker. The Pennsylvania Railroad is obviously not considered a Perry County road, even though it's mainline ran along the edge of Perry County.

1887 – The standard-gauge Perry County Railroad is chartered.

1889 – The PCRR mainline is completed from a connection with the Pennsylvania Railroad in Duncannon to a temporary terminus in New Bloomfield.

July 30, 1890 – The narrow gauge Newport and Sherman’s Valley Railroad is chartered by David Gring, a logger, with the intentions of harvesting timber in the Sherman’s Valley.

1891 – The N&SVRR mainline is completed from a connection with the Pennsylvania Railroad in Newport to the village of Loysville. The N&SVRR mainline misses New Bloomfield by about two miles.

1892 – The N&SVRR is completed to Blain and the PCRR is completed to Elliotsburg via a forced crossing with the N&SVRR at Tressler’s farm. The N&SVRR gets an injunction against the PCRR regarding the crossing; it is taken up in October and replaced with a trestle at the same location. This is one of the few times in American history where a standard-gauge railroad has had to bow to the wishes of a narrow gauge one.

1893 – The N&SVRR completes it’s line to New Germantown. The PCRR crosses the N&SVRR again by way of a trestle at Greenpark and is completed to Landisburg with a branch to Loysville. The N&SVRR contemplates a Path Valley extension.

Oct 23, 1893 – The Path Valley Railroad charter is approved. The PVRR unveils an ambitious plan to run from the end of the N&SVRR mainline in New Germantown, through a tunnel in the Conococheague Mountain, to Fannettsburg PA and eventually to a connection with the B&O at Hancock MD.

Jan 1894 – Work begins on the Conococheague Mountain tunnel. On the Sherman’s Valley side the bore only extends about 100 feet before it hits hard rock and the work is halted. On the Path Valley side the rock is found to be too soft and unstable to permit a portal to be established, the rock just crumbles into the excavation. By April 1894 the money runs out and work on both sides is abandoned.

1901 – The Perry County Lumber Company builds a logging railroad on part of the Path Valley roadbed from New Germantown to the Conococheague Mountain. This is the only part of the Path Valley extension that ever sees rail.

September 14, 1903 – The Perry County Railroad goes broke and is bought by David Gring, representing the Susquehanna River and Western Railroad. The standard gauge road west of the Tressler’s Farm trestle (later renamed New Bloomfield Junction) is abandoned and taken up. The N&SVRR builds a spur from New Bloomfield Junction to a connection with the SR&WRR in New Bloomfield.

1905 - The Perry County Lumber Company harvests all the available timber and it's rails are removed.

1907 – Major renovations are performed on the N&SVRR.

1910 – Another attempt at the Path Valley extension is made and again it fails at the Conococheague Tunnel. The SR&WRR operates at a loss this year and never again regains profitability.

Dec 28, 1917 – The United States Railroad Administration takes control of the Gring railroads during WW1.

Mar/Apr 1918 – The N&SVRR spur from New Bloomfield to New Bloomfield Junction is dual-gauged.

Jun 29, 1918 – The USRA relinquishes control of the Gring railroads.

Jan 14, 1920 – Notices are posted for public sale of the N&SVRR and SR&WRR.

March 1920 – David Gring dies at the age of 63.

Mar 31, 1920 – The N&SVRR and SR&WRR are both sold to Rodney Gring (son of David) and George H. Ross for scrap prices. The Newport & Sherman's Valley Railroad is absorbed by the Susquehanna River & Western Railroad and officially ceases to exist.

April 20, 1920 - Train service is suspended on the narrow gauge between Newport and New Bloomfield Junction. A complaint is soon filed with the Pennsylvania Public Services Commission by the borough of Newport because of the suspension of services.

November 9, 1920 - The Pennsylvania Public Services Commission rules that since the N&SVRR no longer officially exists, the complaint against it must be dismissed. It further rules that the SR&WRR is not obligated to continue service to Newport since they did not take advantage of the opportunity to assume that obligation when the company was reorganized. The company quickly moves to scrap that portion of the line.

1921 – The narrow gauge mainline from Newport to New Bloomfield Junction is abandoned and taken up. The former N&SVRR offices and shops are dismantled and moved from Newport to New Bloomfield.

1933 – The narrow gauge mainline from New Germantown to Blain is abandoned; the rails are taken up in June.

1933/1934 – The narrow gauge mainline from Blain to Loysville is abandoned; the rails are taken up in March 1934.

April 1934 – The remainder of the narrow gauge mainline from Loysville to New Bloomfield is abandoned; the last of the rails are taken up in April 1935. The scrapping is done in steam; the railroad's own #5 pulls the train that takes up the last of the rails. The remainder of the railroad’s assets are sold or scrapped and the Newport & Sherman's Valley Railroad is no more, in fact as well as in name.

May 17, 1939 – The SR&WRR, who had only survived this long by eating itself, finally runs out of options when the Perry County commissioners refuse to pave a short stretch of public highway leading to the proposed site of a Tuscarora Oil Company pumping station that would have been served by the railroad. The station is built across the Juniata River in Inglenook instead, and the Susquehanna River & Western Railroad is abandoned and sold for scrap. The only railroad left operating in Perry County from this point onward is the mighty Pennsylvania.

An alternate timeline will be established when I can cook one up.

It's Here!

2008-06-26T08:36:00.000-07:00

My copy of "Narrow Gauge in the Sherman's Valley" has arrived.

It is indeed a history of the Perry County railroads, which includes the Newport and Sherman's Valley Railroad and the Perry County Railroad with a brief line or two on the Perry County Lumber Company thrown in for good measure.

It is also indeed a reprint of the earlier "Bells and Whistles in Old Perry" with new photos and added information. Since I have never read "Bells and Whistles" I don't know what photos or information has been added.

There are 106 pages in all, a good number of photos, and a basic outline of the railroad's history. There isn't as much information as I would have liked, but at least the story is there.

I haven't yet decided on a timeline, but it will be sometime after the Perry County Railroad was sold to David Gring, representing the Susquehanna River and Western. The purchase was made on September 14, 1903.

The Newport and Sherman's Valley had two Moguls, one American and a small switcher. The 2-6-0 mechanism I have will work well for either Mogul, but the narrowed Bachmann isn't a very good stand-in mostly due to driver size. The Susquehanna River and Western had an ex-PRR Consolidation. I don't think any of these locomotives, with the possible exception of the narrow gauge American, will be difficult to reproduce.

My plans are to have some sort of refining plant at New Bloomfield or New Bloomfield Junction; coal will come in from the East Broad Top and raw ore from the mines on or near the Conococheague Mountain in narrow gauge cars via the N&SV. After refining, the processed ore will be shipped out in standard gauge cars via the SR&W to the PRR interchange at Duncannon.

What the raw ore may be is still under consideration. Coal may be an option, but if so there would not have been a reason to interconnect with the EBT so I'm not leaning in that direction. Iron may be another option, but iron mining had pretty much ceased in the area by the early 1900's due to the superior quality of the Minnesota iron ore that was being brought in by lake steamer and the PRR. The area abounds in minerals, so I'll just have to come up with one, along with a reasonable excuse to exploit it.

I'm still working on a basic history and timeline, and this is actually quite a bit of fun in itself. The first thing that has to happen is a new source of revenue for the railroad that would justify it's expansion. They will be published when they are completed.

The Initial Roster

2008-06-13T08:34:00.000-07:00

So far I have collected locomotives and rolling stock that is either related to the East Broad Top or that I have found curious. I have one Mogul, one American, and one Mikado.

The Mogul was supposed to be a model of the EBT's engine #1 but it is oversize in several aspects. First off, the boiler is way too big. The EBT engine's boiler was 36 inches and the model is 60", the EBT's drivers were also 36" and the model's is 44". My plans are to update the tender - or not, because it is an interesting 6 wheel design - and re-designate it as a PVRR locomotive. In the process it will lose a sand dome and become a very different locomotive.

The American is a narrowed Bachmann 4-4-0 that I did just to see if I could. It's a rather large engine, larger even than the Mogul, and as such is probably bigger than most narrow-gauge Americans that roamed the rails in the late 1800's. I'm seriously considering updating it with a new cab from RLW, maybe expanding the boiler front a bit to make it a straight boiler, some new domes and stack, and some tender detail in the hopes I can make it a bit more modern and give the illusion that it was special built for the PVRR in the late teens or early 20's. I might just leave it as it is though.

The Mikado is, and will continue to be, an EBT locomotive. It's purpose will be to deliver East Broad Top coal to the PVRR and occasionally bring the EBT's President over for a visit or two since I have built a copy of the Orbisonia in Nn3.

Rolling stock is limited to one combine built from a narrowed Bachmann old-timer, one flatcar since it's too short to be an authentic EBT car, and a narrowed Bachmann bobber caboose. I'll build a few Bachmann coaches for the PVRR, maybe a few other passenger cars from other N scale cars, some undecorated boxcars either from RLW or Micro Trains, and some wooden hoppers.

The hoppers will have to be scratch-built because I haven't seen any kits or RTR cars. They will be based on a design that the EBT used early in it's life. They will be augmented by some steel cars of EBT/Pressed Steel design built from RLW kits.

Mining loads will be a part of the PVRR's traffic, although what and how much will be mined is up in the air at present. Maybe I'll make something up. The area is rich in coal and iron, although iron mining halted in the early 1900's.

The time frame is likewise fluid, but can be any time after 1894. That was the year the N&SV attempted to drill through the Conococheague and failed. Locomotives and rolling stock will have to reflect the era, but that gives me a pretty large field to work with.

Reference Materials

2008-06-13T08:08:00.001-07:00

I have just ordered my copy of "Narrow Gauge in the Sherman's Valley" which seems to be the history of the Newport and Sherman's Valley Railroad. As I said in my previous post, the plan for the Path Valley Railroad uses the NSV as it's seed.

There was an earlier book, "Bells and Whistles in Old Perry", that I have seen once on Ebay but didn't feel as if it was worth the $100 asking price. I don't know if this is an update, a reprint, or a completely different book.

I have been a longtime fan of the EBT, but I haven't ventured as far east as Newport or the Sherman's Valley to see the lay of the land. My next trip to Pennsylvania will include the NSV's locale as well as the purchase of a topographical map of the area.

Until then I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my new book!

What's this then?

2008-06-06T21:27:00.000-07:00

This blog is about model railroading, specifically modeling in N scale. There will be quite a bit of narrow gauge as well since the locale that I am trying for is central Pennsylvania, in the southern tier of counties that border Maryland.

In that part of the country you will still find the East Broad Top, a coal hauling road that ceased common carrier service in 1956 and was bought by the Kovalchick Salvage Company. Smart money was that the Kovalchicks were going to scrap the road and sell the land, but the owner had different plans.

The story goes that Nick Kovalchick had always wanted a model railroad when he was a boy and had been disappointed every Christmas. The EBT was a dream come true.

I don't know if the story is true or not, but it deserves to be if it isn't. What I do know is that the Kovalchicks have been keeping the dream alive at considerable personal expense for the past 50 plus years now, and you can still go to the Augwick valley and see the smoke and hear the whistles.

And that is where our story begins.

The Path Valley Railroad is a model operation built on a proposed line that never was. The humble beginnings of the planned line was the narrow gauge Newport and Sherman's Valley Railroad, who's tracks ran from a connection with the mighty Pennsylvania Railroad in Newport PA, down Sherman's Valley to New Germantown, and made it's meager living hauling forest products from the foot of the Conococheague Mountain.

The proposed line was to have used the narrow gauge Newport and Sherman's Valley Railroad as it's seed. Continuing from the actual end of line for the NSV, the Path Valley Railroad would cut through the Conococheague Mountain via a tunnel to the Path Valley. It would send a branch through Concord Narrows to join up with the East Broad Top at Shade Gap while the mainline would continue down Path Valley to Fannettsburg.

Before it was all over the plans got to be pretty ambitious. A line through Burnt Cabins and the New Grenada-Sideling Hill Gap to the coal seams on the east side of the Broad Top mountain was planned, and the entire line was to be relaid in standard gauge. However, the contractor that was hired to drill the Conococheague Tunnel abruptly went bankrupt and the bore was never completed.

Without the Conococheague Mountain tunnel the PVRR was not to be. This was probably good news to the EBT since they were able to keep the Broad Top coalfield traffic on the east side of the mountain for themselves.

In my alternate version of the history of southern Pennsylvania the plans didn't get this ambitious, the tunnel contractor was quickly replaced, and the Path Valley Railroad came into existence to run alongside of the East Broad Top, even buying coal, excess locomotives and rolling stock from them as well as copying their designs.

The PVRR will have a few EBT trains on occasion, delivering coal and picking up the empties. There will be some aspects that are unique to the railroad, but the line will reflect the character and operating practices of the neighboring lines as well. I'll post the plans and histories as they are available.