Contact: Stan Ebersole.
My HO scale railroad represents the 'Wago Jct to York, PA' section of the PRR's Northern Central Railroad, and is set in the time period of the late 40's to late 50's. The layout was designed and built for prototype, authentic operations as they had taken place in/around the hub city of York, and on this 10 mile, double track mainline segment of the PRR in northern York County, PA. The plans were developed using PRR/Northern Central track schematics, the C.T.1000E (1945), employee and public timetables, photographs, researching on-line industry info thru the County Historical Society Library / Manufacturers Association, photographing every industry building that remains standing, and spending countless hours 'walking the tracks' while exploring the hidden details of what remains of that 1940's / 50's right-of way. It's now single track and known as 'The York Secondary' to Norfolk Southern. My goal is to recreate, as closely as is possible for me to accomplish, a scene that will be recognizable to this section of the NC/PRR, and to convincingly portray its daily operations.
The layout is located in what was at one time the enclosed garage of our ranch type house. The room was rebuilt for the railroad, with drop ceiling,, completely insulated, raised floor to allow for heat and air conditioning ducting, and new wiring with plenty of power outlets. Construction of the railroad began in Jan 1999. The layout benchwork is a combination of open grid / L-Girder, and is supported along the two wall sections by vertical 2x4's bolted into the wall joists with lag bolts. The island section is supported on 'picnic bench' cross legs (credit MR's Jim Heidger for his design and use on his Ohio Southern). The track plan / schematic was drawn full size on brown kraft paper cut to match layouts contours, and then fastened to the floor in its exact corresponding location to the layout benchwork directly above. Using a lead fishing sinker on a piece of string, and then lowering it to the master plan, provided for exact roadbed/track centerline location during installation (high tech tools used here!). Track is Atlas flex code 100. Majority of turnouts are Peco and Atlas, with several Curved Shinohara. Use sprung ground throws with these and am very satisfied with their operation. Mainline curve radius is generally 34", 32", 30" and at a few locations drops to 30" and 28". All curves on visible portion of the railroad are superelevated. Lower level height is 39" above floor, while upper level is at 57". Depth of scene ranges from 12 to 24 inches on the lower level, and with the use of scene dividers, the train is traveling along a continuously changing countryside as it covers the line from Wago Jct to York. The upper level consists entirely of the city of York, and the topography is basically level. Building flats/ tree lines, etc. will serve as scene dividers here.
The railroad is designed for 'walk-along' operation, with all turnouts required to be manually thrown, (except for the turnouts in the hidden staging areas). It measures 17'9" along front wall and 19'1" along side wall. A peninsula roughly in the shape of the letter 'J' extends out 14' from the side wall section. It is comprised of an upper and a lower level, and connected by a helix that is located above the lower level staging yard (Enola/Harrisburg) and under the upper level staging yard (Baltimore). Isle ways are only 24" wide at several locations, but found that two operators can manage with little trouble. The track plan is basically a 'Dogbone' design, double track main, with the reversing loop ends serving as hidden, five track staging areas. The lower level staging is Enola/Harrisburg, and top level staging is Baltimore. They are not modeled, but serve as terminal points for trains that pass over 'my' Northern Central.
Cab Control is used, with the railroad presently divided into ten electrical blocks. There are two walk-around cabs, and any point on the railroad can be controlled by each one. Two additional independent cabs are planned. A Soundtraxx D220-IR infrared throttle and an old Troller tethered cable handheld unit are presently being used for locomotive control. Both do a beautiful job for me, but the Troller requires to be plugged in, so am considering going to a Crest Radio unit for the flexibility of being able to move anywhere in the room. Motive power is Atlas, Stewart, LL PK1 / PK2 and Athearn units.
Car Card operation... Cards being completed as time permits. (Soon to become a priority project).
Signaling... Future plans call for installation of Pennsy Absolute Block Control System. Considering system made by LogicRail. Signals used will be Tomar and / or Oregon Rail Supply.
At Wago Junction, the Northern Central's double track main swings away from the parallel Philadelphia Division's 'Enola Branch' along the Susquehanna River and heads south to Baltimore. I am modeling these first 10 miles of the NCR that begin at Wago Jct, pass through the towns of Mount Wolf and Emigsville, and end in York, PA. Both Mount Wolf and Emigsville have several industries, and are being modeled as they appeared in the late 40's/50's. Line side industries, industrial buildings, will eventually be scratchbuilt / kitbashed to reflect the actual buildings. Other recognizable York city buildings will also be placed within the city (as limited space allows). This is going to be a task, as my York is mainly located within a semi-circle of track.
York also was located on the PRR's 'Fredrick Branch', and this permits additional operations as trains are received/dispatched east to Columbia / Phila and west to Fredrick, MD. Only a small portion of this branch is modeled on the 'visible' portion of the layout (both E/B and W/B trackage within the city of York/West York), with trains originating / terminating at the hidden staging on the upper level. In addition, the PRR interchanges with the Maryland & Pennsylvania RR and the Western Maryland RR in York.
Much actual operation information that I am using is derived from entries that the York Yardmaster made in a notebook covering the years of 1947 and 1948. This info actually provides a complete and accurate picture of all PRR crews /trains that were dispatched out of York at that time. Includes engine house info (type of eng and call/ready time for each train), train symbols, scheduled departures/ train frequency / helper engine assignments / Yard Crew numbers and call times.
Passenger Operations:
All scheduled Baltimore to Harrisburg (and beyond) trains move over the railroad as per train # and scheduled times for York station stops. Trains will originate / terminate from hidden staging. (Baltimore or Harrisburg). Trains identified from PRR public timetable's.
Passenger trains originating / terminating at York are:
#563 York to Fredrick, MD. Will depart York station W/B on Fredrick Branch and move into hidden track age at West York. (Fredrick branch trains move to hidden staging on upper level).
#566 Will arrive into York from Fredrick, MD hidden staging.
#550 thru #558 are York - Lancaster - York turnarounds. Equipment is the Gas Elec Car #4640. Departs / arrives York Station on eastward segment of Fredrick Branch. Moves into hidden storage after passing Poorhouse Yard.
Freight Operations:
Daily B-90 / B-91 Baltimore - Enola - Baltimore trains set out and pick up cars / blocks of cars as necessary at York Yard (Now Windsor St. Yard). York yard crew works the train to add / setout cars.
Following trains are dispatched from York Yard:
Daily YE-1 / YE-2 (York - Enola turnaround ).
#YE-1 Train made up by yard crew. Train consists of cars previously received from #F-80, #F-83, #B-93, #F-101, #F-94 plus transfer cars from Poorhouse Yard, including interchange received from M&P and WM. Blocked for setouts at Lemoyne and Enola. (Lemoyne setouts are for Cumberland Valley and Harrisburg. Enola setouts are for Enola and west and north, thereof.) YE-1 departs York at 10:00 A.M.
Daily: #YE-2 Arrives York at 5:30 P.M. Yard crew breaks down train - (train is not blocked / all freight for York and so routing). Received cars are for Poorhouse Yard (York city industries), and for #F-81, #F-82, #F-95, #B-92, #F-100.
Daily: #YP-2 York to Philadelphia (via Columbia / Lancaster). Scheduled for 9:30 P.M. departure. Train made up by yard crew. Consists of cars previously received from #F-94 , #F-83, #B-93, #F-101 and transfer from Poorhouse Yard (including outbound interchange cars received from M&P / WM. Blocked only for setouts at Lancaster and Philadelphia. #YP-2 departs York 9:30 P.M. on the Frederick Branch eastbound track. (Train moves to hidden storage after passing Poorhouse Yard).
Daily: #YP-1 Philadelphia to York (via Lancaster and Columbia). Train broken down by yard crew. Is not reblocked. All freight is for York and so routing. Received cars are for Poorhouse Yard (York city industries), for #F-82, #B-92, #F-92, #F-95, #F-100, and interchange to M&P / WM. YP-1 arrives York on the Fredrick Branch eastbound track (from Fred Branch hidden storage on upper level).
Daily: #F-81 (Local Job) York to Columbia. Scheduled 9:00 A.M. Departure. Train made up by Yard Crew. Consists of cars for industries east between York yard limits and Columbia, PA. (Train departs on Fredrick Branch East and moves to hidden storage).
Daily: #F-80 (Local Job) Columbia to York. Consists of cars from Columbia as well as pickups made from online industries. Yard Crew breaks down train. Sorts cars for transfer to Poorhouse Yard (York city industries, York interchange to M&P / WM), and remaining for later outbound classification. (#F-80 arrives York on the Fredrick Branch East from hidden storage).
Daily: #F-82 (Local Job) York to Mount Wolf. Scheduled 9:00 A.M departure. Train made up by Yard Crew. Consists of cars received from #B-90/B-91, #YP-1, #YE-2, #F-80, #B-93, #F-101, #F-94, Transfer from Poorhouse Yard, and inbound interchange from M&P /WM. Works industries between York yard limit (Loucks) and Mount Wolf. (Train Order)
Daily: #F-83 (Local Job) Mount Wolf to York. Consists of cars picked up from industries between Mount Wolf and Loucks. Arrives York at 3:30 P.M. Yard Crew breaks down train. Sorts cars for transfer to Poorhouse Yard and M&P / WM interchange. Places remaining cars for later outbound classification. (Train Order)
Daily: #B-92 (Local Job) York to New Freedom. Scheduled 9:00 A.M departure. Train made up by Yard Crew. Consists of cars received from #B-90/B-91, #YP-1, #YE-2, #F-80, #F-83, #F-101, #F-94, transfer from Poorhouse Yard and M&P / WM interchange. Works industries between Grantley (York Yard Limit) and New Freedom. (Train moves to hidden track age / enters hidden staging on upper level immediately upon leaving York.
Daily: #B-93 (Local Job) New Freedom to York. Consists of outbound interchange with Stewartstown RR (at New Freedom), and cars picked up from industries between New Freedom and York Yard limit (Grantley). Arrives York at 4:40 P.M. Yard crew breaks down train. Sorts cars for transfer to Poorhouse Yard and for M&P / WM interchange. Places remaining cars for later outbound classification.
Daily: #F-100 (Local Job) York to Spring Grove. Scheduled for 10:30 A.M. departure. Train is made up by Yard Crew. Consists of cars received from #B-90 / B-91, #YP-1, #YE-2, #F-80, #F-83, #F-94, #B-93, transfer from Poorhouse Yard and M&P / WM interchange. Works industries between MP 13.4 (Jct.-Md. Div. --N.C.R). and Spring Grove. (Train moves to Fredrick Branch hidden track age/hidden staging immediately after leaving West York).
Daily: #F-101 (Local Job). Spring Grove to York. Consists of cars picked up from industries picked up between Spring Grove and (Jct. Md. Div. ---N.C.R.) Arrives York at 7:15 P.M. Yard crew breaks down train. Sorts cars for transfer to Poorhouse Yard, and for interchange to M&P / WM. Places remaining cars for outbound classification. Train appears from Fredrick Branch hidden staging at West York.
Daily: #F-95 York to Fredrick, MD. Scheduled for 11:00 A.M. departure. Train made up by Yard Crew. Consists of cars received from # B-90/B-91, #YP-1, #YE-2, #F-80, #F-83, #B-93, #F-101, transfer from Poorhouse Yard, and interchange from M&P / WM. #F-95 works industries between MP 31.3 / Hanover and Fredrick, MD. Train moves into Fredrick Branch hidden staging immediately upon leaving West York. Does not work visible portion of layout.
Daily: F-94 Fredrick, MD to York. Arrives York 3:45 A.M. Yard Crew down train. Sorts cars for transfer to Poorhouse Yard, and for interchange to M&P RR. Places remainder of cars for later outbound classification. Inbound train consists of cars received in interchange with B&O RR, MP 69.0 (Fredrick, MD) and interchange with WM RR, MP 52.5 (Keymar, MD.), plus pickups from industries between Fredrick, MD and Hanover, PA MP 31.3. Train appears from hidden staging trackage at West York on Fredrick Branch, makes any necessary setouts/work there, and then continues into York Yard.
The October 2002 issue of Model Railroader contains an article titled "Sequence Timetables Made Easy". I have been reading and studying this article, and for my railroad, with often only one or two guys operating, this just may be the ticket to an even more enjoyable operating sessions, especially when coupled with car card / waybill ops. It all adds to being a bit more 'real' and authentic, and certainly takes that element of being under pressure away to some extent, which equals more enjoyment.
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Last modified: November 23 2007.
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