Contact: Nick Kulp.
The Layout is based on the Cornwall Railroad serving the Cornwall Ore mines and the Bethlehem Steel concentrator plant in Lebanon, Pa. The main purpose of the railroad was to haul iron ore from the open pit mine at Cornwall, Pa. To the Concentrator plant in Lebanon, Pa.. a total of 6 miles from point to point. The PRR Lebanon Valley Branch paralleled the Cornwall from Cornwall Junction to 16th and Scull Streets in Lebanon. My goal is twofold, one is to operate a captive service railroad drom Cornwall to Lebanon and service the Bethlehem Steel plant and concentrator plant. Trains consist of 12 ore cars and one locomotive. The empties start at the BS plant in Lebanon and are taken to the mine. At the mine, loads will be pulled from under the tipple and placed on the departure track and new empties will be placed at the empty storage sidings beyond the mine. The mine switcher will perform all car movements and the road engine will simply bring empties and take loads. Outbound loads will be taken to the concentrator plant to be cycled with processed pellets. Pellets will be taken to the BS plant and the cycle will start over.
The PRR portion of the layout will start at Conewago and terminate at the West Lebanon Yards. Switching areas Colebrook, Quentin and the Calcite Quarry will be switched along the way by locals from either Lebanon or Conewago. Industries in Lebanon will be switched by joint Reading and PRR crews and outbound PRR traffic will return to Conewago. Interchange will take place with the Reading RR at the West Lebanon Yards. Loads bound for Lickdale and North will be serviced by Reading crews.
The layout is designed as a point-to-point railroad. A car-card system will be implemented for traffic and operation. Eventually ShipIt! Will be used to produce switchlists for each train scheduled during an operating session. Staging yards are placed at the end of Conewago and Tomaqua for additional capacity.
The control system is Digitrax Digital Command Control. Most turnouts are controlled by Caboose Industries Ground Throws. Several switches have been scratch-built due to the unavailability of commercial turnouts that meet requirements.
The goal is to create an interesting and operating model transportation system capable of handling up to 6 operators/crews per session. Work and operating sessions start every Saturday night at 7:00PM and last until the crew gets thrwon out by myself or my lovely bride. We occasionally take road trips to Allentown to operate Larry ReynoldsŐ Pittsburgh Division of the PRR. Larry provides the excitement of helper service over Horseshoe Curve and into Altoona. All Cornwall crew members are qualified on the Pittsburgh Division. Visits to Jim Hertzog's Reading railroad featuring helper action to Tomaqua are regular events.
The Mungbusters travel to the Great Scale Train Meet at Timonium, Md. For most of the four annual meets. Anyone wishing to join the Shermans Dale Mungbusters is welcome to contact me at (717)582-8797 or via email caseyj@earthlink.net. No phone calls are taken on Saturday night after 4:00PM due to the operating sessions.
Layout Design. Areas are color coded; Tuscan = PRR. Most trackage for PRR is upper level track behind Lebanon and against the wall. It drops down to merge at Cornwall Jct. Tracks on inside curve to staging tracks past Conewago merge with staging / programming track before the gate. PRR trains entering staging will change motive power to Reading power prior to entering Lickdale. Green= Reading. Reading trackage runs from Tomaqua (outside tracks past Conewago to passing siding on the inside before gate. Blue= Cornwall Trackage. Shared with both Reading and PRR into Lebanon. PRR enters under the bridge and Reading enters on track around the peninsula below Calcite Quarry. Red trackage is Staging tracks shared by both Reading and the PRR.
Layout Photos by Nick Kulp (3/5/03).
Layout Photos by Nick Kulp (3/5/03).
Layout Photos by Nick Kulp (3/5/03).
Layout Photos by Nick Kulp (6/20/00).
Copyright 1996 - 2008
Last modified: November 23 2007.
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