Middle Division Musings
Modeling the Pennsylvania Railroad in HO Scale

The main line track plan for the Middle Division is all but complete. The total run is approximately 100 feet, of which about 80 feet will be visible. Remember, the focus of the model railroad is Lewistown Junction, Lewistown Secondary, and the Milroy Secondary. Mainline running is for scenic value, moving cars in and out of staging for Lewistown, and open house running.

The main line will feature three interlocking plants: WALL, LEWIS, and JACKS. They are contiguous locations on the prototype and serve the operational needs of the model railroad quite well.

WALL interlocking was the westernmost of four interlockings that worked in concert to serve the Denholm coal wharf. Heading east, the other three are EAST WALL (nee DENHOLM), WEST MIFFLIN (nee LAUVER), and MIFFLIN. This mid-fifties track chart is dated after EAST WALL was absorbed into WALL and WEST MIFFLIN was absorbed into MIFFLIN. On December 28, 1955, WALL was absorbed into MIFFLIN as well.

LEWIS interlocking provides access in and out of Lewistown Junction yard, also known as “Hill Yard”, which serves the Lewistown Secondary and the Milroy Secondary.

JACKS interlocking provides access in and out of Mount Union and interchange with the East Broad Top narrow gauge railroad.

Arranged end to end, showing only the pertinent data, JACKS, LEWIS, and WALL provide four tracks of continuous running for open houses or just having fun.

For operations, JACKS provides access to Altoona staging to the west. WALL provides access to Harrisburg and Enola staging to the east.

The tower operator(s) will be using US&S style machines. The model board will show all of the trackage for the prototype version of the respective interlocking plant. However, many of the switch and signal plates will be dummies.

This view has the dummy (non-existent) turnouts removed, showing just what will actually be under the control of the tower operator. JACKS allows eastbounds to enter from Altoona and westbounds to exit to Altoona. WALL allows westbounds to enter from Harrisburg and eastbounds to exit to Harrisburg.

The will be about 20 feet between LEWIS and WALL to the east, and about 30 feet between LEWIS and JACKS to the west.

In reality, WALL and JACKS will actually overlap each other, but arranged in such a way as to allow concurrent parallel moves. In other words, a train can be entering from Harrisburg at WALL at the same time that a train is exiting to Altoona at JACKS.

I am still evaluating whether I will use JMRI or C/MRI to control the railroad. I have experience with JMRI and it would have little additional cost. C/MRI would have cost, but be more reliable; local support is available.

The non-mainline trackage is all of “secondary” nature, which means running on verbal orders. No detection or signaling required.

A this point I am guestimating the Lewistown Secondary to run about 70 feet in length and the Milroy Secondary about 130 feet in length. There will be staging for the S&L, but minimal traffic.

Today I completed the first segment of Phase I benchwork, largely to provide family storage underneath. The footprint of this section is five feet by sixteen feet. The first photo shows the five foot wide expanse that will be the Lewistown Junction yard. The main line will be on the left edge, heading west. The Lewistown Secondary will leave the yard to the right, behind the vantage point of the camera. The main line will wrap around the far wall to the left.

The yard itself will have several freight destinations, including the locomotive facility, the car shops, and the American Viscose Company, a rayon manufacturer. Main line operators will work from the main aisle on the left. The yard operators will work from a private aisle on the back side. Although five feet wide, the reach to the center is quite comfortable.

Lighting for the yard level is from fixtures embedded in the framing for the upper level. I am using 18 watt compact florescent lights (CFL’s) that provide the equivalent of a 75 watt bulb. The color temperature is “daylight”. Only five of the ten fixtures have bulbs in this photo.

The upper level will be the site of Yeagertown, Pa., on the Milroy Secondary, looking west. The line will also curve to the left at the far wall, heading into Burnham, Pa. Just before the curve will be spurs to the left into the Standard Steel Plant, the predominant industry on the line. On the right side of the right-of-way will be two sidings for the J. M. Yeager Company, a mill, and a passing siding.

I had to get a bit creative on the structural design of the upper level. I needed for it to cross the 24′ length of the room with no support from below. Furthermore, I didn’t want any suspended supports on the front edge. I opted for 8″ wide 3/4″ plywood vertical supports bolted to the joists above. To these I attached 3/4″ plywood horizontals. The inverted cantilever projects 24″ out the front for the Yeagertown depiction, plus 6″ out the back for a shelf for the yard crew.

The second photo shows the aisle on the back side of the yard, from which the yardmaster and drill teams will operate. The back side of the upper level will hold the yard’s control panels and a bulletin board for procedures, schedules, and orders. A shelf will provide room for sorting and the car card boxes will be mounted on the front edge of the upper level framing. There will be additional lighting from overhead.

Unfortunately, there won’t be much more progress until fall. I have a rock garden to build around a new pond in the back yard. Working on the model railroad during the summer months is a rarity, so I am quite satisfied with what I have accomplished. Till the next train out…

I am looking forward to a full weekend of benchwork construction this weekend. My suburban is already loaded with the wood. The cool basement will be welcome given the heatwave the east coast is currently experiencing.

The upper level of the current stretch of benchwork is already pretty much complete. I even have backdrop installed and painted blue. This benchwork is fully suspended with no support from underneath. I’ve wired light fixtures underneath to light the main level. I’ve initially installed “Daylight” temperature CFL’s (compact flourescent lights) but they may actually be too “white”. I’ll make that judgment once I have the main level benchwork in place with some models staged.

So this weekend I’ll put in the lower level benchwork for much of Phase I. Unfortunately, then nothing until the winter as I have much to do outdoors. The family storage needs — under the benchwork of Phase I — have afforded me the justification to get some of the construction completed during the summer months.

The overall plan continues to form. I think I worked out the last “missing link” of the main line this morning. Once I measure and confirm all will fit the way I have imagineered it, then I’ll need a CMR/I consult with Jeff Warner, a local guru. Plan, plan, plan… then build!

I’m pretty excited about the upper level of Phase I. The locale of Yeagertown will afford me early switching opportunities (“play value”) as well as a sceniced location for photography. A sense of continued progress is important, as I learned with the N scale Eastern Region.

Benchwork photos soon…

Pennsylvania Railroad promotional film from 1955. Highlights the early intermodal road/rail ‘piggyback’ services.

I “broke ground” last evening. Let’s call this “Phase I”.

Phase I entails construction of the model railroad in the former N scale trainroom. It is 10′ x 24′ plus an 8′ x 8′ forming an “L” shape.

The main level will feature the main line from just east of the Lewistown Junction station to just east of LEWIS interlocking. It will also feature the Lewistown Junction yard, which includes a turntable and locomotive facility.

The upper level will feature the Milroy Secondary from the very east end of Burnham, through Yeagertown and Lower Mann, through the first part of Mann’s Narrows. There are numerous industries along this stretch, most notably Standard Steel.