Blog
This blog is limited to articles; random photos or quick updates are posted to the FaceBook page.
Blog entries from August 2017 and earlier have been migrated from a former site and many of the images are incorrectly linked. These may be repaired over time.
- Details
- Category: Public Relations Blog
The PRR Middle Division was open as part of the multi-state open house. Guests flowed in and out for four hours and there were some great conversations with both old friends and new friends. Above are myself, an overly excited Bill Lewis, and Tim Neilson.
- Details
- Category: Engineering Blog
Years ago I recognized the superior appearance of craftsman kits, but two factors held me back: skills and budget. Then I overcame the budget -- well, sort of -- and started acquiring a few kits to build at "a later date".
Last year I started small, building Fos Scale Models' Tiny Lou's Grill. It was fun and easier than expected, and no real issues.
This past month I tackled four more kits and, after a less than stellar experience, decided to rank my preference of manufacturers. So, here goes...
- Details
- Category: Mechanical Department Blog
In planning my Lewistown-based model railroad, I have noted photos and other references to locomotives working the area. Early on, Dan Cupper, author and railroad historian and a Lewistown native, told me he remembered seeing Baldwin DS-4-4-1000's #'s 9129 and 9130 during the 1960s.
In "Pennsylvania Railroad | Diesel Locomotive Pictorial | Volume 2 - Baldwin Switchers and Road Switchers" by John D. Hahn, Jr., he noted the DR 4-4-1000's -- PRR class BS10am -- were delivered in May of 1950. As of 1957, four of the six (#'s 9429-9434) were assigned to the Pittsburgh Division. It is worth noting that the Middle Division was absorbed into the Pittsburgh Division as of a 1956 reorganization.
- Details
- Category: Public Relations Blog
The PRR Middle Division opened its doors on Sunday, September 17, 2023, for the Mid-Atlantic RPM (MARPM) & Mainline Hobby combined open house tours. Twenty-six people signed the guest book.
- Details
- Category: Public Relations Blog
On September 6, 2023, our FaceBook page got its 3,000th follower!
Thank you all for your interest!
- Details
- Category: Engineering Blog
Today two projects wrapped up. You can read the play-by-play of the projects on our FaceBook page.
The first project was installing LED lighting. Lighting had not previously been installed above Ryde or the Granville Bridge. Following Tom Jacobs' lead, I ordered reels of LED lights from MicroMark. These were unrolled and attached to firring strips and attached to the underside of the upper level benchwork. "Daylight" temperature lights were used and boy did they look great. But they hard a dark side (pun intended)...
- Details
- Category: Engineering Blog
Wow, due to many distractions, I overlooked posting a Q1 2023 update, so I guess this one will have to be a six month update!
A lot has gone extremely well on the PRR Middle Division. Here are some highlights:
- In January I finished the subroadbed of what will eventually be Everett on the Pennsylvania Midland.
- January-February saw a lot of scenery work at Ryde, the east end of Yeagertown, and Milroy. Additionally, the banks of the Juniata River were constructed at the Granville Bridge. The farm scene at Ryde is largely complete and includes interior lighting in the barn and the house.
- January 31st, Bowser announced a new run of N5 and N5C cabin cars. I commissioned a special run of N5C #477866, which was assigned to the Lewistown-Mount Union local. Only 50 cars will be run. As of this writing, there are still a few unreserved.
- In February, I built my first "modern" craftsman kit. Tiny Lou's Grill is from FOScale Models and it has a home serving the steel workers at Yeagertown.
- March-April, the Lewistown Yard control panels were installed and made operational (see Lewistown Yard Control Panels Finally Functional!).
- In May, having previously installed LED lighting over some previously unlit areas, I removed the incandescent fixtures from the area above the yard and replaced them with LED lighting. Because the LED strips are "below" the framing, the need for deeper fascia was realized. I have to replace all of the top level 5" fascia with 6" fascia.
- In June I returned to scenery at Ryde, completing the ballasting and adding ground cover on the aisle side. I am using some static grass for the first time.
- Details
- Category: Engineering Blog
When the PRR Middle Division was struck by lightning 20 months ago, I had just completed the wiring of the Lewistown Yard control panels. After replacing the Digitrax infrastructure and the many Berrett Hill Touch Toggles on the branch lines, I could have replaced the yard controls in a timely manner.
In the existing design, Touch Toggles were located on each "point" on the track schematic. A complex route might require the yard drill team to activate several toggles in order to clear their desired route. While all of this was going on, Berrett Hill announced a new Matrix Controller, which would allow pressing one toggle to activate all switches along a route. This seemed like a "no brainer", but the code wasn't yet finalized for the board. After many months, the code was completed and the controllers went into production. Once they became available, the documentation was incomplete. Without documentation, I was hesitant to invest in the controllers due to the yard having complex ladders and routes, rather than simple ladders.
Read more: Lewistown Yard Control Panels Finally Functional!
- Details
- Category: Engineering Blog
Still no operations. Still no Lewistown Yard control panels. But that's about all that didn't go well this quarter. The Middle Division is going gangbusters these days!
On the matrix controllers from Barrett Hill for the Lewistown Yard, I plan on cornering the vendor at the Railroad hobby Show in Springfield and again a week later at Timonium. This is holding up restoration of yard operations and is a hurdle for operating sessions. I have a holiday on January 16th and, on that day, plan to cut the panels themselves.
