Engineering Blog
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Construction on Jerry Britton's PRR Middle Division in HO Scale continues on, and ahead, of schedule.
Three tasks were scheduled for the quarter and were completed ahead of schedule. They included the west end of Burnham, where the freight and passenger stations were located; Menzies, where the line bisects Kishacoquillas Park; and Mill Creek, a staging connector on the protolanced Pennsylvania Midland.
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With quarterly goals met well in advance, the crew of the PRR Middle Division in HO Scale turned its attention to the expansion of Harrisburg/Enola and Altoona staging.
Four through tracks were previously installed, leaving 16. Each of these requires six pieces of flex track. Do the math. That's 96 pieces of track... all but a case!
There's no deadline for completion, but my intent is too keep the crew at it. Third quarter's goal is the helix on the Milroy Secondary, which will require slow but sure progress as each segment is glued into place and track applied. I would expect the staging build out to be completed by the year's end.
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The crew of the PRR Middle Division in HO Scale has been busy and has already completed all of the goals for the quarter.
Above is the west end of Burnham, Pa. In addition to a sand plant, it is home to both a passenger and a freight station. Passenger service ceased in 1941 and, at some point, the freight operation moved to the passenger station and the freight station was razed. Freight operations continued in the former passenger station until it was razed sometime in the 1970s. The team track by the freight station will see a lot of action. That's LEWIS interlocking and the Granville Bridge showing on the main level below Burnham.
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The chief engineer is please to report that the main line of the PRR Middle Division has been completed!
Quality assurance is currently underway. Track one has been declared fit for service and revenue freight has commenced. A video is available on the railroad's YouTube channel. Tracks two thru four have developed a washout on the Granville bridge, causing a slight dip, which is being addressed post haste.
Looking forward, the second quarter shall see the completion of Menzies and west Burnham on the Milroy Secondary, as well as Mill Creek on the Pennsylvania Midland. An excess of man hours should be available to expand the capacity of Harrisburg/Enola and Altoona yards.
The complete quarterly report of the chief engineer may be reviewed here.
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This evening the track gang completed work on LEWIS interlocking and it is now operational!
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I previously shared my challenge to power turnouts on the deck of the Granville Bridge, just west of Lewistown. Three crossovers of LEWIS interlocking are on the deck itself.
I customized Tortoise Remote Mounts to meet my needs. Time will tell if they are "battle worthy", but I have created a YouTube video showing what I did...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYbFf_-5m70&list=UUZQKTd6b-oB4Jx9MEpOx0GQ
To my delight, the first crossover worked perfectly right out of the gate! One down, two to go, and the main line is complete!
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Construction on the Pennsylvania Railroad Middle Division in HO scale, continues on schedule.
This quarter saw the Ryde section achieve operational status and the first public open house was held in November as part of National Model Railroad Month.
All surveying (benchwork) for LEWIS interlocking has been completed, as was the surveying for west Burnham on the Milroy Secondary.
The three crossovers for the east half of LEWIS interlocking have been installed, though not yet powered, putting this project slightly ahead of schedule. Special design considerations are being implemented with regard to the three remaining crossovers which will be located on the deck of the Granville Bridge. The schedule projects LEWIS being completed in Q1 2015.
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The main line through Ryde has been declared operational. To the west (left) lies JACKS interlocking and Altoona staging. To the east (right) lies the Granville Bridge and LEWIS interlocking.
Ryde, per the prototype, will feature an overhead water bridge.
The spur is the remnant of the old main line. In the early 20th century, the PRR bypassed all of the local towns. Though no longer a through track, the Pennsy still uses the track for occasional storage.
Above Ryde, on the upper level, will be the Milroy Secondary. Specifically, the area of Kishocoquillas Park, between Menzies and Burnham.
LEWIS interlocking -- the last ten feet of main line to be completed -- is next on the agenda.
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As an employee of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, I enjoy Veteran's Day as a holiday... used as a "training day". Last month I had framed out most of the benchwork to complete the remaining 24 feet of main line. I made significant progress towards that end today.
ABOVE: Looking eastward from Granville Bridge past LEWIS tower and interlocking. The yard entrance is visible at distant left. Track on the bridge is in a "mockup" state.