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.
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- Category: Engineering Blog
The Chief Engineer of the PRR Middle Division in HO Scale is pleased to present its report for the second quarter of 2017.
Progress and been varied and slow, complicated by a short circuit (see separate blog), oral surgery, illness, and two inches of water in the basement as a result of a recent tropical storm!
Since last quarter, approximately half of the track has been laid in Lewistown yard.
Barrett Hill Touch Toggles have been implemented at two locations that feature single switches. Sort rails and card boxes have been installed for the Lewistown Yard crew, and dividers have been generated to assist in the sorting process. (See below.)
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- Category: Public Relations Blog
The Bethlehem Steel Company owned a large quarry at Naginey on the Milroy Secondary outside of Lewistown, Pa. The quarry was rail-served until Hurricane Agnes destroyed much of the line in 1972 and it proved too expensive to repair.
Several years ago a friend provided me with several batches of waybills taken from the Burnham freight station when it was taken out of service. The Burnham station processed the waybills for Naginey shipments further east on the line. Two of the batches of waybills were specific to Naginey.
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- Category: Public Relations Blog
The PRR Middle Division in HO scale held an open house on May 21, 2017, in support of PRRT&HS annual meeting.
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- Category: Public Relations Blog
My submission of qualifications toward the requirements of the NMRA Achievement Program (AP) Association Volunteer certificate was accepted.
Here Bob Charles, Susquehanna Division AP chair, presents me with my certificate at the PRRT&HS annual meeting.
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- Category: Engineering Blog
The chief engineer of the PRR Middle Division in HO Scaleis pleased to submit its quarterly progress report. The full status report is available here.
During the first quarter, through trackage was activated on Lewistown (LN) and Lewistown (XA), completing the line from the main line at Lewistown Junction all the way through to Milroy.
Extensive progress is being made on the lower yard at Lewistown Junction. The west throat is complete (see above) and the service track will soon be completed through the east end.
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- Category: Engineering Blog
On the PRR Middle Division in HO Scale, the branch side of Lewistown (XA) has been declared operational. Part of the Lewistown Secondary, this is the final "missing link" of through track and trains can now traverse from the main line at Lewistown all the way to Milroy at the end of the Milroy Secondary.
In the above image, an H10s is making its way towards the junction.
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- Category: Engineering Blog
It's been a busy week on the PRR Middle Division in HO Scale. I've been mocking up Lewistown yard using flex track and photo copies of turnouts.
In addition to the Lewistown Secondary connector to the main line, there is an "upper yard" parallel to the main line and a "lower yard" north from that, several runaround tracks, and a car shop yard.
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- Category: Engineering Blog
Design quandary on the PRR Middle Division in HO Scale! I've been mocking up the Lewistown Yard and I got everything to fit to my satisfaction except for one thing... the ash hoist. If only I had another foot of benchwork!
The valuation map (above) shows that all of the loco facility tracks converge into one track at left. If you follow the lower most track towards the right, this is a service track to the ash hoist and coal dump.
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- Category: Mechanical Department Blog
The PRR Middle Division in HO Scale has expanded its freight fleet through an acquisition from John Frantz who is moving to a later era.
The purchase included 22 PRR and Berwind hoppers and a single Reading box car.
Roster reports on the web site have been updated. You may find the rosters under the Mechanical Department menu on the web site.