Trackplan

Having finished the changes to the room, I now began the design process in conjunction with another N scaler Justin Parry. The design process would lead us through 9 draft trackplans all laid out in detailed blueprints until the final design was developed.

SELECTED PROTOTYPE:

The prototype for the layout is the Pennsylvania Railroad four (4) track mainline between Works Tower in Altoona, Pennsylvania and MO Tower in Cresson, Pennsylvania. This area is known as the East Slope and is where the Pennsy tackled the Allegheny Mountains and in order to create a reasonable grade created the now famous Horseshoe Curve. In order to facilitate the flow of trains there were a number of Interlockings (Towers) which allowed trains to move between any of the four tracks. After Works, there was Alto, Slope, MG, and AR before you reached MO. Both upbound and downbound trains would require helpers. Upbound the helpers were necessary to overcome the 1.8% grade and downbound they were necessary to hold back the tonnage of loaded trains.

AVAILABLE SPACE:

The room in which the layout is located is 14 feet by 23 feet.

GOALS:

1: Replicate the prototype track plan as it existed in the mid 60's as faithfully as possible.

2: Try to avoid any duckunders.

3: Showcase the model of the Curve, so location of the Curve for viewing was important.

4: Have Upper and Lower Level staging so that trains only passed through a scene once.

5: Try to have through staging, ie. avoid stub end staging yards.

6: Have a mainline run of at least 200 feet.

7: Have large open areas for operators.

OUTCOMES:

1: The trackplan does faithfully represent the prototype.

2: The choice was to have hidden trackage behind the Curve or utilize a "stoop" under at 54 inches high at the entrance to the layout.

3: The Curve is located as soon as you enter the layout and is a stand alone scene with no trackage above or below it.

4: I have lots of staging.

5: Return loops allowed the use of through staging.

6: The mainline run from start to finish for a train is 260 feet.

7: As the plans show there are large open areas for the operators.

LOWER LEVEL:

MIDDLE LEVEL:

UPPER LEVEL:

My Previous Layout

My previous N Scale layout also featured the Pennsylvania Railroad's Horseshoe Curve just west of Altoona, Pennsylvania. Here are several photos of the previous layout.

In the Beginning

This is my second N scale model railroad based on the Horseshoe Curve west of Altoona, Pennsylvania. The first layout occupied the same space and was my first exposure to N Scale.

My previous layout had featured the Horseshoe Curve in an area 8ft by 11ft and was the dominant feature of the layout. In designing the new layout I wanted to continue to model this historic site. The reasons for rebuilding were several: I had a duckunder and pop up in the centre of the Curve to allow access to the track for cleaning which as I approach 60 was proving to be too much of a contortionists nightmare for my body. The new Curve had to have walk in access. The old layout had a single staging yard which required trains to transit the layout twice, out and back in order to return to staging. I wanted to eliminate this so that during operations trains would only go through a scene once. I also wanted to enlarge the staging yards so that 40 to 50 car trains were possible. All of these considerations led to the design becoming a two level layout with a helix.

The new layout represents the Eastern Slope and the Curve in the last years of the Pennsy. Significant research was done to determine actual track locations before the layout was designed. Care was then taken to try and replicate the prototype as accurately as possible within the confines of the space available for the railroad.

The next step was to look at the size of the Curve and the square footage it would occupy. After some soul searching, the inside radius was downsized from the previous 36 inches to a more room friendly 27 inches. The new Curve would require an area 7ft by 9ft. The plan went through 8 revisions before the final design was settled on which is a three level plan with a helix and two staging yards.

Once the layout design was completed I made the decision to utilize Code 55 track and after reviewing the various manufacturers settled on Atlas. The track looks good and has operated flawlessly. The existing Peco Code 80 from the old layout was utilized in the staging yards and the helix.

With the focus on the Horseshoe Curve and the four track mainline across the Alleghenies, the majority of operations will be mainline operation with an emphasis on the snapper (helper) activities between Altoona and Cresson. I had hoped to provide enough switching opportunities to include a car card operation on the layout, however, this just wasn't possible giving the constraints of the area the layout is located in. A schedule for 1967 has been obtained and operations will replicate an actual portion of the schedule. A dispatcher will control movement over the Curve and will make helper assignments.

Progress to Date:

Rebuilding of the layout room was completed to increase the width by 2 ft from 11 ft to 13 ft.
Former drywall ceiling was removed and a drop ceiling installed.
Benchwork has been completed on all 3 levels
Helix was built and track installed.
Upper and Lower level staging yards have been completed.
Track has been laid on the Horseshoe Curve
Current Projects Underway:
Tracklaying from Altoona to Alto, Slope, and then the Curve is underway.
Wiring and installation of the DCC system has begun.
Tortoise switch machines will be installed as switches are laid.
Goals:
First train around the layout by March 1, 2007.
First operating session by September 1, 2007.