Looking for reference material on the Penssy Port Road and the Atglen and Susquehanna Branch

Robbin:

I don’t personally own the book but, Pennsylvania Triumph II by David Messer and Charles Roberts covers the portion of the railroad from Philadelphia to Harrisburg. I imagine it has coverage of the A&S as well as that portion of the Port Road from the junction with the A&S north to Harrisburg via Middletown and, possibly Enola.

Edit to add that, based on a photo of a map from this book I found on line, it does appear to cover the A&S, C&PD, Royalton Branch and Enola Freight Branch.

And, if you’re not a member of the PRRT&HS, you might consider joining and gaining access to their trove of PRR info.

Curt

Thanks Curt!

I did sign up and will look for the book.  Just bought quite a few at auction on the PRR but dont think that one was one of them.

Robbin; I was PM’d by another Forum member who advised that while the Triumph II volume does cover the A&S; it is Triumph VI (which covers the Maryland Division), that contains a chapter on the C&PD.

Additionally, I was advised the Morning Sun book that covers PRR lines north of Washington, DC may also be helpful.

You may want to add these additional books to your search list.

Curt

I can understand your attraction to that area, but it saw very little passenger traffic other than detours and specials.  Two alternatives you might take a look at that would give you freight and passenger operation on two levels would be:

-  between Thorndale and Malvern, where two electrified double track main lines on two levels, one mostly but not all passenger and one all freight, were interwoven

-  the west bank south of Harrisburg, where the passenger [ mostly ] line came down to meet the double track freight line to Enola.  Passenger trains to Baltimore would be diesel hauled, but if there were a major derailment around, say,  Middletown they could be electric.  There would also be diesel freights to York, etc.  A reduced size version of Harrisburg passenger station. at least the east side, would be a possibility instead of DC.

Whatever you pick it will be fun !

SZ

Thanks for the additional information on the reference books.

I did see that the Port road was freight except very early on and post amtrak.  Neither time is what I was wanting to model.  I will have to probably compromise if I do the line as I really think I can only fit a one or two track layout in the space I have.  Unfortunately the PRR seems to like to have four tracks on the main lines.  I will look more at what is now the north east corridor but I think that was three to four tracks.  Except in the civil war era tunnel going into Baltimore Penn station.

Ah, my mistake, I misunderstood your original post -- I thought you were looking at PRR electrified lines on two levels, as at Safe Harbor along the Susquehanna.

SZ

I am having a difficult time figuring out what you are trying to do.  If your goal was to depict passenger as well as freight traffic going into and out of Washington DC during the PRR era, you wanted to be able to run electric equipment but wanted something smaller than the four track main, then why not just model the Port Road Branch from Perryville to Columbus?  From Columbus you could have off board connections to points north, east and west.

If your heart is set on the A&S then go for it, and tweak operations to suit your desires.  Just because the Pennsy didn't have the foresight to run a string of sealed mail baggage cars with a combine car on the end for local traffic doesn't mean you can't.

If you are in that area and electrics are not important there is another option.  The Pennsy's Northern Central line from Baltimore to Harrisburg and points north by way of York PA.  For passengers there were Baltimore or Washington sections of several trains, plus for a time a number of locals. 

Thanks for the suggestions!  I will look more at the possible lines.  I like steam.  Early Diesel and electrics.  And really have only planned on passenger trains so far.

Have not studied the PRR very extensively but saw a Classics Trains group of articles on the A&S sections next to the Susquehanna river and thought that looked very pretty.  Three small tunnels, bridges, river along side most of it and a cool two level line at Port Deposit.  Still very much in the planning phase but am still thinking that any of the penssy four track mains are just too much for my small room while trying to do two rail scale.  Even with multilevel.

How to make any of this coherent or into a few separate stretches with any passenger and engine facilities may still be a struggle.

Thanks!

Often in the UK a layout will feature a station with the track going "off stage" leaving it. Perhaps something along these lines might work as you could use most of your available room for the desired station scene.