Pennsy Lovers-What Rings Your Bell?

Good evening everyone,

For Pennsy books I have a few the following are my favorites.

Pennsy Steam A to T

Pennsy Steam A Second Look

History of the Pennsylvania Railroad

Heart of the Pennsylvania Railroad ( Middle Division)

Pennsylvania M1 Dual Service Mountains # 8

Altoona and the Pennsylvania Railroad, Between a Roar and a Whimper

Voices of the Pennsylvania Railroad

The Wreck of the Red Arrow

Setup and Running (Life of a Pennsy Engineer)

Pennsylvania Railroad Facilities Vol # 9

Images of Rail, The Horseshoe Curve

The Wreck of the Penn Central

The Men of Loved Trains.

I grew up close to Altoona PA and to me Altoona is the Pennsy.

The shops the people the buildings. To me Altoona and the surrounding area it's still railroad city.

I  have been to a lot of places in the USA and other countries but if want to see railroading at it's best you go to Altoona PA.

Although I consider myself a loop runner everything I have in my stable are Pennsy steam engines.

On my layout diesel locomotives are something that has not come to pass as of yet.

I haven't heard much complaining from the towns folk on my layout when someone has a bit to much smoke fluid in a Lashup with two M1a's pulling a long string of box cars thru town.

Although there are times I think about a "Pennsy Shark" invasion Brunswick Green maybe !!!

I run the following Pennsy Power using the MTH DCS System.

(2) MTH K4s

(2) MTH M1a

(1) MTH I1sa

(2) MTH L1s

Not sure what it is about the Pennsy it has a style all it's own from it's steam engines to it's seven light signals to it's four track main line.

I guess that's why they called themselves "The Standard Railroad of the World"

I learned to like the Pennsy from my father-in-law.  He rode the Pennsy many times while in the Navy during and after WW2, and had some great stories about riding it.  When he died I inherited his Pennsy O gauge trains which formed the basis for my Pennsy based layouts.

My goal is to acquire all the engines, except the electric ones, that the Pennsy had in operation in 1949.  They had 22 diesels versions, although several were very similar like the VO-1000, BS 4-4-10, and BRS 4-4-10.  The road still had 21 types of steamers operating, not counting the various K4 variants and considering the H8/H9/H10 as one type.  There were also 8 types of electrics still in service.  My layout does not have catenary, so my few GG1s and P5s will probably not get much run time.

Being a Pennsy fan has one benefit; all the O gauge manufacturers have made versions of nearly all Pennsy steam engines.  Now if someone would build an N2sa 2-10-2 I would be really happy.  I like running my steamers double headed, 2 K4s leading a passenger train, or an I1 and an M1 together pulling a freight based on a video of this combination on Horseshoe Curve.

There are a few Baldwin and FM early diesels that haven't been built yet.  They could be custom built but I think I'll wait until someone else builds them. All my diesels are powered with sound, and enjoy the rumble of an ABA set rolling by.

So what really rings my bell?  All of it!

I guess I like K4's

Until I make more progress, I will settle for my now-working position lights:

Great layout pictures everyone and great stories.

Mark, since you grew up near Altoona, I thought I should mention these 2 books I picked up in Altoona in 2006:

Railroad City, Four Historic Neighborhoods in Altoona, Pa., Wallace

Pennsylvania Railroad Shops and Works, Paige

the small book, Firing on the Pennsy, (Deitz) is pretty good for anyone interested in the day-to-day trials of a Pennsy fireman. My own father was a fireman on the New Haven before I was born, so I was always interested in that position.

Bob B., Always impressed by your layout and your version of "The Curve." Thanks for including the glimpse of the B6.

My own Pennsy memories involve traveling from Penn Station to Western Pa. every summer from age 4 to 15 or so, passing the real Horseshoe Curve, standing next to very warm GG1's (Harrisburg I think), visiting Pitcairn Yard and traveling back to NY one summer in the aftermath of Hurricane Agnes. My aunt lived in Wilmerding (home to WABCO) and my grandfather worked for US Steel.

One of the sadder Pennsy related books is a  small paperback book that the Wall Street Journal put out, Riding the Pennsy to Ruin, after the ill-fated Pennsy/New York Central merger. The book talks about how the railroad was hemmoraging so much cash they couldn't supply enough red pens to use in its various reports to show all the red ink the merged railroad was in.

Tom

Norm,

  Very nice...

  For your stone walls, are they from Scenic Express?

Tom

I like the workhorses - the K4's, Decapods, the M1's, the Mikes, the Texas, and the E/F units, and so forth.  While I appreciate the uniqueness and glamour of the T1/S1/Turbines, they didn't see the same heavy duty use in real life.   

Good evening Mr. Stumper, I agree the T1, S1 Q2 were all neat to look at  (flash in the pan as they say)but when it got down to moving freight or passengers the M1's K4's L1's I1's where the workhorses that got the job done, and did it day after day.

Tom, thanks, yes those are SE walls..

Good evening Tom, thanks for the info on the books about Altoona.

I might check Barnes & Noble and see if they are available thru them.

I dropped enough hints about the book Firing on the Pennsy but Santa did not have any luck finding it so I am going to order it myself.

If you read the wreck of the Penn Central and the book The Men that Loved Trains the first two thirds of both of these books is about all the behind the door wheeling and dealing that went on.

These guys made the boys at Enron look like amateurs.

I am also going to see if iI can find the book Riding the Pennsy to Ruins.

By the way great topic, thanks!!!!!!!

Hello Norm, great photos as always.

What rings my bell? In two words "train phone antennas" whoops I guess that's three words. Either on diesels or cabin cars if it does not have train phone antennas I don't buy it. A lot of you have already posted pictures of them. I have one exception I have a MTH cabin car with an operating brakeman but no antennas. Guess every rule needs to be broken.

JohnB

Let's see, off the top of my head, I have these Pennsy books:

The Pennsylvania Railroad's Golden Triangle by Ken Kobus and Jack Consoli

The Pennsylvania Railroad, 1940s-1950s by Don Ball Jr.

The Pennsylvania Railroad Under Wire, by William D. Middleton

At least one more, about some of the Pennsy locomotives

One DVD:

Classic Pennsy Widescreen, by Herron Rail Video

I don't really own any Pennsy locomotives or rolling stock, unless you count the MTH "Montour" L1s I have on preorder, or the fact that my Steelers Consolidation looks vaguely Pennsy (IMHO).

At our train club, we have one K-Line? Pennsy B-class switcher, an Atlas O SW1, MTH PS1 Railking "H10," a Lionel wrecker, and several pieces of scale and semiscale rolling stock, plus two or three On30 passenger cars by Bachmann.   

Speaking of videos, Trains Magazine put out a great video years ago on Horseshoe Curve during the Conrail years (probably early to mid-1990's). I think it was part of a series they called "On Location." Well, OK Conrail isn't Pennsy, but it was really well done. Trying to remember...They interviewed guys who worked in at least 2 towers (in the towers) that were getting phased out who really loved what they did and felt bad they couldn't pass their job onto another generation, engineers (or maybe Trainmasters)talking about the difficulty in controlling long trains up and down the Curve, the Red Arrow wreck, etc. Even the vistors interviewed at the Curve were interesting because they looked like "normal" people (as opposed to someone like me who wears an orange Lionel baseball cap. I liked it so much I bought a second one... Unfortunately, I doubt anyone ever put it on DVD.

The last time I was there it was a super windy day in the Fall of 1996 and it took around 4 hours each way to drive there with wifey. Just wanted to get there before the Conrail blue disappeared. At least one of us felt it was worth the trip!

Tom

Well, it looks like I could agree with all the posts in most respects on this.  A few of the things that hooked me are the Belpaire fire boxes, cabin cars and signals.  Over the years of model railroading, it has been so very interesting to read and research many aspects of the PRR.  The reference materials are a blessing.  

Me liking the Pennsy? No way, I'm a complete New York Central Fan.....

My love for the Pennsy started at a small age seeing all the big powerful relics of the steam age at the Pennsylvania Railroad Museum in Lancaster PA. By far my favorite locomotives are either the K4 or the E6. 

I own a Lionel Legacy Lindbergh Special:

The only Pennsy book I have at the moment is The Pennsylvania Railroad: 1940s-1950s by Don Ball, Jr. 

It is by far my favorite train book due to the fact that it includes incredible color photos of the last years of steam on the Pennsy during the war and after. Also, it gives lots of detailed information on the Pennsylvania Railroad locomotive tests and other historical facts about the rise and fall of the Pennsy. 

Lastly, my ties with the Pennsy actually run with part of my family. My great grandfather worked as an assistant to the superintendent of the Eastern division of the Pennsylvania Railroad out of Harrisburg. My great grandfather served in WWI and I have the commemorative medal given to my great grandfather from the Pennsy for his service.

Mike, 

 The Don Ball, Jr. book is very good. I have that one (possibly even 2 of them). Good looking medal, seen them before on eBay. Nice that ,"The Company" cared enough to issue such medals for its veterans.

  My own collection of pins includes this one...

Tom

Someplace I read that the K4, L1, and I1 all used the same boiler, but for the decapod they increased the diameter.  So that's what I did.

I also read that the H10, G5, and E6sb all had a very similar boiler.  To my surprise, I had to lengthen an H10 boiler to use it on the Atlantic.

Tom,

That's a nice pin! Is that one of a family member? 

Mike,

 Unfortunately, no not from a family member. I believe he was a machinist who worked at Altoona Works.

 Tom

A Pennsy Fan, Yes, most definitely!  You can say i was born to it.  Born, raised, and matured in a steel town (second largest producer in US).  In the day we were served by five class 1 roads and over a dozen subs and shorts.  The class 1s the Pennsy (largest RR at that time). the New York Central (second in size only to the PRR), the B&O, Erie, and last but not least the "Little Giant."  The Erie and P&LE probably handled most of the steel mills work.  The B&O and Central working the area.  The Pennsy mainline bypassed to the south and west.  But the Pennsy had a direct route to the docks on Lake Erie in Ashtabula.

To topped this off Dad was from Conway.  My grandparents owned a Conway business catering to PRR crews.  In the 50s and early 60s we made monthly trips to Conway and beyond to Pittsburgh.  Got to see a lot of Pennsy power.

Consequently the scale O-Gauge roster includes 48 PRR engines (not including the 6 Williams Crown series).  One gas early era inspection car, eighteen diesels(all but one first generation), eight electrics, and twenty-one steam engines (including the John Bull).  All but five of Pennsy's steam classes represented with multiples of Ks and Ls.

Do have a soft spot for some B&O, Erie, Central, and especially the P&LE (the A-2A berk, GP-7 freight, and Alco PA-1 passenger engine).

Ron, loves the Pennsy

Hello Tom, posted a reply earlier in this topic but did not have the capability to add some pictures.

So here you go.

Sorry about the last photo with the closet door in the background.

Mark,

Besides saying your layout is awesome, there's nothing else i can say -- great work.

jackson

Mark,

  Nice looking layout, nothing you need to apologize about! How big is it? 

Tom

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Someplace I read that the K4, L1, and I1 all used the same boiler, but for the decapod they increased the diameter.  So that's what I did.

Think of an M-1 boiler on a 2-10-0 chassis. (Actually, think of an I-1 boiler on a 4-8-2 chassis, which is, basically, what happened).

Still time to admit a weakness for Pennsy?

Anything with a Raymond Lowey influence intrigues me.   The railroad seemed to be more innovative than any other, willing to pour tons of effort into experimentation.  Probably why they had such a vast array of unique motive power along with proven standards.

Hands down, my favorite is the GG1 and because of that I find all of the Pennsy's electric fleet fascinating.  With the available space I'll eventually have for a new layout I doubt there will be enough space to do the PRR justice....we'll see. 

Pennsylvania Under Wire is one book I enjoy leafing through...lot's of color photos without much text.  There's a shortage of good related literature at reasonable prices.  Everybody up here likes C.P. and C.N.R.....silly Canucks!

Bruce

Bruce

Good evening Tom, sorry for the slow response.

My layout measures 11' x 20'

Good evening Jackson, thank you very much!!!!!!!

Born in the Steel City and still live in Central PA, is there any other railroad?

Books: Pennsy Power, Pennsy Power II , Pennsy Power III, Pennsy Steam Years #1, Pennsy Steam Years #3, , Pennsy Electric Years Vol 2, PRR Lines West Vol @ Pittsburgh & NE Ohio, The PRR 1940's-1950's, PRR Facilities Vol 5,  PRR Facilities Vol 11,
Portrait of the PRR, The Rockville Bridge,  PRR Trackside 1951-1961,
The Pennsy in the 1960's The Final Decade,
I remember Pennsy, PRR Passenger Trains, Consists and Cars 1952 Vol , East-West Trains,  Pennsy Steam & Semaphores,  The History of the PRR,
PRR Passenger Car Painting and Lettering,
Crossroads of Commerce PRR Calendar Art of Grif Teller, Heart of the PRR, Main Line: Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, The PRR Golden Triangle, Main Line Panorama in the Pittsburgh Area,  Way to many locomotives to list: GGI,P5a, P5a Modified, E44, K4, T1, Q,J,GP Series, U Boat Series, E8's, F3's 0-6-0 (2), 0-4-0, 0-8-0, S1, S2 Atlantic plus not sure what else. At one time wanted 1 of every type the railroad had during it's entire history but soon learn not all dreams come true.

Rick,

 Nice selection of books.

 I was surprised by a few books that no one seemed to mention. There was a Centennial History Pennsylvania Railroad, 1846-1946 which is a nice book for any PRR lover's library. There was at least one biography of the Presidents, the one I have is End of The Line, Alexander Cassatt and the Pennsylvania Railroad (Davis). The Triumph-series of books is very good if you don't have any of them. 

Finally, rule books (or technically "Book of Rules) and other books that railroad workers relied on are a good way to understand railroad operations either in the present day or what it was like in the past. Some train shows, eBay or flea markets even can be good places to find a variety of these.

 Here are just two quotes from the late, great David P. Morgan, long-time editor of Trains magazine in the Foreward to Don Wood's, I Remember Pennsy.

Pennsy was huge. What other railroad operated four tracks wide across the mountains..

...Oh, there were train watchers who disparaged Pennsy for its admitted arrogance or its atypical locomotion; but I suggest that in their heart of hearts even these folk were moved by a brace of K4's coming to grips with the Liberty Limited out of Englewood or by a squat B6 shifter parting weeds on light iron in Jersey.

Bottom line, keep an eye out for some good reading material!

 Tom