PRR Panhandle 2.0

Looks great!!

Updated 12/18/2023:

I did a little more work today on the Wye.

@LT1Poncho and @BillYo414 - thank you for the tips about curving the Vinylbed substitute roadbed.  I made use of both of them as you can see in the following photos.

Here's where we left off last time.

I cut the subroadbed length-wise and made some pie-shaped cuts in it as well.

It's held down with #18 x 3/4" wire nails.

After I installed the Power/Ground track feeder (#7.09), I used GarGraves track screws to fasten the track down.

Here's a wider view of the Wye to this point.

More when I know it. 

George

Updated 12/18/2023 PM:

Tonight's work was focused on test placement of part of the mainline.  Here's the plan.

And here are 3 photos of the area with the track laying in its anticipated positions.  The curves are O64, which will eventually meet up with Switch #10 (RCS LH O72).

Here are two views closer to eye level.

Eventually, the west leg of the Wye will meet up with the straight leg of Switch #10.  Another switch (in front of #10) will branch off to the right to head into the Staging Area (rightmost track in the photo).

Tomorrow, it will be time to measure twice (or more) and then cut some straight track.

More when I know it. 

George

It looks like you are on a roll, George!  I’m glad that new vinyl roadbed is working out!

@Mark Boyce posted:

It looks like you are on a roll, George!  I’m glad that new vinyl roadbed is working out!

Thanks Mark!  I am very happy with that new subroadbed material.

George

Updated 12/19/2023:

Just a little bit of progress today.  I measured and cut a straight piece of the Westbound Mainline that actually runs north-south near the WSX Yard.  (Did you follow that?  )  Here - a picture is worth 1,000 words.

In the foreground is the split roadbed for the O64 curves.

More when I know it. 

George

@G3750 looking good! Your progress has been steady!

Updated 12/20/2023:

Made a bit more progress today as well as catching a few mistakes before they became much harder to correct.  Below is the revised plan for the Eastbound Mainline as it approaches the WSX Yard and Staging Area beyond it.  I had forgotten to put a Block Break (BB) east of 5.13 and west of 7.09.  Fortunately, I caught that.

Below is the actual layout track work in progress.  I have indicated the BB on the plywood.  The Eastbound Mainline travels left to right, curving northward.  The switch (#10) is a Ross LH O72.  It joins up with O64 curves.

I was off a bit on the position of the foam subroadbed, but I fixed it.  All this will be buried under ballast, as will our little imperfections.

My wife came downstairs to see how I was doing.  She grabbed the phone and this is the result. 

More when I know it. 

George

Yes, I get a little off with putting down roadbed too.  The track looks good.  I have trouble with the replaced knee even using gel knee pads.  More power to you, George!! 👍🏻

@Mark Boyce posted:

Yes, I get a little off with putting down roadbed too.  The track looks good.  I have trouble with the replaced knee even using gel knee pads.  More power to you, George!! 👍🏻

Thank you, Mark!  One of my knees is on borrowed time and I would like to have all of this out of the way before I do something about it.

I am not worried about the appearance of the road bed, that will be hidden by ballast.  Of more concern are the ultimate running characteristics; that means doing some testing with cars and engines.

George

Updated 12/25/2023:

Yes, Scrooge had his carpenters and electricians out working on the layout on Christmas!

Managed to label some turnouts and reconnect Power District #3 - Eastbound Mainline.

More when I know it. 

George

Fortunately it is rather warm for Christmas, since Scroog’s one lump of coal a day makes for cold fingers trying to wire in the winter!  😃

@Mark Boyce posted:

Fortunately it is rather warm for Christmas, since Scroog’s one lump of coal a day makes for cold fingers trying to wire in the winter!  😃

Yes, and having given Bob Cratchett the entire day off he will expect him to be at work 8:00 sharp tomorrow morning! 

George

Updated 12/26/2023:

So the layout is at one of those points that requires a change in direction (literally!).  I was looking at the plan and the actual track as I had laid it, I realized that they weren't exactly matching up.  The Eastbound Mainline seemed a bit out of position.  If I continued that way, it was possible that the large and important Weirton Junction Yard would end up in the wrong spot (off by some inches).  Even on a layout this big, inches matter.  Weirton Junction and the City of Weirton are on opposite sides of a scenic divider.  The position of Weirton Junction affects the size and shape of Weirton, so everything had to be correct.  That thought caused me to change gears and focus on completing the Weirton Steel Yard Track and then move clockwise back up to the signal bridge.

Please refer to the track plan below.  The original direction of work is indicated by the BLUE line.  Because of the uncertainty above, I decided to pursue the RED line of work.

That was all well and good until I discovered that I need a RH switch from RCS.  That will be here in a week or so, but in the meantime I am shifting my focus.  Revisiting my list yields:

1. Lay all the track in the WSX yard.  Connect all wiring for power and switch machines. [In Progress]
2. Identify (not install) the positions of all signals, light towers, and the yard tower. [In Progress]
3. Lay all track for Weirton Junction.  Connect all wiring for power and switch machines. [Deferred]
4. Identify (not install) the positions of all signals and the Weirton Junction tower. [Deferred]
5. Run road locomotives over the mainline and switchers in the yard, correcting any track or electrical issues.
6. Identify the position of the small scene divider running between Weirton Junction and the City of Weirton.
7. Build the Crawford's Crossing highway overpass from the Staging Area divider to the intersection of County Road, Pennsylvania Avenue, and Main Street.

More when I know it. 

George

I ran into part of my layout that wasn’t matching up despite using track sections defined on my SCARM plan.  It threw my lift up bridges off by several inches.  I think I discovered the discrepancy, but decided to just go with it.  Maybe if we move, and I build a Blackwater Canyon Line II, I’ll be more exacting.  Maybe not.  😉

Updated 12/28/2023:

Completed the wiring of the last 2 track feeder pairs for Power District 8 (Staging Area).  These were located on the Load / Empties track and the entrance to the Staging Area, respectively.  The bus for District 8 approaches from the left and then passes along under the divider to the Loads / Empties track (8.19).

This is my preferred technique for wiring feeders to the bus.  The bus wires are on the center 2 positions with clips to the out positions for the feeders.  The bus is 12 awg and the feeders are GarGraves pigtails (16 awg).

We're going to tackle Power District No. 7 later today.  I've got about 12-13 feeder pairs to connect there.

More when I know it. 

George

Updated 12/28/2023 PM:

I did some work on Power District No. 7 - Weirton Steel Yard today.

Updated 12/28/2023 PM:

I did some work today on Power District No. 7 - Weirton Steel Yard.

Here's a photo of the bus as it heads south from the vicinity of the power source (PH180) towards the south edge of the layout.  It's identified by tags and by color-coded zip ties.  District 7 is Yellow.

Here's a look at the feeders for 7.15 and 7.14.  Off camera to the right are the as-yet unconnected track feeders for 7.13.

More when I know it. 

George

I went with color coded zip ties too, along with a track plan and wiring chart on this layout.  You are zipping right along!! 😃

@Mark Boyce posted:

I went with color coded zip ties too, along with a track plan and wiring chart on this layout.  You are zipping right along!! 😃

Really helps, doesn't it?  I can't imagine trying something this complex without these aids.  I think they even helped me catch a power bleed problem between District 7 and 8.

George

The bigger the project, the more necessary!!

I'm really enjoying reading your detailed breakdown of the work you are performing on each section! Thanks for that as it's helpful for me while I build my layout. Keep up the good work!

Updated 12/29/2023 AM:

Figured I should get as much work in as possible this morning.  The wiring of District 7 has been moving along.  That's feeder pair 7.13 in the center of the photo.  A bit closer and on the right is feeder pair 7.12.

We have a closer view of feeder pair 7.11 at the right side of the next photo.

We are about to turn north with our bus and follow the WSX Yard Track.  Maybe I'll get to that this afternoon.

More when I know it. 

George

@T-Bone1214 posted:

I'm really enjoying reading your detailed breakdown of the work you are performing on each section! Thanks for that as it's helpful for me while I build my layout. Keep up the good work!

I'm glad it's proving useful.  I certainly have learned a lot from the folks on this forum who talk about how they accomplished their projects.  I believe in doing that as well - the good, the bad, and ugly.

George

Here's a test-fit in progress.  This is a brass Yard Office (made by TrainCat) I picked up awhile ago.  It may not be strictly prototypical (more of a SP variant), but I think it will add some charm and variety to the WSX Yard.  Still thinking about the color of paint to use (anything except black).  Anybody got any suggestions?

George

@G3750 posted:

Here's a test-fit in progress.  This is a brass Yard Office (made by TrainCat) I picked up awhile ago.  It may not be strictly prototypical (more of a SP variant), but I think it will add some charm and variety to the WSX Yard.  Still thinking about the color of paint to use (anything except black).  Anybody got any suggestions?

George

I think what you are showing there is too dark and blends in too much with background buildings. I’d go with weathered gray. Just my 2 cents. Looking good George.

Mike

Updated 12/29/2023 PM:

I know this will come as a surprise, but I've been doing more wiring!   

Because of the proximity of the bench work ribs to the track feeder pairs, it was impossible to put the 4-position terminal blocks on the bottom of the bench work.  So I put them on a small piece of wood.  These are feeders 7.09 (left) and 7.17 (right).

Also got feeder 7.18 installed.

More when I know it. 

George

Moving right along George.

Updated 12/30/2023:

I am pleased to report that Power District No. 8 (Staging Area) has been completely wired.

Power District No. 7 (Weirton Steel Yard) is nearly done.  As originally laid out in 2018, it would have had 20 feeder pairs.  After some minor changes to the track plan, three of those were eliminated.  We are waiting on the arrival of an additional switch to install the final track feeder pair.  Progress can be seen in the photo below.

I have a single feeder pair to add to Power District No. 3 (PRR Bridge - Eastbound) and it will be done as well.

More when I know it. 

George

Did Weirton Steel have any particular color scheme? That's what I would try to do first for the yard office. After that, I would say weathered yellow hand rails, paint worn off the middle of the stairs where feet shuffle up and down around the clock and then I would try to find some towers from Pennsy or any other nearby railroads.

@BillYo414 posted:

Did Weirton Steel have any particular color scheme? That's what I would try to do first for the yard office. After that, I would say weathered yellow hand rails, paint worn off the middle of the stairs where feet shuffle up and down around the clock and then I would try to find some towers from Pennsy or any other nearby railroads.

Hi Bill,

Yes, in that era all the locomotives were what a friend jokingly (but accurately) called "Columbia Gas Meter Green".  I believe MTH accurately produced those Alco S-2s in their Premier Line a few years back.  Of the three that I own, two are Lionel TMCC (originally in the Western Pacific livery) and the third is a Lionel Legacy engine originally painted in Chicago & Northwestern colors.

Here are 2 of the 3 that I own.

And here's the third (Legacy).  These were transformed into WSX #203, #207, and #208.  All were acquired by Weirton in the proper time frame (mid-late 1940s).

I am thinking that I will paint the tower that color of green and moderately weather it with some gray and / or red oxide streaks.  I will be looking at getting a polluted / corroded effect.

And these are the locomotives I will use to test Power District 7 (WSX Yard) over the next few days (once the switch bus wiring is installed).

George

Sounds good to me! I think the color will jive with the overall scene since it isn't the color of the mill buildings and it will go with the locomotives.

@BillYo414 posted:

Sounds good to me! I think the color will jive with the overall scene since it isn't the color of the mill buildings and it will go with the locomotives.

Bill, if I were to strictly adhere to the prototype, the yard tower would be a short, nearly invisible brick building, probably cream colored.  I am planning to make the Strip Steel that color of brick, so I think the green will work.  And I will darken (weather) it sufficiently that it isn't an instantaneously visible match for the engines.

At least that's my plan...

George

Updated 12/31/2023:

Well, here we are at the end of 2023.  And what a year has been on the Panhandle.  I may post a separate thread on the events of 2023 shortly, but here's today's update.

I started out today with the intention of wiring up the 9 switches (Nos. 35, 16, 15, 14, 13, 19, 18, 17, and 10) I installed over the past week or so.  That led to a number of inventory updates and spreadsheet clean-ups.

• I looked through my supply of different Posi-Lock connectors and took inventory.  I have enough to do the switches immediately on my plate, but need to order the remainder.  I ended up using a bunch in my Open Hearth.  Here's what they look like.  Typically every switch and its push-button will require 5 of the gray connectors on the left (#608) and 2 of the mini red connectors in the middle (#646).  The orange (#609) connectors are for larger wires.
• 
• To determine how many of each connector to order, I performed a physical inventory of my remaining (uninstalled) switches.  These are destined for Steubenville and for Weirton Junction.  To my surprise, I needed a RH O64 (it will be No. 5 on the layout).  So I ordered that as well as a DZ-2500C switch machine for another switch that was missing one.
• I also corrected the placement of track feeders on the RR-Track plan (we're up to version 140 now).
• I also corrected my PowerDistrict spreadsheet to reflect all the track feeders pairs (and their numbers) to this point.

We'll take a stab at wiring switches again tomorrow.

More when I know it. 

George

Updated 1/01/2024:

Started off by trying to test some of the new track in the WSX yard with #208.  Fortunately, I was paying attention when the following happened.  Can anyone tell me what's wrong with this picture? 

Yes, we are going to have a clearance issue.    If I had not been paying attention, the custom stack would have been torn off this poor locomotive.  The funny thing is, I've had this building since 2009 and never had occasion to run an engine through it.  On Panhandle 1, the Blooming Mill housed an unused spur; it was part of the scenery.  On the current layout, the track runs all the way through the Blooming Mill.  It's a critical part of the Loads / Empties / Reversing track and will be vital to mill operations.

So, what's the answer?  Well, the mill is going to get a stone foundation that will raise it enough to clear the tallest steel-related freight car I own.  I suspect that will be either a hot metal torpedo car or a loaded ingot buggy.

More when I know it. 

George

Why are the tracks up on deep ballast profiles?  Industrial tracks such as these are typically at ground level with little to no ballast slope.  Adding a foundation to the building plus lowering or eliminating the ballast profile should provide plenty of clearance.

@Bob posted:

Why are the tracks up on deep ballast profiles?  Industrial tracks such as these are typically at ground level with little to no ballast slope.  Adding a foundation to the building plus lowering or eliminating the ballast profile should provide plenty of clearance.

Excellent question, Bob.

Because the Open Hearth was constructed on a deep base for stability, I decided to go with the 3/8" thick subroadbed.  To stay somewhat consistent with that mill, I kept the 3/8" subroadbed for the rest of the Weirton Steel Yard.

I plan to use 1/4" styrofoam sheeting to fill in the areas between tracks.  The foam will be get a coat of spackle, some paint, and then be hit with ground foam, cinders, and some scrub tufts to simulate the grungy look of a steel mill rail yard.

I've used this technique before to good effect and I think it will work here.  On the left is the styrofoam base.  On the right, the same area has been covered with vinyl spackle.

Raising the ground should lower the ballast profiles while providing spots for puddles, clumps of grass, and small piles of junk (equipment, ties, broken ingot molds, slabs, etc.).  And a lot of the building foundation will be buried in the ground.

At least that's the thinking.

George

@Bob posted:

Why are the tracks up on deep ballast profiles?  Industrial tracks such as these are typically at ground level with little to no ballast slope.

That's what I was thinking. Tracks are sort of buried around the mills I've worked at/been to. That way forklifts, people, and vehicles can get around without much trouble.

@BillYo414 posted:

That's what I was thinking. Tracks are sort of buried around the mills I've worked at/been to. That way forklifts, people, and vehicles can get around without much trouble.

Yes, that's the plan - bury the tracks.  But for the reasons above, I will do that by raising the ground around the tracks.

George

I think that a double layer of the 1/4" styrofoam would work great.  I used a lot of that stuff on my layout.