PRR Panhandle 2.0

Looks great George, and it’s nice to see the layout as a whole. Good luck tomorrow!

Mike

@PRR8976 posted:

George, Your making the rest of us look bad!

Seriously, it looks pretty sharp.

Tom

Tom,

I don't know about making anyone look bad.  A large part of the layout is still in my mind's eye. 

But thank you!

George

Updated 6/23/2024:

I am pleased to report that the Panhandle was visited by 43 people today during its two 2-hour tour windows.    I think we're going to take some time to relax before diving in again.  It was fun, but getting ready was tiring.

More when I know it. 

George

I'm glad you had a good turnout!  The layout does look quite good.  I wasn't able to make it.  My elderly mum is in the hospital getting over pneumonia, and it was our older daughter's birthday.  It's always something.

@Mark Boyce posted:

I'm glad you had a good turnout!  The layout does look quite good.  I wasn't able to make it.  My elderly mum is in the hospital getting over pneumonia, and it was our older daughter's birthday.  It's always something.

Mark, I hope she is feeling better.  Next time my friend, next time.

George

Thank you, George!  Yes, it is difficult for her in  new surroundings with dementia.

Updated 7/1/2024:

• Acquired a hose for the dehumidifier, which will be set-up under the layout when we are not running trains.
• Removed all the hospitality items off the saw-horse table and stored them for the next time.
• Moved the test track equipment from the Weirton peninsula to the saw-horse table.
• Repeated my test of WSX S-2 #207 on the test track.  The engine obeys all TMCC commands but is unable to move.  Apparently, it has a drive issue.  It's going for repairs.
• Repeated my test of the Williams PRR L1s on the test track.  Right after ID and Boost, the locomotive whistle begins blowing.  Yep, it's still possessed.  And it's going for repairs as well.
• Tested my Lionel PRR M1a.  It's fine.
• Tested my Sunset/3rd Rail I1s Decapod with the short tender.  It checks out fine.
• Ordered a bunch of 10amp, fast-blowing fuses.

Tomorrow the plan is to start working on the switches that cause derailments and shorts.

More when I know it. 

George

That’s a bummer about the two persnickety engines.  Off to the engine shop for repairs.

Updated 7/2/2024:

• A few days ago, I tried running a small steam switcher, a Williams PRR B6sb, in the Weirton Steel Yard.  It was doing well until it encountered the O31 wye at the bottom of the yard where it derailed.  I was confused until I realized something about that engine.  It's rated for O42 curves!  DOH!    Here's what was confusing me.  Years ago, I had taken the B6sb through O31 turnouts while going in the forward direction.  I knew it couldn't move coupled cars through that size curve because the forward coupler swing is limited (pushing them was no problem, though).  I didn't realize that backing through the curve caused a similar bind (probably between the locomotive and the tender).  So, as in the real world, there are some places certain locomotives can't access.  Fortunately, this switcher will be doing its work in the Steubenville area where switches are O54 or bigger.
• In working to clear track and take some photos, I successfully (and uneventfully) moved a bunch of trains around today - both Decapods, both E7s, both functioning S-2's, the B6sb (exception noted above), and the K4s.  All performed smoothly!  Here are a few of those photos.

• We still have some switch locations to debug (hope to get to those tomorrow), and I have found a low spot that I need to adjust.  I've had some cars decouple from a switcher at that same O31 wye in the Weirton Steel Yard.  The bubble level tells the story.

• I also located and began organizing all my locomotive documentation.  These manuals, fact sheets, and directions will end up as an appendix in the layout's operations manual.  I want to be able to find them in a pinch.
• Finally, I captured some photos of the Spirit of St. Louis.

More when I know it. 

George

Looking good George.

@G3750 posted:

Updated 7/2/2024:

• A few days ago, I tried running a small steam switcher, a Williams PRR B6sb, in the Weirton Steel Yard.  It was doing well until it encountered the O31 wye at the bottom of the yard where it derailed.  I was confused until I realized something about that engine.  It's rated for O42 curves!  DOH!    Here's what was confusing me.  Years ago, I had taken the B6sb through O31 turnouts while going in the forward direction.  I knew it couldn't move coupled cars through that size curve because the forward coupler swing is limited (pushing them was no problem, though).  I didn't realize that backing through the curve caused a similar bind (probably between the locomotive and the tender).  So, as in the real world, there are some places certain locomotives can't access.  Fortunately, this switcher will be doing its work in the Steubenville area where switches are O54 or bigger.

George,

Looks great, but to paraphrase, "A shifter's got to know its limitations."

  At least it was an easy problem to figure out.

Good luck moving forward.

Tom

Thank you, Joe and Tom.

I fixed that low spot in the Weirton Steel yard track.  This shifter doesn't yet know its limits, but it's trying to find out.   In this test, WSX #208 moves 2 hot metal (torpedo) cars over the area without problem.

More when I know it! 

George

It's great to see trains in that area of the layout! It's going to make for some exciting operations I think.

Man, you'd better get an idler car to run between the locomotive and the hot metal cars.  Otherwise, you'll blister that nice green paint job!  It's okay for now, since the mill is not yet operational.

Looking good.

@Bob posted:

Man, you'd better get an idler car to run between the locomotive and the hot metal cars.  Otherwise, you'll blister that nice green paint job!  It's okay for now, since the mill is not yet operational.

Looking good.

@BillYo414 Yes, I think operations around the mill are going to be pretty cool, eventually.

@Bob Thank you!  But if the condition of prototype engines was any indication, nobody cared about their paint jobs!

Nah, the real reason I need an idler car is because the 1:48 engineer is tired of getting his hair singed off and is going to file a grievance.     Yeah, that little whiner is going to cost me money! 

Somewhere in my stash is an Old Huff n Puff flat car kit that I intend to turn into an idler car.  Someday, after the torrent of high priority fixes and projects slacks off. 

George

Updated 7/6/2024:

I have to say that just making that video with the switcher moving those torpedo cars was a huge morale booster!   I posted a longer version of it over on the Steel Mill Modeling Facebook page and it's gotten some nice comments.  It really feels good to finally be running some trains around the layout, even if it's not a complete loop.

The past few days have been spent doing some testing and electrical debugging.  I am happy to report:

• Block Breaks between Power Districts 7-8, 7-5, 7-4, 3-5 have been tested and found good.
• I am thinking about cutting a larger access hatch behind the Open Hearth. This will serve two purposes:
  • Permit me to actually stand up to deal with any derailments or stalls (let’s hope we never have any).
  • Allow me to put smoke fluid in the ladle for Furnace No. 12 from the back.
• I am putting together a reference binder with all the locomotive manuals and electrical components. Mostly this is just to have them in one safe place.
• Recently I acquired a Lionel 6 pack of Bessemer & Lake Erie ore jennies. These are period correct for Weirton Steel use during the 1950s.

I have not had a chance yet to debug Switch #33, but it's on the list.

I am investigating alternative structural shapes for the repair / improvement of the Open Hearth.  Eventually, I am going to rewire this building to deal with the electrical gremlins that have popped up.  The expanded access hatch mentioned above will be a huge help in this effort.

More when I know it. 

Videos are always enjoyed by forum members too but I agree; moving a train through your hard work is extremely rewarding.

Updated 7/12/2024:

Signal Success!!!!

I am very pleased to report that my two-headed signal has been installed and works perfectly!

Here is the area on the layout affected as well as the desired behavior and signal aspects.

And here's the successful behavior of the signal under each of the 3 rules specified above.

The signal is driven by an Arduino and was built and programmed by Tim Maslyn of Integrated Signal Systems (iss@netacc.net).  I am absolutely thrilled by this product and can't recommend him enough. 

More when I know it! 

George

Congratulations, George!  Those signals really look like the real thing Pennsy used!

@Mark Boyce posted:

Congratulations, George!  Those signals really look like the real thing Pennsy used!

Thanks @Mark Boyce!  I can't say enough about the signal.  I love the look.

George

Functional signals are such a great addition! That add an extra layer of depth to the operations.

Updated 7/14/2024:

We have decided to grant Maggie amnesty!  She's older and less capable of vertical leaps, so the layout scenery is no longer at risk.  Plus she enjoys snooping the new territory and our company down in the train room and work shop.

More when I know it. 

George

Congratulations, Maggie!!  All seniors deserve a break. 👍🏻

@Mark Boyce posted:

Congratulations, Maggie!!  All seniors deserve a break. 👍🏻

  Yeah, but I'm not taking her to the early bird special at Old Country Buffet!   

George

@G3750 posted:

  Yeah, but I'm not taking her to the early bird special at Old Country Buffet!   

George

Maybe you will take a kitty bag home for Maggie. 😄

I'm in the process of closing off my layout from our two cats. I put a wall up to bisect the basement. There will be many benefits, of course. But the main one is stopping the cats from exploring when I'm not there to save structures haha

I'm sure Maggie is back to enjoying the territory!

Closing off an area from cats is an oxymoron  We could start a lottery on how long it will take them to breach the wall.

Updated 7/15/2024:

I operated on a division member's HO layout this past weekend and I came away with a bunch of lessons learned.  One of the big lessons was about access to switching leads.  The most undeveloped or most loosely planned area of the layout is Steubenville.  Makes sense, as it has yet to be built.  But the reinforcement of that lesson got me thinking (always a dangerous thing!).  And it led to a reworking of the Steubenville area.  I'm not going to published an updated track plan because that's not been finalized yet.  But I can tell you that Armour Packing is moving from the top of the town to the bottom.  Making it more accessible and more visible will increase its "play value" and (hopefully) prevent major issues.  This past Saturday, there were numerous switching situations where on the HOG (Hand of God) would correct the problem.  If that becomes necessary on the Panhandle, it should be where the area can be reached.  There is already one such area where that assistance is not possible.  Let's not make another.

At least, that's my thinking at the moment.

More when I know it. 

George

Updated 7/16/2024:

OK, I have refined my thinking a bit.  There are 2 areas of interest and I'll tackle them separately.

First, let's talk about Armour Packing.  This was a real industry in Steubenville.  I think it was located close to the spot where Market Street crosses the tracks near the PRR station (Sixth Street).  In the previous version, the area looked like this.  Armour Packing is on the left.  It's a roughly triangular shaped building with a spur leading into it.

I was OK with this configuration until I realized that if there was any issue whatsoever with the locomotive or cars servicing the area, getting to them would be difficult (at best).  After thinking about it, I reworked the entire mainline from the upper left all the way around on the upper right where the track heads east across the bridge.  Here's the new thinking.

The differences are:

• Armour Packing has been moved to the lower right with the curved switch being replaced by a LHO54.
• All O72 curves have been swapped out for O64 curves which is consistent with the rest of the layout.
• The area around Federal Paperboard has been tweaked a bit, resulting in the building moving a bit farther south and helping to create a small industrial park with Armour Packing.  That's not out of character with the area.

OK, now let's consider the Weirton Junction Yard.  Again, Saturday's ops session triggered a memory.  At the RPM meet last year in New Stanton, someone came up to me after my talk and suggested a small change to the track plan.  I don't recall the gentleman's name, but the idea percolated.  Here's the old version.  In it we see (from North to South) the Standard Slag dump track, the 3 tracks of the yard, the engine pocket, and the mainline.

Here's the new version.  By adding a RHO64 turnout, I can convert the engine pocket to a runaround track for the yard.  As luck would have it, I have such a switch laying about and an extra Tortoise switch machine on hand.    (Yeah, when does that happen)?

It will require moving that 3rd spur about 1", but that's not a big price for additional switching flexibility.  That's what I'm thinking right now.  More when I know it. 

George

@G3750 posted:

Thank you, Joe and Tom.

I fixed that low spot in the Weirton Steel yard track.  This shifter doesn't yet know its limits, but it's trying to find out.   In this test, WSX #208 moves 2 hot metal (torpedo) cars over the area without problem.

More when I know it! 

George

You know, this makes me wish that Lionel or MTH made custom run 0-6-0 steam switchers in Weirton Steel lettering. I mean sure we have that WSX steam freight set, the Alco S-2s for the premier line you shown operating in the video and the SW 1500s from MTH but that's all she wrote!

ah well. There’s always the easy option of DIY!

Also good work finally getting the engines to (mostly) not die on the switches! And best of luck to the edits towards Steubenville!

@Pennsy6755 posted:

You know, this makes me wish that Lionel or MTH made custom run 0-6-0 steam switchers in Weirton Steel lettering. I mean sure we have that WSX steam freight set, the Alco S-2s for the premier line you shown operating in the video and the SW 1500s from MTH but that's all she wrote!

ah well. There’s always the easy option of DIY!

Also good work finally getting the engines to (mostly) not die on the switches! And best of luck to the edits towards Steubenville!

Weirton's steam switchers were Alco's.  I don't have any photos of them, but I know that the late Bill Neale modeled the area in 1939 (all steam).  As for the engine you are watching, it's a repainted Lionel (ex-Western Pacific) S-2 operating under TMCC.  This is not a Premier engine; I don't run DCS.

We're not done yet working on the switches, but things are much better.

George

Updated 7/20/2024:

I got to work on the changes to Weirton Junction today.

This is the starting point.  On the left is the top part of the yard ladder.  In the middle is the end of the engine pocket.  To the far right is the mainline.

We began by pulling up part of the engine pocket and the topmost yard ladder track.

So as to fit with the O64 RH turnout, we had to shift the top most yard track (#3) a bit to the left.  Here is the lifted track.  We are about to adjust the position of the roadbed.

At this point, I've tacked down the foam roadbed, drilled holes for the GarGraves pigtails, installed them, and put together Yard Track #3.  The track sections are not yet wired or fastened down.

Here's a look at the new RCS RH O64 turnout (#43).  We are looking towards the yard throat.  I still have to install the Tortoise switch machine, but the hole for the throw-arm has been drilled.  It was much easier to drill this hole after test-fitting the switch but before attaching it to the rest of the track.

And here's the view from the opposite angle.  The engine pocket is now a yard runaround track.

And finally, here's the updated control panel with the laminated track plan on it.

I'll probably get to the Tortoise and wiring installation on Monday.

More when I know it. 

George

Nice progress!  That Weirton panel really looks superb!

@Mark Boyce posted:

Nice progress!  That Weirton panel really looks superb!

Thanks!  Next steps will be wiring the track feeders to the bus, installing the Tortoise, wiring the circuit that will throw both Tortoises simultaneously, and fastening down the track.

George

Updated 7/23/2024:

Here's some work in progress on the Weirton Junction tower panel.  Here are the toggles after they've been screwed into the back of the control panel 1/8" Masonite.  It turns out that a 7/16" Forstner bit makes a perfect hole for the barrel of the toggle switch - you just screw it into place.

Using Gorilla 2-sided tape, I attached the terminal strips.

The LEDs and their harnesses will be added later.

I also decided that I wanted to mock-up the 24" high divider.  Here's some cardboard standing in for it.  I didn't do the entire length of the divider and the placement isn't perfect.  I just wanted an idea of its height.

Below is the Weirton Junction side of the divider.

This is the City of Weirton side.  The divider will extend off the right edge of the photo, completely blocking the view of the bridge and Weirton Junction Yard.

More when I know it. 

George

Really like the idea of the scenic dividers. I think operators following their train along will get the feeling of the train is heading somewhere.

I missed the scenic divider in the plan but I think it's going to be a great asset to increase the size of the layout! Good move!

@Dave_C and @BillYo414 - thanks guys.  I am hoping it turns out to be an asset as well.

George

What do you plan on painting on the divider?

@BillYo414 posted:

What do you plan on painting on the divider?

The Weirton Junction side is generic low hillsides and trees.  I'll use a very small slope from track side up to the divider and plant some trees just in front of it.  That's the technique I used for the bridge approach just east of the Stone Arch.

The other side will portray the City of Weirton.  I have a head-on photograph of Pennsylvania Avenue at its intersection with County Road and Main Street.  That photo will be on the backdrop.  The rest will be some generic trees and sky.  The town buildings and flats will sit just behind County Road as it climbs.

George