*The Horseshoe Curve*, O scale!

Wow, great job and great video. I love the Curve, and your representation looks great!

 

(A couple little details you might consider adding  would be that little pagoda style trackside buiding thats at the curve, and the signal bridge to the right)

I did want the Pennsy style Z stuff signal bridge but the width is a little narrow...tracks are a bit farther apart than the requirement.  An MTH signal bridge may fit, but I'd have to buy separate infrared detectors and hide them inside the tunnels so they don't look unsightly.  The pagoda thing you're referring to has crossed my mind as well. Thanks!!!!

Very nice.  I never got to see the 'curve' while steam was running but I have seen it over the years with diesels.  Lots and lots of traffic.  The volunteers at the site are very helpful and knowledgeble.  Last time there we had a picnic lunch and watched Amtrak rumble by.  Again, very nice modeling, I like it!   Russ

Once again Nick, great job on the layout. You did a fantastic job of modeling the Horseshoe Curve. I think this room is better than your main room to be honest. My grandfather told me that when he was a boy his uncle was an engineer for the Pennsylvania Railroad. His uncle took him (my grandfather) and his brother up to the Curve to see a crash that had just occurred. A T1 had flipped on its side and my grandfather remembers counting 16 wheels! LOL! Keep up the great work! I look forward to more videos!

great modeling and video, nick. the sequence of the steamer shot from inside the tunnel   as the loco enters with smoke billowing ( about 3 minutes into the video) is partcularly good. thanks for posting. 

 

jerrman

Very nice Nick, that project didn't take you long at all. Can you show how you transitioned from the fastrack to the scaletrax?

Wow, incredible work!

Awesome!!!!!

Love to see projects like this!!!  Great video, too.  Thanks for sharing.

 

David

Nick - Wow! Very nice job! You really catured the look and feel of things.

 

Art

Very nicely done.

You did a fine job. You can be proud of what you have done.

Nick:  Very nice representation of what is probably the most famous RR location in the country!  You did a great job of "selectively compressing" the whole scene.

 

I've been up to that area dozens of times, in fact I will be going up there again this week while I'm making a call in Altoona.  Hope I have enough time available to spend some good time on the curve itself on Thursday.  I've ridden around the curve a number of times, as well and always found the trip fascinating.

 

Paul Fischer

Nice work!

 

Andy

Nick,

 

That is an amazing piece of work.   I am curious if you have any idea of about how many hours you devoted to creating this ?

 

Thanks for sharing it.  My father was an engineer on the Penn for 26 years and while he made many trips through the curve over the years, neither my brother or I ever got to make the trip with him.  Maybe someday.

 

Thanks,

Ed

WOW!  I have been to the curve a few times while growing up. My Dad was born in Altoona and my Grandpa worked for the PRR as did his father who was killed in a RR accident. He was crushed between two freight cars. You have done a fine, no ULTRA fine job! The only thing I kept looking for was the inclined tracks running up the hill.

 

Thank you for bringing back some great family memories!

The Horseshoe curve always leaves that impression in our memories doesn't it!   Its a railroading marvel.  Thanks Mr. Russ!

Thanks a lot Mike!!  That is one cool story about the T1...hope mine doesn't do that in a running session lol!  Take care  man!

Very nice modeling but don't take it too far.  No need for T1 on its side there. 

Nick,

 

It's really difficult to do the 'Curve even in the smaller scales so all the congratulations you're receiving are well deserved.  Just be sure the helpers are really straining as they go up and that brake dust is evident on the down slope.  

 

The history of the Horseshoe Curve along with Altoona remains one of my top three PRR areas of interest (Philadelphia & the tunneling into Manhattan being the other two).  Keep up the great work and just have fun with it as it grows.

 

Best, 
Bill 

Very nice! You can be very pleased with what you have done with the space.

 

I have trucked to the curve itself for industry and I can recall it being a noisy place, a war of tonnage on steel against gravity and horsepower.

Hi George, Here is how its done. Lionel Fastrack transition piece #6-12040 & gargraves #802 mating pins.  The fastrack comes with mating pins already, but they are for Tubular track.  These gargraves pins did the trick.  And this transition was to Ross Custom switches curves and or gargraves.

Hey Ed, Thanks a lot for the nice compliments!  I was putting in I'd say an average of 3 hrs per day on this room.  Some days may have been more like 6 hours lol.  Some maybe just 1 hr. So The average is about 3 hours per day.  I started on the room on March 20th 2012.  Its about 66 days from start of benchwork to this point. =198 hours total.  WOW!! lol

that was sweet!!! great job!

Nick, you have created a marvelous Horseshoe Curve. I don't think I'll ever have the talent you displayed. Enjoy!

          Fred

 

Nick, saw several of your youtube videos. Nice work. What did you use for ballast on the sides of your fasttrack i think it looks almost as good as ross. Like the high rail look of it. Especialy liked the engine facilities. Are you going to have any space for a few yard tracks or staging?

 

Nick,

 

That really looks great!!

Terrific job!

 

Mike R

Very impressive; I've been to the curve, but it was in the 1990's.

 

This is probably one layout section where we'll never see a VL Hudson running, I'll

wager...but it looks great anyway!

Very nice, thank you for sharing with us.

WOW!!!

Excellent work, and a great video tour.

Hi Everyone, I just wanted to say thanks for all the very nice compliments!  I appreciate them greatly! 

Thank you! I just used Woodland scenics medium gray ballast mixed with some fins black & light grayballast for the sides of the fastrack.  I already have a couple yard tracks, and a undertable or shelf for staging has crossed my mind several times.  Now its a matter of how. lol

Looks great Nick! You've done a fantastic job as usual!

WOW Nick it looks awesome, your work is pristine.

Just beautiful.

 

Thanks for sharing, Alex