Here is a nice photograph of PRR 721 switching in Camden, NJ in 1953. The Campbell Soup Building is in the background with it’s signature soup can water towers.
Also in the background is a PRR H21a, just a normal run-of-the-mill H21a, only it’s not. If you look closely you can see that the car has been spot re-painted. This was one of the cars that were leased to the N&W and now has returned to the PRR.
This Photo was also published in the Morning Sun Book – Pennsy Steam Years 1
Pat Mitchell
As I was leaving the National, I went to visit Pat Mitchel’s layout. While only in the beginning bench work stage, it still out-did many layouts I’ve seen and left me questioning things that I had decided against for my own railroad.
Pat designed his layout using a 3D PlanIt (a model railroad based CAD program). He had the sub-roadbed cut by a local business on a CNC machine using the drawing he made with 3D PlanIt. Chris Smith had spoken about this approach the day before as he had his sub-roadbed cut the same way.
The layout is influenced by John Armstrong, but is not nearly as crowded as most of his design followers. Only a small portion of the railroad had track laid. Pat did operate a locomotive through the room for us. Including using his “elevator” to raise an entire length of train from one level to the another.
There are no feeder wires attached to his rails as there is no power going through them. His locomotives carry their own power in battery pack and receive their commands through the air using the Airwire system. I have to admit to reading everything I could find in the weeks after the National about Airwire. I was very impressed, and when the batteries get a little smaller I think it will become the standard for Command Control.
Pat was a great host answering questions and talking about what he had done so far. This was one of the layouts I wanted to see and I was very impressed even in its beginning stages.
Some of the Benchwork
The benchwork that caused me to re-think the number of levels that are possible with O scale.
Pat discussing the layout with Matt
One of Pat’s models equipped with an AirWire system
One of Pat’s models showing the installation of a new motor and sound system.
The electronics in the tender. The white thing is the battery.
One of Pat’s beautiful Proto48 turnouts.
Close up of the points.
Everywhere you looked there were nicely built solutions to common problems.
The elevator
The elevator in the “Up” position.
On the second night of the National, we went to visit Chris Smith’s layout. While only a small portion of the layout had scenery, you could see the passion Chris has for building scenery. The layout is based on a John Armstrong design. It winds and twists it way up through three levels of railroad, moving a lot of open hoppers up and down the railroad.
While we were there we saw a beautiful pair of Kohs Y6b’s pulling a nice open hopper train filled with a bunch of Rich Yoder’s hoppers. Turns out an MTH locomotive had to be put into service later that night when the Kohs engine had some trouble. The MTH locomotive was impressive in it performance. Overall the layout was nicely built and ran very well. Based on the scenery in place and how well the railroad operated, this is going to be a must see layout for the region.
Chris was a great host answering question well past the end time for the open house. This was one of the layouts I wanted to see and I was even more impressed than I thought I might be.
Chris Smith
A Kohs Y6b waiting in front of the tunnel portal
Chris’ rather nice brackets
Using one of two Atlas bridges for a duckunder
The upper yard with Chris in the background
Chris’ art
You can tell what he has a passion for
You have to like a nice string of open hoppers.
Another nice brass piece sitting in the upper yard.
another nice model
The before part of the corner
continuing down the outside wall
The entrance into the upper yard with sceanery started
Looking across at the lower level yard with the two upper levels going over the top.
You can learn a lot by seeing how its built.
All that wiring back to a movable control stand.
On the first night of the National, we had an invite to visit Dave Vaughn’s layout before it was open to the public and the crowds. I wish to thank Dave for the invite and the early look at the layout.
The layout is going through some changes. Dave has begun to incorporate parts of John Armstrong’s layout into his layout. And in John’s style, the layout winds and twists up through three levels of railroad. Some of the older portions of the railroad have not changed and reflect what was there in sceanery and structures.
Dave was a great host answering questions and telling stories about the influence of John Armstrong on himself and other local railroaders.
Dave Vaughn
Some very nice scenes in the older section of the layout
Dave had some very nice equipment parked on the sidings
A wartime NKP caboose that Dave brught in as a brass model.
More nice cabooses in Dave’s NKP yard
A veiw looking back towars the NKP yard
A view looking back at the NKP yard which clearly shows the second level.
A couple of gondolas on the second level.
A view of the upper level support through the telephone pole.
another nice NKP model
One of John Armstrong’s locomotives
A view of the “new” expansion
This is the entrance to the lower level reverse loops.
Dave is working parts of John Armstrong’s layout into his.
The curve continues