dave1905 Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 The Wilmington & Northern Branch of the Philadelphia & Reading RR. Runs from Reading PA to Wilmington, DE via Coatesville, PA. It was an independent RR until the late 1890's when it was leased by the P&R and finally acquired in 1900. I cheat a bit and encompass the 1900-1905 time frame so I can still have some W&N lettered equipment, but can say everything has knuckle couplers and air brakes, plus get in a few steel or steel underframe cars. The W&N was 72 miles long and had 2 steel mills, 2 quarries, a ship and railcar building company, served a major port, a car ferry, 2 explosives plants, 3 helper grades, 5 interchanges with the PRR and one with the B&O. In the late 1950's and 1960's it had an iron ore mine on it too. Only about 10 miles of the 72 was tangent. Β The layout is 12x23 single deck in HO (and so highly compressed). with a "portable" staging yard in the hall (I put it up for formal op sessions and take it down between). Cars are mostly MDC/Roundhouse, kitbashed, resin/wood kits or scratchbuilt with Roundhouse, Mantua, and Bachmann engines. Future projects include converting about half the engines to camelbacks. Code 70 rail. TT&TO operation. It currently has room for 4 operators (2 yard, 2 road train crews), but once I complete the next phase it will jump to 6 or 7 operators (3 yard and 3 road train crews plus I might have to actually have a dispatcher). Β I live in Omaha, NE, but grew up in the Philadelphia area and spent the last 30 years wandering around the midwest US. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave1905 Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 Here are some picks of my layout: Β Wilmington Β The Harlan & Hollingsworth plant at Wilmington: Β Heres the portable staging yard: Β Heres a switcher: Β A B&O wood hopper kitbashed from a Varney/Life Like hopper carcass: Β Here's a couple under construction photos of the Coatesville, PA area: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Gringo Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 Dave, thanks for sharing these photos with us. Β That trackwork really looks the business and now I'm wishing that I'd decided to go the whole hog and build our own track rather than using Peco code 83, even though it's so easy to use! Β Let's have some more photos of your locomotives, please. Β Tim, sorry for hijacking the thread. Β All the best, John. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraigZ Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 The Wilmington & Northern Branch of the Philadelphia & Reading RR. Runs from Reading PA to Wilmington, DE via Coatesville, PA. It was an independent RR until the late 1890's when it was leased by the P&R and finally acquired in 1900. I cheat a bit and encompass the 1900-1905 time frame so I can still have some W&N lettered equipment, but can say everything has knuckle couplers and air brakes, plus get in a few steel or steel underframe cars. The W&N was 72 miles long and had 2 steel mills, 2 quarries, a ship and railcar building company, served a major port, a car ferry, 2 explosives plants, 3 helper grades, 5 interchanges with the PRR and one with the B&O. In the late 1950's and 1960's it had an iron ore mine on it too. Only about 10 miles of the 72 was tangent. Β The layout is 12x23 single deck in HO (and so highly compressed). with a "portable" staging yard in the hall (I put it up for formal op sessions and take it down between). Cars are mostly MDC/Roundhouse, kitbashed, resin/wood kits or scratchbuilt with Roundhouse, Mantua, and Bachmann engines. Future projects include converting about half the engines to camelbacks. Code 70 rail. TT&TO operation. It currently has room for 4 operators (2 yard, 2 road train crews), but once I complete the next phase it will jump to 6 or 7 operators (3 yard and 3 road train crews plus I might have to actually have a dispatcher). Β I live in Omaha, NE, but grew up in the Philadelphia area and spent the last 30 years wandering around the midwest US. Β Far out! Track plan if you would, please? That's about the space I have available - 12 x 28... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave1905 Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 Craig, here is a schematic of the plan, I don't really have a "formal" trackplan drawing: Β Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraigZ Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 Craig, here is a schematic of the plan, I don't really have a "formal" trackplan drawing: Β Β Dave, that's all I needed...wanted to see the basic footprint. Thanks! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talltim Posted October 3, 2011 Author Share Posted October 3, 2011 No probs with thread hijacking, I was going to ask Dave for pics anyway! Good to see your layout Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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