What's New on the PRR Panhandle 2.0?

After the massive effort on the Open Hearth, I decided to turn my attention to layout changes that need to happen before October York.  At that time, I am expecting some help with the construction of the benchwork peninsula that will eventually hold North Weirton and Weirton Junction.  In order to be ready for that, I have been working on changes to the Weirton Steel Yard Exit track over the past few days.  I designed these changes very early in the year, before April York, but didn't have the opportunity to make them happen until this past week.  Here is what the old setup (Version 124) looked like:

I made a number of changes (simplifications) to the track plan.  These include:

• Removal of Switch #34 (diagram below should show Switch #33).
• Relocation of Switch #33 further west (left).
• Removal of two track joints.

Here's the new track plan, Version 129, shown below:

After completing the track changes, I fired up The Spirit of St. Louis and ran it eastward (in reverse) on the track. No problems encountered. The switch throws correctly from the push-button as well.

More when I know it.

George

Bill,

Thank you.  The changes came from wanting to buy another foot of aisle space at the front of the layout.  Originally, I didn't think there was a way to do that, but Lionel's introduction of PRR Decapods in their previous catalog triggered an e-mail conversation with a friend.  He owns a number of 3rd Rail Decapods, both long and short tender versions.  I have 2, one with each type of tender.  He noted that these locomotives will successfully run on O64 and even O54 (short tender) curves even though they are said to need O72.  I have O72 curves on my layout, specifically to run these (my largest) locomotives.  Learning that, I realized I could drop down to O64 and narrow the peninsula by a foot.  I also shortened the peninsula, again buying a little more aisle room.

In the end, the smaller peninsula caused me to look at the track plan and simplify it.  

Advantages:

• I still have the run-around track, the track servicing the Open Hearth, the Blooming Mill spurs, the Strip Steel spur, the reversal track, the southern entry to the Staging Area, and the track for swapping empties / loads.
  
• There are 2 fewer switches (and fewer opportunities for problems).
• Less wiring.
• Operating should be simpler.

 

Tonight, I cut the hole in the divider for the Staging Area's southern entrance.  The white structure is a mock-up a friend made for me years ago that I will end up using to disguise the Empties/Loads siding into the Staging Area.  That's on the diverging leg of the switch.  And that hole in the divider has not yet been cut.  I will do so once the location of all tracks has been finalized.  The straight leg is the southern entrance to the Staging Area, which can be seen in the rightmost photo through the hole in the divider.

   

I am thinking about disguising that entrance by putting part of a pipe bridge over it.  That will focus the viewer on the bridge and not the hole.

More when I know it.

George

Updated 9/3/2023:

Work continues on the vertical siding of the Open Hearth.  A number of panels have been glued together to form a single removable end section.  On its back, I have glued thin metal strips.  The mill's framework of girders are attached to thin magnetic squares (cut to the size); the magnets have self-adhesive backing.  Same idea as refrigerator magnets.  Together these create an enclosed building whose walls can be removed to view the interior.

By the way, instead of buying K&S metal strips and cutting them to size, I have found that GarGraves "fit-up" connectors work really well.

George