Winter 2010 - Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society

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(Top) The Steubenville Shifter behind a B6sb spots cars at the freight house. (Left) L1S #1122 drifts downgrade on PH-125. (Bottom left) An I1SA shoves hard against an N5B cabin car and a train of loaded H21A hoppers. Like most model railroads, my representation of the Panhandle is selectively compressed. I represent about 15-20 miles of real track in three scale miles. My tracks are shorter and my grades are steeper than the prototype, but those compromises are very common on most model railroads. I have one main yard (Weirton Junction), one complex industrial area (Steubenville), and a multi-track mainline with a long 2% grade that requires helpers. The operating pattern is based on many through trains interacting with the local facilities. I have substantial staging at both ends of the modeled section to support a large number of trains that roll across my section of the PRR. Let’s start with the through trains. The hottest trains on the railroad are powered by M-class engines. In 1939, the big 4-8-2 M1 and M1A Mountains were the most modern power available. These manifests are 20 to 25 cars long, and consist of reefers, boxcars, and tank cars. My desire is to require a pusher if the train is more than about 22 cars. Manifests PH-10, VL-2, and JC-5 have BLI M1A power. CIN-1 has a Westside M1A. The Westside has more pulling power than I like, so I keep it on the Westbound – down bound trains. That disguises the extra tractive effort this engine has. I also run a 30 car eastbound stock extra that is M1A powered. I intend to put a Sunset M1 (short tank) in service soon, as an alternative engine for any of these trains. However, the Broadway engines are the best for this service as they are reliable and pull just enough to occasionally need a pusher. The Keystone Modeler 18 No. 72, Winter 2010
Trains PH-4 and PH-7, PH-11, and CIN-2 are symbol freights that are mixed in consist and do some work on the railroad. Often these trains will pick up or set off cars at Weirton, and a few trains also stop at Steubenville yard. I use I1’s, L1’s and sometimes N1’s, on these trains. The Precision Craft Models I1SA Decapod is one of the best plastic models done to date. However, in stock form, it did not pull sufficiently to meet the 20- 22 criteria on the hill. I did some modifications to improve the pulling power and now they pull just fine. The N1’s are Westside models, and are some of the finest running five-axle brass engines ever made in my opinion. The N1’s required some TLC to straighten the valve gear and rods so they would run correctly. The PFM L1S is another nice running engine, but I found that a new NWSL gear box and can motor made it even better. The older Japanese built engines tend to have a sturdier frame and better running gear than later imports. I had to add weight to most of my brass engines to get them to pull better. However, I don’t want the L-class engine pulling more than the N-class, so balance and moderation are needed when setting up the engines. Casting an H6SB boiler out of depleted uranium so that it will drag 150 cars up the hill defeats the purpose of needing certain engines to do certain jobs. All along this part of the panhandle, small mines dotted the region in the 1930’s. I use PFM L1S locomotives to handle the mine shifters along the mainline, one each way. These are trains PH-124 and PH-125 (these are manufactured numbers but are within the scheme of train numbering that was used in the region). (Top right) H9S and B6SB yard shifters wait by the Weirton Yard Office. (Right) An I1SA backs down to an empty coal train in Weirton. (Bottom) The Weirton Shifter moves an N6B cabin car as a road freight rolls by. The Keystone Modeler 19 No. 72, Winter 2010
Page 1 and 2: No. 72 Winter 2010 Inside: • Two
Page 3 and 4: The challenge of paint matching Mod
Page 5 and 6: Upcoming Events January 30-31 - Wes
Page 7 and 8: PRR photo of G26 #439048, 10-27-30,
Page 9 and 10: One thing I discovered while invest
Page 11 and 12: their 500 G31E of 1952 had 3-rib Dr
Page 13 and 14: (Right top) Inside view illustratin
Page 15 and 16: I had heard that gluing in the door
Page 17: Balanced Locomotive Roster for Oper
Page 21 and 22: (Top) K4s #439 on Train #412 paused
Page 23 and 24: All these engines have sound decode
Page 25 and 26: Kitbashing an NA Cabin Car in N or
Page 27 and 28: 14. Cut and install roof of 0.020 i
Page 29 and 30: Underframe and draft gear The under
Page 31 and 32: Making Model PRR Station and Tower
Page 33 and 34: (Above) Tim mounted large keystone
Page 35 and 36: Without diagrams, I needed to get s
Page 37 and 38: The chimney was constructed from Pl
Page 39: All four sides of the completed wea

Winter 2010 - Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society

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