Philly - Part II

Well the Russians never replied, not the Swiss, nor the Ukrainians. So either the Google stats are useless or the foreigners are hiding.  Back to modeling. I added what I thought was catenary to the high line but it was probably just a structure for electrical or signal wiring. The catenary must have already been removed from the picture I was referencing.

Looking for a backdrop, I found a photo of 1950s Philadelphia. Would you believe it was taken from the same general location I am modeling? It even includes a portion of the high line just modeled. I just have a black and white laser printer so the background is in B&W and spanning 3 pages. Better than nothing.

Next I turned my attention to the 30th Street station area using a somewhat similar Walthers station model. I am merely trying to give an "impression" of the area. Compare the photo below (and the April 10th Blog photo) to see what I was trying to simulate. I still need to build the concrete/stone wall along the river, add river pilings and highway railings (Rix) and stripe the roads. I also need to get some additional CMW 1950s taxis but they seem to be out of stock everywhere. So most of the 16 LPPs (Little Plastic People) wandering around the station will just have to take a bus!

The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!

There was a 1966 slapstick comedy called The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! The movie description was: "Without hostile intent, a Soviet sub runs aground off New England. Men are sent for a boat, but many villagers go into a tizzy..."

You might ask what this has to do with modeling the Pennsylvania - Reading Seashore Lines in N scale? Good question!  But I have a question of my own. While looking at the Google stats showing the origins of hits on my blog I found this:

So I am super curious why the "Russians" (or the Swiss for that matter) are interested in the PRSL in N scale. (The Ukrainians have also had their hits on my site.) 

So if any of those non-USA readers see this, would you please satisfy my curiosity and tell me what you find interesting here. Otherwise we will have get Jonathan Winters out of his tomb and send him looking for you!

The Philly High Line

While waiting for electrical supplies for the Camden/Philly control panel, I turned my attention to the freight high line behind the 30th street station in Philadelphia.

Here is the effect I'm trying to achieve:

I used the lower portion of only 2 Micro Engineering trestles (the bridge is double tracked) and 3 of the wider girder pieces so I have tons of material left over from the 4 kits I collected.

Anyway here is where I started.

And here is the baby step intermediate progress.

Still needs railings, catenary structures (from where?) and a backdrop (someday).

So, hi ho, and onto the station area we go!

Control Panels and St. Pat's

Control Panels

I got 2 of my 3 control panels replaced with ones using mini-toggle switches. The old panels used Atlas Selectors.

In my September 20, 2014 blog entry I listed "Things That Should Be Illegal to Give Rick!" Topping the list was a soldering iron. So why risk additional burns (3 minor) to solder mini-toggles?

The old set-up with Atlas Selectores was fine for continuous running but a hassle when switching (and this is a layout set up for switching operation sessions). It is a DC layout (due to costs and 45 years of accumulated equipment; ditto for code 80 track and 52 turnouts). Doing run-arounds and set-outs/pickups meant searching the various track diagrams on the side of the layout for the Selector number and then finding the Selector switch. This should eliminate much of the hunt and peck.

The Westville panel has 9 toggles and the Woodbury panel 18 (the Camden/Philly panel will have 23). I have now run out of 24 AWG wire, terminal blocks and connector spades. The last panel will have to wait until after the tax season ends anyway.

Westville (/Brooklawn/North Woodbury) Panel:

Wiring the panels:

The Woodbury panel:

St Pat's Church

In the Woodbury station area, the principal structure after the station is the Roman Catholic church (St Patrick's) across the street.

My stand-in has been a very Presbyterian looking church (I love the model but it is a poor representation of the prototype).

I recently saw a Tomytec church on eBay. It has many of the characteristics of St Pat's so I ordered one and plopped it down on Cooper Street across from the station. (Yes, it needs to have the foundations "buried".)

While far from perfect it does have many of the characteristics of St Pat's, the buttresses, window styles, etc. so it should be a closer stand-in. Down the road (ha ha) it should have the narthex shorted and appropriate doors put in and a grayish tint to make the bricks look more like a stone structure. It also needs a new roof structure to eliminate the upper false front.

Progress is our most important product (even if it comes in baby steps).