John Sethian
Burke, VA
January 30, 2011
The
PRR Nassau Division is 2 rail O scale layout is inspired by, but not
beholding to, the Electrified PRR Northeast Corridor in New Jersey and
Pennsylvania circa 1955. The main line is 110’ long double
tracked, in an L shape 21’ x 31’. A third 110’ long line
goes to a small yard and storage tracks. It’s main purpose is to
provide an excuse for one set of tracks to cross over another.
The
continuous loop based track plan is designed for watching trains move
through one of five scenes: These scenes are motivated by: A
typical Northeast city (New York/Philadelphia/Trenton) and the tracks
leaving the station, the Schuykill River stone arch bridge, Princeton
Junction (hence the layout’s namesake), Griff Teller’s rendition of The
Trenton Cutoff (minus the J1a), and Marysville, PA (Note the “not
beholding to”). Eventually the entire main line will be under
catenary. “Eventually” is defined as when some manufacturer makes one
available.
The
track plan features 54” minimum radius curves, with most 57” and a few
over 200”. The plan sacrifices maximum mainline length in favor of a
single deck design with more aisle width, more relaxed scenes, and more
room for visitors. The layout room is completely finished, with
the ceiling painted as part of the sky to add to the overall
spaciousness.
The
layout setting is sometime between 1954 and 1957. This allows five
stripe GG1’s, Single stripe GG1’s, P5a’s, a Truc Train, and even the
Aerotrain. The layout builder thinks the Aerotrain looks cool.
The
control system is DCS (the MTH system developed first for the three
rail market) to allow untethered walk around operations. All
locomotives have speed control, sound, and smoke. They are mostly made
by Sunset, and MTH. Rolling stock is from a variety of
manufacturers. All track and turnouts are Atlas O on
Homasote road bed sitting on a subroad bed made of pink insulation
board on ¾” plywood.
The
layout was started in June 2006 and is still well in the construction
phase. Most of the principal scenic elements in the city and
tracks leaving the city are finished. All of the buildings are
lit. The city scene eschews backdrops in favor of forced perspective
with smaller scale models. Signature scenes include a
rendition of the “Trenton Makes, The World Takes” bridge (replete with
light up letters), a four track super-elevated main line through
Princeton Junction, a ten foot long concrete arch bridge/ viaduct, and
a three dimensional interpretation of Edward Hopper’s
“Approaching a City”
Jalbum
8.2
