Prrnortheastcorridor.com Philly in Ho scale

[ac_catenary]

SO much detail in so little space - a truly beautiful layout. But no balast...? Do you really hate to balast track? Or is there some other reason?

Thanks for posting your pictures. It's a really nice looking layout. Tell us more about it!

Galen

All
Thanks for the warm welcome just found out about this place.. I plan to ballast when I finish installing a signal system.

The layout has been in the works since 1986 and it has moved three times and grown to three times its starting size. The layout started out as analog live wire with two rail return like the prototype. All electric locos had to be rewired for this. I switched to live wire DCC about 5 years ago and im not going back. The railroad layout is basically a three track oval main line interwined with a twisted dog bone. It is possible to run 4 trains simultaneously in viewing style or switch to point to point operations. This is mainly a passenger railroad but there are some small freight operations that can happen. All freight operations can bypass the main stations via the highline. The two main stations are 30th street (7 tracks) and Broad street (4 tracks). There are four main interlockings on the railroad Zoo, North Phil, Arsenal and Broad. With Broad being a "y" interlocking. There are also two flying junctions on the layout at ZOO and Arsenal I just finished rebuilding the main catenary system with brass poles featuring the style of catenary you would find in the Philadelphia area. The system currently has one sub- station at Arsenal with another one in the works at ZOO. Nellie yard is the MU layover yard which has a 5mph loop track which sends trains back to Broad street station. 3 of the 4 tracks at Broad st station have access to this yard, with the 4th being a stub station track. The massive head house from Broad st station is in the works A new Penn Coach yard is planned below the highline with storage of 3 trains.

The trolley layout is also DCC live wire with 9 possible routes the longest being 90 feet (full route 60 blocks)and the shortest being 4 blocks. Unlike most trolley layouts some routes have 6% hills. The two stations, center city, city hall, Mt airy, West Philadelphia and North Philadelphia are served by the trolley system with a Maintence and storage yard in West Philadelphia. There are amost 80 buildings in the city (12 of which have 8 or more floors)with the tallest having 24 floors. There are working traffic Lights in the most of the city with still more to be installed and about 200 vehicles. In West Philadelphia Trolley track and heavy electric meet at grade with two street crossings.