4X8 layouts

[Green_Elite_Cab]

I don't know if it's the power of suggestion, but as a freight operation, the layout keeps reminding me of the Conrail DVDs I have from eastern Pennsylvania. It's worth keeping in mind that by the early 1980s, Conrail and Amtrak were separating passenger from freight big time. I don't see anything unprototypical about catenary posts without wires -- look at lines like the A&S, the Port Road, the Passaic & Harsimus, or the Amboy Secondary. Faced with what appears to be a well-built baseboard and trackwork, I'd look really hard at retaining that layout as a Conrail freight operation, with even "heritage" passenger facilities (like on the former Reading Harrisburg-Allentown line), and continue work on modules for passenger use.

Actually, I've thought about including catenary posts without wires on parts of my layout. For that matter, I've long considered one or more signal bridges without signals a la Guilford. I really think there's a lot of potential left in that layout!

All of those lines would make fascinating subjects to model, though I think I'd prefer to model them with wire than without. The Jamesburg Branch between Monmouth Junction and South Amboy might be interesting. I think that line actually retained its wire for a while (and the poles are still there even today). Its got just low enough freight traffic to be easy to model. I think some of the locals out of Morrisville and Browns yard would pass through, as would some coal train traffic. Occasionally, Amtrak would use the line to bypass derailments on the NEC.

The other thing I thought about, was modeling an Ex-Reading electrified line, which has simpler catenary. The Reading didn't really run long commuter trains, and the old "green" cars and blueliners were 60' cars, making them a little more space and curve friendly. My Conrail ETTs for the are seem like the commuter trains were particularly frequent either, so that might be a practical way to keep passenger trains without having to drastically change anything.