cmcgloughlin
New Member
HI everyone
Question - I am a beleiver in modeling "what you know." I happen to know a lot about the Strasburg Railroad, a heritage short-line railroad in Lancaster County (many of you I am sure know it). I have been there like 100 times.
My question is this. The Strasburg as it currently runs has a point to point arrangement with passing siding at each terminal (the first at the station, the second at Paradise, which is really nothing but an Amtrak interlocking). In this arrangment the loco of the railroad pull the passenger cars "forward", get to Paradise, pass on the side, then reconnect "backwards" and pull the train back to Strasburg station, disconnect, pass on the side then reconnect to the front.
The direction that the loco never changes, only the direction it runs and its relationship to the cars.
Yet, when I look at pictures of old shortlines I never seem to see pictures of the engines arranged in the "backwards-pulling" direction. Is that because there was always a round house or wye at one end? Or have I just not seen the right pictures?
Anyway, I was thinking about modeling a shortline arrangment like the strasburg, as it presents an easy swithcing routine which will help me get past the "display layout" trap I am in now. But I was interested in doing it "authentic" so if Strasburg is an abberation I would like to at least know it.
Thoughts? Thanks
charlie
Question - I am a beleiver in modeling "what you know." I happen to know a lot about the Strasburg Railroad, a heritage short-line railroad in Lancaster County (many of you I am sure know it). I have been there like 100 times.
My question is this. The Strasburg as it currently runs has a point to point arrangement with passing siding at each terminal (the first at the station, the second at Paradise, which is really nothing but an Amtrak interlocking). In this arrangment the loco of the railroad pull the passenger cars "forward", get to Paradise, pass on the side, then reconnect "backwards" and pull the train back to Strasburg station, disconnect, pass on the side then reconnect to the front.
The direction that the loco never changes, only the direction it runs and its relationship to the cars.
Yet, when I look at pictures of old shortlines I never seem to see pictures of the engines arranged in the "backwards-pulling" direction. Is that because there was always a round house or wye at one end? Or have I just not seen the right pictures?
Anyway, I was thinking about modeling a shortline arrangment like the strasburg, as it presents an easy swithcing routine which will help me get past the "display layout" trap I am in now. But I was interested in doing it "authentic" so if Strasburg is an abberation I would like to at least know it.
Thoughts? Thanks
charlie