What's New on the PRR Panhandle 2.0?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

.......... tried to acquire more HO Albion Catalog houses.

Bugger all! Those are expensive!

[G3750]

.......... tried to acquire more HO Albion Catalog houses.

Bugger all! Those are expensive!

Oh hell yeah, they are.

George

[Rufus T. Firefly]

.......... tried to acquire more HO Albion Catalog houses.

Bugger all! Those are expensive!

Oh hell yeah, they are.

I looked over a few other Branhline kits -- Yeesh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Several in HO I'd like to borrow so I could scratchbuild O scale versions, but too much of an investment when I have so many other projects waiting.

[G3750]

Bugger all! Those are expensive!

Oh hell yeah, they are.

I looked over a few other Branhline kits -- Yeesh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Several in HO I'd like to borrow so I could scratchbuild O scale versions, but too much of an investment when I have so many other projects waiting.

Yes, I really appreciate their historical fidelity and offerings, but they are a bit salty. I would love to see some of these houses in O, but who knows the size of the market for them. I spoke with an 83 year-old gentleman who ran a hobby shop in eastern Ohio regarding these kits. He didn't have any but remarked that people actually building kits (vs unboxing something and sticking it on the layout) was in decline. We had a very pleasant conversation about my grandparents Albion home.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I would love to see some of these houses in O, but who knows the size of the market for them.

Very few of them are available in O. Always wondered if they would be willing to run off a few scaled up from HO.

I'm working on scratching together a version of their Tower House sans tower, just for fun. What I'm finding out is that the kit was compressed selectively and my build will be a bit larger being full scale.

[G3750]

Updated 6/4/2021:

A new pair of locomotives join the roster on the Panhandle. Lionel PRR E-7 A-As 5900 & 5901 will pull the pride of the Panhandle, The Spirit of St. Louis. These beauties are Legacy equipped with dual fan smoke units. I picked them up yesterday at Hobby Express.

https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0BGDdyTviq1cD

I'm very excited. They are the first new locomotives I've ever purchased. They sound great, the finish looks awesome, make the appropriate amount of smoke (for a diesel), and ran well even around Hobby Express's O42 test loop (O36 minimum). I will be programming them today and getting some more photos.

George

[chuck]

Congrats! They look sharp and I know they will sound great.

[G3750]

Congrats! They look sharp and I know they will sound great.

Thank you, Chuck! They do sound pretty good and I was able to program them as a TMCC lash-up. I got out the passenger cars and ran the completed train back and forth across the bridge. Here are some more pics.

https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0B5fk75vGORoJl

George

[G3750]

Updated 6/9/2021:

I am pleased to report that part 1 of my article series "Pour Me A River" was published in the July/August issue of O Scale Trains magazine.

George

[rogruth]

I try not to be a rivet counter but the SPIRIT looks good to me.
Often saw it going through Mingo.

[G3750]

I try not to be a rivet counter but the SPIRIT looks good to me.
Often saw it going through Mingo.

Thank you! Did K-Line get it right?

George

[rogruth]

I try not to be a rivet counter but the SPIRIT looks good to me.
Often saw it going through Mingo.

Thank you! Did K-Line get it right?

George

It seems like a long time ago when I saw it,1940s and 1950s at Mingo.
In the late 1960s it went through South Charleston where I then lived.
I do not remember details.

[G3750]

Updated 7/16/2021:

I am back on track and working on a number of efforts for the Panhandle. First, with the help of a friend, I have been trying to complete a circuit that will create an interlocking. That's been a tough nut to crack, but we're making progress.

I am also working on adding Pennsy hairpin railings to the approach spans of the bridge. I ordered some O-scale versions of these from Shapeways.com a long time back. Last week I discovered that I didn’t have enough of them to finish the project. Fortunately, I found the old order and re-upped for another 10. They arrived today, but 3 of the 10 were broken and have to be replaced.

I acquired 2 Packard automobiles for use in a building that used to stand at the corner of County Road and Main Street in Weirton. The structure was called (because of its shape) the Triangle building. It housed a restaurant, cleaners, drapery shop, Western Union, and a Packard dealership. While I don’t have plans, I do have some photos and rough measurements of the lot. So all of that has gone into a newly established project box.

I am researching an animation project using an Arduino and LEDs. I am in the process of teaching myself the "C" programming language and working through some of the simpler Arduino C programming examples.

I am still waiting on the Albion Catalog houses for the Steubenville hillside (Superior & Highland) behind the PRR station.

Finally, I managed to get some workshop re-organization done. I have re-packaged some of the detail parts boxes into smaller, more specific bins. These have been labeled. I also cleared off one of the wire shelves, moving some unused items into the closet. All my small drawer cabinets have come off the wire shelves and are now stacked about 4’ high. This gives me more shelf space.

George

[healey36]

Nice pics of the locos and the bridge...the backdrop is lovely.

[G3750]

Nice pics of the locos and the bridge...the backdrop is lovely.

OK smart guy. Here you go.

Updated 7/24/2021:

The circuit that runs the interlocking signals at the point where the lead exits the Weirton Steel Yard and meets the westbound mainline has been solved. Photos will show the signals changing aspect as the switch is the thrown. The last photo shows that occupancy of the mainline west of the switch causes both signals to indicate STOP.

This MAJOR impediment has been removed and now I can plan for finishing all the eastern approach scenery (with removable fascia in case I need to get in there).

https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0BGFssfGGiuVG

George