What's New on the PRR Panhandle Division?

[Mitch]

Hey George, I was just off checkin' my e-mails and there's one from MTH. They're makin' an uncataloged Weirton Steel Hot Metal Car if you're interested. I'm slippin'. Are you doin' Weirton or Wheeling? Weirton, ain't it?

[G3750]

Hey George, I was just off checkin' my e-mails and there's one from MTH. They're makin' an uncataloged Weirton Steel Hot Metal Car if you're interested. I'm slippin'. Are you doin' Weirton or Wheeling? Weirton, ain't it?

Hi Mitch!

Yes, I'm doing Weirton. I'd be curious as to what their uncatalogued Weirton Steel Hot Metal car looks like. Do you have a photo? All the photos of prototypes I've seen are these black torpedo cars. In fact, I took one myself at Weirton Steel's No. 4 blast furnace back around 2004 or so.

W-Hot Metal Car 15.jpg (4.84 KiB) Viewed 4787 times

I have to laugh, though. MTH has done a number of Weirton Steel items over the years. Some good, some not-so-good:

• Weirton Steel EMD Switcher (I think) in 1940s-1960's green. Nice but wrong paint scheme.
• Mobile crane (in green) - that looked pretty good
• White? bobber caboose lettered for the blast furnace? Anyone who's ever worked in a steel mill knows that you don't paint things white. It's futile.

I think Patrick's Trains in Wheeling has been influential in getting some of these items made.


Thanks,

George

[G3750]

Mitch,

I just saw a photo of MTH's new Weirton Steel car. It's actually a slag car, not a hot metal car.

But interestingly enough, it's painted blue and black. That's pretty strange as the prototype is a rusty yellowish color (all that intense heat tends to destroy any paint - if they were painted in the first place).

Weirton Jct - Image 06.jpg (40.2 KiB) Viewed 4762 times

I wonder who dreams up these color schemes?

George

[G3750]

Updated 8/14/2015:

In the interest of completing issues related to the accessory power supplies, I have:

• Ordered the 4-way traffic light and its power supply from Miniature Traffic Lights (they did the Weirton light for me). This will be installed at the intersection of Market Street and 4th Street in Steubenville, OH.
• Acquired 10 grain of wheat bulbs (5VDC) for as yet undetermined purposes around the layout.

George

[G3750]

Updated 8/15/2015:

• Not a lot new on the modeling front, but I've started a full-scale clean up of the train room and my office in preparation for working on the backdrops. I will need room to stage everything as the plan goes forward.
• Built the plan (detailed checklist) of items for installing the bridge. This includes the backdrops, wiring, and all associated activities.
• Spoke with the artist who will be painting the backdrop about depicting the river. She is going to help me with color selection and blending for a realistic look.

George

[G3750]

Updated 8/21/2015:

Managed to get the underlying masonite river surface cut. It will be painted and then covered with a sheet of aquatex glass so as to look like the Ohio River. Here's a shot of a test fit.

Bridge-FL_01_.JPG (34.76 KiB) Viewed 4710 times

George

[G3750]

Updated 8/22/2015:

I just designed and built a pedestal for the bridge shoes. This will increase the height about 1/4". Here's the model:

Bridge-sh_02_.JPG (26.22 KiB) Viewed 4690 times

Now I have to build 3 more and paint them.

George

[G3750]

Updated 8/24/2015:

Here's a shot of the pedestals & bridge shoes. I think the combination looks really good on the bridge pier.

Bridge-sh_03_.JPG (26.63 KiB) Viewed 4649 times

George

[rogruth]

Nice. Coming along.

[G3750]

Nice. Coming along.

Thank you, Roger. Feels good to be moving along a bit.

George

[G3750]

Updated 9/1/2015:

The week has gotten off to a busy start. I'm feeling pretty energized by the goal of getting the layout operational by Christmas for the grandson.

• Over the weekend, I applied Gesso to the piece of masonite that will be the river surface.
• Yesterday, I roughed out the shorelines on the masonite. I then visited the artist, bringing the masonite with me. We discussed how the river should look, coloration, and the mating of the river to the backdrop. Because of the difficulty in transporting 4' x 8' pieces of prepared masonite, all the painting will be done on location.
• Today, I visited several stores trying to get ideas for the bridge end piers (abutments). I finally hit upon a design that resembles the prototype and disguises the real bridge supports. This is the top view. At the bottom of the abutments, pink foam will be used to slope the ground towards the river bank.
  

  

  End Abutments v001.jpg (14.45 KiB) Viewed 4597 times

  
  
• I used 2 coupons from A.C. Moore to buy the 1/4" birch plywood that will be used to construct the abutments.

George

[G3750]

Updated 9/3/2015:

I re-worked the engineering for the Bridge End Piers (Abutments). Enhanced drawing (and thinking) below:

End Abutments v002.jpg (94.89 KiB) Viewed 4557 times

George

[rogruth]

George,

Repeat my earlier posts, waiting.

I am really looking forward to seeing the bridge in place over the river.
Remember that I do know the area but also remember that i am not
a rivet counter. Close is good to me. The towns on my layout are not
to my knowledge based on any actual towns. The impression of small
towns that might be familiar to many is what I want.
However, you are modeling a well known railroad area and need to be
a little closer than I. Now I know that you are aware of all this but
want to point out,again, that I do not expect perfection.

I am sure that you have seen the article in "How to Build Realistic
Layouts 4"by Bill Neale about modeling the Steubenville area.
Mr Neale did a great job of modeling what was needed to identify
the area. And knowing what to omit.

Your modeling skills are probably far beyond mine and I hope that
what you and many others do and report on on this forum are noticed
by some that need encouragement.
I am speaking from experience. I wanted a semi hi-rail type layout and
sought advice on the only forum that I knew of that concerned 3R O gauge,
the OGR forum. I am repeating myself. I did not get any help there. Some
how I found out about MTJ. I GOT HELP. I will try just about any scenic
thing now. Yes, I'm rambling as usual. Ijust hope that your posting of
the building of your layout will encourage others.

Did you receive the PRR track plan I sent? You may have told me and I
don't remember.

[G3750]

George,

Repeat my earlier posts, waiting.

I am really looking forward to seeing the bridge in place over the river.
Remember that I do know the area but also remember that i am not
a rivet counter. Close is good to me. The towns on my layout are not
to my knowledge based on any actual towns. The impression of small
towns that might be familiar to many is what I want.
However, you are modeling a well known railroad area and need to be
a little closer than I. Now I know that you are aware of all this but
want to point out,again, that I do not expect perfection.

Roger, I am also looking forward to seeing the bridge in place. It's getting closer. Unfortunately, before I can install the bridge, it requires the backdrop behind it to be painted and in place. Back in 2005-6 when I was just starting the layout, I tried to purchase a commercial backdrop. The company (who is fairly well known and I will not name) insisted that I use their primitive website to order custom backdrops. I had a number of questions. Not only were they not interested in answering them, they refused to return messages and kept pushing me to the website. In frustration, I finally gave up and built the layout. They lost $600 and I lost my window for an easy backdrop installation. (No, I have not really forgiven them ).

Anyway, I'm working with the artist to get the backdrops going. Unfortunately, I'm at the place where I absolutely must get them installed. Otherwise, the effect will be ****. And I know I am not a landscape painter or artist.

I am not striving for perfect. The end piers I designed in the previous post really do serve an engineering purpose. Obviously, they should look good (they are not identical to the prototype at all), but they need to be functional as well.

I am uniquely motivated. I want to introduce my 2-year old grandson to trains.

I am sure that you have seen the article in "How to Build Realistic
Layouts 4"by Bill Neale about modeling the Steubenville area.
Mr Neale did a great job of modeling what was needed to identify
the area. And knowing what to omit.

I have not seen that particular publication. I've seen Bill's 2004 article in Model Railroad Journal and a second publication (name escapes me right now back in 2010?). In 2014, I was privileged to meet Mr. Neale and to hear him speak on his version of the PRR Panhandle at the PRRT&HS annual meeting. Over the years, he and I have corresponded. In fact, I provided him with some photos of the bridge and other information. In turn, he gave me some information on Weirton Junction and the Weirton Steel Alco switchers. He is a world class modeler.

Your modeling skills are probably far beyond mine and I hope that
what you and many others do and report on on this forum are noticed
by some that need encouragement.
I am speaking from experience. I wanted a semi hi-rail type layout and
sought advice on the only forum that I knew of that concerned 3R O gauge,
the OGR forum. I am repeating myself. I did not get any help there. Some
how I found out about MTJ. I GOT HELP. I will try just about any scenic
thing now. Yes, I'm rambling as usual. Ijust hope that your posting of
the building of your layout will encourage others.

You are way too generous regarding my modeling skills. For me, it's a case of more guts than skill. Over on OGR, the PRR Panhandle thread has appeared 5 times over the last 10 years (probably over 100,000 total views). In the current run, it's over 25,000 views. I do answer questions there (and here) and try to encourage modelers on both forums. I certainly don't have any qualms about asking for help. I like the social aspect of the hobby.

Did you receive the PRR track plan I sent? You may have told me and I
don't remember.

I did and I need to return it to you. I do appreciate seeing it.

George

[rogruth]

Take your time on returning it. It will just sit on a shelf and be used to indulge my nostalgia urges.