Hi yall, long time listener first time caller. With Scaletrains announcement of their reissue of the MTH N&W J class under their Fox Valley Models brand, I am looking to make an accurate consist for what it would have looked like on one of its trips up to Strausburg. I am a modern modeler and as such I don't have a ton of knowledge on passenger cars of the era. What ought I be looking for to make a mostly accurate consist. I don't need everything to be exact but ideally look right at home on my future Strausburg spur line.
Thanks for any info yall can provide!
Well first the picky response. The railroad isn't Strausburg. It is Strasburg. There is a Stroudsburg up near the Delaware water gap. Strasburg is pronounced like the word as. Told you it was picky. When I was there last July just 611 was on a roundhouse storage track and I saw no N&W cars so they were either stored off site or Strasburg cars were used. Someone else will have to answer that question but there are lots of pictures on the internet to help you and the N&W historic society can probably give you the history of every car.
Slighly off-topic: I'm hoping with this new announcement of the N&W (MTH) passenger cars by Scale Trains, the NYC 20th Century Limited passenger cars will eventually be re-released, as well. (And with additional car names different from the ones already released by MTH back in early 2013.) I'm particularly interested in adding a 2nd diner to my 10-car consist.
I also hope that Scale Trains includes a similar lighting package using capacitors that MTH used in their cars. So MUCH better than messing with batteries.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
I believe Strasburg coaches were used.
Google "N & W 611 at Strasburg" and you can view a couple videos.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
SlammansamI don't need everything to be exact but ideally look right at home on my future Strausburg spur line.
Are you talking about the trips it took on the Strasburg, or on its ferry move (on amtrak/NS) to and from strasburg?
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.
Slammansam Hi yall, long time listener first time caller. With Scaletrains announcement of their reissue of the MTH N&W J class under their Fox Valley Models brand, I am looking to make an accurate consist for what it would have looked like on one of its trips up to Strausburg. I am a modern modeler and as such I don't have a ton of knowledge on passenger cars of the era. What ought I be looking for to make a mostly accurate consist. I don't need everything to be exact but ideally look right at home on my future Strausburg spur line. Thanks for any info yall can provide!
On both of 611's visits to Strasburg she pulled the regular Straburg train.
Have you ever been there?
The history of each car is different, but in general they are mostly authentic open platform wooden coaches from the 1890's and early 1900's.
Strasburg has about 20 operational passenger cars and can operate two separate trains. When traffic is at its peak in the summer two trains run on a 30 minute departure schedule and actually pass each other on a siding about halfway along the route.
It may be the only place left in the world were a regularly scheduled steam train passes another reguarly scheduled steam train.
Again, if you have never been, Strasburg is not your typical limited schedule tourist line. Trains run almost year round and in the warmer months trains run 7 days week from 10AM to 6PM and later at times.
Some of the cars on the train are interpretive reproductions build on original coach frames by the Strasburg car shop.
There are no "exact" HO models, but the previous MDC/Roundhouse/Athearn 50' clearestory roof "Overland" cars are very representitive and have been available lettered in Strasburg colors at verious times over the years.
Their web site has lots of photos of the equipment. And there are lots of YouTube videos.
https://www.strasburgrailroad.com/
In my 67 years I have likely been there 100 times or more - we only live an hour from Strasburg. My parents started taking me there as a child, I have personally known people who have worked there.
It is a working common carrier short line - not just a tourist railroad.
Sheldon
to the Forum. Taking Maxman’s advice, I see in one of the videos that the three car consist comprises of… …#58, Huber Leath… https://flic.kr/p/opyfX4 …#92, Susquehanna… https://flic.kr/p/oE1xjW …and #105, Warren F Brenner. IMG_3859 by Cale Leiphart, on Flickr While the Strasburg Railroad appears to have been well supported by Lionel O gauge, it would appear that there was only a Roundhouse 4 car set in Strasburg Railroad colours. These would appear to be too short, IMO. (apart from other discrepancies.) I’m not a passenger aficionado, but hopefully the photos may help someone who is to match existing HO sale cars, or at least close, to what you want. Cheers, the Bear.
Bear, the Roundhouse 50' clearestory roof Overland cars are pretty close, the real cars are 50' wooden cars for the most part. Roundhouse also made similar 30' cars, they have never been offered in the Strasburg paint scheme.
The Strasburg has about 20 cars in operating condition and the typical consist is anywhere from 9 to 12 cars.
In the busy season, two trains run at the same time, passing each other, about half way, typically an 11-12 car train and an 8-9 car train.
611 pulled the shorter train while she was there, likely because of the locos size, the use of one 80' steel car, and the length of the sidings. Most photos show 9 cars. Saw her in person their several times. And have been going to Strasburg my whole life.
Bear,
Most of the cars at Srasburg are between 60' and 68' - over the pulling faces. Making the car bodies in the 50' to 58' range.
There has been a long standing descrepancy in how passenger car lengths are decribed in North America. People still mix the two methods - total length over pulling faces and car body length.
The carbody length method did not always include vestibules or open platforms.
But the Roundhouse cars are the closest thing out there to these cars, and I can't say I know the exact true length of those models because I don't own any.
Strasburg does have one 80' steel car.
As it turns out, I may be there tomorrow. The grandson and I have some free time....
Sorry for any confussion about the actual length of the these cars.
So if someone wanted better models of these cars, this line of craftsman kits from back in the day are still being made.
https://www.labellemodels.com/scale-passenger-cars-c-21_23.html?osCsid=2fvnfpb29eo6962cmtf6moe097
And while none of these are the exact cars at Strasburg, they are closer and more detailed. And would prove easy to modify to get even closer.
Strasburg did at one time have on the web site a detailed written list of the equipment which gave more info on the history of each car.
Edit - Found it!
https://fh-sites.imgix.net/sites/4062/2021/03/25174006/Equipment-Roster-July-2020.pdf
Thank you for the info. Had a feeling those cars were measured that way, 50' car body. So that makes the Roundhouse car pretty close for the shortest cars of the Strasburg roster and about 10' short of the longest.
While cars of this length do not pose any of the operational issues of longer passenger cars, I personally have never been uncomfortable with a little selective compression.
After all, we compress radius and turnout number quite a bit.
My new layout has 36" radius minimum curves on the mainline/passenger car trackage, with most curves being more like 40" radius and larger.
And still I prefer to avoid cars in the 85' range, I have only few that are 80', with most being in the 72'-78' range.
I insist on close coupling and working, touching diaphragms on my passenger cars and this combination of car length, #6 and #8 turnouts, and 36"R or better curves provides a smooth realistic appearance.