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The Juniata Shops ... A PRR modeler's thread

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  • Member since
    August 2007
  • From: Kalamazoo, MI
  • 323 posts
Posted by tattooguy67 on Thursday, February 28, 2008 9:00 AM
 andrechapelon wrote:

Hope to hear from other SPFs (if you don't know what SPF stands for, you aren't one!)...!

And just because you do doesn't mean you are one.

Hint: It has nothing to do with sunblock.Big Smile [:D]

Andre

SPF= Super Poor Fellow

SPF= Sugar Pouring Freind

SPF= Sad Pouting Fireman

SPF= Skinny Polite Freshmen

SPF= Sadly Pessimistic Freemason

SPF=Sassy Pontificating Freeloader.

Am i close?

Is it time to run the tiny trains yet george?! is it huh huh is it?!
  • Member since
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  • From: Rijeka, Croatia (Europe)
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Posted by Thommo on Thursday, February 28, 2008 9:09 AM

Dave, thanks on those facts! So, in 90's we were practically neighbours! Nice! Smile,Wink, & Grin [swg]

I am in no position to count every rivet, so those two cars will be on top of the wishlist!

  • Member since
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  • From: New Jersey, US
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Posted by topcopdoc on Thursday, February 28, 2008 9:23 AM

I model the PRR on my HO layout with a time stamp of 1967. I have 4 high-speed passenger lines, one freight line and one commuter line. The layout is "L" shaped and measures about 16' long by 8' wide on the longest leg. The layout is about 50% complete at this time. When finished I will be able to run all 6 lines and 2 yards at the same time. It is a DCC operation.

Rolling stock consists of approximately 80 passenger cars, 112 freight cars and 30 locomotives. I have been collecting them over 40 years.

The layout has favorite Pennsy sites such as Horseshoe Curve, Galitzin Tunnels, Rockville Bridge, South Amboy Yard, and others, which I modified to fit my layout. There are many stations, towers, and other structures, which are PRR also.

I am a member of 2 PRR historical societies and like building PRR stuff.

My wife and I manage to travel once a year to other states and ride their tourist railroads. We take a lot of photographs and video of each trip.

Doc

Pennsylvania Railroad The Standard Railroad of the World
  • Member since
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  • From: Ogden UT
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Posted by PA&ERR on Thursday, February 28, 2008 10:14 AM

Hello, my name is George and I'm an SPF.

<Hello, George>

I grew up a stone's throw from the Philadelphia Harriburg main and have many pleasant memories of visits to Philadelphia on the Paoli local (at one time I had all of the stops from Paoli to Suburban Station memorized). I've railfanned extensively in Southeastern PA, Northern MD and Delaware.

Early on in my modeling career, I had planned to model the Columbia and Port Depoist branch of the PRR running from Perry MD to Harrisburg PA.

While I model a freelance road in Washington State now, my interest in rail marine operations was first kindled by a book I read about the PRR on the Eastern Shore of MD and the barge operations from Cape Charles to Norfolk VA.

Even if I'm not modelling Pennsy, the Standard Railroad of the World is never far from my mind.

Great thread, Dave!

George 

 

"And the sons of Pullman porters and the sons of engineers ride their father's magic carpet made of steel..."

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Posted by ndbprr on Thursday, February 28, 2008 10:30 AM
Ok a couple of plugs here. First my understanding of SPF is Slobbering Pennsy freak and why i don't use it.  If you model an era of any railroad when the PRR was alive and kicking you model the PRR.  Why? Because it had over 10% of all cars in interchange service.  So those B60b bagage and R50b express reefers as well as run of the mill cars travelled the country. there have been serious discussions on PRR-Talk about the ratio of foreign cars and PRR classes of cars on serious model railroads of the PRR. So anyone interested in modeling the PRR should subscribe (no charge) to PRR-TAlk or PRR-fax for any questions you may have.  There are real experts and not many questions go unanswered.  In addition there is a modeling group on Yahoo called PRRPro.  The idea is everyone works on the same project and shares there methods of detailing, information and facts.  the current project finishing up is the X31 box car followed by the T8 tank car and then  H class 2-8-0s.  Sometime in the future will be maintenance of way structures.  Above all EVERYONE and that means EVERYONE should subscribe to the NO CHARGE keystone Modeler on the PRRT&HS web site.  First class information about modeling the PRR and its equipment.  A tremendous amount of detail and knowledge is shared and the society offers it at no charge.  The information is in PDF format and can be downloaded for personal use.  Just recently the Keystone Modeler, the B&O hist. society and the SCL hist. Society created a joint 81 page publication regarding FGEX refrigerator cars.  it is available free to anyone who takes time to download it and is a wealth of information.  This would be a $25.00 book or higher if offered by a publisher.  all excellent sources of information at no charge.  Sometimes life is good.
  • Member since
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  • From: Colorado Springs, CO
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Posted by Dave Vollmer on Thursday, February 28, 2008 11:07 AM

 ndbprr wrote:
Ok a couple of plugs here. First my understanding of SPF is Slobbering Pennsy freak and why i don't use it.  If you model an era of any railroad when the PRR was alive and kicking you model the PRR.  Why? Because it had over 10% of all cars in interchange service.  So those B60b bagage and R50b express reefers as well as run of the mill cars travelled the country. there have been serious discussions on PRR-Talk about the ratio of foreign cars and PRR classes of cars on serious model railroads of the PRR. So anyone interested in modeling the PRR should subscribe (no charge) to PRR-TAlk or PRR-fax for any questions you may have.  There are real experts and not many questions go unanswered.  In addition there is a modeling group on Yahoo called PRRPro.  The idea is everyone works on the same project and shares there methods of detailing, information and facts.  the current project finishing up is the X31 box car followed by the T8 tank car and then  H class 2-8-0s.  Sometime in the future will be maintenance of way structures.  Above all EVERYONE and that means EVERYONE should subscribe to the NO CHARGE keystone Modeler on the PRRT&HS web site.  First class information about modeling the PRR and its equipment.  A tremendous amount of detail and knowledge is shared and the society offers it at no charge.  The information is in PDF format and can be downloaded for personal use.  Just recently the Keystone Modeler, the B&O hist. society and the SCL hist. Society created a joint 81 page publication regarding FGEX refrigerator cars.  it is available free to anyone who takes time to download it and is a wealth of information.  This would be a $25.00 book or higher if offered by a publisher.  all excellent sources of information at no charge.  Sometimes life is good.

Hmmm....  Yes, I would also like to plug PRRPro.  I'm also a member.  I participated in the X31 project.

Now, yes, there are some "less than flattering" iterations of the SPF acronym.  But most of us pretend it stands for "serious Pennsy fan," and it's that term of endearment I mean when I use it.

Modeling the Rio Grande Southern First District circa 1938-1946 in HOn3.

  • Member since
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  • From: Bucks County, PA
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Posted by Eddie_walters on Thursday, February 28, 2008 3:22 PM

Another Pennsy Modeler here! I model what I see as the pinnacle of style as far as the Pennsy is concerned - 1940. Futura lettering on most of the cars, and a good proportion of two tone streamlined paint, with skirting and full width streamlined diaphragms.

How can anyone look at a photo like this and NOT be impressed?

My current project is rebuilding a Bachmann D78cR diner to a D78R. Of a class consisting of 119 cars, they chose the subclass with 3 cars in it, and modeled it in the form that the cars only existed in for 2 years! Typical! The conversion I'm doing involves adding A/C (see the scratchbuilt Frigidaire unit on the photo), redetailing the car overall, and most significantly removing part of the window band of the car and replacing it with scratchbuilt styrene parts.

This is the car as produced: http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/catalog/?function=detail&id=1022

And as rebuilt:

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  • From: Rijeka, Croatia (Europe)
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Posted by Thommo on Friday, February 29, 2008 8:00 AM

Athearn announced RTR PRR F7 AB set #9858, for summer 2008:

http://www.athearn.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=ATH80206

But, this loco number belongs to FP7 locos, and it is coloured DGLE, not tuscan. Comments?

Question: how good are Athearn RTR F locos? Are they much better than before, like SD40-2 or tunnel motors?

  • Member since
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  • From: Rijeka, Croatia (Europe)
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Posted by Thommo on Saturday, March 1, 2008 1:41 PM
Anybody? Whistling [:-^]
  • Member since
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  • From: Kansas City Area
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Posted by gmcrail on Saturday, March 1, 2008 4:13 PM

SPF = Slobbering Pennsy Freak

 

I confess to being a closet SPF myself. Gotta love those I-1a's! Big Smile [:D] 

 

 

---

Gary M. Collins gmcrailgNOSPAM@gmail.com

===================================

"Common Sense, Ain't!" -- G. M. Collins

===================================

http://fhn.site90.net

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Posted by amsr on Saturday, March 1, 2008 4:59 PM
I'd love to model the NEC if I ever got the time/money/space. :-)
  • Member since
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  • From: Phoenix, AZ
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Posted by SaltRiverRy on Saturday, March 1, 2008 9:26 PM

Having lived in the Phoenix area since '61, I've not had much exposure to the Pennsy. Lots of Santa Fe and EsPee. However, there is a spot in my heart for the PRR, having been born in Altoona and living my first 5 years in Juniata. My grandfater retired from the shops and my father worked the briefly before and after WWII.

My central Arizona layout boasts two Bachmann Spectrum K-4's. Set in the late '40's, the theory is that an influential congressman convinced the government that the SORRy was a vital link during the war and the PRR was "persuaded" to lease these 2 engines to us. After the war, with diesels coming, the PRR was not really in a hurry to get them back, so they continued the lease. One is used for passenger traffic, while the other often heads up strings of reefers during the various harvest seasons, getting them to major markets quickly.

I'm trying to develop a logo that will emulate the Pennsy keystone, using the outline of Arizona's borders, with "SRR" over a red bakground.

 

Salt River Railway - SRRy locally known as "the SORRy"
  • Member since
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  • From: Poconos, PA
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Posted by TomDiehl on Saturday, March 1, 2008 9:27 PM

Not a current project, but more a what-if item:

You could ask the question two ways: 1) What if the Pennsy were still in business and maintained passenger service? or 2) What if Amtrak did heritage paint schemes?

Smile, it makes people wonder what you're up to. Chief of Sanitation; Clowntown
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Posted by caldreamer on Saturday, March 1, 2008 9:49 PM
The PRR set the standardd for designing and building engines.  Most  were built at the Juniata shops in Altoona.  They had over 3600 H class consolidations from H1's thru the H10's.
 
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Posted by 2-8-8-0 on Sunday, March 2, 2008 12:02 AM

Ive always liked the PRR. And such savings on paint for your rolling stock....only one color needed!Big Smile [:D]

In all seriousness, if many more nice steamers come out in N for the PRR, i will probably start reconsidering my choice of the B&O for my new layout.

an edit here. If you all havent, you need to heck out the PRRTHS free online modeling magazine. Its monthly, free, and FILLED with good writing and color photos, all Pennsy specific. the B&O historical society has a similar online magazine, only theirs is bi-monthly. Two excellent resources, made simply mindblowing because they are FREE.

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  • From: Rijeka, Croatia (Europe)
  • 192 posts
Posted by Thommo on Sunday, March 2, 2008 3:30 PM

Yes, TKM is excellent source of facts. And it is free.

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