I thought the article was purty durn good. I followed the Region Turn around the layout but when it came to the end at Shamokin Yard I couldn't figure out how the engine on the Turn, turned around for the trip back down the hill. There's no turntables on the layout and I couldn't see any wyes in the trackplan. Wha???
Towne Comee - San Antonio, Texas
That's a good question. The real Gordon had a wye, but that is not modeled, so a good question how the loco got facing back towards Tamaqua on the return trip. I've not yet seen Jim's layout in person even though he lives only a short distance down the road from me.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Think the photographer could have just turned the thing around to look right for the article? Nah - that never happens in the magazines.
Rob Spangler
Yeah because no one ever believes it when you say steam locos often ran significant distances in reverse.
Although I am curious what the actual operating scheme is, if he really runs his locos backwards all the way to Tamaqua. The would almost certainly have turned them at Gordon. The coal regions were home to the early cab units, so with an A on either end of the consist, it wouldn't make one bit of difference for a diesel powered train. ABBA sets of F units were common on the grades there - sometimes still needing a push from a T-1 up the hill from Gordon.
My guess is the author didn't know it was ok to operate tender first returning from a mine run so,he used the mighty 0-5-0 turntable in order to operate the engine in the proper direction..
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
BRAKIEMy guess is the author didn't know it was ok to operate tender first returning from a mine run so,he used the mighty 0-5-0 turntable in order to operate the engine in the proper direction..
Your guess would be wrong. He has done extensive research on the area. The RDG had numerous wyes in that area and so would have turned the engines to face forward on the return trip.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
Gents:
The answer to your question about the loco orientation is quite simple. Dave alluded to this, as I do know a fair amount about anthracite operations. I should have added it to the text, but did not, probaly due to being familar with the ops and probaly figuring no one would even notice. First as alluded to earlier, the train turned at Locust Summit, not Shamokin. The locomotive ran back downgrade tender first to Gordon where it would have been turned on the wye. Then the Region Turnaround ran normal back to Tamaqua. The RDG maintained wyes at Tamaqua, St. Nicholas, Gordon and Shamokin. Because of space constraints I do not model any wyes. My original trackplan had a wye at Gordon, but the best radius I could achieve was 26 inches, too tight for the long wheelbased steam engines. It was eliminated during construction and replaced with long engine house leads. Glad to article was hopefully well received. If you ever want to operate over the railroad consider signing up for our once a year operations weekends. 41 trains in 5 hours , all prototypically based.
BRAKIE My guess is the author didn't know it was ok to operate tender first returning from a mine run so,he used the mighty 0-5-0 turntable in order to operate the engine in the proper direction..
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dehusmanYour guess would be wrong. He has done extensive research on the area. The RDG had numerous wyes in that area and so would have turned the engines to face forward on the return trip.
No doubt the real Reading did but,there is no way to turn that engine.
I see no turntables and only one wye that is used for interchange with the L&NE.
JAMES HERTZOGThe RDG maintained wyes at Tamaqua, St. Nicholas, Gordon and Shamokin. Because of space constraints I do not model any wyes. My original trackplan had a wye at Gordon, but the best radius I could achieve was 26 inches, too tight for the long wheelbased steam engines. It was eliminated during construction and replaced with long engine house leads.
You can see the prior track plan with the wye at Gordon in Model Railroad Planning 1998. Although I now see doing away with the wye is mentioned in the text, I did not focus on that change when the Gordon and Locust Summit portion of the layout was featured again in Model Railroad Planning 2014.
Dave Nelson
JAMES HERTZOG Many mine turns ran tender first in the coal fields when needed. Jim H.
Jim,Many modelers do not know that nor know a urban local or transfer run would return tender first to the yard.
Some branch lines lacked turntables or wyes as well.
BRAKIEJim,Many modelers do not know that nor know a urban local or transfer run would return tender first to the yard.
Some railroads, B&A for one, had steam locomotives with "pilots" (or cowcatchers) on the tender specifically designed for bi-directional operation.
https://tinyurl.com/ybyfgkvt
Cheers, Ed
Actually someone just posted on a Reading Facebook group a picture of a 2-8-0 Camelback with a pilot under the rear of the tender and an oversize light - obviously used to run tender-first on a regular basis.