PRR Chautauqua Branch WIP

[octls2]

Boy, this sure looks like a fine route. I have been a Pennsy fan for sometime. I had a Pennsy HO setup in a house I use to live in, but no longer have room for one. I particularly like the steam locos. Your work is very artistic. I look forward to this route!

Thank you. I used to have a huge HO layout taking up a two stall garage in my younger days. Amd like you I no longer live there nor have the room to build another. I have alot of good memories of that layout though!

Beautiful pictures octls2 I have been a Pennsy fan most of my life since I was born and raised outside of Philly. One question, how do you do your rivers/water? I am working on the Cambria and Clearfield division of the PRR, a big undertaking and am nowhere near your level. Also I love prewar PRR steam (to bad K&L is mostly post war)

Sounds like an interesting route you're working on. The more Pennsy routes, the better if you ask me! I use a mixture of mud textures and stone/rocks. And really just play around with it until it looks good to me or like is does in the photos I'm using. The textures I using if you're intersted are: mudflat (<kuid:58843:21081>) ( JaggyRocks <kuid:2300:21037> ) (Z Ground Leaves 1 <kuid:267178:1466>) ( Z Rock 13 <kuid:267178:1457> ) (Z Rock 14 <kuid:267178:1458>)

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I went out on a little R&D mission the other day for this route and snapped some shots of what a little bit of the Chautauqua Branch looks like today in the area I'm modeling in this route. It's been 33 years now since the line was pulled up by Conrail and it's getting harder every time I go back to find it in the weeds. I remeber hearing the trains (PC & CR) blow for the crossings in town when I was just a wee little lad. Anyway,.. I thought I'd share some shots.

The "Kerr Hill" mill noth end of Titusville. (The RR grade is to the bottom right)

Through the swamps at Mystic Park area.

Where the Bridge at Tryonville used to be.(Looking south and then North.)

The Section house and flag stop station at Tryonville. Hard to believe how bad of shape it's gotten...

And a comparison to a shot I took in 1991.

 

[octls2]

The old milk plant at Centerville. (Now a business and Home. ?)

 

[KenRuof]

Nice pics octls2, it is sad to see RR's disappear... any way thanks for the "water" way I finally found all the KUIDS and also found track charts from another post WooHoo! now back to work (for me)... Keep up the good work looking good and like you say the more PRR the better. Now I have to find someone to commision to do a few steam era freight cars that are missing from Trainz.

 

[deadpoolmx55]

Nice pics ray! I was just at walmart in titusvile the other day and i was trying to see what it said on the side of kerr mill! but my girlfriend yelled at me to hurry and then I was forced to stop.

 

[octls2]

Nice pics ray! I was just at walmart in titusvile the other day and i was trying to see what it said on the side of kerr mill! but my girlfriend yelled at me to hurry and then I was forced to stop.

Thanks justin, Yeah it's hard to see with the trees growing there.. and Lol... I'm sure that won't be the last time she yells @ you!


Well, after alot of consideration I decided to update all of the trees, shrubs and grass on my route. I do like how it all looks now but, as I figured performance took a bit of a hit. Also have added 10 miles of new track north from Centerville Pa to Spartansburg Pa. and only have approx 13 mi. to go to reach the Northern most point I'm covering on this route at Corry Pa. This line crosses bothe the Erie RR mainline near Corry and also meets and crosses the PRR Erie - Renovo Branch at Corry. Anyway here's some new shots of progress so far.

 

[octls2]

Continued...

 

[deadpoolmx55]

WOW....ray you did a better job than me updating the trees and shrubs! it looks spectacular! love the swamp shots!

 

[kamran]

superb job man

 

[octls2]

Thanks you guys. Comments like that make it all worth the effort! :wave:

 

[kamran]

your grass and tree placing work is excellent.which shrub are these

 

[slabay]

I love the detail with the overgrown abandoned track/ties.

 

[octls2]

your grass and tree placing work is excellent.which shrub are these

Thanks kamran. The shrubs I believe are Pofigs. If you have Dermmy's EVWR route you should have them. If not, go to Dermmy's site to DL them. (If you want, I'll look up the name and/or kuid's and update this post alittle later)

I love the detail with the overgrown abandoned track/ties.

Thank you slabay. Yeah, I always thought little thing like that help to make sense out of the trackwork and the entire scene.

 

[kamran]

i have evwr route so i will grab them from there

 

[Isegrinns]

Very nice, sir!

 

[octls2]

@Isegrinns: Thanks! Sorry I'm a bit late in response.. but, as always I appreciate your comments and in-put on my route.

Since my last update, I have added a few more miles of track north of Spartansburgh Pa. And am currently at MP 98.7 past the Crawford/ Erie county line. (In other words I'm only 4 miles from Corry Pa. my final destination) I'm mostly concentrating on landscape and scenery around Tryonville and Centerville Pa. and slowly working my way north from there. I'm hoping to get at least a smaller Demo version of this route out soon.

Here is a few new screen shots from these areas I've mentioned. Enjoy...

 

[octls2]

Continued...

 

[EastCoastTrainz]

Ray,

Glad to see those Block Signals have gone to good use. Ill be releasing the entire set that I built for you to The Erecting Hall operated by Chris (N8PHU). Loving the route, looks great.

In response to those asking about the signals and how they are planted, this is it. All concrete was poured how you would a fence post, below grade. Nothing fancy, just enough structural support to brace the signal.

Holler if you need anything else. PM for email if you need me.

~Zak

 

[octls2]

Ray,

Glad to see those Block Signals have gone to good use. Ill be releasing the entire set that I built for you to The Erecting Hall operated by Chris (N8PHU). Loving the route, looks great.

In response to those asking about the signals and how they are planted, this is it. All concrete was poured how you would a fence post, below grade. Nothing fancy, just enough structural support to brace the signal.

Holler if you need anything else. PM for email if you need me.

~Zak

Hello Zak! Thanks for stopping bye and for the compliments. Yes, I very much have enjoyed and used these authentic PRR block signals. Again, thanks for help and 3d modeling skills! I appreciate you allowing Chris to host them and also to him for hosting on his site. Sincere gratitude towards both of you! I was a little worried when I had seen that the ECT site was gone but, didn't want to pester you about your content. I'll send you off a pm or e-mail about a few other block station names that I found I may need. I'm hoping to get this route finished soon and I'll give you shout via e-mail incase you'd like to be one of the testers.

PS. Thanks for enlitening everyone on how the PRR secured these to the ground. Typical PRR stye... simple and effective...

 

[EastCoastTrainz]

I dropped ECT simply because I had lost the desire to update and maintain it. Also with my going back on Active Duty Operational Support orders with the Army, my time had diminished and I was tired of the hosting bills. Im still designing and producing various things.

Pester away, I like designing things like that. As well as I have quite a few unfinished PRR station structures I need to get out. Let me know what you need, it helps me finish the unfinished

 

[octls2]

I dropped ECT simply because I had lost the desire to update and maintain it. Also with my going back on Active Duty Operational Support orders with the Army, my time had diminished and I was tired of the hosting bills. Im still designing and producing various things.

Pester away, I like designing things like that. As well as I have quite a few unfinished PRR station structures I need to get out. Let me know what you need, it helps me finish the unfinished

Oh, ok. Yeah, I certainly can understand that. (Thank you for your service for our country btw!) Good to hear you still enjoy designing stuff though. What types of stations are you working on? Just curious as Pennsy Stations always peak my interest. I'll have to think if there is anything I can't live without but, in the mean time.. How do you feel about somthing simple like a PRR flanger lift sign? ( Those things were all over the place on the Chautauqua line) Let me know if you'd be interested in doing anymore stations though as now that I think about it... I do have one in mind. I don't want to just dump projects on you (Not sure about finding any drawings for it either)

Thanks for the reply!