South Hills Junction Web Page

Jim Holland pghpcc at pacbell.net
Tue Dec 7 17:45:06 EST 1999


Greetings!

	Looks really great!  I immediately noticed that you took a little
license with the track plan but knew before reading further that this is
necessary because of module standards.  Your plan looks extremely
realistic and is very well thought out.  The hump is prototypical as
well!
	You mention an 'helix' at the end in reference to homasote but take
that a step further and make the Mt. Washington streetcar tunnel with
this idea and you will be able to travel the prototypical distance of
almost 4,000 feet in scale!
	I have already made preliminary plans for this in "O" Scale and it
would fit on a 4X8 sheet of plywood.  I would spiral down twice and up
three times.  If an outbound car spiraled down the outside curve it
would spiral up the inside curve to keep the track distances nearly
equal.
	In "HO" you could do this in a 3X5 space and spiral up and down twice
to keep the module height requirement.  Adjust your radius and size of
the module so as to give you a little over 40 feet of track one way in
the tunnel.  You have me a little excited about this - will sit down and
figure out some size requirements to get this amount of trackage in HO
when I have a little more time!  Put a plexiglass cover over the front
and dimly light it inside so operators can follow their cars without
colliding with others!
	With a tunnel module you can take real liberties with the scenery for
the illusion you want and need at SHJ!
	Did you notice in the first photo of SHJ that the loop track is not
there.  Very difficult in the scan to see about that mysterious 40 line
track - not much in evidence!
	Pittsburgh has been largely ignored over the years and it is nice to
see someone bringing it to the fore, especially in models.  How about
sending an article and some photos to *Trolley Talk?!?!*
	Your mock up of the building is very prototypical!  Keep up the good
work and please keep us posted!

--->>>>	P.S  I believe that the person who sent you the photo is RAY
LATTNER, but I am sure he is more than pleased that you turned his last
name into an interurban stop!!!!!!!

James B. Holland
------- -- ---------
        Pittsburgh Railways Company (PRCo), June of 1949 -- June of 1953
    To e-mail *off-list,* please click here: mailto:pghpcc at pacbell.net
N.M.R.A.  Life member #2190; http://www.mcs.net:80/~weyand/nmra/



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