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| Paul Backenstose's |
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Paul Backenstose and his layout reside in Downingtown, PA. His layout started as an HO scale version of John Armstrong’s Pennsylvania Railroad, Schuylkill Division from the book John Armstrong wrote on Creative Layout Design. Some of the trackage on John’s design was eliminated. After a short time, a lack of staging was obvious. Ten feet of the adjacent garage was annexed for 3 stacked staging yards. The layout was operated as the Pennsylvania Railroad, Pittsburgh Region, with 52 operating sessions being held. Dissatisfaction, in the interest of brevity, led to a conversion to the Western Maryland Ry. in early 2006. Only minimal changes were made to the layout, mainly consisting of changing structures and renaming everything.
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Paul Backenstose, at the dispatchers panel of
his former PRR turned WM railroad. Click the pictures below for a larger view. |
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| Area modeled |
Hagerstown (visible staging) to Connellsville (staging) and Thomas Sub to Elkins (staging) and State Line Branch |
| Era | 1956 |
| Size | 19’ X 29’ |
| Scale | HO |
| Mainline | 200 feet of Atlas Code 100 weathered track. |
| Turnouts | Shinohara, with Pecos in staging. |
| Layout |
point to point to point with loops for continuous running (open houses only) at Hagerstown and Connellsville |
| Power | NCE Digital Command Control |
| Radius | 29" minimum |
| Grades | Up to 3.5%, normal 1.75% to 2.0% |
| Elevations | 28” at Elkins to 55” in Hagerstown, from the floor. |
| Locomotives |
43 WM diesels, some with sound, and more coming.
Unusual units include a scratchbuilt model of WM slug, 139-T. |
| Backdrops | Hardboard profile boards covered with ground foam; some backdrops painted on walls |
| Roadbed | ˝” plywood with cork roadbed; homosote in yards |
| Scenery |
Screen wire covered with Gypsolite or Structolite (pearlited plasters), Woodland Scenics ground cover |
| Operations |
Operations are controlled by a dispatcher using FRS radios. Other positions are a Hagerstown/Connellsville/Elkins Yardmaster, Knobmount Yardmaster, Knobmount Yard Crew, and usually 4 road crews. All of the scheduled WM freights of this period are run. In addition, we run the Digger to West Va. Pulp & Paper at Luke, East and West Locals on The Thomas Sub., numerous coal and hopper extras, a B & O coal or hopper extra to/from Hagerstown, and Passenger trains 9 and 10 - Cumberland/Elkins. Other trains which may be run include the Gray Train, State Line Local, and a B & LE coke extra. Occasionally, the PRR runs its Bedford Branch Local to the WM at State Line and into Cumberland. Car cards control car movements to and from various industries on the layout. |
ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
TREES: The trees are made from goldenrod. It is picked after a good frost kills the goldenrod and its color changes from yellow to brown. Anything that doesn’t look like a tree, such as J hook branches and tiny leaves are removed. The “tree” is then sprayed with cheap green spray paint and while still wet it is rolled in Woodland Scenics T65 Course Turf, Dark Green. Sometime I add some T64 Medium Green for a little variation. After drying, they are planted in holes, using a hot glue gun.
SLUG: Slug 139-T was scratchbuilt. The body is a shaped block of oak with several dozen coats of sanding sealer. The frame was scratchbuilt from styrene. The trucks are Athearn dummy trucks from a GP9. The slug is unpowered.
HAGERSTOWN YARD OFFICE: This structure is a kitbash, starting with 2 offices from the Walthers Lakeside Shipping kit This kit was previously available with a different name. The window openings were modified and filled with pieces of City Classics Factory Type Windows #207.
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Thanks to Paul for sharing his efforts with us. If you'd like to contact Paul Backenstose, or if you have a model railroad you would like to see featured on the WMRHS web site, please E-mail the Webmaster.
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