Welcome to my rendition of the Reading Railroad’s upstate Shamokin Division. The HO scale basement model railroad fills a 30 by 40 foot basement and features the popular steam to diesel transition era during the early 1950’s.  A 300 foot double tracked mainline replicates train operation between the towns of Tamaqua, PA, and Shamokin, PA. The point to point trackplan also has visible east-end staging at Reading and west-end staging at Newberry Junction.  Interchange is represented with the Lehigh & New England (LNE) at Tamaqua, The Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) at Shamokin, and the Jersey Central (CNJ) at Haucks.   Areas of interest along the mainline are the 3 yards at Tamaqua, Gordon, and Shamokin as well as 2 secondary coal yards at Saint Nicholas and Locust Summit. The  model railroads also features 15 coal mines and loading facilities, which contribute loads during an operating session. Although three helper districts are modeled, the focal point of the  model railroad is the steep Locust Summit grade where steam helpers are mandatory.

In addition to plenty of symbol freight traffic, the railroad features several passenger runs including the King Coal and the joint CNJ/RDG Williamsporter. Naturally coal trains abound with many picking up raw coal at the loaders. The scenery is basically complete with real anthracite used as a scenic element. Many line-side structures are modeled after the prototype complete with the brown and cream corporate colors.  The  model railroad is run using a Lenz DCC systems with many locomotives equipped with sound. Cars are forwarded using a color coded waybill systems and all trains run under a dispatcher’s control with verbal train orders.   The model railroad will be featured in Great Model Railroads 2011.

This 24' x 24' multi deck HO scale model railroad features the Lehigh Valley double track mainline between Allentown Yard and Rockport Tunnel.  Operations include 8 track staging at east end (Jersey City) and 11 track staging at west end (Wilkes-Barre).  The model railroad is double decked with 4 3/4 turn helix in one corner. Three yards (Allentown, PA, Catasaqua, PA, and Lehighton, PA) with multiple coal mines and local drills out of all yards.  Interchange trains with the Reading, Central of New Jersey & Lehigh & New England. Radio Digitrax DCC, both 1960 era and 1972 era for separate sessions. Operations are color car cards and waybills with verbal dispatcher control over 14 channel radios.  A telephone system is used for the yards.  Scenery 50% complete.

The Lehigh & Keystone Valley Model Railroad Museum is a 4,000 sq ft prototype layout based on  the Lehigh Valley, Reading, Central of New Jersey, Lehigh & Hudson River railroads that ran through the Lehigh Valley in the 60's and 70's. The viewed portion runs from West Portal, NJ, to Harrisburg, PA, to the west and to Lehighton, PA, to the north. The layout has a 15 track staging yard with a helix on one end and a 3 track helix is also included at the other end of the layout. NCE is the DCC control system. Detection and signals are in progress.  A 16 ft X 28 ft addition is now in progress.  

NOTE:  The museum is also open to the public on this day.  If you let the person at the counter know you are with the NMRA, admission will be free (donations are still accepted).