"Milepost 15": Re-Pennsyfication

For reasons not even I can understand, the freelance place names and tower designations did not sit well with me. Seemed like a good idea at first but didn't work. So, in yet another revision to the Allegheny Eastern, I decided to go back to the original names and designations. All the rolling stock and motive power will wear tru PRR livery. There won't be any Class R 4-8-4's. The layout's moniker, however, will remain the same. Typically, layouts representing the Pennsy have names like "The Bugscuffle Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad". Although that sounds like the perfect label for a layout here in Tennessee I think I'll stick with the name the Agg already has. So now all the slobbering Pennsy freaks can follow along with no translation necessary...

Pennsyfied Track Plan

Good, now that that's out of the way a progress report on the spline roadbed...

The roadbed has been glued up and built from Gallitzin down to Altoona. The section that supports the passenger mains thru Juniata is still under construction. There is only so much I can do in a day, even after retirement. I was able to mock them up from Altoona to East Altoona. The right hand sweeper into Juniata may need some adjustment...

Passenger Mains at ANTIS Under Construction

The work went pretty smooth and, as long as I followed the brick laying analogy, worked great...

"I followed the brick laying analogy"

Basically, the second course cannot be started until the first course extends far enough to support it. In thhe photo above this results in the familiar sawtooth pattern. The spline is similar. It's just the the "bricks" are 8' long and not 8"...

"t's just the the "bricks" are 8' long"

Since I had mocked up the mainline all I really had to do was remove each strip in turn, glue it up and reinsert it. Because the only thing holding the "mock spline" together was the tall drywall screws this was easy. Sometimes re-inserting required a bit of pushing and pulling, but it still went very well...

Removing Course 2 at SLOPE

Re-inserting Course 3

Since the spline is about 90% complete, it was time to start mocking up the elevation. Once again I started at Gallitzin and worked my way downhill...

Gallitzin, Upper Helix Approach

The roadbed is temporarily supported on 2x4 blocks. Once glued together the entire spline acts as one long part. Raising the Gallitzin end raised the rest of the spline as far as Bennigton and McCains Curve. All I had to do was add some support here and there...