My delayed N-Layout

Dan Vincent

Member
My delayed ERIE N-Layout

Several years ago I started this layout which was designed to fit the top of a bunk bed. It measures 39.75" X 82.50".

With grandkids in mind, I learned they liked simple running of long trains with no switching problems so I tried to maximize the running distance and provide two tracks so two could run trains at the same time.

It's been hanging on the garage wall for several years and I hope to get back to it fairly soon.

My main interest is the ERIE Railroad and I have 24 diesels in old Black & Yellow ERIE scheme plus at least that many more in Erie-Lackawanna and then another batch in Great Northern.

My main concern at this point is the total lack of Erie Cabooses. I'm going to have to repaint others to make something in Erie.
 

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Dan Vincent

Member
I should be moving within the next six months so it's a bit on hold.

I also made provisions for table legs so I will stand it up and do a lot of test running to make sure the grades are not too severe and pulling uphill into a turn doesn't cause any problems.

Lucky for me the Erie used 4-unit lashups with locos like the Alco FA-1 & FA-2 so all of my units are powerd and should be able to handle just about anything.

I also have four Intermountain EMD FT units that are really nice. Guess the next locos on my agenda will be four of the new Intermountain F7's in Erie black & yellow. Walthers took over Lifelike and they have an Alco RS-2 available in two Erie road numbers.
 

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TrainNut

Ditat Deus
I tried that several years ago (a bunk bed layout), except in HO. I quickly discovered there was not enough room and abandoned the idea. I like your N scale layout. It's a thing of geometric beauty. Monk would like it a lot! I sure hope you keep updating this thread as you make progress after the move.
 

Chartiers

Still plays with trains
Dan, nice collection of Erie engines!

The layout has some great potential and I hope you get to develop and enjoy it.

p.s. At the risk of offending the PRR gods, I just purchased an Atlas EL diesel on the auction site...
 

Dan Vincent

Member
Chartiers, No you won't offend the PRR gods.

I started in N-scale back around 1964 when MR magazine had a cover with a picture of an Atlas Pacific pulling a string of freight cars, sitting on a section of full size rail.

Still have that Pacific and it still runs. Also have the Atlas Mikado, three 0-8-0's and a couple of 0-4-0's. I think they all still run.

After that I discovered diesel locos could handle switches much better than steamers so I moved into diesels in PRR livery.

The only PRR locos I have now is a set of Lifelike PA1/PB1 in Tuscan and a dummy FA2 that I cannibalized for the power unit for one of my ERIE FAB units. I still like the looks of a PA1 in PRR brunswick green.
 

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Chartiers

Still plays with trains
I've downsized a lot due to space, $$$, and health reasons. So now I'm running just a few diesels, but I did have a few PRR steamers in my days gone by:
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Dan Vincent

Member
Chartiers, Nah, never gave it a thought. I like your PRR locos.

I was thinking about upgrading my picture of the Erie Cab units so I decided to put them all in the shelf unit but ran out of space and couldn't show another FA1/FAB set in road numer 725.

The Erie ran a lot of 4-uint lashups with numbers like 701A, 701B, 701C & 701D. Over the years they started to mix and match different numbers.

The top row of this picture shows Intermountain FTA/FTB numbers 702A/702B and the second set with road numbers 703A/703B.

The second shelf is four units of Lifelike FA2/FB2, all road number 737A/737B.

The third shelf is four units of Lifelike FA1/FB1, all road number 729A/729B.

One of these days I will convert the A & B on the second sets to C & D but with N-scale being so small I'm wondering if anyone will even notice.

With Intermountain now making an Erie F7A/F7B in four different numbers I may have to make a larger display shelf. They also make an F3A/F3B but not in Erie.
 

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Chartiers

Still plays with trains
Great looking collection, almost gives me the urge to switch to Erie.

If you end up with more engines than you know what to do with and simple run out of display place, I'll be glad to accept a donation of a few - just to help out of course...
 

Dan Vincent

Member
Lucky for me, ERIE is one of the railroads that had few models available so it really is possible to get almost every loco ever made in Erie in N-scale.

I think there were some older Rapido locos but they were not up to todays' standards. One that eluded me was an N-Scale Erie switcher by Arnold that I saw in an Orlando hobby shop and didn't pick up at the time.
I've never seen another one in Erie markings.
 

Dan Vincent

Member
From what I know about it, the Erie had some unique cabooses and manufacturers don't want to tool up a caboose just for one railroad.

Seems to me some maker could have the market cornered and I also belive having Erie cabooses might get guys who have been sitting on the fence into modelling the Erie. A Bay window might be fairly easy to accept.

I used to sit along the tracks of the Erie back during WWII and watch the steam engines go by. Then they started to transition into diesels and I hated them for a while. They made black smoke and smelled bad.

Erie Lackawanna is OK I guess but I prefer the old black & yellow Erie paint scheme.
 
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