Quick Overview
Owner
Tom Piccirillo, MMR
Prototype
Proto-freelanced electric and steam railroads based on Lehigh Valley, Rahway Valley, Morristown & Erie, Sacramento Northern, and Piedmont & Northern Railroads in central New Jersey
Era
1957
Physical Location
11 miles north – About 0:20 travel time
Layout Dimensions
40’ x 32’
Mainline Run
320’ SCTS; 225’ E&A
Scale
O traction and steam
Scenery
100%
Pets
None
Handicap Accessible
No
Description
This is an O scale heavy-electric railroad with live overhead wire. The point-to-point design represents a “could have been” mostly-freight-hauling railroad. The line traverses north-central NJ from its eastern boundary’s edgewater in Newark Bay to its western boundary’s edgewater on the Delaware River and represents a distance of about 49 miles. In addition, there is an automated narrow gauge quarry operation feeding a branch line.
Traffic arrives and leaves the railroad at five points . . . two by operating car float, one by interchange with the Easton & Amboy Railroad (the Lehigh Valley Railroad’s line through New Jersey), a connection with the Rahway Valley Railroad, and one from the branch line to Neshanic, which emanates from Lambertville.
There are a few scheduled passenger trains with all freights being “extras.” Local freights make their way east and west, picking up and setting out cars per the waybills. Conductors must OS the Dispatcher at every telephone box (8). There are no train registers.
Operations
What to know about the operations of this layout.
Control System
NCE DCC with tethered throttles
Dispatching
Verbal Track Warrants
Communications
Company telephone
Car Routing
Car cards and 4 cycle waybills
What to Bring/Needed
Nothing needed
Pace
Relaxed
Crew Size
9 to 16
Operating Positions
Dispatcher
Lambertville Yardmaster
Fanwood Yardmaster
Bound Brook Yardmaster/E&A crew
Passenger Motorman
Road Crews (6 positions)
Neshanic Branch Crewman
Gallery
Track Plan
