2nd Quarter 2021 Volume 11 Number 2 _____________________________ On the Cover of This Issue Table Of Contents Building the PD Layout in HO-Scale By Building the PD Layout in HO- Scale – By Phil Darkins Page 33 Phil Darkins – Page 33 NYC Signal Bridges From Photo- Etched Parts – By Vic Hand Page 48 Really Large-Scale Kitbashing - - By Modeler Staff Page 53 Tom Long Models a NYC Heavyweight Pullman in N-Scale – Page 88 Buffalo Blend – Tunnel-Top Scene Adds Depth to City Backdrop -By Bob Shaw Page 54 HO-Scale Powered Baggage Car By Dean Apostal Page 66 Dean Apostal creates a Powered HO-Sale Continuing Tales Of The 1952 – 1953 Hudson/Electric Division Page 71 Baggage Car – Page 66 Modeling NYCS Passenger Cars In HO-Scale By R.B. Phillips Page 80 NYC Heavyweight Pullman Sleepers in N-Scale By Tom Long Page 88 Celebrating 50 Years as the Primer Railroad From the Cab 5 Extra Board 8 Historical Society What’s New 17 NYCSHS RPO 24 NYCSHS Models 75 Observation Car 97 The NYCentral Modeler focuses on providing information about modeling of the railroad in all scales. This issue features articles, photos, and reviews of NYC-related models and layouts. The objective of the publication is to help members improve their ability to model the New York Central and promote modeling interests. Contact us about doing an article for us. [email protected] New York Central System Historical Society The New York Central System Central Headlight, the official Historical Society (NYCSHS) was publication of the NYCSHS. The organized in March 1970 by the Central Headlight is only available combined efforts of several former to members, and each issue contains a wealth of information Board of Directors employees of the New York J. Epperson, F. Bongiovanni, J. each quarter. From steam to diesel Central Railroad. The NYCSHS is P. Burgess, J. Cannizzaro, T.R. chartered as a non-profit (and electric), from freight to Gerbracht, S.H. Lustig, D.T. corporation under the laws of the passenger, from branchline to Mackay, R.C. McQueen, R.C. state of Ohio. The vision of the mainline, the Central Headlight Schiring, R.L. Stoving, J.C. covers them all. Our Annual Suhs, M.K. Vescelus, N.F. NYCSHS is to be the preferred Widdifield Meetings focus on the preservation source of information and products related to the New York of New York Central railroad Directors Emeriti: Central System. The mission of the history with informative speakers, J.P. Quinlivan (Founder) D. Simonaitis, R.J. Barrett, R.L. NYCSHS is to perpetuate the presentations, and tours. The Society also has many NYC Stoving legacy of the New York Central System by acquiring and reference books and drawings preserving its history, traditions, available for purchase. Member- Editor: Noel Widdifield ship is open to all; so don't delay; Associate Editor: Bob Shaw documents, and artifacts; and by Engineering Dept.: Manuel disseminating accurate inform- join today! www.nycshs.net Duran-Duran ation and products consistent with Harmon Files: Larry Faulkner Or you may download a member- O-Gauge Model Railroading: good stewardship. ship form at: Bob Shaw https://nycshs.org/nycshs- Early Car Shop: Kyle Coble Your membership gets you four Layout Drawing Artist: issues of the popularly acclaimed membership Frank Knight The NYCSHS Modelers Committee We have a NYCSHS Modelers Committee that now has 14 members. We meet on the phone about once a month to strategize about what to do to support NYC modeling for our members. The members of the committee are, Seth Lakin, (Chair), Brian Marotta, Jeff English, Dave Mackay, Paul Pickard, Lawrence Faulkner, Manuel Duran-Duran, Kyle Coble, Dan Seligmann, Larry Grant, Ralph Schiring, Alex Schneider, Charles Newton, Alex Warshal, Mike Vescelus, Charlie Newton, Vic Roman, Noel Widdifield, and Rich Stoving. We have released over 400 models at up to 20% off MSRP to our members and have sold more than 3,200 models and taken pre-orders for many more. We have offered several HO-scale, N-scale, and O-scale models and are in the process of finding more HO-, N-, S-, and even O–scale models to be released in coming months. Watch our website and Collinwood Shop online store for more information. Website: NYCSHS.org and Collinwood Shop: NYCSHS.net We have released many new NYC models over the last eight years, but if you have some ideas for us, contact us at [email protected] NYCentral Modeler 2nd Quarter 2021 3 Greetings from the NYCSHS President Dave Mackay, NYCSHS President It has been a long winter, with the February weather of these past few weeks being quite cold with ice, sleet and snowstorms all in the same week. It didn’t melt for over ten days. I thought the pandemic was limiting my getting out of the house, this was worse. It’s finally gone! The good news is I was able to get my layout room framed, wired, insulated, sheet rocked, spackled and painted. Every article I’ve ever read advised to make sure the train room is finished before starting the layout. I’ve taken the advice, even though it used up my current budget. It is nice to have a new, clean space to create in. It will take a bit of thought to come up with a layout plan, but I will. The better news is my staging area benchwork is installed. I’m glad I saved my design notes from my previous layout, as I wanted to incorporate the same operational features and use the same trains and equipment as before. This time it will be with a longer mainline and better trackage. The minimum radius is now 22”, not 18”, and turnouts are #6 and #8, not #4, as before. I’ve taken some photos and will undoubtedly write up an article for the NYCentral Modeler once the track plan is finalized and the benchwork done. One of the joys of having the spaces finished was unpacking from my move. I was able to put up my diesel display cases and get the 80 or so Diesels back into their “homes”. Next came the rolling stock shelving and those “special” cars I’ve built or detailed that don’t fit the 1953 time period I model. My freight car and passenger car boxes are next, once I get the staging yard trackage installed. It will give me the opportunity to do a lot of “RIP” work this spring, as not every piece of rolling stock survived the moved unscathed, and I’ve got a lot of loose couplers, brake wheels, grab irons and other miscellaneous details to fix. I’m glad I can re-join the modeling side of the Society, as I’ve felt a disconnect. NYCentral Modeler 2nd Quarter 2021 4 Ls The NYCentral Modeler From the Cab This publication of the NYCSHS is for the purpose of providing NYCS modeling information. It is a As I put the final touches on this edition, I am publication by the NYCSHS Modeling Committee –- amazed at the variety of modeling it showcases. It all rights reserved. It may be reproduced for features the beginnings of a beautiful layout in New personal use only. It is not for sale. Zealand, three passenger car articles, some very We encourage articles and photos submitted for nice NYC signal bridges, information about some publication. Materials submitted are considered to real-life “kitbashing”, the continuing O-Gauge be gratis and no reimbursement will be made to the modeling by Bob Shaw, and the return of the author(s) or the photographer(s) or his/her representative(s). The Society reserves the right to “Harmon Files” after many months of absence. reject, for any reason, any material submitted. The questions and comments continue for many of We need articles for scales in addition to HO. We our readers in the NYCSHS RPO section and the have published articles in Z-, S-, N-, HO-, O-, 1/29-, several photos of members’ models continue to and 1/32-scales. We do need articles in all scales but provide some excellent shots of fine NYC modeling. want more non-HO articles. Please contact the editor for submission information And the news that we have our NYCSHS archive and guidelines. We have a style guide to be used for photo database back online and the new NYCSHS articles and will send it to any aspiring author. Digital Shop about to open and offering these Photos should be submitted at not less than 640 x 480 thousands of photos for sale, make me very proud pixels and in JPG, TIFF or PDF format. Statements and opinions made are those of the authors and of all the Society is accomplishing today. don’t necessarily represent those of the Society. It is a great time to be modeling the NYCS and we We make every effort to ensure all information is hope you take the time to share your modeling with technically correct, but do not guarantee it for us. accuracy. All articles and photos should be sent to: [email protected] If you have photos or models that you haven’t We really want to hear what you think shared with us in past editions, please consider concerning this issue and about your modeling contacting us and adding your talent and articles to or collecting. We will help you tell your story. the many who have shown off their NYCS modeling in the past. Be sure to check out NYCSHS on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/New-York- If you are interested, please contact me at: Central-System-Historical-Society- [email protected] or call me at 703-407-3059.