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I finally have built out the shelf portion of the layout that
heads out west of Scranton. This is a shelf that is 8" wide and
navigates its way around a wooden beam.
I made the shelf portion out of pine and stained it the same color as the other wood in the
basement, I mean layout room. It is a 6" wide pine framed by a 1"x2" on the outside and 1"x3" on the
wall side. This is topped with 1/2" Woodland Scenics foam board. The backdrops, like all others on the layout are
from Scenic Express, measuring 13" high and 38" long each. The line disappears into a tunnel which is appropriately
into a wood hill.
Here are the photos of the progress...
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The first area to the west of Bridge 60.
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Moving west...
Poetic license will take shape here.
You see, I have a copy of the N Scale Architect's East
Stroudsburg Tower which I am going to place here. We will
have the railroad crossing and a small depot just east of
the crossing on the south side.
There is some industry just west of the depot in East
Stroudsburg. I don't recall what it is at the moment. What
we've got here is a trailing switch on the eastbound which
services a small cement works on the north side (and across)
the westbound main. Adds a bit of operating variety.
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Under the dart board and into the tunnel!
Originally, this was going to be a portion of the
Tunkhannock Viaduct, but I need to leave those ambitions
behind for a while otherwise I will never get done.
Instead, I envision a run up to Clark's Summit, which means
the track here will be in a deep cut when it is done.
Also, with the tunnel there on the left, it actually works
to place Tunkhannock off to the left because there is a
tunnel east of it.
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Speaking of that tunnel. It is the Nicholson Tunnel (sometimes known as the
Factoryville Tunnel).
At left is a view of the east portal of the tunnel. Originally double tracked,
it was later single tracked as seen in the photos below.
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Same scene on the layout - with engineer on the front steps too!
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From within the tunnel looking back eastbound towards the interlocking tower.
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And the modeled scene.
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And more...
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And more...
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Closer view of the east portal.
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Here is a blow-up of the inscription above the eastern portal. It reads
"DL&W RR, Nicholson Tunnel, 1915".
This tunnel replaced twin bores on the old road (now US-11) when the alignment
was changed from Clarks Summit. Certainly, the old tunnels were known collectively
as the
Factoryville Tunnel.
Some refer to the 1915 tunnel by the same name. Either way,
it was once double tracked and now has the solitary line.
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The tower has seen better days.
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