# Pennsy Electrics in Large scale



## BrianTFowler (Sep 20, 2012)

I am a huge fan of the Pennsylvania RR electric locos. Does anyone know of any crazy souls who have embraced this niche? More than just having a GG1. Actually modeling the catenary? Scratch building any locos?

trying to build my first stretch of catenary. The large scale (1:29) is actually harder than HO. Not necessarily a rivet counter but the size is hard to work with.

Any comments are welcome.

Brian


----------



## ralphbrades (Jan 3, 2008)

The simple answer to that is -Yes! (And this includes the bit about being crazy...) The catenary wire is not fitted to my system as my locos come from all over the world (single phase AC, 3 phase AC, 600V DC, 1,500V DC and 3,000V DC) and I would need to step over the rails to weed plants. The scale I use is Gauge '3' which is 1:22.6. Have a look here and feel free to ask any questions. 

http://www.cabbagepatchrailway.co.uk/gg1.html 
http://www.cabbagepatchrailway.co.uk/neref1.html 
http://www.cabbagepatchrailway.co.uk/neree1.html 
http://www.cabbagepatchrailway.co.uk/metrovick.html 
http://www.cabbagepatchrailway.co.uk/smotor.html 

regards 

ralph


----------



## Dennis Paulson (Jan 2, 2008)

Is your layout , inside , outside , elevated outside ? Not many install catenary outside on the ground . 

Mine WAS catenary till recently with the LGB catenary products


----------



## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Pennsylvania RR electric locos 
Aster's new Japan market EF58 looks like a Pennsy electric (?) and it is 1/30th.


----------



## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Like Dennis, I also used the LGB trolley catenary. I used it for power on my cog RR that was part of my railroad in Colorado. LGB has (had) a much more detailed overhead system based upon the RhB. If you can find it that would be your best bet for modern looking overhead power. 

We had a dog and he never got caught or tripped on the wire. 










Chuck


----------



## Dr Rivet (Jan 5, 2008)

Pete 

NOT any PRR electric I am familiar with. Most especially noticeable are the unequally spaced drivers on the three axle power bogie. The smooth body and sloped windscreens don't present a Pennsy appearance either. 

This is roughly like saying that an LMS streamlined Coronation Pacific looks like a Bullied air smoothed Pacific [Spam can] or an LNER A4. The only similarity is the wheel arrangement and the fact that they all had streamlining applied. 

The PRR had only one class of locomotive with the 2-C+C-2 wheel arrangement... and that is the GG1. This locomotive has been done in 1:29 scale by USA Trains [die cast], and 1:32 by MTH [plastic shell], GHB [brass], and Fine art Models [brass] 

The least complex scratch builds would be the original box cab O1 class 1-C-1 or P5 class 2-C-2 [before rebuilding with a center cab].


----------



## alecescolme (Dec 20, 2010)

You can get a RTR one from USAT: 
http://www.usatrains.com/r20031.html 

Alec


----------



## BrianTFowler (Sep 20, 2012)

@ Pete...Some of the wheels and under carrage may be close, but the body is nowhere near any of the prototypical locos out there. how did they end up with 1/30 scale? is that common for Aster?

my layout is currently a shelf layout. Until I have a house with the right type of yard, I have no reason to build anything permanent outside. Which is tough as I have vertually unlimited supplies of free cedar and mahogany available for building projects. I am building a two track diarama for a "bride and groom" pair of MP54s. this indoor diarama will have the catenary modeled. I am trying to make it as real as possible, but obviously limited to available materials, and how to model a system that is supposed to be supported in tension, but instead is just a 6' stretch of track and catenary.

modeling outside will skip the catenary, but my indoor displays I want to look nice.

Ill post some pictures soon.

eventually my next project will be making a B1 out of an eggliner. Once that is perfected I will stretch it to be a P5a.


----------



## Dr Rivet (Jan 5, 2008)

Brian 

Since most of the original JNR was built as 42 inch gauge [1067mm], their steam locomotives when built at 1:30 have a size similar to many of the European locomotives produced in 1:32. If Aster had built the models so that gauge one track had represented 42 in gauge, they would have been 1:24 scale. The equipment would have been quite large. Aster chose to use 1:30 and ignore the 9.4mm error in the track gauge [35.6mm for 1:30].


----------

