Welcome to the
HO American Group’s layout
Mauch Chunk, PA
see also
www.homauchchunk.co.uk
After a visit by one of us
to Jim Thorpe in 1996, we selected it as a subject to model and started
modelling in 2002. We are trying to copy the prototype as far as
possible using plans taken from photos. All the material we have is
available on the
homauchchunk website.
We welcome emails from CNJ fans and fellow modellers.
UK modellers are welcome to join us in Birkenhead, Merseyside, UK
This, then, is a prototype model of a real Pennsylvania
location on the CNJ (Central of New Jersey) in the 1940/50s - steam and
diesel. HO scale
3.5mm to the foot; 16.5mm track width. Continuous run 21ft x 5ft (no
central well), model
will use DCC. We started modelling in 2002 and it will probably
go out to exhibition in about 2010.
Our HO model of the Central
of New Jersey (CNJ) at Mauch Chunk, PA is set
in the late 1940s to early 1950s. This allows us to run the unique steam
of the CNJ and early passenger and freight diesels. We have our own
extensive website of the model and prototype which is well visited -
take a look from the link above.
There
has been very little compression of the central part of the Track Plan
and so the model should closely resemble the prototype. We are using
card outlines to give an impression of the building
locations and sizes as they will be on the final model.
All buildings are being scratch
built to resemble the prototypes as closely as possible.
See the Mauch Chunk Buildings page
on our own website to access HO-scale plans of
the buildings.
Rolling stock will initially be a compromise made up from what
we already have, but we have now started a collection of representative
locomotives and other stock that would have been operating in the 1930s
to 1950s on the CNJ in Mauch Chunk, PA. We still run
non-CNJ rolling stock on club evenings !
We’re building to the standard NMRA wheel profile and are
using Peco code 75 track. We will also use DCC for operation after the
very positive experiences of other layouts in the Merseyside Model
Railway Society.
Progress seems to be fairly slow -
partly because there are only three of us modelling at the moment and
partly because the buildings are taking a long time. Anyone is welcome
to join as there is plenty to do for modellers of all skill levels (and
we are only learning by trying).
