Our layout is based on a "what if?" scenario where the Alphabet Route railroads were allowed to combine into a system as an efficiency move during WW II. (This is similar to the Family Lines during the 1980s where several railroads painted equipment in the same scheme even though they were not legally one entity.) You'll see equipment of the combined Allegheny & Western system along with equipment of the member roads.
The modeled A&W mainline runs from the Port of NY to Harrisburg, PA via the Lehigh Valley RR, Central of New Jersey RR, and the Reading Co. There are two major subdivisions branching off from the main. One goes from Phillipsburg, NJ to Maybrook, NY via the Lehigh & Hudson River Ry. to our main New England connection over the New Haven RR. The other goes from Topton, PA to Wilkes-Barre, PA via the LV/CNJ and points northwest. Our hub is Allentown, PA, a midsize city with a large manufacturing base.
We are modeling selected highlights of this diverse and interesting territory.
Major locations are:
- Greenville in Jersey City, NJ has a busy waterfront with a refinery and car float operations.
- Bethlehem, PA has the main Bethlehem Steel works.
- Allentown, PA has our company offices and our main yard, a modern rider hump. It is also the terminus for short-distance service to New York.
- Harrisburg, PA is our connection to the PRR system as well as connecting to other member railroads of the A&W system - Western Maryland Ry., Pittsburg & West Virginia Ry., Wheeling & Lake Erie, and Nickel Plate Road. We also have a friendly connection with Norfolk & Wesytern at Hagerstown, MD.
- Wilkes-Barre, PA is a rich source of traffic in anthracite coal.
- Scranton, PA is our connection to the northwest.
- Maybrook, NY is a gateway to the northeast.
It takes a lot of people diligently working to keep a Class One railroad fluid. From the switcher plugging away at the docks to the trainmaster overseeing it all, there are a wide variety of jobs.
Handicap Accessibility: Wheelchair Accessible
