I’ve been thinking for a while that I’ll be lucky if I’m able to include all nine scenes on a medium-sized layout. I previously identified the Terminal and West End scenes as most important to model, and I figured I’d just go as far east as I can from there. In recent months, however, I’ve been thinking that McKeesport is just as important as the other two, because it’d be a significant station at the opposite end of the modeled portion, and it has great urban modeling potential, with retail storefronts, big lighted signs and streetcars along both sides of 5th Avenue, all in close proximity to the passenger station, since the B&O tracks cut through the middle of downtown. With that in mind, I’m now thinking the absolute smallest version I’d be happy with would include the scenes of West End, Terminal, South Side and McKeesport. I include South Side in the list because of the way the prototype mainline disappears into a tunnel under the J&L steel mill, which would make a great way for the modeled mainline to disappear before emerging in the next scene, whatever that ends up being.
The Homestead scene has the second level of priority for its unique look with its long mill buildings, rows of smoke stacks and the big Mesta sign. I still don’t plan on modeling much of anything between the tracks and the river in Homestead, meaning most of Homestead Works won’t be modeled. Early in the planning process, I was pretty worried about how I’d model the crossing of the river between Homestead and Rankin, but historic aerial photos show that I should be able to make the trains disappear between mill buildings. It can re-emerge elsewhere, likely someplace beyond the bridge, removing the need to model the complicated and space-hogging river crossing.
The scenes of Riverton and Hays are tied for a third priority level. It would be nice to have them, both for looks and operations. Riverton is important for its yard and interchange with the B&O. Hays could be useful for its U-shape, and its oil storage facility and meat packing plant have good operating potential.
The neighboring scenes of Rankin and Braddock share the lowest priority level, mostly because each one would basically be steel mill scenes, with small passenger stations. The Braddock scene is particularly troublesome because, from where the layout would be viewed, the tracks go behind the massive Edgar Thomson Works, and on the other side of the tracks is the river, with Duquesne Works on the other side of the river.
I’m not sure how long this thinking will last, but right now I’m particularly interested in the idea of the layout having all of the scenes except Rankin and Braddock.