A P48 Layout in my Basement

Several years ago I was looking and marvelling at some P48 models. To see some amazing P48 models visit Gene Deimling's blog at https://myp48.wordpress.com/

That got me wondering about what kind of P48 layout I could build in my basement. My current  Aquia Line layout is not P48. It is a hybrid using Standard O gauge with hand laid track and standard O gauge wheelsets. The track gauge is 5 feet. That would be just right for a Western Atlantic or other southern civil war era layout, but the USMRR used 4'8.5 inches.

Can you see the difference?

In an ideal world I would have gone P48. Truthfully, I'm not sure my track laying skills were good enough. By using code 100 rail, and all wood ties with 4 spikes per tie, the track looks good to me and I am happy with the decision.




Anyway, back to P48. As I wondered about it, I drew this basement filling plan for a P48 layout based on the Canton RR in Maryland. It is one of my favorites short lines. I have a track plan in my latest book on the Lever Bros plant. In my upcoming book, there is a more extensive Canton plan in N scale.

In looking at the P48 plan I realized the turnback loop at the Lever Bros and the loop into the shelf where I now have Falmouth would never work in P48, especially P48 set in a more modern era around the 1990s. So I never went any further with the design.

A few weeks ago, Jeff Peck and I were discussing the plan and I look another look. To make the plan work I would have to give up the loops. The main line would follow the perimeter of the wall.  I annotated the plan with the dark colored lines, blue for CSX and red for Canton.

It's a pretty simple layout. The Canton RR does most of the work, though CSX would switch the GM plan and a hint of Sea Girt.

The plan would not require a lot of rolling stock. One Canton SW-1500 or GP-15 and perhaps two CSX locos (4 axle to handle the tight radii) would comprise the engines roster. About 40 freight cars would be needed for work.

I hope you found this think piece useful and enjoyable. The opportunities for P48 are intriguing, but in most cases, you have to be very careful in your layout plans to accommodate the large radii and turnout number needed for good operation.

Strasburg O Scale Swap Meet and Railroad

I made a trip to the Strasburg O Scale Swap Meet with a bonus side visit to the Strasburg Museum last Saturday. I was on my way to Lebanon, PA to pick up my mom, so I didn't have a lot of time. I got to the swap meet just before it closed down and most of the folks had already struck their tables. A few vendors were still open for business.

Precision Scale 33 inch wheel set

I bought some Precision Scale 33 inch wheel sets from a vendor that had a good selection of detail parts (sorry can't remember his name).  The Precision Scale wheel sets are standard O Scale (i.e. 5 ft gauge) but have very short needle points on the ends of the axles. They should work well with my narrow truck design.

National B-1 truck from Rich Yoder Models

I also picked up a P48 National B-1 Truck from Rich Yoder. I really have no need for it, but it was such a detailed model, I felt that I might learn a bit about how it was made and operates.  The photo doesn't show the impressive brake rigging detail.






On my way out, I stopped at the Strasburg Railroad and Museum. I did not go in the museum as I didn't have time, but I did get to see the tourist train arrive from one of its trips. The video below shows the train arriving and doing a run-around.

P48 Trucks - So this is what the fuss is about!

Paul Dobbs, one of the ACWRRHS members, is building an O Scale ACW layout in P48. For motive power he plans to kit-bash an old Rivarossi plastic model 4-4-0 into a P48 operating locomotive.

Where did this kit come from? Rivarossi was an Italian company founded in 1945. Lionel briefly distributed their models in the United States until Athearn and then Associated Hobby Manufactures (AHM) took over. AHM closed operations in 1985. It is common to find older packaging marked AHM Rivarossi.

Box art from an AHM Rivrossi 4-4-0 Genoa

During their heyday, AHM Rivarossi released at least five American prototype O scale kits including:  0-8-0 Indiana Harbor Belt heavy switcher, 4-6-0 Illinois Central "Casey Jones", V&T 4-4-0's  #12,  "Genoa", and "Reno"
In the 1990s Rivarossi acquired Lima (1992), Jouef and Arnold (1997). In 2003 Rivarossi went into receivership, the last of many times. In 2002 the US importer folded leaving debts greater than the capital value of Rivarossi. In 2004 Hornby Railways PLC acquired assets from Rivarossi, in particular the brands Arnold, Jouef, Rivarossi and Lima. Since 2006 products are sold again under these brand names. To my knowledge the O Scale locomotive kits have not been rereleased. The plastic kits can sometimes be found on Ebay.

I am not sure what powering kit Paul plans to use, but he mentioned that he needed P48 trucks for his freight cars.

I offered to convert some of my Alkem Scale Models trucks to P48 for use on his freight cars. (note these trucks are not yet available for sale, but they are coming soon)

What the heck is P48 anyway? Due to a historical quirk, standard gauge O scale locomotives in the US are made with wheels set to a 1.25 inch (a scale 5 feet) gauge. P48 standard gauge modelers use a correct scale track gauge of 4' 8.5 inches, though it should be noted that some American Civil War era railroads were 5 feet gauge. While they are at it, they also adopt fine scale wheels with realistic tread and flanges. For more information about P48 see http://www.proto48.org/

I modified the design of my O Scale my trucks to accept a p48 wheel set that Paul provided. The photos the P48 trucks compared to my standard gauge O Scale trucks.

The wheel sets in this test have a significant extension of the axle to the outside of the wheel face. As a result, I was unable to make journal covers for the P48 trucks since the axle shafts extended past the journal boxes. Otherwise, the truck uses the same design as my standard gauge trucks, including the working brake mechanism.

The P48 wheels will just barely rest on the standard O gauge track, but they will not operate on it. They require track built to those specs.

So you be the judge, is the difference worth converting all those SMR locomotives to P48? I know what my answer is.

In looking at these photos it occurs to me that I may be able to make the O Std truck narrower by using the same idea I used in the P48 truck. That is, make the axle hole in both the frame and the journal. That would allow the frame sides to lie closer to the wheel faces.  The main problem with these wheel sets in the amount of axle that protrudes from the wheel face. The O Std wheel sets have a pointed axle to reduce friction. But if you don't rely on that point to hold the axles, and use the flat part of the axle as a bearing surface, you could make the overall truck narrower.