The Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR), at its peak in 1882, was the largest railroad (by traffic and revenue), the largest transportation enterprise, and the largest corporation in the world. Its mainlines and branches spread out over the heart of the Mid-Atlantic/Mid-West industrial belt. The number of freight cars on its roster was mind-boggling. At its peak in 1919 the PRR owned over 280,000 freight cars. For example, between 1904 and 1914, the PRR built over 52,000 hopper cars and another 4,500 coke hoppers! Since the manufacturing might of the mid-Atlantic was shipped throughout the United States, PRR cars could be found everywhere.
Join Chris as he focuses on common PRR freight car classes that could be found outside their home rails. He will also describe how to model these freight car classes.
About the Presenter
Chris got his first Lionel train set when he was nine months old! It consisted of a Northern Pacific 44 tonner, red PRR Baby Ruth box car, Sunoco tank car, and a Santa Fe style caboose. The Lionel layout kept growing every Christmas. When he was in sixth grade, his uncle gave him his old Revell HO gauge set. Growing up in NYC, and having America’s Hobby Center just a few subway stops away, meant that the HO layout expanded quickly. His love of the Pennsylvania Railroad came from travelling to see his Grandparents via the PRR from Penn Station in NYC to Harrisburg, PA. On his layout, he models the west slope of the PRR mainline from Cresson to Johnstown. Since he also loves the East Broad Top, he does have the Mt. Union PRR-EBT interchange also on his railroad. He is a long-time member of the PRR Technical & Historical Society and is Secretary-Treasurer of its Penn-Texas Chapter. He is secretary of the Austin Model Railway Society, and his alter-ego Russ T. Rale is editor of the Cen-Tex Division 4 newsletter The Centex Eagle.
LOCATION:
Exec Learning Center
TIME:
Friday, 8:30 pm – 9:30 pm
CATEGORY:
Prototypes
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