MRA Editors

Introduction to David Holl’s Penn Valley Railroad

MRA Editors
Duration:   2  mins

Description

No one does Pennsylvania model railroads quite like David Holl. For more than two decades, this master modeler has been creating and refining his roughly 1,600-sq-ft. layout of Penn Valley Railroad, slowly but surely expanding the scene from its initial 200-sq-ft. into the sprawling masterpiece it is today.

David’s HO scale layout, constructed with L-girder benchwork, runs from a hidden staging yard in Youngstown through one of the state’s major hubs in Erie to another yard at Allentown. Over time, as the layout grew and more stops were incorporated, David decided to include track for multiple sister railroads of the Penn Valley, including the NY Central, the Pennsylvania and the East Eiser & Rocky Bottom. Come along as host Allen Keller goes behind the scenes to travel the tracks of David’s awe-inspiring recreation of Penn Valley Railroad!

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With an outline of 36 by 46 feet, the HO scale Penn Valley sits in a basement designed just for it. It has L-girder bench work and a 26-inch minimum radius. Besides the Penn Valley, there is track for the New York Central and track for the Pennsylvania Railroad. There's also an interchange with a branch line, the East Eiser & Rocky Bottom. The train known as the Salad Bowl Express enters the Penn Valley at Allentown from the Lehigh Valley interchange behind Union Station. The line passes the REA building and the Ankeney Motors. A switcher passes the F3's. The Express rolls on through Allentown Yard. In back is the engine facility and diesel shop. The Clark Grain Exchange hugs this beautiful S-curve. The F units work in back of the Quincy industrial district.
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