Description

The Wyoming Division of the Lehigh Valley is a 17’ x 19’ layout depicting several of the railroads which served the Wyoming Valley in Northeast Pennsylvania during the 1940 to 1950 eras. It is located in a detached garage which was rebuilt during the summer of 1998. It uses modular construction with the modules located along the walls and with the peninsula in the center.

The double tracked Leigh Valley dog bone mainline is stacked under the peninsula which staging tracks on each end representing upstate New York and the New Jersey Meadowlands on the other end. A lift out near the doorway is used to provide a connection to the lower loop.

The LV's operations are centered around the large division yard at Coxton. It features a 10-track double- ended yard, a 7 track stub-ended storage yard and car shop, a turntable which serves as a 6 stall Roundhouse, and interchanges with the NYO&W and Lackawanna railroads via the LV's Austin Branch. The double-track main line passes through the large industrial city of Wilkes-Barre. Rail is code 100, 83, or 70 Nickel Silver. Turnouts are a combination of Atlas, Walters and some of the turnouts and track are hand laid.

The LV section of the layout was originally wired for multi-cab DC control using two large control panels using a combination of 5 pole rotary, DPDT and on/off switches. A Digitrax DCC system was added using one post on the rotary switches. A DCS-100 powers the western or left half of the dog bone and the yard. A DB-150 booster powers the eastern end.  MRC auto reversing modules are used for each loop.

The electrical schematic gives you some idea of the track plan for the 3-level layout as it was originally constructed. The CNJ tracks are highlighted in green, the PRR in blue, the Laurel Line in orange, and the LV is not highlighted.

The 1st generation diesel motor power is mostly from Stuart, Atlas, Kato or MTH. A variety of late steam engines are also used, a combination of brass and modified Bachman, Proto 2000 and Broadway Limited engines. Most of the DCC engines are equipped with sound. Some of the freight cars are super detailed or scratchbuilt, but most are slightly modified kits. Passenger equipment is all modified to reflect the Lehigh Valley’s or Jersey Central 's equipment and have complete interiors and lighting.

The mountain scenery is built in layers of blueboard insulation covered with a thin layer of Scuptumold. Woodlands Scenic and homemade rock castings were made from Scuptumold also. Most of the vegetation is lichen sprinkled with Woodland Scenics foam.  My friend Tom Salmon did the impressive job finishing most of the mountain scenery behind the yard.  I painted the mountain background using a technique described to me by Dave Watson.