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 Posted - November 07 2023 : 2:42:56 PM
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Chelten Hills Model Railroad Club is located north of Philadelphia in Elkins Park Pennsylvania.
Near the Elkins Park and Jenkintown SEPTA train stations.
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Posted - November 07 2023 : 2:46:06 PM
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HO layout is in a former Reading Railroad train station near the SEPTA Elkins Park station.
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Posted - November 07 2023 : 2:48:15 PM
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Open house in November and December.
http://pennfalls.org/cheltenhillsc/cheltenhome.html
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Posted - November 07 2023 : 2:49:38 PM
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https://m.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=100057195860785
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Posted - November 07 2023 : 2:55:01 PM
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HO scale track plan.
42 radius on a 25 by 80 foot HO scale layout.
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Posted - November 07 2023 : 3:07:26 PM
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Chelten Hills Model Railroad Club
Elkins Park Pennsylvania
Open House schedule for 2023-24
See dates below
Saturday and Sunday Admission is free
Noon till 4:00 PM
Donations Accepted
Dates:
November 18 & 19, 2023
December 9 & 10, 2023
January 13 & 14, 2024
February 3 & 4, 2024
Address:
8010 Old York Road
Elkins Park, PA 19027
Phone: (215) 635-9747
E-mail: cheltenhills@gmail.com
I will try for the November 18 or 19 dates.
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Posted - November 08 2023 : 12:23:22 PM
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Posted - November 08 2023 : 12:26:12 PM
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Posted - November 08 2023 : 12:27:35 PM
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Posted - December 11 2023 : 07:57:47 AM
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Posted - December 11 2023 : 08:01:47 AM
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Posted - December 11 2023 : 08:08:12 AM
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Posted - December 11 2023 : 08:21:31 AM
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Posted - December 11 2023 : 08:28:59 AM
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 Posted - December 13 2023 : 12:41:53 PM
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A mind boggling creation. First: where the Heck did all the money come from? Are dues like that of
a high end golf club??? Second, when one references the Tower of Babel, that ancient story rather
hits the nail on the head in describing the activity of pretty much organization you can think of, from
the Ladies Quilting Bee, to Apple Computers, to the model railroad club. Any organization is going to
have some level of disagreement and outright divisiveness.
For starters, model railheads are an usually diverse bunch. Some will like the ATSF while others
wouldn't think of modeling outside the Maine Central, others will want a bit of everything. Some
will favor steam, others diesel, some diehard traction fans.
This club, for the most part, seems to have been able to stick to a thematic time period of
steam to diesel, though the roads vary from West to East.
At the El Paso Model Train Club, the layout, about 1/5th, or less, the size of this behemoth, one
goes from Mexico to the Sierra Nevadas to the Poconos to the streets of El Paso to an underground
maze of intersecting blocks and then around again. Anybody with any political weight has come
in over the decades and had to have it a certain way. At one point, a fairly well heeled member
quit in quiet frustration when those with more leverage denied him the opportunity to add
dummy catenary to a stretch. Another member wanted to build a floor to ceiling butte encircled
by a single strand of N scale.
For our club administration we had those who rule with an iron fist and those who took a very
Libertarian approach (me). The infighting never ceased. Factions were always rising and falling.
After 20 years I packed it in and enjoy stepping into the garage and doing whatever amuses me.
So every time I see something like Chelton, or San Diego, I have to wonder who are these
financiers and how is it even possible to get any of them remotely on the same page. Everybody
has a favorite, or favorites, and trying to get them to harmonize is Biblically impossible; but
yet here it is, a cohesive product that works well.
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Posted - January 12 2024 : 4:05:19 PM
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Recent video of the club. Open house this weekend. I may go tomorrow.
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Posted - January 13 2024 : 12:58:15 AM
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Enjoy the visit! I still want to know who are these people who can create such extraordinary
enterprises. I say again: model railroaders are like snowflakes: no two are alike. And trying
to get them to agree on something is like trying to herd cats.
How in the world these gentlemen (and ladies?) were able to orchestrate this creation, and
lay track so perfect that everything runs perfectly every time, all the time, is still as
mysterious to me as Quantum Physics and the Big Bang Theory.
OK, well maybe I am seeing some variation in there: a CNW passenger consist just
passed by an Amtrak consist. Still, the track plan alone is enough to cause a stroke.
Moreover, there is this clever little 90 degree crossing of some spur over the lead
track to the turntable, and it is immaculately done.
Edited by - Chops124 on January 13 2024 01:13:18 AM
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Posted - January 13 2024 : 4:52:50 PM
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quote:
How in the world these gentlemen (and ladies?) were able to orchestrate this creation, and
lay track so perfect that everything runs perfectly every time, all the time, is still as
mysterious to me as Quantum Physics and the Big Bang Theory.
Originally posted by Chops124Â -Â January 13 2024Â :Â 12:58:15 AM
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No mystery there. Derailments are inversely proportional to the minimum radius used. This is due to the limitations of the equipment used, and the effect of misaligned rail joints on equipment already being pushed to its limits by the small radii most of us use. If your HO railroad has a 42" minimum radius and you are STILL going off the track there is something seriously wrong with the way you laid it. On the other hand, trackwork is much more critical with 18" radius, and less than about 22" radius you start running into situations where it doesn't matter how well laid your track is, certain equipment combinations are going to derail, because their physical limitations have been exceeded. It's simple physics at that point.
Edited by - jward on January 14 2024 11:43:53 AM
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Posted - January 14 2024 : 11:38:09 AM
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| Interesting.
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Posted - January 14 2024 : 2:51:54 PM
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I did not go there today but I found some nice internet photos of the layout.
Nice replica of Philadelphia 30 Street Station.
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Posted - January 14 2024 : 4:04:38 PM
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More internet photos.
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Posted - January 15 2024 : 11:38:07 AM
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More internet photos.
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Posted - January 15 2024 : 11:46:44 AM
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Last of the internet photos from a cool site.
Overhead views of their control center.
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Posted - January 15 2024 : 1:46:53 PM
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Link to the website with those photos and information about the club layout.
http://www.phillynmra.org/archives/layout/chelten-hills-model-rr-club-ho
Shortly after World War 2 ten model railroad enthusiasts decided to start their own club.
Founded on February 7, 1946 the club was originally called the Germantown HO Engineers.
Their meeting place was on the second floor of a paint store in Germantown and their first layout was completed in June 1946.
A month later the club moved to a bigger facility in the basement of the PRR signal tower in Chestnut Hill.
They moved their original layout to this facility until 1952 when they started a new layout.
The new trackwork was completed in 1955 but scenery and revisions continued until they moved the club to their present location in Elkins Park in 1962.
By this time the club had 22 members and they needed more space.
They also decided to change the name to the Chelten Hills Model Railroad Club and they named their layout the Penn Falls Railroad.
The original layout was so good that it still exists today with a few minor changes and improvements.
The old electrical operating system has been replaced with a new Digitrax DCC system, which has greatly enhanced operations.
The layout boasts some major highlights.
The first thing you will encounter as you walk in the door is an amazing hand built lift bridge.
Connects both sides of the layout.
Imagine the aisle as a river with cities, towns, and industries on both sides.
The bridge not only connects the railroad it is a means of crowd control during open houses.
It has worked flawlessly for over fifty years with only minor adjustments.
On the right hand side of the river is the Berkenstock freight yard engine servicing facility and the waterfront pier.
Look closely and you will find many detailed and fascinating scenes.
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Posted - January 24 2024 : 4:00:07 PM
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| Great photos!
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Posted - March 04 2025 : 2:06:23 PM
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Cool cab view ride
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