RE: (erielack) Harold W's Erie RR operations

["Paul R. Tupaczewski" <paultup_@_optonline.net>]

Joe Jordan wrote:

> First of all, mentioning my layout in the same email as Harold's is 
> a blasphemy.  Harold's layout is one of the finest I've ever 
> encountered.  
> I was privileged to attend an operating session at Harold's 
> in June 1997 
> which ran so smooth and without any minor mishap, it was like 
> watching 
> the real ERIE railroad.  His scenery and re-creation of the 
> Delaware Division 
> which includes the Starrucca Viaduct is SPECTACULAR. His mix 
> of steam and 
> early diesel is INSPIRING. His operating adherance to the 
> prototype schedule is 
> UNBELIEVABLE. All in all, almost a religious/spiritual experience.

I am a fairly regular operator on Harold's layout, and I think he'd
probably get a good chuckle out of the "religious/spiritual experience."
Harold is simply one of the funniest, most down-to-earth people you'd
ever want to meet, and he doesn't elevate his layout to any form of
stature. He simply enjoys recreating the Erie as he remembered it.

There is a LOT of lee-way on the "adherence to the prototype schedule,"
by the way. We're all human, and this is supposed to be fun, so problems
with the schedule crop up from time to time, and all is taken in stride
with laughter. Often times, jokes are heard around the layout...



>Another article which ran in Model Railroader, January 1994, pages 80 
>thru 87 with a full color diagram of the layout. This issue celebrated 
>60 years of Model Railroader magazine and celebrated with the first
article 
>being Harold Werthwein's Erie Railroad.  I felt that was very
appropriate and 
>I'm sure most of the list will agree with me, all of us being somewhat 
>slanted toward's anything Erie/DL&W/Erie Lackawanna.

I would highly recommend the Allen Keller video on Harold's layout if
you want a good dose of it. The layout has expanded a bit since that
tape, but it captures the layout well.

	- Paul

P.S. Best position on Harold's layout? Port Jervis yardmaster, westbound
side... :)

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