Layout Design Element: Hershey, PA

Layout Design Elements are a concept that was first introduced by Tony Koester in the Model Railroad Planning 1995 publication. Layout Design Elements (LDE’s) are usually created by taking a look at a section of the prototype railroad, figuring out how it was physically constructed and actual operated. Then using that knowledge create a modeled representative which has the same look at operational interest as the full size railroad in a smaller space.

As I had mentioned in an earlier post here one of the focused areas for my layout is going to be the Hershey Chocolate Factory and the supporting rail yards. There are actually two main areas of operational interest for the railroad during the time period that I am modeling, the first is a small three track yard at a location named “Derry” on the Conrail ZTS maps. These yards are located approximately one half mile east of the main plant. The second is the main chocolate factory which has a number of spurs into the factory itself south of the main lines plus two sidings into the bean unloading area north of the main.

Based on a 1964 edition of the Reading Freight Schedule Book, there were a total of six symbol freight trains that stopped at the yard near Hershey, three set out cars, and three picked up cars. There was also a local which started each day at 6am which serviced the plant, plus a local at 2pm from Hershey as well as a 2:15pm local from Lebanon (located 16 miles east) which would service the other industries in town.

Doing some quick math and based on the expected length of sidings and such at the plant, I am looking to make the Derry portion of the LDE roughly 12 feet long, which should enable the shortest yard track to hold approximately 8 cars.  Additionally at the location there are a total of 5 tracks, from north to south they are the yard/silo lead, main line track 1, main line track 2, storage track #4, and the yard storage/plant lead.  I’ve looked at the possibility of removing one of the tracks, but for now the plan is to include all of them as per the prototype.

At the Chocolate Factory area, there is the coco bean storage silos located on the north side of the tracks, there are two silo tracks each of which hold the boxcars full of beans being unloaded.  At the plant itself there are five spurs which lead into the plant and one that goes near the power plant. I am not sure of the status of the on site power generation for Hershey’s Factory but the iconic Smoke Stacks are a must include in the model.   The majority of the plant will be represented as an aisle side industry with building flats on the aisle to symbolize the complex plant structure which is much to large to model.  The various spurs into the plant will allow for either one or two cars spots for the switcher to work.

I am still working with XtrackCad to layout some track plans for the area and will post them here when I feel I have something that is workable