CNJ Concrete Switching Shanty - New From RIVER LEAF MODELS

Beautiful!  Will it come slightly weathered? If so, I'll order one.

Hot Water,

This is a kit. Need to be assemble and painted.

Andre.

I just ordered 2 kits.  Thanks Don and Andre for working together to make this project a reality.  Very much appreciated from a huge CNJ fan!

CNJ #1601 posted:

I just ordered 2 kits.  Thanks Don and Andre for working together to make this project a reality.  Very much appreciated from a huge CNJ fan!

Joe,

Thank you, we received your order. This week we are producing the kits.

AG.

Neat!  I assume that this was a little shelter for the person responsible for throwing the switches to stay warm in during winter?

How  different is this cnj kit from the Prr ones on the bel Del

Fridge56Vet posted:

Neat!  I assume that this was a little shelter for the person responsible for throwing the switches to stay warm in during winter?

Was used to shelter the switchman from the weather. He would receive orders by telephone from the yardmaster and manually throw the designated switch.

Andre.

prrhorseshoecurve posted:

How  different is this cnj kit from the Prr ones on the bel Del

Well, after this project I was looking for different ones. PRR was using some concrete shanties for crossing guards but not for switching, and the shape wasn't as an octagon. I might be wrong, so will help a lot if someone could share more information.

Andre.

Andre,

You may want to search Delaware & Hudson structures. The president from the late 40's to the 60's, I believe, was big on using concrete structures to reduce maintenance. Bridges and such, but I seem to think it grew into replacing small wooden service buildings. I believe the shanty actually came from them as they began using tracks (old PRR) in the area of where the shanty prototype photos were located.

I found that reference when searching for details about the concrete switchman's shanty.

Carl, that's a very interesting point regarding the possible D&H heritage/influence regarding this shanty. The D&H was the designated operator of the trackage in and around the Huber Colliery for a very brief time after the CNJ pulled out of Pennsylvania in 1972 and prior to the breaker's closure.

With my strong interest in the CNJ, specifically in its northeastern PA operations in the Ashley and Wilkes-Barre area (where I was born and raised), I will have to do more research on this structure!

Many railroads used concrete phone booths.

CNJ

Erie

LV

These are similar to what the PRR had along the Bel-Del but I couldn't find a picture of one of those.

Joe,

correct, same company was making those too.

they are in the queue.

Andre. 

CNJ #1601 posted:

I just ordered 2 kits.  Thanks Don and Andre for working together to make this project a reality.  Very much appreciated from a huge CNJ fan!

You're welcome Joe, it was a pleasure working with Andre; it's too bad he's so far south. I do have another possible project in mind at some future point. Also, it would be nice to see Andre do a model of the CNJ yard tower, (or one similar), that Alan Graziano did for someone not too long ago. 

Don

There were many uses for these buildings: shifting/switching shanties, phone booths, out houses, (for which I have a photo of the plan view), and crossing shanties. They came in different sizes and styles as well. These were used by many different roads, and were seen in many locations at least as far as the mid-west. They were built by the CF Massey Co of Chicago Illinois. The structures were monolithic concrete, and must have been poured upside down. There is one at the intersection of Market and George in York that is restored; our preservation society will be planning a trip for a Saturday in June. The one in York has an onion dome from what I'm told. One of our society members lived in York and has seen the shanty. I didn't find out about it until late Friday afternoon, so my wife and I were unable to drive over to see it while we were at the train show. 

Don

Concrete phone huts were fairly common along western railroads, cast in one piece. They last forever.

Andre's version is something I haven't seen before. I gather that the walls were pre-cast pieces assembled on site. Wonder how they sealed the seams. It would be interesting to hear the history behind these? Probably not very comfortable in cold weather!

Yep... another winner! Keep up the good work.

rail posted:

You're welcome Joe, it was a pleasure working with Andre; it's too bad he's so far south. I do have another possible project in mind at some future point. Also, it would be nice to see Andre do a model of the CNJ yard tower, (or one similar), that Alan Graziano did for someone not too long ago. 

Don

That was me that had Alan G. custom-build the Ashley yard tower.  It--along with these shanties--will be prominently displayed on my future layout's CNJ Ashley yard scene!

Ace posted:

Concrete phone huts were fairly common along western railroads, cast in one piece. They last forever.

Andre's version is something I haven't seen before. I gather that the walls were pre-cast pieces assembled on site. Wonder how they sealed the seams. It would be interesting to hear the history behind these? Probably not very comfortable in cold weather!

There were no seams, these were cast in one piece. Being a former concrete man, I'm guessing that they were poured upside down.

Don

rail posted:

CNJ #1601 posted:

I just ordered 2 kits.  Thanks Don and Andre for working together to make this project a reality.  Very much appreciated from a huge CNJ fan!

You're welcome Joe, it was a pleasure working with Andre; it's too bad he's so far south. I do have another possible project in mind at some future point. Also, it would be nice to see Andre do a model of the CNJ yard tower, (or one similar), that Alan Graziano did for someone not too long ago. 

Don

Don it's Dalton. If he makes one of them switch towers let me know. I'd be interested. My great grandfather worked for the cnj.