MAUCH CHUNK - H0
By Barrowmore Model Railway Group
Mauch Chunk (pronounced Mc Chunk) is a town nestling in a gorge of the Lehigh River in Pennsylvania, USA. Its name means ‘Bear Mountain’ in the local Indian dialect. Our model is set in the 1940s and 50s when the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) carried commuters, longer-distance travellers, freight and coal between stations in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The CNJ was notable for its use of ‘camelback’ steam locomotives right into the 1950s (when most other railroads had abandoned steam) as well as standard locomotives with wide Wootten fireboxes. These designs burnt the plentiful anthracite from local coal mines. Early CNJ diesels include some unusual Baldwin ‘babyfaces’ and ‘double-enders’ – all from the period 1945-55. The model closely follows the prototype and we have been helped by CNJ enthusiasts and local residents who supplied us with track plans and historic maps to lay out the buildings. Mauch Chunk was renamed Jim Thorpe (after the famous American athlete) in 1954 and parts of the railroad we have modelled still exist today as a tourist attraction. You can read more about the CNJ and our Mauch Chunk layout by going to www.barrowmoremrg.co.uk , clicking on the Mauch Chunk PA button and exploring the extensive resources that have been built up over the years.
