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  • Pennsylvania RR J1 and Q2

  • General discussion of computer gaming and railroad simulations. Topics include MS Train Simulator (MSTS), Auran Trainz, Railroad Tycoon, Railroad Dispatcher and more...
General discussion of computer gaming and railroad simulations. Topics include MS Train Simulator (MSTS), Auran Trainz, Railroad Tycoon, Railroad Dispatcher and more...

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 #1341225  by TheOldDessauer
 
Hello, everyone. I am new to Railroad.net and look forward to talking about all things railroading with you.

I am a player of the video game Train Simulator 2015 from Dovetail Games. They have a blog called Engine Driver.com where the player community can post proposals for new locomotives, rolling stock and routes that they would like to see made for the game. I am writing an article proposing that they make a Pennsy J1 2-10-4 for our Horseshoe Curve Route. The article is almost finished but I would like to end it by contrasting the J1 with the Q2. The problem is I am lacking some very important information regarding where these two locomotives regularly operated.

1) I know that the J1 regularly operated West from Altoona and around the 'curve to Pittsburgh. I am also aware that they regularly handled trains across Ohio, Indiana and on to East St. Louis in Illinois. I was wondering if they ever ran between Harrisburg or Altoona (I can find no pics of them doing so...) or if they were precluded from this because of minimum turning radius, clearances, or axle loadings? Did they ever operate into Chicago?

2) My sources are poor regarding where the Q2's regularly operated. Some have suggested that because of their long, rigid wheelbase that the Q2s could not easily fit through the curves found in mountain territory and thus were pushed "out West", spending most of their careers running west from Crestline, Ohio, and across Indiana into Chicago. However, I recently saw a film clip of a Q2 drifting down HSC that would seem to contradict the first statement. So, where did the Q2's regularly operate? Did they have problems negotiating mountain trackage that pushed them out west? Why/when did they start to accumulate at Crestline?

I am not a professional historian or writer; I'm just a railfan. However, I would like this article to be factual and to make a good impression with the hopes of getting Dovetail Games to make the J1 for the game. Any help would be appreciated.

Regards,
The Old Dessauer

TheOldDessauer

Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Jul 23, 2015 7:45 pm