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THE PROTOTYPE

In 1917, the Philadelphia and Reading Railway Company issued plans for a 6 x 3 window brick tower with separate battery house, to be built at Norristown Junction.  Although these plans were not marked as a "standard" design, a tower very similar to the one shown in the 1917 plans were built at Newtown Jct. (NX).

Norristown Jct. photo by Dale Woodland

Newtown Jct. photo by Rich Jahn

Similar towers of less ornate design were built later, with a simplified roofline on the tower and an attached battery house with a simplified roofline.

BIRD photo by John Caples

Reading PA (?) photographer unknown

If you can positively identify the last tower shown above, or supply documentation on other RDG brick towers, please contact Ed Schaller at ed AT lvrrmodeler DOT net.

THE MODEL

This will be an HO scale laser-cut micro-fiberboard ("task board") kit, produced exclusively for the ARHS by The N Scale Architect.  (An N scale version may eventually be available as part of The N Scale Architect standard line.)  Plastic embossed brick overlay, roofing material, glazing, and interior floor, and architectural details will be included.  The tentative schedule is to have this model available in December 2007 or January 2008.The price is expected to be in the range of $110, although that cannot be guaranteed until the final design work is completed and a prototype model is constructed. 

Variations of the design can possibly be kitbashed from this kit by an experienced modeler.