Canonsburg is relatively small point on the layout.  There is a small coal loader, an team track, and Canonsburg Box and Crate.  The main line is on a grade at Canonsburg making switching this town a bit challenging. The town itself is nearly level. It is required that all cars for Canonsburg be placed on the rear of the train. Further, it is recommended that no cars be left on the main while switching Canonsburg.  That can be a challenge early in a session when Canonsburg might be full of cars but it can be done later as things thin out.  It does add to the number of moves required. 

As you can see in the photo, Canonsburg is above and behind another portion of the layout (Washington).  It is a bit hard to reach the switches so railroad management recently installed Tortoise switch machines.  These machines are controlled by a rotary switch on the fascia.

The track in the front is the team track.  Canonsburg Box and Crate occupies the back track. The structure is a Walthers Railway Express Agency.  The back of the structure was used in the front to double the length of the building. A false back and new roof were constructed to complete the structure. The smoke stack is a Walthers kit.

The coal loader at Canonsburg is a Walthers flood loader.  Flood loaders are prototypically used, in some cases, to load a small number of cars at a time.  A good example is on the Winifrede Railroad near Charleston, WV.

Pennsylvania Southern Railroad

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