Just a bit sad you missed the transition years?

[FJ and G]

1950s stand out as the A#1 numero uno decade that we modelers love; when steam and diesels existed side by side for a fleeting moment in time. Unfortunately, the transition was so swift that many of us, actually, most of us, completely missed seeing the great spectacle of big steam and first-generation mix of diesels side by side. For most, we just saw the tail end of first generation, which already was getting old by the 60s.

Yet, that decade will forever remain frozen in time as THE decade to model.

Other countries have been more fortunate in having later transition periods. For much of Europe and East Asia, steam was still going strong in the 60s and even 70s. Trains (or was it Railroad) magazine even had a column titled "in search of steam."

And some countries like China and India, had the transition in the 80s and 90s. How lucky for modelers and railfans in those countries, which are probably few in number.

As we plow into the 21st century, the 1950s will forever remain frozen in time in our basements atop our benchwork.

Dave Vergun

[Dr. John]

Yeah, Dave, I would loved to have seen it. Still, I think we tend to take for granted what we have at any given point of time. I remember seeing F units and early Geeps, Alcos and Baldwins back in the 60s and early 70s. I frequently think, "Oh, if I had only taken pictures when I had the chance."

30 years from now, folks will probably lament the passing of the SD-90s and big GEs, as the fusion powered lead units pull trains without crews silently by.

I do agree that the 50s seem to be THE era when most folks consider the best days of railroading (at least for us modelers).

[cnw1995]

I wish wish wish I could've seen this era. I wish I grew up somewhere where freight railroads ran. I grew up along the Northeast Corridor in the Penn Central era - saw nothing but commuter trains...It sure is fun to see steam engines and early diesels at museums like the Illinois Railway Museum (I want to go there for Fathers Day)

[Anonymous]

I've always loved the 50's! Not just the trains, but the other things, too. They don't call it the fabulous 50's for nothing! By the time I was born, first generation diesels had all but disappeared. I've always wished that I had been born earlier or else could go back in time. While I do love the trains that are out there now, I've always prefered steam and first generation diesels (not to mention early electircs). There's just "something" about them that modern trains don't have.

I have some old issues of Railroad and am familiar with "In Search of Steam". That's probably my favorite part of those magazines. Actually, though, there still is some steam left in the world. While mainline steam has ended in China, there still are many steam locomotives working in the country in remote areas. In Zimbabwe, they have actually gone back to using steam for commuter trains after having not used steam since the early 90's. The island of Java has many sugar mills with steam locomotives. There are also other places where steam still lives on working at places like mines and factories.

[Roger Bielen]

I was around for the transition though quite young. I vaguely remember a small freight yard at the end of the street we lived on till I was 5. It served the industries along the Passaic River in Passaic, NJ. The ones I remember are US. Rubber and Raybestos. I remember SW's and I think a steam switcher. After hours and on weekends my Dad would take me down to the tracks to climb on the cars.

On the main line downtown they were already running GG1's, I think. I don't remember any mainline steam, F or E units.

[spankybird]

Hi all,

I almost missed the Transition Years. Being born on the east side of Cleveland in 1949, steam was still around and I barely remember it. The track that I live next to (and still do, only 8 miles farther east) at that time was the Nickel Plate and NW which the Nickel Plate became the NYC and after a few other changes are now the CSX and NW is NS.

Steam left Cleveland quickly. I remember a lot of RR strikes because of not needing brakeman and then fireman. I remember the end of the caboose and the building of Interstate 90 thru the east side.

With this post, it made me think that I recall that my dad work on the railroad for a short time, so did my present father-in-law (he’s 75) and so did my first wife’s father. Maybe that’s one reason why they bought use toy trains, because they work on the RR.

How many of your dad or uncles worked on the RR. And how many of the youngster out there have a dad or uncle working on the RR. I would bet to say most don’t even know anyone who works on the RR.

Maybe that’s why they don’t get toy trains.

[FJ and G]

Spankybird,

RRs used to be the #1 employer and industry driver. Not anymore. However, you still can actually measure the health of the economy by the # of trains that are run today.

I highly recommend the May04 Trains mag. Read about Swiss RRs and the billions they are spending on upgrades, using tax dollars from truckers, of all things.

The roads have gotten too jammed and the death toll from vehicles in tunnel fires keeps climbing as well as the terrible pollution. These have caused the Swiss to take drastic action.

And that's just freight.

In other areas of Europe & Japan, passenger trains are fast fast fast and on time and THE way to travel.

The Chinese are busy building thousands of miles of track a year, reminiscent of the USA in the 1860s to 1880s. What a great feat of engineering they are doing; and they are building the railroads to mostly go hi-speed.

Now there's a transition for you: China still w/steam as well as hi-speed; even a state-of-the-art monorail speedster in Shanghai.

Dave

[spankybird]

Hi Dave,

You are 100% correct that the RR were the largest industry in the US. Maybe that’s why I choused the 1910 or so time frame for my layout (click on web icon). That was when STEAM was KING.

The Steam engine that the Knox and Kane RR uses in PA was build in China. And yes you are correct that they still use steam there.

There has been a few studies done in the past years about high speed passager service form Cleveland to Chicago. It’s about 400 mile, 50 minute air time, 6 hour drive time. Today, with check in and all, the air time is almost 4 hours, (if you have time to spare, go by air).

They would have to do away with the road crossing for really high speed. Buckeye would love that.

I am only about ½ mile from the track and have no problem hearing the trains. I have always said that you can tell how well the economy is by the number of trains on the tracks.


Here is the first American 4-4-0




tom

[Anonymous]

part of the reason why many of us engineers chose the transition period beacause you have the freedom of getting both diesels and steam engines. Thats why I think this is modeled the most. [^][:D]

[Frank in Steam]

Don't forget that some of us look at the 50's (transition era) as a disaster . It meant the end for sure of our beloved steam locos. Steam = man's best attempt to date at creating a living machine. The pre transition era is romantic as steam was still king, railroads were the preeminant industry affecting everyone, and it was the last era before true mobility was available to the common man. Not that the changes were bad, just that things were no longer the way they were. I just love imagining what big mainline steam was like - a big Northern (Niagara) starting a heavy train or thundering by at speed.

I probably saw steam on the mainline NYC, but was too young to remember. But I do remember the E and F units pulling a lot of traffic. The variety of consists sure beats todays string after string of container cars.

[Anonymous]

I am! I was born in 56 but will be forever greatfull to Ms. Ronhausin and Ms. Slaugther for taking my kindergarten class on a UP passenger train from Port Arthur to Beaumont TX, maybe all of 25 miles. They were great ladies, they could see the handwriting on the wall for passenger service and wanted "their kids" to be able to say they rode a passenger train. They even arraged for a photographer to take a class picture in front of the engine. I hope my mom has it in a safe place. Think I'll check with her tonight. Of all of the teachers I've had over the years they are among a small handful of standouts. I miss them.

I still remember seeing UP, SP, KCS, MKT cabeese(sp?) rolling along.

If you want to capture a bit of steam travel and find yourself near east Texas within a few hours of Palestine or Rusk be sure to give the Texas Stae Railroad a try. It's a great excursion train. They run excursion trains from both stations and that makes it the only excursion railroad I am aware of were you can experience two trains passing in opposite directions, whoever gets to the siding first is stationary. Feels like you could reach out and touch it as it passes.

Then of course there were all those great westerns on B&W tv.

[wallyworld]

When I look back on the 1960's, it's remarkable how much variety was still to be had. I grew up in the then much smaller town of Mundelein, Illiinois and it was a two block walk to the branch line terminal of The North Shore Line. I would spend every afternoon on the station bench watching the string of "pups' or the "alligator" switch the interchange or just observe the passenger runs come and go. Next to my school yard, we would watch the Soo "Laker" roar past with it's long string of heavyweight coaches pulled by several Geeps blasting it's horn for the crossing. You could see the Baldwin Centipedes crawl along the EJ&E or go over to Roundout by interurban ( a CNSM local stop) and watch the Hiawathas blur past so quickly it would make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Those were the days.

[mersenne6]

I realize that this thread is referring to the 1950's transition from diesel to steam but based on what I have read there are lamentations aplenty out there in the literature about other "missed" transitions. I was re-reading some of the letters to the editor in one of the 1930's pulp railroad magazines and in letter after letter men who were either too old to have seen it or were very young when it took place commented on their perception of the sad uniformity and lack of action and color of the then current railroad scene.

The general thread was along to lines of - "When we were young trains were really trains - you couldn't beat that brass trim and those shiny locomotive cabs, and remember how those bells and whistles used to sound - there's nothing like watching a 4-4-0 with a string of polished varni***ake the grade - today - all we have is big clunky chunks of drab steel."

I'm sure that if I could find fan mail from the 1860's I could find people who just couldn't stand the sight of t"hose awful looking 4-4-0's with those blasted cabs - give me an 0-4-0 teakettle with the engineer standing out there where he was proud to be seen any time day or night."

One wonders what people will remember about today's trains 50 years hence.