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Are there any examples of multi era layouts featured in Model Railroaders publication history?

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Are there any examples of multi era layouts featured in Model Railroaders publication history?
Posted by Engi1487 on Tuesday, August 4, 2020 6:00 PM

I have to ask if, anywhere within the history of Model Railroader magazine publication (or other publications) has there been any multi-era layouts been featured? The idea of a layout, wiith locomotives and rolling stock being switched between eras facinates me, and I would like to see if any example have been built and featured, with commentery by the modellers themselves of why and how they built theirs.

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Posted by chatanuga on Tuesday, August 4, 2020 7:20 PM

I remember articles from the 1980s about (if I remember correctly) the Midwest Railroad Modelers club layout where the layout was built as a "generic" midwest layout.  Switching rolling stock, vehicles, etc, and the layout took on a new railroad.  They showed pics of the one yard where one era showed a modern Burlington Northern, and the next it was the Pennsylvania Railroad in the steam days.

Kevin

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Posted by dknelson on Wednesday, August 5, 2020 10:11 AM

I believe Neal Schorr's huge layout is multi era from Pennsy steam forward to NS, and I think portions of his layout have structures and vehicles etc appropriate to each of the eras.  It has been featured in MRP and MR I believe

I don't recall name of modeler or layout but I also recall an article where the layout owner every once in a while would change eras - he had complete sets of rolling stock and would change out vehicles and some structures (such as railroad coaling and water facilities) to make it consistent.

There are many clubs that feature multiple eras and even multiple prototypes.

And of course there are and always have been vast numbers of modelers with layouts who don't care about era and run whatever they like.  Now and then their layout is nice enough to get featured in the magazine. 

Dave Nelson 

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Posted by ndbprr on Wednesday, August 5, 2020 4:07 PM

Any model railroad can be run in different eras subject to the scenery. Using modern construction buildings will not work with older eras but scenery and buildings from early eras are acceptable for more modern eras

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Posted by wjstix on Wednesday, August 5, 2020 4:34 PM

As I mentioned over in the current General Discussions thread "Multiple Era Modeling", there have been people who have run steam engines one session and diesels the next, or layouts where the owner or club does maybe one session a year in an earlier or later time, or that had generic enough scenery that any 20th century engines and cars looked OK...but I'm not aware of anyone who has built a layout designed to change or rotate timeframes where engines, cars, autos, buildings, billboards, etc. were all changed. If they're out there, they haven't been in any of the magazines. My old RMC article "The Fast Time Calendar" described such a layout; I've yet to finish one enough to actually do it but I hope the one I'm doing now will prove the theory to work.

Stix
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Posted by rrinker on Wednesday, August 5, 2020 6:22 PM

 Would Eric Brooman's Utah Belt count? Every few years he goes throught he layout and brings it forward in time instead of remaining set in the same time as it was originally built.

                           --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

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Posted by Engi1487 on Saturday, August 8, 2020 6:27 PM

rrinker

 Would Eric Brooman's Utah Belt count? Every few years he goes throught he layout and brings it forward in time instead of remaining set in the same time as it was originally built.

                           --Randy
Wouldnt that be considered to be evolving? I really do like th Utah Belt, but because he brings it forward in time, I think thats evolving. Multi era to means having multipule, two or more on a single layout at once.

 

 

rrinker

 Would Eric Brooman's Utah Belt count? Every few years he goes throught he layout and brings it forward in time instead of remaining set in the same time as it was originally built.

                           --Randy

 

 

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Posted by Bayfield Transfer Railway on Saturday, August 8, 2020 6:33 PM

Why not, oh, LOOK IN THE MR INDEX ON THIS VERY SITE.

Disclaimer:  This post may contain humor, sarcasm, and/or flatulence.

Michael Mornard

Bringing the North Woods to South Dakota!

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Posted by Bayfield Transfer Railway on Saturday, August 8, 2020 6:34 PM

AND GOOGLE IT IF YOU CAN'T FIND IT.

 

Disclaimer:  This post may contain humor, sarcasm, and/or flatulence.

Michael Mornard

Bringing the North Woods to South Dakota!

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