I'm doing Transistion Era in the mid-50s. But I have an old MDC/Roundhouse Prairie that is very dear and doesn't really fit that scheme. It's going to get upgraded with the old Cal Scale super detail kit and a can motor to replace the old open-frame (PIttman?) one. Rather than consigning it to static display on a boneyard siding or a city park, there are two other options that come to mind. One is short haul freight on a Mom and Pop branch line. The other use might be in pulling a short haul excursion train of old coaches and open top gondolas, etc. But just how early did that kind of service become as relatively common as it appears to be these days?
Thanks!
John
There have been "short haul excursion" trains about forever. The difference is that NOW people want to ride behind steam. THEN steam was what pulled the train for the excursion.
There has been a movement from the latter to the former over time.
Ed
Northern Pacific used 2-6-2 engines with Stephenson valve gear in the Duluth / Superior area until about 1955, so using your engine on freight would work.
Many fantrips in the 1950's were organized by railfan clubs / organizations. As steam started to die out, railroads might do an "end of steam" fantrip - perhaps for several years in a row. These trips were usually fairly big productions, with a fairly long consist of cars and a large steam engine. That would be different than a 'tourist railroad' experience, of an old engine and a couple of vintage cars running on a 5-10 mile round trip on a former branchline or something.
Of course, many railfans in the 1950's took informal 'fantrips' on branchline trains that were still seeing regular scheduled service, like say the D&RGW narrow-gauge lines in Colorado.
wjstix Many fantrips in the 1950's were organized by railfan clubs / organizations. As steam started to die out, railroads might do an "end of steam" fantrip - perhaps for several years in a row. These trips were usually fairly big productions, with a fairly long consist of cars and a large steam engine. That would be different than a 'tourist railroad' experience, of an old engine and a couple of vintage cars running on a 5-10 mile round trip on a former branchline or something.
AttuvianWhat I'm thinking of is much more in line with your "tourist railroad experience".
I remember riding the Arcade & Attica in New York in July of 1962 and the Everett Railroad in Pa. in the early 1960s. I believe East Broad Top was resurrected in August, 1960.
Cheers, Ed
The Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad out of Garibaldi, OR regularly leads its consists with a nicely maintained 2-6-2 purchased from the old McCloud River Railroad in Northern California.
www.oregoncoastscenic.org
An alternative would be to re-locate your railroad in Canada, where mainline steam co-existed with diesels, in varying degrees, until the end of the '50s.
It's unlikely that the Rivet Counter Police will kick down your door and ask to see your Modeller's Licence, so I say, "Doo id! Doo id now!!" (with apologies to Arnold).
Wayne
Attuvian wjstix Many fantrips in the 1950's were organized by railfan clubs / organizations. As steam started to die out, railroads might do an "end of steam" fantrip - perhaps for several years in a row. These trips were usually fairly big productions, with a fairly long consist of cars and a large steam engine. That would be different than a 'tourist railroad' experience, of an old engine and a couple of vintage cars running on a 5-10 mile round trip on a former branchline or something. Stix, I've seen some photos recently of one of those end-of-steam rail fan trips and it was indeed quite a production. What I'm thinking of is much more in line with your "tourist railroad experience". Do they go back that far? John