Where do you find the prototypes?

[Anonymous]

I am a novice modeller, and I am wondering where modellers actually find the track plans for the prototype. Is there some sort of information website or something?

[Jetrock]

Google Earth, Yahoo! Maps satellite view, and other public-accessible satellite phot websites are invaluable for this. All you have to do is go to Yahoo! Maps, take a look at a city with lots of rail service, switch to Satellite view, and follow the rails. Often city maps will have simplified schematics of rail systems. Depending on the specific railroad, there are many books on railroad history and operations which often include track plans, and historical societies and railroad museums often have repositories of track diagrams and maps. There are a lot of different sources, rather than a single one, and they vary based on what railroad you want to model. Studying real railroads is the best way to get inspiration for model railroading.

 

Another suggestion is that if there are trains operating in your area, go out and do a little railfanning! Take a look at how it looks from the ground.

[ndbprr]

At some point you will take an interest in a particular railroad.  Once you do acquire books with lots of pictures of that railroad.  From the pictures and the engines you like you will determine what portion of that railroad interests you.  From that you can find an area that meets your needs and interests.

[Texas Zepher]

I am wondering where modellers actually find the track plans for the prototype. Is there some sort of information website or something?

It depends upon when and where you intend to model.   I recently, started helping a person just starting.  He wanted to model something in Central Georgia, preferably around his home town of Louisville.   We started with an old 1957 Encyclopedia under looking at the map under Georgia.  Sure enough the railroads were marked and we found that the Central of Georgia railroad ran 10 miles to the south of Louisville, and that there was a short line called the Louisville and Wadley that actually had served the town.   From there we tracked down the fire insurance maps (Sandborn I think) which show exactly where the railroad tracks were, and even the names of the industries on the sidings.  As others have indicated we began to look for arial and satelite images of the area.  We contacted the local historical society, and began web searches for "Louisville & Wadley".   Over two years we accumulated a pretty sizable portfolio on the railroad - including an article written on it for a model railroad magazine.