Steam / Diesel Transition

[Anonymous]

Hi All,

I am kinda new to all of this so please bear with me:

I am in the process of building (with my son) an "N" gage layout. We are going to "Freelance" the basic layout, and are interested in modeling the transition period between the fall of steam and the rise of diesel, with both motive powers running at the same time.

My question is which models were correct for this time period?

I am guessing that this is around the late 40's to early, to mid 50's.

Thanks in advance for all of your kind assistance,

Len [e-mail]

[ndbprr]

Steam - anything goes particularly the super power large engines.
Diesels any of the Fairbanks Morse engines, Alco - S1,2,3 switchers and the RS1,2,3 and RSD3 models, Pa's and Pb's. EMD any switcher through SW7, Gp7 and 9, BL2, Funits through 7. Ge 44 ton

[Anonymous]

The last few years of steam on the Santa fe was 2-10-4s and 4-8-4s. On the U.P. it was 4-8-4s 4-6-6-4s and 4-8-8-4s. The U.P. had 2-8-2s, 2-10-2s 0-6-0s as well as the big power in 1957. Santa Fe used 2-6-2s 2-8-0s 2-8-2 2-10-2 2-10-0s 0-8-0s 4-6-2 and 4-6-4s well into the mid 50tys.

[Anonymous]

Diesel switchers and passenger locos began appearing about 1935 with EMD's FT freight locos showing up in 1939. These were the only freight diesels until 1945. Then EMD, Alco, Fairbank-Morse, Baldwin, and Lima-Hamilton all built diesels for all segments of the industry. A large variety of steam was running throughout this time representing nearly all wheel arrangements. Most mainline steam was gone by 1957 with a few notable exceptions and some units brought back for emergency use.

Get a copy of the latest edition of Kalmbach's Diesel spotter's Guide to find out what specific diesels are suitable for your road. Likewise Kalmbach's Guide to North American Steam Locomotives is a good overview of the steam in operation.

I'm doing the same thing on my n-scale road. One of the most important things I can recommend is to do your research. Learn everything you can about how a real locomotive was set up for your area. Create a family appearance with similar appliances (especially on your steam equipment) on your equipment. Learn how actual railroads ran their maintenance and equipment engineering departments to figure out what should be used. And definately establish a power profile with classes of equipment not one of this and one of that. While collecting different models and types of equipment is fun and looks neat, railroads selected the equipment used in a particular area for what handled the load best and tried to keep the equipment similar for ease of maintenance. This will go a long way to making your road believable.
Karl

[Anonymous]

Dear LDB Enterprises,
Books are good, but what I find helpful is to get to know the people at your local train store. And if you can, join a museum and a model railroad club, even if you are building your own layout. There is no substitute for a real person in front of you when you have questions. Most experienced railfans and model railroaders can tell you more than enough about what locomotives are right and which are wrong. Finally, there is always the fourm, where we are glad to answer your questions.

Best of luck,
Daniel

P.S. Just do me a favor-please don't run 4-4-0's with SD90-MAC's [:)][:D].

[Sperandeo]

There have been several good answers to Len's question, and I just want to make one clarification. Karl referred to the "Diesel Spotter's Guide," a book that has been out of print for several years. Its replacement in terms of this discussion is "Diesel Locomotives: The First 50 Years," by Louis A. Marre (author of the orginal "Spotter's Guide"), and published by Kalmbach Books. This book is available in hobby shops and on the shopping section of this Web site.

And thanks to everyone who signed their names.

So long,

Andy

[nfmisso]

QUOTE: Originally posted by LDB Enterprises

I am in the process of building (with my son) an "N" gage layout. We are going to "Freelance" the basic layout, and are interested in modeling the transition period between the fall of steam and the rise of diesel, with both motive powers running at the same time.

Hi Len;

What locomotives you choose really depends on what railroad or railroads you have choosen.

For example, the N&W did not own/lease any diesels until 1955, when the got four Alco RS3 and four EMD GP9 locomotive. Four more RS3 and four more GP9 quickly followed, then came lots of Alco RS11 and quite a few EMD GP9 - these three types are road switchers, and Alco T6 yard switchers. 1959 brought EMD GP18s.

1952, EMD sent a four unit F7 (ABBA) set to demonstrate on the N&W. It proved that a hot rodded F7 was almost a match for a single N&W A or Y6b steam locomotive.

[Anonymous]

Nigel,

If my memory serves me correctly, it was around 1958 when the N&W allowed Souther Passengers trains to run through from Bristol to Lynchburg using the Southern F units. Up to that time the Southern engines were replaced with J's.

I remember that the only thing I ever looked forward to for the monthly trip from Covington, Va to Roanoke to see the orthodontist was to see N&W steam and Virginian Electrics.

Tom Blair

[nfmisso]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tjbjrvt68

If my memory serves me correctly, it was around 1958 when the N&W allowed Souther Passengers trains to run through from Bristol to Lynchburg using the Southern F units. Up to that time the Southern engines were replaced with J's.

Hi Tom;

They were generally E-units. The F-units if/when used were standby power due to an E unit failure.

On the N&W videos I have, I have not seen a Southern F unit with a passenger train. There are E6 and E7's.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by nfmisso
[
They were generally E-units. The F-units if/when used were standby power due to an E unit failure.

On the N&W videos I have, I have not seen a Southern F unit with a passenger train. There are E6 and E7's.

The first that I remeber seeing in Roanoke were painted in the black and white scheme that I had always tought was used only on freight power. And I suppose that it was possible that these were standby as I can also recall seeing the green,gold and white frequently also.

Of course, this encroachment into the heart of steam was not that welcome a sight. The Southern diesels were a treaat as my father grew up on the Southern mainline in South Carolina so it was a favorite railroad.

Isn'y it great that we can relive and share our memories of times gone by through this technology?

Tom Blair
VA Beach,VA