what does someone mean when they ask, what railroad do you model?

[Anonymous]

this may sound like a stupid question but, what does someone mean when they ask, what railroad do you model? i have a general idea but im not sure exactly what they are asking

[Hawks05]

it means what railroad do you model.

like Burlington Northern, Union Pacific, Chessie System. stuff like that. what RR is prominent on your layout.

[Anonymous]

it could mean modelling a portion of a particular railroad's trackage, such as Sand Patch, or the Toledo Division. It could also mean, as Hawk said, the particular road.

Many modellers do not model their layouts exactly the same as the prototype they're using. Whether it be due to space limitations or just using 'modeller's license'. Tony Koester of MR uses a prototypical road, but the trains that run on it use his own 'modeller's' road.

About the only thing I think that would look funny would be to have a western railroad train running in an eastern scenic layout or vice versa. But, depending on the era you model, that wouldn't necessarily be all that far-fetched. I've watched UP trains come through my home town in West Central Ohio, but mainly, I see CSX or BNSF these days.

Anyway, the gist of my post is: model whichever railroad you want, whether it be a portion of their line (including a few towns) or using their locomotives on a layout of your own design. What's important is that you enjoy what you model.

[Anonymous]

Elias,

I too find this to be a very generic question open to many interpretations. It can mean different things to different people during different conversations. You must take out of context the meaning of what you think the question asker is asking.

For instance, if the asker says I model European Railroads then asks "what railroad do you model". I would most likely say "Southwestern US". If the asker says I model CNX then asks what I model, I would say Santa FE or ATSF. If the asker said I model XX section of the Chessie System then I would most likely answer with "my railroad is freelance."

So as you can see, this is a generic question and is open to interpretation.

[Jetrock]

QUOTE: Originally posted by elias

this may sound like a stupid question but, what does someone mean when they ask, what railroad do you model? i have a general idea but im not sure exactly what they are asking

The only stupid question is the one that goes unasked.

As the other folks have mentioned, most model railroaders build layouts patterned after a specific prototype or type of railroad--either based on a real railroad (like SP, UP, AT&SF, etc.) or a fictional "free-lance" railroad (Gorre & Daphetid, Virginian & Ohio, Utah Belt, etc.) or a fictional branch of a real railroad.

Some folks who are just getting into the hobby don't pay much attention to trying to model a specific railroad--the fun of setting up the train and running it around the track is enough--and some folks don't like to bother with pursuing a specific prototype. But often doing the research and making the effort to model a real place and time, or the creativity of creating a believable nonexistent world, can be a lot of fun for modelers too.

For example--the railroad I model is a portion of the Sacramento Northern Railroad, an electric (and later diesel) railroad that used to exist in the city where I live. It was a real (or "prototype") railroad, and I have spent a lot of time doing historical research, wandering around town taking photos of buildings that were located near the tracks of that railroad, and otherwise learning what I can about its operation and setting, as well as trying to find (or build) engines and rolling stock that resemble the trains that actually ran on that railroad. Not everyone is into that particular aspect of the hobby--but it's fun for me.

[CBQ_Guy]

I agree with Hawks05.

The rest is details and is probably best to mention only if the asker seems interested in more...just like anything else in life, I suppose.