What made you choose your rr company to model?

[Anonymous]

I would have to Choose CP because CP is one of the reasons Canada is what it is today and because i grew watching Canadian Pacific to CPRail System to Canadian Pacific Railway again and always found there paint scheme was really nice to show its Canadian Background

[PennsyHoosier]

I grew up by C&NW. I still like it, but don' t model it (yet?). I live by an old Pere Marquette line, which I massage into my layout. However, my love has always been Pennsylvania, both state and railroad. That's what I model.

[Anonymous]

I model an independent short line that interchanges with the C.N.R. (because I worked for them), the C.P.R. (just because they are there) and the O.N.R. (since part of the name of my line comes from an incident that happened at Washagami, Ontario - a C.N. siding not too far from North Bay (home of the O.N.R.). So, I guess you could say that my "Washagami & Northland" was directly influenced by that incident.[:D]
Norman

[Anonymous]

The first time I saw a UP loco was an SD90MAC parked in Chicago. We were driving by. I said, Oh man Union Pacific is my new favorite railroad!! Then I saw UP steam, and I was hooked!

[simon1966]

I started with an Atlas train set. I chose one with an S2 switcher painted for the Burlington route. It was the Blackbird scheme and I thought it looked good. I also imagined modelling the wooded hills of New England, incorrectly assuming that the RR was named for Burlington VT. So dim witty here eventually figured out where the Burlington route was from, joined the BRHS and have never looked back. Now I am firmly modelling the mid west!!

[rockythegoat]

Back when I was a pup, one of the model rail mags had an Athearn ad for their rotary plow and it was in Great Northern markings.

Ever since then, "Freight Goes Great, When It Goes Great Northern!" [:D]

The RMC series back in the late 80's on modern rail logging ops, got me hooked on them. And, the "Fundy Nothern" articles have always helped this along, as the theme is similar.

[ksax73]

My Grandmother, My Grandmother, My Grandmother. Love her to death!

She hates to fly and always took cross-country trips by rail via Amtrak. She always told me about her experiences and promissed to take me with her when I turned 10 (I was 3 at the time).

She kept her promise and i was drawn to Amtrak and how it operated. I also appreciated the diversity of its equipment. I've always had an attraction for the utility of passenger service.

Anyway, my countless experiences have led to my modeling Amtrak. Because the space I have is limited and the different equipment needed to represent different regions of the USA, I had no room for the large number of freight equipment. When my layout expands, i will begin to model CSX, NFS, Conrail, and BNSF. I'll also consider UP as well. Basically all the host railroads that the trains I've taken will influence what rr company I model, but it all revolves around Amtrak.

[SecretWeapon]

I grew up next to EL's PVL. in NJ.[:D]

[Anonymous]

Mostly locality. I model a proto-freelance version of the short line that was the only railroad in the immediate vicinity of where I grew up. I say "proto-freelance" because this line (the Washington & Old Dominion) swtiched from steam - to electric - to diesel. Since my interest is steam, I choose to imagine that the switch to electric never occurred and operate realistic small steam (the line actually did have two small consolidations for some years).

I also have sessions in which all the motive power is from one of my two favorite Class I roads (N&W and Western Maryland). The N&W is very believable: the W&OD line was very nearly purchased (when owned by a predecessor company) by the predecessor company of the N&W. The WM is more of a stretch but the Gould interests did consider an extension to the Washington market.

[Anonymous]

The Santa Fe Warbonnet

[cacole]

I grew up in the days of steam, very near both an Illinois Central and Missouri Pacific roundhouse and main lines, so I model those two lines primarily, but any steam engine will do. I also like the Chicago & Eastern Illinois and Wabash because I frequently also saw their trains. After settling in Arizona after retiring from the U.S. Army, I began to model SP, UP, Cotton Belt, and other Western lines, too.