Early Conrail also. Very colorful and the range of units was amazing.
Dave H.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
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Building the CPR Kootenay division in N scale, blog here: http://kootenaymodelrailway.wordpress.com/
Charlie Conway wrote:Jason, thanks for mentioning Amtrak. I had not considered the passenger fleet rainbow that caused in 1971.
I model BNSF now because I wasn't around before '76 but if I was then I probably would model BN merger and Milwalkee Road through Montana. I only model what I see and know.
Good luck
--Zak Gardner
My Layout Blog: http://mrl369dude.blogspot.com
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I model the D&H in the mid to late seventies and that was a colorful time on the D&H ....
.... now THAT's a rainbow. Want to add the strays that came through Bingo as well ???
Mark.
¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ
Charlie Conway wrote: My question is: If you had to choose between modeling the BNSF in 2007 or the BN in 1970, which would it be, and why?
My question is: If you had to choose between modeling the BNSF in 2007 or the BN in 1970, which would it be, and why?
Three more good reasons to go with BN circa 1970 in the PNW:
1) The Milwaukee Road would still be a viable interchange partner, which adds even more variety to your motive power selections.
2) If you model any portion of the Seattle-Portland mainline, and you want to see similar variety in your passenger train consists, I believe the "pool trains" (GN, NP, BN, UP) were still running previous to May 1, 1971. Or, go with the earlier suggestion to model the immediate post-Amtrak era with some really weird combinations.
3) The best reason, I think, is that you can still model the "traditional" railroad scene with more depots, towers (only a few in the PNW, but still an important part of things in 1970), maintenance sheds and equipment, semaphore signals in some locations, etc . . .
In the end it's up to you, so take anything the rest of us say with a grain of salt and do whatever feels right to you.
Tom
Early Conrail. So, in addition to blue Conrail and platinum mist Amtrak, I would have Penn Central black, Erie-Lackawanna gray and maroon, Reading green and yellow, Central of New Jersey green, Lehigh Valley red, and PRSL Brunswick Green. It doesn't really get any more rainbow than that.
Plus throw in a few Pennsy (Tuscan and Brunswick Green), New York Central (black and jade green), and New-Haven (McGinnis orange, white and black) pre-PC locos and cars, and you've got a veritable child's party napkin of color.
Modeling the Rio Grande Southern First District circa 1938-1946 in HOn3.
Ulrich wrote: Maybe stretch realism a bit and model both! I did that with my CP layout....I have my M630s, RS-18s, and F7s running alongside my newer AC4400s.. It doesn't look bad really as all models are otherwise lettered and painted correctly. To me anyway, streching reality a bit is one of the funner aspects of the hobby.
Maybe stretch realism a bit and model both! I did that with my CP layout....I have my M630s, RS-18s, and F7s running alongside my newer AC4400s.. It doesn't look bad really as all models are otherwise lettered and painted correctly.
To me anyway, streching reality a bit is one of the funner aspects of the hobby.
A splendid idea, Ulrich. I don't think I would be comfortable mixing eras, but it might be possible to design a layout with interchangable structures and details so I could operate it as 1970 one day and 2007 the next.
I would especially enjoy modeling long-lived locomotives and rolling stock like good old 1711 as they appeared in both eras.
Hmm . . .
Charlie
Hello Bill,
Gons with covers like these are fairly common in the Seattle area. They are made of fiberglass, and they are evidently intended to protect ore concentrates, structural steel or coil steel from the elements.
The projecting ribs allow the covers to be stacked when not in use.
Here is a link to Ecofab, the manufacturer of the covers in the photo. The site has a lot of interesting information about the covers:
http://www.ecofab.com/default.htm
Here are two more photos of the cars with the Ecofab covers:
Here a photo of a slightly different cover, perhaps by a different manufacturer:
I've never seen these covers offered commercially, but if I decide to focus on the modern era, I'll definitely have to find a way to model them.
Charlie,
In your shot from the Dravus St. overpass, there are some gons with ribbed covers in the lower left of the frame. I've never seen a gon cover like that in my neck of the woods (Michigan). Do you know what the cargo was, and what the point of the fins on the cover are?
Thanks,
Bill Field
Sentiment seems to be running five-to-one in favor of the early 70's for lots of reasons I'd thought of and some I hadn't. Jason, thanks for mentioning Amtrak. I had not considered the passenger fleet rainbow that caused in 1971.
Here's a photo I took this summer of a grand old lady from the '50's who has seen it all. Queen of the Balmer hump yard, SD9-3 1711:
Pity about the nose job.
My vote? BN in 1971, in and around Chicago. Why? That's when I was born, and where I was raised. Cabooses and private passenger trains were still in service, Alcos were still around and there were simply more RR's in general.
Brad
EMD - Every Model Different
ALCO - Always Leaking Coolant and Oil
CSX - Coal Spilling eXperts
Charlie Conway wrote:There's another, earlier rainbow fleet that is very appealing to me: the BN immediately after the merger of the GN, NP, CB&Q and SP&S.My question is: If you had to choose between modeling the BNSF in 2007 or the BN in 1970, which would it be, and why?Charlie
BN after the merger, hands down. Not only do you get a lot of different colours, but also a wider variety of locomotive body styles. The BNSF era is full of those boring low-nose diesels.
Jason
Modeling the Fort Worth & Denver of the early 1970's in N scale
Ulrich,
Thanks for your comments. Chalk one up for 1970. I do love those SP&S Alcos.
I don't see too much in the way of unit coal here in Seattle. Lot's of intermodal and grain hoppers (both of which I find interesting). Otherwise, the freight fleet is pretty diverse. I took this photo from the Dravus street overpass this summer:
The most rainbowy fleets I know of would be the Rock Island and the Minneapolis & St. Louis (Mini Lou). Seems like both those railroads had a paint scheme of the week club and there were no mergers involved.
But to your question, there would be no contest for me. BN merger was much more colorful and intersting than the BNSF. Don't forget the C&S they got a shipment of SD40-2's right before the merger. There was more interesting and diverse locomotive types around at the BN merger (still Alcos & F units). The rolling stock was more interesting and diverse (still reefers and stock cars). The foreign road names avialable for interchange were more diverse.
Tough question... I would probably go with BN in 1970 because of the variation in motive power as well as paint. You've got an all Alco fleet thanks to SP&S...including those C636s, first generation RS models and FAs...you've got U25Bs GP35s, cowl units...the list goes on and on. Same goes for the rolling stock...back 37 years ago you had cabooses and a variety of rolling stock that isn't so common today. Furthermore, in 1970 passenger trains were still owned by the roads..and that is an interesting component that would be totally absent if you modelled BNSF today.
Don't get me wrong...BNSF today would be great to model too...but the motive power is less diverse today, and the rolling stock is basically double stack or unit coal. My vote: BN in 1970.
I'm considering leaving the steam-to-diesel transition behind and modeling the contemporary rail scene here in the Pacific Northwest. Modern equipment is interesting and varied, and I've found that it's fun to duplicate prototypes I've seen in service in model form. I also like the 'rainbow fleet' that BNSF is currently operating: a hodge podge of locomotive and rolling stock liveries from pre-merger railroads.
To show you what I mean, here's a photo I took this summer of activity on the ready tracks at Interbay/Balmer yard in Seattle:
Still, I haven't quite made up my mind to model the BNSF in 2007. There's another, earlier rainbow fleet that is very appealing to me: the BN immediately after the merger of the GN, NP, CB&Q and SP&S.
Although chosing the early '70's would mean I'd be back to modeling from memories and old photographs, there are aspects of the earlier era that I prefer over the present day.