Advice needed

[Anonymous]

Dougal, Don't count out the GP-30. I have seen several running on a small Ry in SW OH. They also run several GP-40's.

Look up the INORY for that one,

[Anonymous]

railroading_brit,

There was a railroad that hauled Taconite that used F units until they closed several years ago. I have a old Trainstimulator cd rom relesed by Abacus. It was called the LTV-Erie Mining Company Trainset.

Let me tell you those ore cars were heavy. Lose adhesion and watch em fall down into the water.

[CP5415]

Soo true AJ.
My fleet stands at 36 & my layout is only 9X12 with two planned 10' long 6 track staging yards
My reason is that I hate to see the same locomotives running all the time. To me, that'll get boring really quick.

Gordon

[AggroJones]

QUOTE: Originally posted by 4884bigboy

That's a big engine roster, dougal! You must have a big layout.

My layout is 4' 6" x 10' solid rectangle, and I have about 25 locomotives. My point is that alot of locomotives doesn't mean a huge layout. [:p]

[Anonymous]

I only own four of those engines. I plan to have at least 15 though. The layout is only 10 by 16 but it's my first big layout in my first basement. I have a problem you have too, money. My local newpaper isn't exepting people to deliver papers so it will be 2 to 4 years till I can get a job. Most of the engines on the roster aren't asigned to the division I model so I have it easy. On birthdays (my brother is also helping buy engines) we get the most money so we save up other money we have collected and can buy anything under $100. I'm sure its hard to save up for a 4884 it would drive me nuts waiting!

P.S. I joined your Yahoo group.

[Anonymous]

That's a big engine roster, dougal! You must have a big layout.

[Anonymous]

Thanks everyone! Heres a quick roster of the AS&N:
engine type amount
SD40-2 20
SW1500 6
GP40-2 15
Slug 6
SD50 5
B40-8 4
GP60 2
C40-8W 10
Note that all C40-8Ws and some SD40-2s and GP40-2s are assigned to ASN leasing (ASNX).

I will also use a F40 and an A-B-A set of F7s for excersion service.

Dave H, the AS&N uses the LV from Allentown to Scranton, the DL&W from Scranton to Binghamton, and the Erie from Binghampton to Buffalo. Yes, I will patch some ASN units for now

I know some of you are thinking by now why I'm not using the C40s the reason is that I'm saying CSX is leasing these and some of the AS&Ns SD and GP40-2s. The ASN will soon get 5 ex-CP SD40M-2s for coal trains headed for Baltimore for ship loading to Quebec.

I'm modeling the Reading & Northern from Lehighton to Pittson and am saying the AS&N has trakage rights between the towns.

See my B40-9 post to see what engine I picked.

[dharmon]

Dougal,

My regional uses all second hand power all EMD for standardization. They still run a couple of F7s as spare power for specials (Odd loads) and work trains. I use Ex -BNSF SDF40-2, FP45s and soon a SD40-2 for mainline, CF7, GP-15 and whatever I stumble on next for branch and locals and a couple of beat up old SWs in the yard and shops. The only new loco is a F59PHI which was bought for commuter service to replace the E8 and supplemnt F40s (used). The E unit will now be used for the seasonal ski trains and such.

[CP5415]

Dougal, as Antonio said, don't be confined.
I don't think the MEC made it all the way over to the D&H mainline inbetween Montreal & New York City, but it does on my layout.
I don't recall the MEC having SD40-2's, but it's going to have as least one on my layout.
The locomotive leasing company I'm going to paint locomotives for doesn't even exist except in my head. [;)]
It's your world Dougal. The sky's the limit [:)]

Gordon

[AntonioFP45]

Would suggest Dash 2 EMD locomotives (post 1972). Plenty of them are still running around on Class 1 and Shortline railroads. GE Dash 7 locomotives are running around too, though many locomotive engineers have complained about reliability.

Appropriate motive power:
SD40-2, GP40-2, and C30-7 for road service.
GP38-2s, SW1500, SW9, GE 44 Tonner, B23-7 for yard, local, and Branch line service.

If your modern shortline is profitable, it may be able to purchase new or late model units. Some of the F40s Amtrak got rid of were in rebuildable condition. Maybe your company is "hurting" for high horsepower road units. It's your world!

Don't feel confined! Have fun! It's your system and you can make a believeable history on motive power aqusitions. As someone pointed out F-units were in service for a mining company (they're retired now). Burlington Northern and Southern Pacific were still running SD9s in the 1990s. Enjoy yourself! God Bless!

[dehusman]

I would suggest second hand engines of the SD40-2 variety or maybe GP38-2's or the alternative of GE C30-7 or similar type engines.

Allentown to Buffalo? Channeling the LV? The LV used C628's and an assorment or 2000 +- hp 4 axle units. I would start with some "patch units" , ex CR, BN, UP or SP units with the road name painted out and your number and roadname stenciled in. You might want to coordinate your paint scheme with your friend using a similar pattern or lettering style.

Dave H.

[ndbprr]

Sd40-2's would be a good choice. You could buy some painted for various roads and just paint our the number like the real railroads do until they can get them in the shop. You could also try CF7's, GP38s, GP40s, and for something unusual how about F40PHs. GTW has run those in the past.

[Jetrock]

Actually there is precedent for F units at least being tried--one West Coast short line made serious noises about buying a bunch of surplus F's in the late 1980's and returning them to active service. I wouldn't be surprised to see some running somewhere--it'd just be an interesting exercise in freelance formulation to explain WHY they're still running. A bit hard to justify, yes--too hard, no.

Having some sort of rough period of prototype appropriateness, and maybe even some kind of "backstory" as to why one is running that particular batch of equipment (especially if it's something oddball) can contribute greatly to the development of said freelance layout's "history."

The real stories behind oddball rolling-stock assignments can provide inspiration--take a look at San Francisco, where 1930's era PCC's run alongside modern LRV's, or the California State Railroad Museum, whose "Sacramento Southern" tourist/museum line also hauls freight lumber to a local mill (and has plans to haul methanol to a nearby tank farm), using 1930's vintage SW1's--and speaking of old SW's, I saw what I think was a SW1500 in UP colors switching an industrial spur in downtown Sacramento two weeks ago...

[Anonymous]

I'd say F units wouldn't be too hard to justify - didn't a mining company keep a fleet of F9s going until very recently (they may still be in use)? Think it was the Erie Mining Co or something similar, there's a MS Trainsim add-on to allow you to operate their trains.

You could always take the approach that a real RR would use - buying whatever is available at a reasonable price - only in your case it would be from the hobby store rather than another RR... This would probably produce an interestingly varied fleet - just like the real thing in many cases!

[AltonFan]

The Wisconsin Central invested in a lot of rebuilt SD-45s.

[Jetrock]

Depends on how small the railroad is--there is a lot of used iron out there, and since short lines are again coming into their own, any old diesel might be running. Around my neck of the woods the operating short lines run Geeps of various types, an SD-9, an SD-40, an SW1500, and a SW1 that dates back to 1939 and a brace of 44-tonners (though they are a museum line.) That's West Coast, though, but I wouldn't be too surprised to see running Geeps and SD's on the East Coast to this day. E or F units might be a bit hard to justify, though...

[Anonymous]

On my AS&N which as most of you know runs from Allentown, Pa to Buffalo, NY. I'm starting to buy and paint engines for the AS&N. Until now I've wnated to keep the AS&N like a regional RR and haven't bought wide cab units yet, here's my question: A friend of mine and I have started running trains from Allentown to Chicago (he models from Binghampton, NY to Chicago) and we have decided to pool motive power on this train, what engines from GE or EMD are out there that a small railroad can buy these days? The Susquehanna is the only regional RR I know that bought newer engines in the last 30 years (SD70Ms and B40-8s).