why do you model that railroad?

[Anonymous]

trains rule

[PistolPete]

I model BN with interchanges with UP and SF not a real location so I do what I want with the setup. Why these lines, well I went to a train show after 15+ years out of the hobby I bought a new BN SD40-2 and a few BN cars because the colors and logos really were the best I saw that day. I expanded to UP and SF because of their location in the west. I also model some local Maine RR, like MEC, and B&A. I have not completed my switching/interchange layout but I plan to operate Western RR and NorthEastern RR at different times.

[Big_Boy_4005]

I model that railroad because it is "alive", and because it is local and easy to study. It has lots of action, and infinate possibilities. Because it is local, my friends can relate to it, and will enjoy operating it when complete.

So what railroad is it you ask? Does it really matter?[swg]

[Anonymous]

I grew up around the Northern Pacific, Great Northern, Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, Chicago and Northwestern, Milwaukee Road, Soo Line, Duluth Mesabi and Iron Range and a short line south of Minneapolis called the Minneapolis Northfield and Southern. As a kid, I liked the Northern Pacific's North Coast Limited and the N.P.'s slogan "Northern Pacific, really terrific, that' what everyone who rides it, says"! I like the Northern Pacific look of their steam locos and the overall black with yellowish gold trim on the diesels. Since I am proud of the fact I live "Up North", the first Northern Trans-continental and the second overall transcontinental monikers are neat aspects of this line. I also have a soft spot in my heart for the Mesabi Road. The DMIR was what Minnesota was all about, when the Iron Range helped make America out of Steel. Minnesota has always been a part of the strong backbone of this country and the railroads which were a part of Minnesota's heritage rank high on my list of interests.

Wow, I oughta run for politics!

[Anonymous]

I model what I can get to within a 1-hr drive and see in real life. The former B&O Old Main Line (now CSX) is within a mile of my house.

When I was 12, I lived near Detroit, Michigan, so I modeled NYC and C&O. When my family moved near Baltimore MD, I was near the B&O. As soon as I got my drivers license I started going to all the B&O hotspots (Brunswick, Harpers Ferry, Cumberland) so that became my road of choice, with a 'dash' of WM thrown in.

Fast forward to 1988: When I'd been away from the hobby for 15 years, I went back to B&O modeling. But it was never quite the same, I couldn't figure out why.... meanwhile, my wife asked me to do a MRR presentation to our kids' homeschooling co-op. OK, I thought, the kids will probably be bored unless I show them models of stuff they see every day, so I bought a few Kato diesels painted in CSX colors and... *BINGO* ...THAT's what I needed to put the excitement back into model railroading! I decided to embrace the present, have bought a dozen CSX model locos so far, and have been enjoying it with nearly the same intensity as during my later teenage years.

IMHO, modeling and railfanning go together like ham and cheese (or crabs and beer, if you live in Maryland[swg]).

[Anonymous]

The C&O to me without a dought the epitome of a coal hauling RailRoad. I had no prior experience with this RR/grew up beside a Pennsylvania main/moved west and watched many a UP freight.But the first picture of The Allegheny I was hooked.For all the people it employed in the mostly under developed areas of WV and KY,and gave them the chance to better themselves and their family's.For all the idea's and innovations associated with streamlined passenger service.For resisting the diesel till it no longer could.And for # 490 the streamlined turbine.I wish I could of stood there just once,And see with my own eye's What now I can only Imagine.

[CFournier]

Tom,
I like your answer. My layout is under construction and it will take liberties from the prototype railroad: My WP will end it's tracks in Monterey so I can model Cannery Row and the denizens of Steinbeck' novels. It will go to Portola and up the Feather River Canyon (if I can model a small portion of it...) and end in the desert where I plan to model a dry desert scene that resembles Moab, Utah! ...Great expectations...
Chris.

[twhite]

It's a complex answer. I grew up in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California near the SP Donner Pass line (or as it's fondly referred to: The "Hill"). Fell in love with big cab-forward articulateds as a kid, then as I grew older, I fell in love with photographs of the Rio Grande steam locos. When I decided to get serious in my '20's, I wanted to model both Rio Grande and SP, but they never ran on common trackage, at least back then. So I created a fictional Rio Grande California extension that crossed the Sierras midway between the Donner Pass line and WP's Feather River canyon, but kept certain aspects of Rio Grande's Tennessee Pass and Moffat lines as well (the Rockies are a totally DIFFERENT kind of mountain range than the Sierra). First layout was single-tracked and never really quite worked, so I tore it out and went with a double-track non-parallel main somewhat like the Donner Pass route between Roseville and Colfax, CA. But now I can watch my big Rio Grande L-131's hauling freight and passing SP AC-6's hauling reefer blocks, because the California Extension is set in the busy 1940's, and SP has trackage rights when the Donner Pass line gets too clogged. So it's the best of both worlds for me, I get my two FAVORITE mountain railroads all in one nice trans-Sierra package. Oh, and by the way, there is NO plan to dieselize the California Extension in the near future. Steam rules!
Tom

[CFournier]

I was raised in Montreal in the province of Quebec and lived near a Canadian Pacific yard in Outremont. In the fifties and early sixties there was no fences so we could go in the yard and watch trains being made up. This yard is now a Quebec and Gatineau RR yard where one can see boxcars, hoppers, tankcars and autoracks. CP intermodal passes through the yard also. I am only fifty years old but I can remember riding trolleybuses and tramways in Montreal. We have a very nice railroad museum near Montreal in Delson with lots of big steam and early diesels that i visit each year with my son (5 Years old). But being raised near the CPrr and CN does'nt mean that I have to model those lines. I visited the southwestern states twice in the 90's and realy loved the scenery in Arizona, Utah, California and Colorado. I decided to model this landscape and choose the Western Pacific because it is less modeled than the SP, ATSF or UP, and praticaly unknown here in eastern Canada. I could have modeled coastal Maine that I love or a Vermont branchline. But the WP and a desert setting is so different of what I see around here that it gives a special feeling to my layout and I realy like the WP paint schemes.
Chris

[Anonymous]

Availability of appropriate top quality products, large quantity of available information, beauty of the prototype location, the size of the prototype (small locos and stock) suits my circumstances.

The downside is distance from my location (it is in another country) and the language barrier of 99% of the available information is different from my native tongue.

However I have managed to overcome these difficulties and my layout has won awards for its realism.[:)]

http://www.altezeitgruppe.com

[RMax1]

I have always modeled something. Armor mostly when I was a kid. I've always liked trains and never new about kits until one day I walked into a toy story and they had Athearn blue boxes. I started collecting and building Amtrak cars from there. Still build and run Amtraks.

RMax

[n2mopac]

I used to model MoPac's Sedalia sub in West-Central Missouri because I grew up near it. I modeled 1983 because I was a teenager then and that was MoPac's merger year with UP, so I got a variety of paint schemes and rolling stock.

I have recently changed, however. I lived in Ft Worth, TX for 3 years and drove every day through Saginaw, TX along BNSF's Wichita Falls sub. The area there simply begged to be modeled with North Yard, a medium sized regional yard, and a strip of industries extending only a few hundred yards from the tracks but for 3 miles along the main, a lot like most model railroads I know of. I couldn't resist and I am enjoying modeling the area now (layout under construction).

Ron

[Dayliner]

I model my hometown road, the Esquimalt & Nanaimo. When I was growing up, it had everything: passenger trains (still has those), log trains, general mixed freight, and it interchanged with steam-powered loggers until the late 1960's, and with diesel-powered loggers into the 1980's. In fact, it was a giant model railroad layout built to 1:1 scale!

[steamage]

I grew up with a branch line in front of my house and watched the SP local pass by daily. Then one day I followed the branch on my bike, discovering the main line. That's what I model today.

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/1916/burbank.html

[Virginian]

Because my Great-Grandaddy helped build the Virginian, and they merged with the N&W, and the N&W had the finest steam locomotives that ever existed.

[Texas Zepher]

That is not an easy question when given some thought, but here is my "history".

In the 4th grade I began modeling the V&T because I got a "Reno" locomotive for christmas. Being a small child I thought Virgina meant the Commonwealth of Virginia and spent hours trying to find "Truckee" on the Virginia map.

In 1969 I switched to N-scale and recieved a Santa Fe E8 for Christmas. I also liked steam locomotives and the mountians, so I set out to find some place where these things came together. Since the CB&Q was a pioneer of desiel locomotves I ended up trying to model Southern Colorado with CB&Q (C&S), Rio Grande, and of course the Santa Fe. In 9th grade drafting class My final project was a basement size layout for a "Raton Pass".

Then I as I researched things I discovered that the Santa Fe and CB&Q have very boring "silver" passenger trains. Other railroads had bright, colorful, and interesting passenger trains. As such I really liked the GN big sky blue scheme (which was fairly new at that time), so I switched to HO (realized that N-scale couldn't get the detail I wanted) and began modeling the GN.

Well, research soon showed me that GN was a problem to model on many levels. The two big ones were that the had strange steam locomotives that I would have to buy in brass or totally scratch built and they never had any Alco PAs. For a while I held on, but to get more standard steamers added modeling the NP as well. This was the plan for several years but I still kept accumulating equipment from other roads.

More recent years research showed that the GN and NP leased equipment to the C&S in the early 1960's. So less the steam I am now modeling Pueblo Colorado 1963-5. There are GN FTs, NP F3s on the property, as well as the normal CB&Q, D&RGW, Mopac, and Santa Fe. Including of course the obligatory E5s on the Texas Zephyr. Not to mention that CF&I Steel Mill had their own railroad. So I've sort of come full circle.

But my most recient research shows that if I had to do it all over again I would choose a much more restrictive set. Probably choose a short line where a 4-6-0 could go down and meet the GPs on the connecting Class 1 railroad. Like Georgia's L&N. OR I would choose a more obscure class 1 like the Minneapolis & St. Louis.

Santa Fe equipment is just so hard not to buy. Its hard to break away from the images of youth. I used to watch the Superchief/El Capitan go by every day. My uncles farm was ON the main line.

[mustanggt]

I model Mainly Guilford, Amtrak , and old B&M because of geographical location
(I live in Arlington, Mass) and thats what I see all the time. But I also model The Santa Fe, Circa mid-1990's, right before the merger.

[Anonymous]

Because Santa Fe is #1!

-Matt

[Anonymous]

I model UP because of Big Steam, Classic Diesels, and Gas Turbines!

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bill mathewson

I'm planning to model portions of the orig. route (the Hook & Eye Line)of the L&N from Knoxville TN to the Atlanta, GA area (actually Marietta, GA) , as well as the branch from Blue Ridge GA to Murphy, NC where it interchanged w/ the Southern's Murphy Branch to Asheville, NC. I may expand my trackplan to include some of the Southern near Murphy. My layout will be set in the late '40s/early '50s and I am rewriting history a bit by depicting this route as a jointly owned (L&N and Southern) bridge route operated as an independent shortline that was 'created' during WW II to better serve both railroads and the locale, by unburdening both the L&N's other Atlanta Division as well as the Southern not having to rely on the longer route thru Saluda from Asheville to Atlanta. It would have provided better sevice to on-line industries, and more efficient running of passenger trains, esp during wartime. This kind of operation will permit me to model both L&N and Southern equipment, as well as a free-lanced subsidiary with its unique motive power (got to be able to justify Baldwin Sharks and Heislers), cabooses, paint schemes and logos.

That's my rationale - now why -because this route begs to be modeled because of the diversity of industry such as a huge marble quarry operation, former copper smelting & its biproducts, agricultural, coal traffic, etc. that provides interesting structures and operation potential. Passenger trains were short-often two or three cars, and consisted of older hand-me-down equipment. Only light 2-8-0s and light 4-6-2s were able to run the entire length of this route, w/ light 2-8-2s resticted to certain sections only, due to curves, bridge loadings, and the light rail used. Doubleheading was not uncommon.

It also traverses some very beautiful scenery including the Blue Ridge Mtns, rickety bridges over numerous streams and rivers, short tunnels (on the Southern), thru downtown sections of picturesque villages and towns, and there's hardly a stretch of level or straight trackage (just like a model railroad).

Being close to my new home in GA (I can hear the present day GNRR from my house)enables me to get up close to the prototype, and being able to actually explore the route, walk the tracks, wander around in the towns along the route, and research background material locally, will hopefully enable me to more accurately model this locale. That both the L&N "Hook & Eye Line" and Southern's Murphy Branch have not been modeled that often, to the best of my knowledge, and are not that well known either, makes it all the more challenging and rewarding.

Hello Bill,
I live here in Blue Ridge and have walked a lot of the "Hook & Eye" it is a beautiful piece of railroad history. I was wondering if you have had a chance to work on the "Hook & eye " line model. I am hoping to do the same thing in "N" scale...
Mitch

[CBQ_Guy]

I don't have a very solid reason for modeling the CB&Q (Burlington Route member) at all really.

I was out of the hobby for about 15 years and when I got back in about 13 years ago, I used my old N-scale stuff and bought some UP and Santa Fe locos. My first love was HO scale though and really wanted to get back to it. So I got serious and even though I liked the look of the UP and SF stuff, so do a lot of people and I wanted to be a bit different and pick something I wasn't seeing modeled.

They say people tend to model what they remember seeing as a kid. Well I grew up on the Southside of Chicago seeing a lot of B&O/C&O and Pennsy stuff in my neighborhood, but the Pennsy seemed like another very popular railroad I saw modeled a lot and so didn't want to model for that reason, and frankly I thought the blue with maybe a thin yellow line paint scheme I remember from the BO/CO stuff was pretty boring looking.

I started thinking about, and looking around for, a railroad who's color scheme I liked which every one else and their brother wasn't modeling. I recall I came close to going with CNW but didn't, and I don't remember why now. I don't remember exactly now what the defining reason was I picked the Burlington, but as a kid I had a Tyco(?) passenger set that said BURLINGTON on the side. I also didn't recall seeing anyone else modeling it, so I decided I would and learn what I could about the line, too.

The rest is history...

[Anonymous]

I'm planning to model portions of the orig. route (the Hook & Eye Line)of the L&N from Knoxville TN to the Atlanta, GA area (actually Marietta, GA) , as well as the branch from Blue Ridge GA to Murphy, NC where it interchanged w/ the Southern's Murphy Branch to Asheville, NC. I may expand my trackplan to include some of the Southern near Murphy. My layout will be set in the late '40s/early '50s and I am rewriting history a bit by depicting this route as a jointly owned (L&N and Southern) bridge route operated as an independent shortline that was 'created' during WW II to better serve both railroads and the locale, by unburdening both the L&N's other Atlanta Division as well as the Southern not having to rely on the longer route thru Saluda from Asheville to Atlanta. It would have provided better sevice to on-line industries, and more efficient running of passenger trains, esp during wartime. This kind of operation will permit me to model both L&N and Southern equipment, as well as a free-lanced subsidiary with its unique motive power (got to be able to justify Baldwin Sharks and Heislers), cabooses, paint schemes and logos.

That's my rationale - now why -because this route begs to be modeled because of the diversity of industry such as a huge marble quarry operation, former copper smelting & its biproducts, agricultural, coal traffic, etc. that provides interesting structures and operation potential. Passenger trains were short-often two or three cars, and consisted of older hand-me-down equipment. Only light 2-8-0s and light 4-6-2s were able to run the entire length of this route, w/ light 2-8-2s resticted to certain sections only, due to curves, bridge loadings, and the light rail used. Doubleheading was not uncommon.

It also traverses some very beautiful scenery including the Blue Ridge Mtns, rickety bridges over numerous streams and rivers, short tunnels (on the Southern), thru downtown sections of picturesque villages and towns, and there's hardly a stretch of level or straight trackage (just like a model railroad).

Being close to my new home in GA (I can hear the present day GNRR from my house)enables me to get up close to the prototype, and being able to actually explore the route, walk the tracks, wander around in the towns along the route, and research background material locally, will hopefully enable me to more accurately model this locale. That both the L&N "Hook & Eye Line" and Southern's Murphy Branch have not been modeled that often, to the best of my knowledge, and are not that well known either, makes it all the more challenging and rewarding.

[Jetrock]

I model the trains that ran in the city where I live (Sacramento, CA)--but since I am primarily a short-line buff, rather than focus on the larger lines that ran through here (SP and WP, now both UP) I model Sacramento Northern, an electric interurban that became a freight-based diesel short line. I suppose that I did see these engines growing up (they ran until the late 1980's) but either never noticed them or simply preferred SP (I was an SP buff as a kid.) But since the bulk of the SN's traffic was based on interchange, I can feature SP and WP traffic at will--as well as modeling some of Sacramento's older buildings. I am as much into structures as the trains themselves, so modeling buildings I love with trains next to 'em is a bonus kick.

[Anonymous]

'Cause the Q and Wabash are awsome!!

[FThunder11]

Because Amtrak and the NEC is SO AWSOME!!!!

[CP5415]

The main reason for modeling that railroad is because it's the railroad I railfanned while growing up & still do.
Second reason, I hate CN. [:)]
Third reason, the CPR is the reason why Canada exists as it does today.

Gordon

[Anonymous]

I model the Western pacific in the desert and in a coastal fictitious city with a cannery row and a wharf. ( i do love John Steinbeck's novels!!) i do not want to call my city Monterey because i know the WP never had a branch there...Am I right....
The reason i model this line is simply because it is so far away from here in Quebec and the color scheme (orange and silver) is just too much...My railroad is set somewere
in the late 50s, so i can run some steam with F3sand F7s.

[timthechef]

I'm modeling a fictional shortline set in the 1920's that is located in Western Maryland that serves the B&O. I chose this because I want nothing but steam on my layout. I also want to show the transition from true horse power to machines. It also gives me a chance to learn more about how things where done back then.

[simon1966]

I grew up in the UK and had a small 4x8 Hornby layout. I quit playing with it when I was 11 and sent away to boarding school. 25 years later, married, with kids, living in Illinois, close to St. Louis, my parents visit from the UK. My dad hands me a suit case full of any of my junk found in their house. (They were moving and cleaning out!). In the case, amongst many childhood treasures were most of my Hornby trains. No track just trains. Two weeks before my folks came to visit I had reached 15 years of service with my then employer. A gift check was mailed to me (Not even presented!) for the motivating sum of $10 per year of service. I decided that while it would be very easy to just spend this on groceries that I should spend it on something frivolous. When my Hornby stuff showed up I knew that I wanted to get a trainset. So off to the LHS for the very first time. Ken, the owner convinced me to get a better quiality set. This narrowed it down to an Atlas set, He had 2 in stock. A Santa Fe S2 and a Burlington Route S2. I got the Burlington, because I thought the color scheme (Blackbird) was cool and I liked the idea of modelling the North East. (Vermont mountains etc). I think I had the set for about a month before I realized that the Q had nothing to do with Vermont [:I] Lots of reading, web searches later and I joined the BRHS (http://www.burlingtonroute.com/) and I am now well and truly set in the Midwest. Funny how this stuff happens!