QUOTE: Originally posted by csxengineer98 ROW full of weeds and the track all missalined?
"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"
QUOTE: and what cars were you riding?
QUOTE: ----------Wuf! Sorry there Paul, but got to disagree 100%. Depressing modelers??????!!-------------- Geez!
QUOTE: ...Paul has spoken to people of that time period and found out that things were not quite as extreme as portrayed on the Manchester layout. I'm guilty of thinking along those lines too, though opposite of Mr. Sellios.
QUOTE: Plus, many of the mid and small sized towns around the U.S were relatively clean places as today.
QUOTE: It was not all grit, guys. And yes, I was around and already a newbie modeler by 1976. I even rode on the Penn Central with my parents in 71. The trains were clean!
QUOTE: ...double track rail lines were still common...
QUOTE: Just as with the 30s, modeling the 70s does not have to be depressing at all. It wasn't paradise, but yet there were still plenty of good things to see and experience.
QUOTE: Not putting you modern guys down, but an argument can just as easily be made about modeling today's era!
QUOTE: Yes, the PC was a DISASTER!
QUOTE: Originally posted by rripperger I wonder if anyone modeling the PC would try to catch the gritty "Welcome Back, Kotter" look of that time that I can remember seeing in the Northeast: factories with windows broken out, graffiti, chain link, ugly, rusting cars? Grit is an underestimated quality in modeling - not just weathering, but the seamier sides of life. I don't often see them, perhaps because we don't want to depress ourselves while pursuing a hobby. I chose to model 1913 Colorado in part because I couldn't think of anything bad that was going on at the time, but when I start sketching out scenes to be modeled in my notebook, I always find myself rejecting say, strikers confronting the Colorado National Guard; it seems too sobering. I find the urge to be gently funny is far stronger: am I alone, or is this a general feeling?
QUOTE: By Paul3 But it does go to show that there are a lot of depressing modelers out there that like decay and bad times....
QUOTE: Paul3 and I had friendly disagreements over "why or why not" model PC. Seemed like that some of the posters that didn't like the Penn Central for understandable reasons, however, looked "down" on those that admit to modeling PC or owning cars that have those "worms" on the side.
QUOTE: I was very, very surprised to learn from the store owner, Kevin, that nearly every single "quality" freight car kit or locomotive in the Penn Central scheme that was shipped to Happy Hobo Trains store SOLD OUT within a short time!
QUOTE: Just thought I'd share this as I even questioned myself as to why I liked Penn Central but then came up with the same answer over and over........................ This was the railroad of my childhood!
QUOTE: Paul3 jokingly referred to the E33s as "Mishapen Bricks." I doubt that most railfans seeing these things back then hauling 100 car freights at 60+ m.p.h would have called them that.
QUOTE: Has anyone ever seen (or built?) a Depression-era layout with a bread line, strikers, or apple sellers?
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
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"The first transition era - wood to steel!"
QUOTE: Originally posted by raynbecky Reduction in force, translation, layoff's.