Anyone else go back and fourth on modeling subjects? My primary interest is late 1930s to mid 1950s UP steam, brought out by a Pentrex copy of Last of the Giants when I was 6, otherwise I'd probably be modeling New Jersey Transit (of which I still have a soft spot for). A lot of my focus has been creating a scaled-down service facility which could pass for a slightly freelanced Cheyenne or Laramie roundhouse and yard, and most of my motive power right now is UP steam.
From 2001 until 2015 I lived, grew up really, in St. Petersburg, FL going to school and college there, studying history. It was while I was living there that I became fascinated by the purple ACL and Seaboard passenger trains that would run down Central Ave and drop off passengers in the 1950s. I did a search through the MRR digital archive and found at least two references to St. Pete, one of an article about the passenger trains dropping off right in the middle of the street, and another of an around-the-walls track plan of downtown with streets and buildings that I recognized. That really refreshed my interest and I now have some ACL E and F units and some corrugated passenger cars on a mental wish list to do a St. Pete something.
Also while living in Florida, I would go to Cape Canaveral all the time to Kennedy Space Center to see launches, scrubs, and just to visit Cocoa Beach and Titusville. I knew there was a shortline servicing KSC, but didn't really look into it until I bought a copy of "Model Railroads Go to War", with the last track plan in the book being about NASAs currently defunct (for now) shortline and interchange with FEC. Now, I'm looking at SW1500s and maybe shapeways for solid rocket booster flat car loads.
All incredibly different subjects and settings. Quite a conundrum!
Thankfully, I feel no real need to constrain myself. My goal at this point is not to build a big empire but to showcase the various interests and enjoy the aspect of construction and detailing. The UP steam roundhouse/servicing facility is the main focus, is already under construction, and will be incorporated into a larger layout at some point in the future, but I'm thinking I could easily build a small switching shelf for operational fun with the NASA equipment - how cool would a backdrop with the massive Vehicle Assembly Building in it be? And the St. Pete scene-something or other might end up starting as a narrow diorama module before expanding into something that allows a continuous loop. I love the idea of detailing a downtown scene, something the other two subjects don't get as easily.
Anyone else ever find themselves in a similar situation, not wanting to settle on one specific thing?
The Backshops - A blog dedicated to modeling projects
I think this is very common.
.
I have settled on 1954, but 1968, which I previously modeled, still appeals to me.
I also love the turn of the century, tiny locmotives with eigth car trains can sure be tempting also.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Yes, and that dilemma can be a bad thing cause you end up buying all kinds of stuff trying to please too many masters. Ultimately for many of us it becomes unsustainable. I've been finding more and more satisfaction by narrowing my focus.
Anyway, choose your poison.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
riogrande5761 Yes, and that dilemma can be a bad thing cause you end up buying all kinds of stuff trying to please too many masters. Ultimately for many of us it becomes unsustainable. I've been finding more and more satisfaction by narrowing my focus. Anyway, choose your poison.
Ain't that the truth. I've been able to hold off on going too crazy with purchasing, as my focus right now is the UP stuff.
That being said, if a nice SW1500 or some ACL passenger cars show up for a decent bargain at a show or something, then I may be tempted to take them home and put them in the case until I can wind down one project to start another.
NASA Railroad isn't out of defunct for now. It is dead and gone. They've lifted tracks. I don't know if Cape Canaveral Air Force Station still has tracks, but they're gone at KSC. None of the NASA lift vehicles in the catalog required bring in anything by rail and none of the commercial tenants had any interest either. One of the facilities guys down there told me they didn't have much hope of it ever coming back.
Oh yeah, my office at NASA had a tradition of giving people a framed picture of something significant to that person with everyone's going away wishes written on the mat. Mine was a train delivering the last shuttle booster segments.
micktropolisAnyone else ever find themselves in a similar situation, not wanting to settle on one specific thing?
Paralysis by Analysis.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffboss/2015/03/20/how-to-overcome-the-analysis-paralysis-of-decision-making/#1fd128511be5
To quote from the above: "it doesn't matter which way you choose to move when under a mortar attack, just so long as you move."
NittanyLionOh yeah, my office at NASA had a tradition of giving people a framed picture of something significant to that person with everyone's going away wishes written on the mat. Mine was a train delivering the last shuttle booster segments.
That is very cool.
I was always sent over to MDI in Richmond B.C. to keep an eye on the shipping of the computers and software for each shuttle mission and other things over the years. They would ship out like clockwork at a set time before each flight. Made me feel like I was contributing in some small way. Being a space geek that was cool.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
I recently enter the steam era in 54/55 but,I decided to keep my 94/95 era cars and locomotives that will include CR,NS,Ohio Central and my freelanced Slate Creek Rail,Huron River and of course Summerset Ry.
When I tire of steam I will return to 94/95.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
I bet people's choices change for various reasons. One reason I stick iwth the N&w is I'm trying to model Southern VA. Of course, I can see how others find the desert motiff interesting or even the steep Rockies.
Yes, I suggest stick with something before greatly changing. To avoid the itch of changing the entire layout, perhaps alter part with a different industry? Just a thought. Nothing wrong with making the layout a "living thing."
Look at what kind of space you will realisticly have to build in now, and in the future. Know way too many people who collect stuff for a space they will never have (and if they ever do they will have enough assets to go along with it to just buy the stuff then". That is why I went with smaller steam. I do early steam to diesel of 1939.
Honestly, not really. Every once in a while, something will catch my eye, but it gets reined in pretty quick. Mainly by thinking about the whole library of books I will have to acquire and read (ok, not horrible in and of itself) which would set me back years further on getting a layout designed and built. Nto to mention all the locos and rolling stock. Since getting back into the hobby after abreak for college, now almost 30 years ago, I have been very disciplined in what I've been buying and it all fits for my mid 50's Reading theme. Thet doesn't mean I don't have rolling stock for other railroads, there was plenty of interchange traffic. But the bulk of everything is Reading.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
NittanyLion NASA Railroad isn't out of defunct for now. It is dead and gone. They've lifted tracks. I don't know if Cape Canaveral Air Force Station still has tracks, but they're gone at KSC. None of the NASA lift vehicles in the catalog required bring in anything by rail and none of the commercial tenants had any interest either. One of the facilities guys down there told me they didn't have much hope of it ever coming back. Oh yeah, my office at NASA had a tradition of giving people a framed picture of something significant to that person with everyone's going away wishes written on the mat. Mine was a train delivering the last shuttle booster segments.
Ah I read somewhere that there was consideration of starting it again since SLS will be using segmented and slightly longer shuttle SRBs. Perhaps it was wishful thinking. Still, the operations and location are incredibly interesting to me. Merrit Island is beautiful and so different from the western desert areas I'm so used to studying.
You all make great points. I know that in the space I have, I can at least do my service facility, and could easily fit a shelf switching layout, and there isn't a whole lot to collect on that end in terms of rollingstock and motive power for NASA. It would actually fit the overall theme of the room.
Still, I agree that the best course is to focus now on one idea before committing much time or resources to another.
I model what I’ve been around so I model both Santa Fe and Southern Pacific set in the 1980s-90s in California. For a little while I lived in Reno and somewhere along the line I got interested in having a wild west era layout so I started collecting Virginia and Truckee, and Central Pacific locomotives and rolling stock. It’s a life long hobby so I think a lifetime is long enough to have a couple of different interests.
riogrande5761Yes, and that dilemma can be a bad thing cause you end up buying all kinds of stuff trying to please too many masters. Ultimately for many of us it becomes unsustainable
Jim,I kinda admire those that has no issues running steam engines along side SD90MACs.
To my mind these are operating collectors that enjoys the hobby without the unnecessary worries of era correct cars,locomotives, paint schemes etc.
riogrande5761 I've been finding more and more satisfaction by narrowing my focus.
Believe that you are right. In the last ten years, I have changed focus at least three times, and went nowhere. The only success was narrowing my focus to 1967/1968 which corresponds with the end of the PRR and the beginning of the PC, and allows me to maintain a mostly Baldwin and Alco diesel roster.
Boris
Yes, had the dilemna of varied railroad interests since my early 20's.
Before that, primarily Santa Fe.
Now "going modern" and finally after all these years allowing BNSF rolling stock and engines onto the layout...but still have some 1970's-80's rolling stock, which is on the way out now.
John
Well, I must just be different, with model trains and in life. By early adulthood I had no problem deciding what I liked and being happy with my choices.
I have been modeling the same scale, local, era and road names since my late 20's, I'm 62 now, still having fun with that choice.
Two guiding thoughts:
"I was once well rounded until I learned what I really like."
"In this life you can have anything you really want, you just can't have EVERYTHING you want, what do you REALLY want?"
Happily modeling 1954 on the freelanced ATLANTIC CENTRAL, B&O, C&O, and WESTERN MARYLAND for 30 years.
Saved me all that buying and selling........
Sheldon
micktropolis NittanyLion NASA Railroad isn't out of defunct for now. It is dead and gone. They've lifted tracks. I don't know if Cape Canaveral Air Force Station still has tracks, but they're gone at KSC. None of the NASA lift vehicles in the catalog required bring in anything by rail and none of the commercial tenants had any interest either. One of the facilities guys down there told me they didn't have much hope of it ever coming back. Oh yeah, my office at NASA had a tradition of giving people a framed picture of something significant to that person with everyone's going away wishes written on the mat. Mine was a train delivering the last shuttle booster segments. Ah I read somewhere that there was consideration of starting it again since SLS will be using segmented and slightly longer shuttle SRBs. Perhaps it was wishful thinking. Still, the operations and location are incredibly interesting to me. Merrit Island is beautiful and so different from the western desert areas I'm so used to studying. You all make great points. I know that in the space I have, I can at least do my service facility, and could easily fit a shelf switching layout, and there isn't a whole lot to collect on that end in terms of rollingstock and motive power for NASA. It would actually fit the overall theme of the room. Still, I agree that the best course is to focus now on one idea before committing much time or resources to another.
older posting of brian Saturn V Launch Scene I don't ever recall seeing such a scene. My interest grew from both growing up in that era and the lack of kids knowledge about it , (and some pics of liquid oxygen cars I'd seen). So I asked myself , "how did they get the liquid oxygen fuel into the Kennedy Center for the Saturn V moon rocket?". Turns out Florida East Coast RR was on some sort of managed strike at the time, so most of the fuel arrived by truck to be stored in big tanks under ground. WELL, how about if we play with that history a bit and have fuel arrive by rail! ...the new transport age being assisted by the old transport age of railroad. Liquid oxygen cars bringing in the fuel for the Saturn rocket. And in a newer vein the solid rocket boosters being brought in for the Space Shuttle Rocket. Lots of switcher action with special NASA switchers, BIG models, etc. Can you imagine the look in kids eyes when they saw a 5.5 foot high rocket (Saturn V in HO scale) on a diorama/module. Might make them want to learn more about this great accomplishment in our history, and consider science futures. Only liquid Ox cars I ever saw were made in brass...and very expensive. I found that the 62 Athearn tank car was almost exactly the right size to kitbash...never finished, but started on two. (BTW, I have a sheet of printed plans I could send to anyone interested...or maybe I could post them over on a separate thread since they are 47 years old, Oct 1963)
Saturn V Launch Scene I don't ever recall seeing such a scene. My interest grew from both growing up in that era and the lack of kids knowledge about it , (and some pics of liquid oxygen cars I'd seen). So I asked myself , "how did they get the liquid oxygen fuel into the Kennedy Center for the Saturn V moon rocket?". Turns out Florida East Coast RR was on some sort of managed strike at the time, so most of the fuel arrived by truck to be stored in big tanks under ground. WELL, how about if we play with that history a bit and have fuel arrive by rail! ...the new transport age being assisted by the old transport age of railroad. Liquid oxygen cars bringing in the fuel for the Saturn rocket. And in a newer vein the solid rocket boosters being brought in for the Space Shuttle Rocket. Lots of switcher action with special NASA switchers, BIG models, etc. Can you imagine the look in kids eyes when they saw a 5.5 foot high rocket (Saturn V in HO scale) on a diorama/module. Might make them want to learn more about this great accomplishment in our history, and consider science futures. Only liquid Ox cars I ever saw were made in brass...and very expensive. I found that the 62 Athearn tank car was almost exactly the right size to kitbash...never finished, but started on two. (BTW, I have a sheet of printed plans I could send to anyone interested...or maybe I could post them over on a separate thread since they are 47 years old, Oct 1963)
Well that posting is a little 'dated'. BLI came out with some MARVELOUS cryogenic tank cars I was talking about, made in plastic. I even purchased a few undecorated ones I could convert into NASA versions
Brian
My Layout Plan
Interesting new Plan Consideration