Are you interested in the history of the line you model?

[tomwatkins]

Very much so. I model the Southern and the L&N in western North Carolina. I belong to both historical societies and have collected a good many books and magazine articles on both roads. I've also explored the area that I'm modeling and have photographed it extensively. Doing the research and learning how the railroads fit into and worked in the area adds a great deal to the enjoyment of model railroading.
Have Fun,
Tom Watkins

[nfmisso]

I am a member of the N&WHS, and have most of the books ever published about the N&W. I am also a member of several e-mail groups/lists that deal with the N&W.

I chose the N&W because of thier systems approach to transportation. I chose the era because of the roller bearing A's, Jawn Henry and the improved Y5/6's.

[johncolley]

Yes, indeed, I am modelling GN in the cascades along about '47/'48 and am a member fo the GNRHS. Actually I am doing a work in process of a 2'x8' Free-mo module of a yard throat and another of a 45 degree curve around a river bend through the mountains. It is 72" radius with easements.

[tstage]

Mark,

You got that right! I think Branchline(?) is the ONLY manufacturer who does this regularly. Wouldn't seem to me to be an expensive fix.

Tom

[Anonymous]

PASmith, Most model freight cars have the date of manufacture and re-build stensiled on their sides. You need a magnafiing glass to see it in some cases. I am uncertain if this practice was done in the earlier eras. Yes, it would be nice if the manufacturers would include this date on their box labels!

[PASMITH]

I am interested in SP/CP late 1800's early 1900's. Car dimensions, colors, lettering, etc. In particular, the Shasta Division. I have had mixed sucess on all the web sites and do not have the time or money to invest in the historical societies or all the expensive books that will provide this info for this era. ( I do have Signor's books). I live in Memphis so it's hard to spend a lot of time at the California Museums. A recent issue of MR on old time modelling may be of some help. It is really frustrating when the manufactuers do not adequately identify the eras of their kits. Any other suggestions?

Peter Smith, Memphis

[Anonymous]

My layout setting is the Adirondack Mountains and is loosely based on the logging roads that snaked through the woods on the early 1900s. In addition, the NYC & the D&H served the area, so I expect there to be prototypical equipment from those roads appearing. But everything else is fairly freelanced though based on much reading, field trips along right-of-ways and discussions with another modeler interested in the Grasse River RR. (Hi, Silver.)

The great part of RR research up here in the mountains is hiking and mountain biking along the abandoned wilderness rows.

Logging and mining left a lot of the Adirondacks in rather desolate conditions. Clear-cutting for lumber and charcoal, as well as massive, often locomotive-ignited fires that burned many hundreds of thousands of acres left a somewhat barren landscape. I suspect that historically, the area my model represents would have been much less attractive than what I prefer to portray.

Wayne

[Virginian]

Most definitely, especially since my family was part of it.

[Pruitt]

Yeah.

My layout represents those parts of Wyoming where the Burlington and the C&NW ran, and where I lived as a kid, although set 15-30 years before I was born. The history of both the towns and the lines is important for me to get where I'm going with the layout.

My web site is where I document what I learn.

[PennsyHoosier]

ABSOLUTELY! How can you model without knowing the history!?! (Course, I'm kind of biased, I'm a professional historian--but not a railroad historian.) I read widely in railroadiana. Pennsy first and foremost. Also, I'm a member of The Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society (see the website at http://www.prrths.com/PRR_Default.html, which has links to all kinds of great stuff!). There is the PRR talklist at http://lists.dsop.com/prr/, which is affiliated with Jerry Britton's fine Keystone Crossings website http://kc.pennsyrr.com/. In addition to the Pennsy, I live the Pere Marquette (C&O) and the Nickel Plate. Both have fine historical socities. See http://www.pmhistsoc.org/ and http://www.nkphts.org/.

Jim (jlove1), I like your idea for the PRR around Cinncy. Lots of potential there!

[CP5415]

Yes, I'm very interested in the history of the CPR, D&H & the MEC.
I have at one point belonged to the CPR, D&H & MEC yahoo groups.
I like to read about the history of railroads from the several books I have & from the WWW.

Gordon

[Anonymous]

Johngraser, I would suggest visiting websites of the Historical Societies your interested in, to see what they offer. This is free. My membership to the Northern Pacific RR Hist. Asso. only costs $25.00 per year. I get a great Calendar and 4 issues of the Asso.'s magazine for this price. The magazine is 30-50 pages long and chock full of information I likely would not get elsewhere. many of the authors of N.P. Books are regular contributors to the magazine.

[johngraser]

I would like to know a lot more about the history of the lines I model.
Mainly intrested in SP,ATSF,WP and DRGW which their are some books on.
Also intrested in so local short lines but practily no information on since they be gone for 50 to 80 years. Would concider being a member but not sure if the infomation they provide is any more detailed then in books or the internet.

John

[twhite]

Though I'm not a member of any groups or clubs pertaining to the Denver and Rio
Grande, I have studied the history of the railroad rather carefully. Same thing on the Espee--in fact I had a double-major in college--Music and History. Though my focus in history was more in Ancient European, I still found the time to research the Central Pacific and Southern Pacific railroads. It's helped me quite a bit on exactly what to run on the railroad at the particular time period I'm modeling.
Tom

[Anonymous]

Not only the history of the lines but locos, rolling stock, structures, proper colors of paint, logos, all of which are date and time sinsitive. I concentrate on the 1920's to early 1950's. The latest powered unit I have is an early R.D.C. (rail diesel coach). Steam locos and passenger cars date from the 1920 up to smooth sided streamliners and early fluted side stainless steel. Freight cars date only up to the 1940's and Diesel locos end with an E.M.D. E-7. Where possible I use blue prints for vintage buildings. If they aren't available, I rely on period photographs from any source possible. One such structure is a scratch built replica of Kansas City's (Mo.) Union Station (main building). Automobiles are limited to 1953 vintage and street cars end with an early P.C.C. (Bowser). A good reference is period local newspapers found in libraries and the newspaper's archives. There are also good sites on the internet for particular cities. My pike is a history lesson as well as a layout. It is a little trouble but that's called "going the extra mile." There is still room for some creative imagination but within the limitations of the period mentioned. For me, the "golden age" of railroads ended in the early fifties and has steadily digressed to the sterility of today's nondescript motive and rolling stock hybrids. If going to such lengths for historic accuracy seems a bit eccentric, i ask you: Is there any more of an oxymoron than seeing a loco with a ballon smoke stack running alongside a bullet train?

[Paul3]

I am a member of the New Haven Railroad Historical & Technical Association, and have been for the last 14 years (almost half my life). As such, I have been a volunteer for the NHRHTA for almost as long as a crew member on our show staff that goes to local train shows and "waves the NH flag", selling NH magazines, videos, books, models, trinkets and the like.

I have been a model railroad since before I was born (or so it seems). My father has been model railroading since the early 1950's with Lionel, and switched to HO when he went into the Air Force in 1958. I've been told I've been to Steamtown in a stroller, Wolfeboro as a youngun', and several other railfan places (but I don't remember them). My father's always had an HO layout, so it's natural that I too have become a model railroader.

I've been a NH fan since I found out that the tracks near my house used to be owned by a railroad that was so much better and classier than the Amtrak, Conrail and MBTA trains that I knew. When I went to a train show and saw the NHRHTA, I was hooked.

Ever since, I model the New Haven, therefore, the history of the New Haven, and by extension my region, is of critical importance to me.

Paul A. Cutler III
*****************
Weather Or No Go New Haven
*****************

[AggroJones]

Of course. I am in the Yahoo Southern Pacific group. The history of SP is what made me backdate from the 1990's. A fantastic source of Espee information is Charles Smiley's DVD "SP Vintage West" and Pentrex's video "Railfanning Southern California in the 1950s". The latter is a great DVD for anyone who wants to see color fotage of vintage freight cars.

[Anonymous]

Yes I model Union Pacific I have books and videos and other paraphenilia that I use to model the UP. I also recently joined the UPHS so I can receive their publication and what not about UP. I am also a member of a handful of yahoo groups that are UP related.

[tstage]

Deshane,

I'm delighted that you brought this topic up. I couldn't agree with you more. History DOES enhance my enjoyment of MRRing! That's the one aspect about it that caught me totally by surprise.

In the last fifteen years or so, I've become more intrigued with and come to really enjoy and appreciate history the older I get. (Maybe because there's more of it these days. [:)]) Blame it on the Ken Burn's PBS series Civil War. Stick me in front of a documentary on history, and I'm one happy camper!

Still really being very much a newbie to MRR, I've been learning some history about the NYC but more in relationship to railroading as a whole. I'm modeling the 30's and early 40's. So it's been fun to learn (learn?...I'm STILL learning!) about the various aspects (i.e. signaling, structures, switching, rolling stock, servicing terminals, etc.) used on the railroads during that era, so that I can reflect that on my layout in order to make it more historically accurate. Next to actually running trains, learning about railroading and the whys and hows of it ranks a very close 2nd in enjoyment in my book.

Good post, Mark! I'll strongly consider your admonition about joining the NYCHS - which, by the way, is actually based right here in Cleveland.

Tom

[mikebonellisr]

I'm pretty much as DeSchane,Only with the NYC.I am also a member of the Danbury rail museum,I model a freelance version of a combination of NYC Harlem and Putnam divisions.

[Anonymous]

I guess one without the other is just not possible. It all starts with the wi***o model a certain prototype and where does that come from ? I don't think I have met somebody that favored the Santa Fe just for their paint job - even here in Germany. Sometimes research and interest in the prototype overweigh the interest for the scale stuff - and if only for a time, but time well spent !
Martin

[Jetrock]

Indeed! Researching the Sacramento Northern has led me to join BAERA, whose museum sits on SN's old mainline, doing plenty of research at various regional railroad and historical archives and libraries, buying books and company artifacts, and taking extensive photos of what remains of the line. Since Sacramento was so riddled with track I have also spent time researching CCT, WP, SP and the local PG&E trolley line. Online I have found significant resources, including SN and WP Yahoo-groups and assorted photo archives.

My research has even steered me back in the direction of history as a profession--I may make some of the research I have been doing into the basis of a master's thesis!

[orsonroy]

Most definitely! I'm modeling the NKP's line between Bloomington and Peoria, Illinois, circa 1945-1950, and am trying to replicate the line as closely as possible (given the constraints of model railroading).

In terms of research material, I have somewhere close to 20 linear FEET of material. I've got most of the books published about the NKP, along with 10 years or so of the NKPHTS magazine. I've got three 4" binders full of NKP photos, and well over eight MEG of NKP photos and data on my harddrive. I've got copies of Sanborn maps, aerial photos, and track charts for the line. I've got almost 2000 train orders for the line, as well as lots of official NKP paperwork, manuals and employee timetables. I've walked or driven down the entire line I'm modeling, taking dozens of rolls of photos of things to help me in my modeling. I'm also an active member of the NKPHTS, and am looking for a few more details before I start writing articles for the society. And in researching the line, I've also collected a lot of information on the different railroads that connected with the NKP line, especially the P&PU, TP&W, P&E, Alton/GM&O, IC, and C&IM.

Researcing the line greatly affected the way I designed my layout. To accurately capture the feel for a midwestern mainline, I felt I needed as much mainline as I could get between Peoria and Bloomington. Since both cities are large in their own right, they basically each needed a level all to themselves (I've only got a 13x32 room to play with, and share it witht he utilities). To get a sense of flatland railroading meant a third level of nothing but mainline and two small whistlestop towns. Engineering a three level wraparound layout was quite a challenge, but worth it to represent the line.

Researching the line has also changed my buying habits for engines and freight cars. When I was mostly freelancing, I bought basically anything I wanted. Now, I only buy a freight car if it can at least stand in for a real car that would likely have been seen on the line during my 1945-1950 period. I've sold off vbirtually all of my shake the box cars, replacing them with fewer well-detailed cars. I've also now got a stack of resin cars to build. In terms of engines, I like all steam, but only buy engines that would appear on my modeled lines during these years.

All in all I consider the researching of the line to be a seperate but complimentary hobby all by itself. I now spend almost as much time researching the line as I do modeling it!

[RMax1]

I model several different roads and I am interested in some aspects of their histories. I'm not a raving fanatic but find books, videos and other sources of historical information very useful. I would read railroad history even if there was no such thing as model railroading.

RMax

[Anonymous]

I'm interested not only in the history of the local short line that I model, but also three other lines that operated in my region. I have belonged off and on to two of their historical societies. They are both OK, but most historical societies are the sort of thing that you really get back only what you can put in, and I felt that my professional life did not leave me sufficient spare time to make my memberships cost-effective.

[jrbernier]

I model the Milwaukee Road and have a little bit of Northwestern as well. I belong to both Historical Groups and follow the Yahoo Groups. I seem to have all of the Milwaukee books that are available and have a lot of timetables as well. I find that all of this material makes it much easier to build correct models, and has helped me in the design and detail of my model railroad.
Now, I am not a 'foamer' still whinning about the demise the the good old Milwaukee or it's electrification, but I do enjoy reading articles and I really enjoy the track diagrams and arial views in the magazine.

Jim Bernier

[IRONROOSTER]

I enjoy reading the history of individual lines. Some of these have come to be my favorite modeling subjects. The Ma & Pa and the PRR for standard gauge, the WWF for 2 foot narrow gauge. Lately I have been reading a history of the B&O which is starting to appeal to me as a modeling subject.

I guess in my case modeling interest follows the history.
Enjoy
Paul

[Fergmiester]

Though I Freelance I am basing my railway on companies that operated in the area, namely Canadian National, Intercolonial Railway and the Sydney & Louisburg. These railways make for excellent reading and form an excellent base for modelling with diversity. Namely Coal, Timber, Farm produce, fish, passenger, ore, gypsum and salt to name a few. There's also gold in them hills!

Gary Ness and Bill Linley have written books on local and regional systems of the Atlantic Provinces.

Fergie

[Anonymous]

I spent alot of time and bought books, blueprints and videos when I eas researching the DMIR. I had not ever been to Duluth when I decided I want to model the Missabe, I just liked ore cars. Through my research I found that all of my favorite railroads ran there in the early 90's so I can keep running my off-breed equip.

I have the MRHS application form printed on my desk but my wife didn't find it for Christmas and send so I get at least 1 more present.[;)]

I really enjoy researching and it makes railfanning trips so much more fun finding abandoned bldgs & lines while waiting for the next train. My only problem now is that I want to be too exact when modelling, I've already got 5 Ore dock kits mashed together now I need to work Proctor Hill ( Spirit Mountain) Proctor Yards some long mainline and Evtac into my too small basement, I can at least see long strings of orecars in my booksand videos.

One last place research pays off is remebering our favorite fallen flags so we can keep a bit off history alive.[:)]