Doughless...Those SW1200RSs were very nice....
Thanks for your kind comment, Douglas. Even though they weren't true replicas of the SW1200RS diesels, they were my favourite EMD/GMD diesels (as were the real ones). The ones from Rapido are much truer examples, but I did get one of mine returned, as it apparently wouldn't run. I drove down to a place near Syracuse to pick it up and re-imburse the buyer.When I checked it over, the can motor was missing one of the carbon brushes - I can't imagine how it was lost (the loco ran fine the day I packaged it for mailing) so I simply replaced the missing brush with a piece of lead from a mechanical draughting pencil...she runs like a charm and pulls like an ox, and gets track time when the grandkids ask for a diesel.
Wayne
doctorwayneI sold-off (or gave-away) most of my diesels (there are some regrets there)
Those SW1200RSs were very nice.
doctorwayne so operations are when I feel like it, and done in a manner that suits me, whether it's prototypical or not
I think its important to have a sense of era, place, and operations to build a good understanding and foundation.
But what operations ultimately look like probably evolves into simply finding reasons to employ our favorite models in a realistic setting.
- Douglas
Paul Milenkovic What no one has mentioned is that if you have a 2020's era railroad, someone, somewhere could be running a 1950s passenger train as a historical restoration, a "dinner train" or some person's expensive 12 inch to the foot scale hobby. If you have a 1950's railroad, the only what you can have a GEVO locomotive is if someone invented a time machine. You can always "time travel" forward in time by being placed into some kind of Rip Van Winkle deep sleep and waking up in the future. Going back in time is something the professors in the Physics department haven't yet figure out how to do.
What no one has mentioned is that if you have a 2020's era railroad, someone, somewhere could be running a 1950s passenger train as a historical restoration, a "dinner train" or some person's expensive 12 inch to the foot scale hobby.
If you have a 1950's railroad, the only what you can have a GEVO locomotive is if someone invented a time machine. You can always "time travel" forward in time by being placed into some kind of Rip Van Winkle deep sleep and waking up in the future. Going back in time is something the professors in the Physics department haven't yet figure out how to do.
Simon
LastspikemikeI too bought a couple of the Bowser converted chip gondolas in CP Multimark colours. They only ran in the Atlantic region in reality but, I liked 'em so I got 'em.
When mechanical refrigeration became widespread, CN and CP both converted a lot of their ice-cooled reefers into wood-chip cars, with the hinged doors welded shut and the sides heightened using the upper portion of scrapped hoppers and gondolas.In the '60s and '70s, trains of them passed through here frequently, on their way to the paper mills in Thorold, Ontario.
My layout didn't originally have a set time-frame, and I had more diesels than I did steam, and more modern ('60s/'70s) rolling stock than older style cars.As I continued to develop my layout, it seemed that there were more structures that weren't modern at all, and many were not all that large, either. It finally occurred to me that many would have never been rail-served in that era, and that's when I decided to back-date my layout to the "late '30s".Further impetus for that timeframe came from Bachmann's release of their new Consolidations, soon followed by Athearn's Mikados and Pacifics.I sold-off (or gave-away) most of my diesels (there are some regrets there) and almost all of my too-modern rolling stock, freight and passenger, and some steamers that weren't really appropriate for my layout's era and supposed-locale.
I did make a considerable bundle on that sale, though, which allowed me to stock-up on era-appropriate locomotives and rolling stock, along with structure kits and a very good supply of scratchbuilding materials.
I still have several diesels left, usually in a display cabinet, but I'll sometimes put them on the layout when my grandkids want to see diesels...none of which are "modern".
Much of my layout represents memories of industries and businesses in my hometown and the surrounding area, but most of it intentionally is not copies of the original, as they would totally overwhelm the layout.
The railroad is point-to-point (actually five stub-ended "yards") where trains are made-up or "gone elsewhere" (usually back in their respective boxes). There are eight "towns/cities" at least partially represented, all with some industries needing rail service (and not much in the way of neighbourhoods for local workers), with double track through all such locations, with run-arounds to accommodate car spotting or pick-up in either direction.
The layout is only presentable in a few places, and there's probably more to be done than I'll have time for completing it all, so operations are when I feel like it, and done in a manner that suits me, whether it's prototypical or not.
If GM "killed the electric car", what am I doing standing next to an EV-1, a half a block from the WSOR tracks?
wjstix The model does show "BLT 12-50" but I'm not sure that means it couldn't be used on a "modern" layout. I believe CN is still using some DMIR ore cars built around that time, I think the max time for a car is 70 or 75 years. I mean, there's nothing wrong with the OP's idea of doing two eras, my own layout is being built to rotate between several time frames over a 50 or 60 year period. But I don't know if this car (well weathered anyway) would really look that wrong on a 2001-2021 era layout, even if it technically is?
The model does show "BLT 12-50" but I'm not sure that means it couldn't be used on a "modern" layout. I believe CN is still using some DMIR ore cars built around that time, I think the max time for a car is 70 or 75 years.
I mean, there's nothing wrong with the OP's idea of doing two eras, my own layout is being built to rotate between several time frames over a 50 or 60 year period. But I don't know if this car (well weathered anyway) would really look that wrong on a 2001-2021 era layout, even if it technically is?
It wouldn't be a problem really. License can be extended, as I'm not a real stickler. Thruth is that I like a lot of other aspects of both eras, and that would ultimately be the motivation for two layouts, or dual era in one.
Another option for wood chip hoppers outside of era would be these, which are mainly used for trash hauling presently. Originally a 50 foot coal gondola.
cv_acr maxman Why does it not fit your era? Isn't that an 11-80 rebuild date on the left end of the car? Depends on his era... 1980-2000 is 20 years, to current day is 40 years, and the original car is of course much older than the 1980 re-build/re-weigh date, which would pretty much put this thing out of service before the start of the 21st century.
maxman Why does it not fit your era? Isn't that an 11-80 rebuild date on the left end of the car?
Depends on his era...
1980-2000 is 20 years, to current day is 40 years, and the original car is of course much older than the 1980 re-build/re-weigh date, which would pretty much put this thing out of service before the start of the 21st century.
Those stubby hoppers were replaced by bigger hoppers designed and built in the 70s. They may have lasted a while on the CIRR, but that railroad bought the big ones new.
RRpicturesarchives.net. Date, 1991
maxmanWhy does it not fit your era? Isn't that an 11-80 rebuild date on the left end of the car?
Chris van der Heide
My Algoma Central Railway Modeling Blog
I didn't base the layout on a model, but when I started researching the leather tanning industry I discovered how neatly it fit into my existing layout and how it allowed me to add a few more types of rolling stock. This was the Walthers Empire Tanning Company kit, a number of related structures that filled a big empty space.
I have a dual era layout, 1930s and early 1960s. This kit is perfectly at home in both time-frames. Since it only uses small single carload shipments, no large trains are needed.
I already had a slaughterhouse, so there was a supply of hides available locally. I had two undecorated Tichy boxcar kits I picked up for next to nothing at my LHS, and with some home-made decals I had a pair of old "Hide Service Only" boxcars. Bowser provided an undecorated covered hopper, which became a car for delivery of salt. One of those Hooker Chemical tankers would provide acid, and I already had tankers for fuel oil delivery and boxcars to ship the finished product.
The carfloat was one source for raw materials and one place to ship the finished leather, and staging that came along later was another.
I didn't plan it this way, but before I even started building the kit I began to realize how this industry brought my layout together.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
That is what I thought glad I bought several when they came out can't fing them anymore and the LBF Hubbert ones I have all of them also.
Russell
[quote user="csxns"]
csxns Doughless big 61 footers and the 7,000 cf Greenville hoppers Who makes them?
Doughless big 61 footers and the 7,000 cf Greenville hoppers
Who makes them?
Walthers made both. A long time ago. The 7000 cf comes painted generally with schemes from the 80s.
And the 61 footer (actually a gondola) a bit earlier.
The Bowser wood chip hoppers are nice too.
Athearn RTR made the hoppers in the OP pic.
csxns....7,000 cf Greenville hoppers Who makes them?
I presume that these are the ones in question...
https://www.athearn.com/Search/Default.aspx?SearchTerm=40%27+Wood+Chip+Hopper+RTR&CatID=THRF
Cheers, the Bear.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Doughlessbig 61 footers and the 7,000 cf Greenville hoppers
BATMANOne of my biggest pet peeves is when someone has their layout set on a firm date, say Sept 11, 1921, and the buildings for the time do not look newly constructed and freshly painted. They are presented as they would look today a hundred years later in various states of decay, sometimes to the point of falling down and abandon. Yes, there are hundred-year-old buildings that look as good as the day they were built, but how often do we see 1920s buildings on 1920s layout looking a hundred years old when they should appear much newer.
On the other hand there are those who like their watch visibly 'genuine' (meaning to them looking as old as a 160 or longer year-old watch 'should') just like there are those who relish brand spanking new mint-state-70 condition.
Back in the railroad context: I came to the conclusion long ago that proper dust effects including cumulative buildup over time were far more relevant to most 'weathering' effect than either dirt or rusting. Yet we see far more emphasis on the latter often in the utter absence of the former...
I caught the logging bug when I saw (and bought) a Bachmann Climax loco at our LHS. It was the starting point of my layout.
my layout is a 20th century theme it has a mix of steam and diesel so i would say it is from around the era of the late 1950s. my favorite locomotive that I own is either the polar express or AWVR 777 from unstoppable. my other layout is of the stanton curve from the movie unstoppable.
I model 1939 aprox but I have stuff that could have been built. The S4 is much later than my time period but most changes were to internals and minor outside changes. Even the trucks are wrong but were avaliable in my time period.
In so many places around the world, the structures that lined the tracks are still there a hundred years on. It does not look too out of place to run a modern train through an area with old(er) buildings.
One of my biggest pet peeves is when someone has their layout set on a firm date, say Sept 11, 1921, and the buildings for the time do not look newly constructed and freshly painted. They are presented as they would look today a hundred years later in various states of decay, sometimes to the point of falling down and abandon. Yes, there are hundred-year-old buildings that look as good as the day they were built, but how often do we see 1920s buildings on 1920s layout looking a hundred years old when they should appear much newer.
Modern RR trackside infrastructure can often be set up to be easily removable if you wish to quickly change the era. Having buildings that look right in the age department can be a little tougher to accomplish but we do our best.
Hollywood ignores this same issue most of the time and no one seems to ever notice, but I do, but then my job for 36 years was making sure every detail and contingency was looked after. Maybe I am in the wrong hobby.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
When designing my current layout, nearly 15 years ago, I made provisions for the largest equipment possible because I wanted to be able to accommodate virtually anything. My curves are Kato HO 26.375" radius, minimum, and several are 31" plus radius. The tunnels which are located on curves were custom made (pieces of insulation foam sheet with lightweight plaster over them) to be taller both so that I could reach inside to get anything derailed, but also so that double stack trains could operate easily. The tunnel portals have been wide enough for any steam articulated including big boys and yellowstones.
I have had many railroad interests from late steam era motive power through mainly 1970's and later diesels. The railroad era I remember most would be late 1980's and early 1990's. That was when I completed the balance of my railfanning and took a few photographs.
I had said that I'd never do the "modern era" for various reasons, but "never" turned into being a long time--far too long since the ATSF/BNSF merger and UP's acquisition of DRGW/SP/etc such that eventually I had to just give up and cave in.
Of course, this discussion is why folks like Tony Koester had chosen at one point in their life to have two completely separate eras on the same layout. In his case, the one was Nickel Plate Road steam to diesel transition, and the other one he used Alco Centuries and similar motive power.
In my own personal case, as much as I can love and be totally fascinated by steam power, it always requires more special care and feeding, and I also eventually came to realize that it was so far before my time, also with rolling stock type and paint scheme limitations, such that I should just leave it to the history books. It just became very easy for me to do that.
Now that I've made the switch to "modern era" I'm trying to restrict myself to rolling stock that survived in pretty good condition beyond 2010. That means there are many favorite rolling stock items that are now just too old to belong. I simply don't have the heart to weather the crap out of some high end freight cars and locos and put 16 diesels and 4 big steamers out for sale along with a fleet of freight cars. As my tastes were changing I had also accumulated some newer models that are still in the middle and don't belong that much after 2010.
Since then I have replaced my entire diesel roster with engines that are new from mid-2016 until now...Some are hitting the street less than 2 years after the prototypes in real life.
Not saying anyone else should do that but that is what I did. Also I tried engines from an importer that I was not wild about previously, due to a disagreement between them and a personal favorite store, but the engines have been better than expected.
I also decided to make the same city that resembles differently between eras. Instead of different cities and names I chose to leave as one.
The decision was New York Central in New York and then transition into Conrail maybe a little PC. Since I wanted NYC and CR on the same layout. I can change a few things here and there.
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
maxman Doughless I model modern era. Always liked it and will continue to do so. But I've come across a particular model that doesn't fit my era, Why does it not fit your era? Isn't that an 11-80 rebuild date on the left end of the car?
Doughless I model modern era. Always liked it and will continue to do so. But I've come across a particular model that doesn't fit my era,
Why does it not fit your era? Isn't that an 11-80 rebuild date on the left end of the car?
My modern era is post 2000. By that time the big 61 footers and the 7,000 cf Greenville hoppers displaced those stubby guys.
They were more common in the 60s and 70s, but obviously must have lingered a bit longer on the Chattahoochee Industrial RR
JDawg I model a somewhat set era. So I have made two mini layouts for a certain engine. I made a small Industrial layout (ho scale) for a walthers ML-8 and I've also made a small (36in diameter) layout (Ho scale) to run an 1880's passenger train. I think it is great fun to to this. I'll soon make another micro-layout in N scale for a friend who is starting in the hobby, but can't build a large layout. It will be a different locale and era then my larger layouts.
I model a somewhat set era. So I have made two mini layouts for a certain engine. I made a small Industrial layout (ho scale) for a walthers ML-8 and I've also made a small (36in diameter) layout (Ho scale) to run an 1880's passenger train. I think it is great fun to to this. I'll soon make another micro-layout in N scale for a friend who is starting in the hobby, but can't build a large layout. It will be a different locale and era then my larger layouts.
I think that's where I'm headed. My wife and I expect to move out of this house in a few years. At this point, my plan is to then have two layouts, sort of double decked one on top of the other to accomodate both eras. I'll have to study this idea more to see if that's really doable.
It might be cool to model the exact same location, one layout set in 1970, the other layout 2010. Study all of the changes that could have taken place in 40 years; with some free-lancers license where needed. Then again, it might not be worth the effort.
JJF
Prototypically modeling the Great Northern in Minnesota with just a hint of freelancing.
Yesterday is History.
Tomorrow is a Mystery.
But today is a Gift, that is why it is called the Present.
Not so much favorite models, but my layout is based around 1970. Then the grandchildren became involved. They joined in the fun from the age of three. To make things easy for them I bought three 0.4.0 steam engines cheap plus a few trucks.
Now they are older they want to run my diesel locomotives etc. the steam locomotives were forgotten.
It was then when I got the idea to run the steam engines myself, setting the timeframe in 1914/19. Just like 'Topsy' the idea has grown into a layout in its own right.
Now I run diesels one running session, steam another on the same layout.
The grandchildren run the diesel trains!
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
You could have labeled this Filosophy Phriday...
I thought I was gonna have a widely floating timeline era layout, pre transition to post, and in between. But now a large imposing industry narrows it considerably to post... Or just ignore that chip pile sometimes! Dan
DoughlessI model modern era. Always liked it and will continue to do so. But I've come across a particular model that doesn't fit my era,