It's your railroad

[n2mopac]

I thouroughly agree. I model BNSF's Wichita Falls sub and enjoy recreating specific buildings and locals with recognizable details. But I also enjoy addin my own flavor, like a cafe in a small town strip named for my daughter. I also "freelance" my operations, though they still reflect the types of freight and trains seen on this prototype line.

Ron

[chaya]

Yup, it's our hobby, and the only way to do it is the way that makes us happy. For some the joy is in modeling a perfect slice of history. I value these modelers because they are doing their part to preserve history and make it come alive for later generations. I'm not like that, though. I want to start with the prototype and then stretch it to say, "What if?" And in my little layout, the what if is a BNSF merger in a little out-of-the-way New Mexican town that can only afford used motive power but doesn't have the money to re-paint it, and freight and passenger cars that are likewise maintained forever but never re-painted. Because, basically, who cares? It's a manana world down here, and that's what I'm trying to capture: a time and place and a "what if." It wouldn't make me angry if someone criticized it, I don't think. Everyone has different reasons to be in the hobby.

So alongside my Santa Fe switcher I have a GN SD-7 and a NP GP-18. It makes me happy.

[2c]

[railman]

yeah!!! Free-lancers unite!

[twhite]

well, let's see. I model big steam during the WWII period. My layout is set in the northern Sierra Nevada mountains of California. It's 75% Rio Grande. Rio Grande didn't run in California during WWII. It does now. And I have Missabe Yellowstones pulling PFE and ART fruit blocks through the Sierra. the other day, I had a Pennsy triple-header, and this morning I ran an Allegheny. Hey, Rio Grande is having a power shortage from all the WWII traffic, and is leasing locos from other roads, right? That's why those two Colorado and Southern 2-10-2's came through last week with a coal train from Utah. Oh, yah, and SP just ran an AC-6 heading a PFE fruit block. Something about Donner Pass being too crowded. Hey, there's WP#331 with a train--suppose the Feather River is blocked AGAIN? You bet it's my railroad!

[ondrek]

my feeling is I take all the decals off and replace them with mine, that way, I am not modeling after anything, and no one can say "that railroad didnt run those..." this way i can run what i want how i want it, course that is if i ever get to build it.

[Anonymous]

Who would want to model word-for-word a prototype railroad?? Ever see how much funner it is to "bend the truth" a little?

For instance everyone know the CB&Q merged into BN in 1970. Not in my model rr. It survived on, and I am planning to model a Modern Day Burlington Route, as well as Great Northern and Northern Pacific!!

Much more fun than BNSF, at least for me!!!

[Anonymous]

STUPID PURISTS ! THEY CAN HAVE THEIR EXACTLY TO PROTOYPE LAYOUTS! I can run a Conrail SD80MAC on the head of the Super Chief if I want to. IT'S MY RAILROAD!

Great Topic BNSF nut, glad someone dug it up.

[Anonymous]

I personally enjoy seeing trains, model and real, of all different types and time periods because of this it makes more sense to me to just freelance and not narrow things down to any one area or train style. I want a setup that I enjoy and do not particularly care if it pleases anyone else.

I like the idea of working with model railroads because I can change the layout if I wish and I can change it to what pleases me.

[BRAKIE]

While it may be my railroad I still want believability.For me I would not be happy seeing 40 foot boxcars with roof walks being pulled by SD70s nor would I be happy seeing PRR locomotive pulling stacks.[xx(] There is no fantasy or malarkey on my layout.You will find no cutesy pie names on my industries after all I am trying to model a transportation system in a miniature world even on my switching layouts.[:D] Now how YOU enjoy YOUR hobby is fine with me.[:D][tup]

[eastcoast]

QUOTE: Originally posted by eastcoast

I found this in the archives.
Good topic to rehash ???
A model railroad is a project I have worked all my
life to have and build. I'D BE DAMNED TO LET
ANYBODY TELL ME I CANNOT DO WHAT I WANT.
My layout is a freelanced system and I RULE MY WORLD.
If someone who visits my layout has a problem, opinions
are one thing, BUT DON'T EVER INSULT MY WORK.
i'll get off my soapbox.

I still feel that if you have a guest visiting your layout,
it should be known that courtesy is customary.
Even if I have something questionable on my
layout, nobody else is really going to see it without
me in the room. I'll ask, " What do you think?" and get
an honest reply. Mostly positive. I have changed my tone
a bit and take mental notes on how I can improve areas.
Then, I will invite the critique to show me the new perspective.
I still model what I want. It is my railroad, the E C R.

[CBQ_Guy]

I like to at least find out how and why things are done in "the real world". From there I can decide how far I want to carry that reality on my layout rather than just take the lazy and easy way of saying, "It's my railroad and I can do what I want.." That's just "playing with trains" as opposed to creating a model railroad, IMO.

[darth9x9]

Mine will be a Chessie themed layout.

BC

[Anonymous]

I love my 4 x 16 ft. HO scale Eastern RR. Dated in the 50's. E8's and F7's runs the train.

[Anonymous]

I am in the process of modeling the Rock Island, but things will be done...My way.

[Anonymous]

I agree. Currently running on my layout are an Athearn DD35 and a Bachmann F7 - just part of the WRRM's fleet. The DD35 is painted up in EMD Demonstrator paintwork while the F7 is in Erie Lackawanna paint. I tend to run my fleet (which is pretty varied, though this is accurate for most museums) on the basis of running what I feel like. I try to rotate locos so everything gets some run time to keep it working properly.

[on30francisco]

My On30 freelanced narrow gauge railroad is set in the hills of the eastern part of the country around the late 1920s. It is mostly a logging line but has other industries plus limited passenger service. Since I like both the two and three footers, I use both types of equipment on the layout. The only requirement I have for the railroad is that all equipment and scenic items be plausable for the geographic area and era I'm modeling(eg. no cacti or adobe structures in the Appalachians). I sometimes run all kinds of equipment whether prototypical or not. I have HO models of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), and the MUNI light rail trains that I sometimes run on the layout. Definately unprototypical but fun. Those modern trains entered the layout through a wormhole that connects our universe with another universe that's outside of our spacetime. Ha Ha!

[fec153]

I would guess from all of what I just read, none of you bashed Mal's latest layout.
If one of you did,youre a hypocrite.

[Anonymous]

Hey BIG BOY

It's not my idea, it's a reality!

The Sydney & Louisburg a.k.a. "Slow & Lazy" had 30 Locomotives on their roster when they dieselized in 1961. Their fleet of "Mikes" came from several American RR's. The S&L steam fleet was killed, not by modernization but lack of parts, as one book said, a simple component like a gear wheel for a headlight generator could, and did cripple a locomotive. An ionteresting note is that the S&L had a 112 miles of track and at one point carried more tonnage (Coal) than some of the largest RR's in North America.

Regards

Fergie

[willy6]

i'm waiting to hear someone say they are they are running UP BIG BOYS on the BOSTON & MAINE.................i love the comments

[Anonymous]

I agree with you guys 100%! If we by all the supplies, we should be able to do what we want. I especialy like Fergus's idea of having a mixed steam RR, and Flyingscot's idea of running a Pennsy K4 in UP livery. Keep it up! [:)] [:p] [;)]

[Anonymous]

Now I feel like I can run a K4 pacific in UP colors

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by eastcoast

I found this in the archives.
Good topic to rehash ???
A model railroad is a project I have worked all my
life to have and build. I'D BE DAMNED TO LET
ANYBODY TELL ME I CANNOT DO WHAT I WANT.
My layout is a freelanced system and I RULE MY WORLD.
If someone who visits my layout has a problem, opinions
are one thing, BUT DON'T EVER INSULT MY WORK.
i'll get off my soapbox.

[8D]Couldn't agree more! WELL STATED!!!!!!!

[CP5415]

I agree. TOTALLY!
Even though I'm basing my railroad after the CPR, I have locomotives from NYC, UP, B&O, MEC, B&M, C&NW, Seaboard, Conrail & Norfolk Southern.
FUN is why i'm doing things my way. prototypical is nice, but not for me.
Just my 2 cents

Gordon

[AggroJones]

I favor western roads, but like some eastern locomotives too. I own a NYC hudson, N&W 2-8-8-2, and PRR GP-7. My intrest is all over the map.

[Hawks05]

i'm running what i like and what i want to get. nobody will tell me what to run and what not to. i spend my hard earned money on what i liked and wanted so its mine. leave me alone.

[vsmith]

Model what ya like and like what ya model.

It's not only your railroad...

Its your money...no one should feel they have the right to tell you what to spend your green on.

Example: If you want to runn a GG1 on your Milwalkee Road's Pacific extension and have the skill to repaint it in Milwalkee Road colors, THEN DO IT!!!!

The purist will scoff "Ah, ya shouldnta outta done that, ya shoulda spent dat money on a Little Joe instead" Bollocks I say !!! Run what interests you.

[willy6]

i agree with BNSFNUT 100%, it's your idea and your expression and most of all your CREATION. in my case the only people that view my layout are mostly relatives and wouldn't have a clue on prototypical settings,i could run a PENNSY GG-1 w/o overhead wires on a UP mainline in the middle of wyoming and they wouldn't know difference. that makes me safe criticism.

[Anonymous]

Darn Right it is!! Track rights and all.

Before I got married my "wife to be" advised me when we got a house the basement would be mine. Well a good portion of it is and with that in mind I will model what I want. Though based on a Nova Scotian Short Line, This RR will have a mixed bag of steam, everything from 0-6-0's right up to a 2-6-6-6 and even a Big Boy.

I've got CP, UP, CN and C&O
There's Pennsy, Pere Marquette and even Nickel Plate
All on the go

Oh how some of you purest must be cringing. But it paid for and it's mine, All mine!!!! and it's gettin bigger.

If your wondering where I would get such an idea check out the Sydney & Louisburg Railway, one of the last bastions of North American Steam

Regards

Fergie
Proprieter
M.E.S.S.
Musquodoboit & Eastern Shore System
(mus-ka-dobit)

[dave9999]

If you want your trains to run upside down,so be it. I figure that I planned, built, purchased, designed,
scenicked, added decoders, structures, locos, rolling stock......... I think this makes it my railroad. So
I would take extreme offense to someone telling me it was wrong. @#$% holy rolling purist! Dave

scenicked? Is that a word???