Finding a name for your model railroad.

[Anonymous]

I've been tring for for the longest time. To decide what to name my model railroad? My roadname is IL.CENTRAL, the ERA 1970-80, location southern IL-Tenn. area. What would be good name for it?

[wcb4soorr]

My railroad's name, The Plainfield Lines, comes from the type of terrain between Plainfiled, WI and Plover, WI. As a boy growing up in Beloit, WI, but riding to the lake cabin outside of Woodruff in northern Wisconsin more than 30 times a year, I got to see much of the route of the Wisconsin Central "P-Line". From Plainfield north to Plover the land is flat as a pancake. Every time I drive across it, I am still amazed at how flat it is compared to the rest of Wisconsin. I model the Wisconsin Central "P-Line" in a "what-if-it-survived to the mid 1990's" dream world. It is a branch the Wisconsin Central built from Stevens Point to Portage in the 1870's. I called it the Plainfield Lines because in reality, the "P-Line" was abandoned in the 1940's. Some day when the existing Plainfield Lines is tired and worn out, and passes on to a better place, I will build a model of the "P-Line" in the 1890's. Can anyone in Wisconsin help out a displaced Cheesehead (I still bleed Green and Gold) in St. Louis with info about the "P-Line"?

[DPD1]

The name I came up with was based more on convenience then anything else... I didn't want to have to go through the task of creating custom decals each time I wanted to make a loco or car... So I picked up the MicroScale catalog, and started looking for some kind of combination of existing RR names that I could somehow manipulate. I wanted something that had kind of a simple, classic, old-school kind of look. I eventually went with various versions of Spokane, Portland & Seattle decals. I liked the old style logo, and since the original RR was gone, it wouldn't be too obvious where it came from. That combined with different colors then what the original SP&S used, completed the scam. I've yet to settle on a name for sure, but I'm leaning towards Summerton, Pleasantville & Southern. I figure that's generic enough that it could be anywhere, which allows me to do scenery and structures whatever way I want.

Dave
Los Angeles, CA
-DPD Productions - Home of the TrainTenna RR Monitoring Antenna-
http://eje.railfan.net/dpdp/

[TurboOne]

I think you should name it how YOU like. If you are trying to model a real layout, then find a local landmark, be it natural or manmade and use that name. Just watch the acromyms !

If you want a fun name, like after the wife and kids or pets, Go for it. The letters will always look great and maybe you want to get a message accross.

Our railroad is the tk7kt which is Tim, Kristi, God, Kaitlyn, and Trevor. I designed a logo on the computer and will put it on the locos and cars as needed. We may add the Pacific or Rocky Mountain depending on what we decide to model.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Mr. Blysard,
Thanks for the link. I was familiar with the SRN, and have gotten a couple of cars in their scheme. Personnaly, I'm modelling the former Katy from Greenville to Mineola (ex MKT) and (MP) ex-IGN from Mineola to Troup--northern portion of the Sabine. Once again, thanks for the link and be safe, always enjoy your input. BTW, have you seen the NYT piece on Tyler Pipe? Sad how a new owner took people's safety as secondary, but I don't always believe fluff in the NYT--especially the recent grade crossing articles.

Once again, Mr. Blysard, be safe, and may you and your family have a wonderful New Year!

SRVfan

[vsmith]

Being a freelance modeler I have always created ny own roadnames, with no kids to worry about and being a "lone wolf" I could be as "creative" asI wanted. My HOn30 layout was the "Furnace Creek, Ketchum, and Union Pacific" or the FCKUP The Northridge earthquake sent that one to the pavement. My first outdoor garden RR was called the "Fubar & Snafu" if ya dont know the acronimes for those words, dont ask.

My current indoor large scale industrial tramline model RR could be anything. I chose to name it after the town it served which in turn was named after its primary industry. The Borracho Springs RR serves the town of Borracho Springs and the Borracho distillery, the only tequila distillery distillery north of the Mexico border. I chose the name from the movie "The Great Race with Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis where they pass thru a wild west town called Borracho "...Citizens of Borracho!.." applying it to a brewery or distillery industry was just icing on the cake...

for those who No Habla Espaniol, borracho means drunk or drunkard.

[edblysard]

SRVfan,
Take alook here,
http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/SS/eqs5.html
There really is a Sabine River railroad...

Ed

[theswitchman]

The Cairo Connection

[jabrown1971]

The T P & W kinda did reach it's goals. In Logansport it interchanged with the Wabash and later N & W, which ran into or near Toledo. In Ft Madison it connected with the ATSF to reach the "western" in T P & W. I know it's a stretch, but hey, maybe that was how the original surveyors pictured the line. Maybe I am using modelers license to extend the TP & W beyond Ft Madison and Logansport.

[Anonymous]

An example of grandiose plans for a real railroad--Toledo, Peoria & Western--they never came close to Toldedo, and didn't go too far west of Peoria. The best bet is to find a geographical aspect of the area you intend to model and use that in it's name. I am a Stevie Ray Vaughan (RIP) fan and also live near the Sabine River in Texas so Sabine River Valley fits my RR.

[espeefoamer]

You could claim that your road was originally intended to go further,but only made it to somewhere in Tenesee when the investors money ran out.Then you could call it something like" Chicago & New Orleans".

[Buckeye Riveter]

When I was young I rode the B&O from Baltimore to Cincinnati and then the NYC to Lafayette, Indiana.

My railroad's name: The Baltimore, Ohio and Wabash Railroad

If you know the geography you understand the logic.

[tree68]

My Tug Hill & Northern is named after a local region, and obviously, points north.

Consider, too, that you can officially call your railroad one thing, and refer to it as something else (Soo, Nickle Plate).

I'll agree with staying away from the cutsie stuff, unless it can be made to sound classy, or has some profound meaning (ie, Gorre & Daphetid). Of course, if your significant other's name, and the dogs, sound like place names, you could use them (Susan River and Angus RR?)

And I'll second the idea of seeking out defunct RRs from the area. If you want to use IC (or other) locos, then you can rationalize that the RR leases from IC. Or you can dream up your own paint scheme, etc...

[IRONROOSTER]

If it's a small local railroad use local names like Alexandria and Orange. If you envision a major railroad you generally should use geoprahic names like Northern Pacific or combine a local name with some far away feature like the Baltimore and Ohio. That's what I did with my Virginia and Lake Erie. Of course there are always exceptions like the PRR and the AT&SF which greatly expanded beyond their name area. And the New York, Ontario and Western, which never did the Western part.
Enjoy
Paul

[DanRaitz]

Other option is to research the RR history of your area, and find out what RR's were proposed but never built or were built but quickly absorbed into other RR's. If you find a name that interests you use it.
I used this method for both my HO "Minnesota International Ry "and Sn3 "Nevada Midland Ry"

Dan