Modern Standard Gauge Railroads?

[Marty Cozad]

I don't think I've asked this on this forum, is there very many folks or GRRs that call themselves and devote the Railroad design to modern standard gauge trains? I've been wondering with all these new "Monster engines" coming out who can run them? The need for larger curves with longer trains and sidings. Bigger switches etc. Is the future bright for on going "LARGE" large scale trains?[^]

[Anonymous]

Well, my interest is in late steam era big mainline steam engines (although i don't own any oldly enough due to my other facination with geared engines) and am currently replacing and installing much larger curves and switches to run the newer and larger engines. Right now my smallest curves are LGB 1600s and matching switches (about 8 foot diamiter) and i am now using #6 turnouts and 12 foot minimum diamiter curves in all the other areas as I build them. They look much better without such excessive overhang and I look forward to seeing more mainline, larger steam engines in the future! (Although at the same time, I do own an SD40-2 and plan to purchase another diesel because they run so well) So in this sense, I am not a modern mainline railroader, but i do understand and have the same problems.

[vsmith]

Hello Marty,

Good subject, Personally I love my loco's the smaller the better, but I follow all trends in this hobby closely as I can and YES I think the future looks very bright for LARGE large scale trains. Arist is going to be releasing a 2-8-8-2 mallet sometime, if they have a market for that beasty they must be selling an awful lot of those bigger diesels and steamers to justify such a big dinosuaur of an engine.

I my viewpoint the large scale hobby is currently spliting into two seperate groups. Group 1 the Mainliners camp, 1:32 and 1:29 scalers devoted to standard gauge lines, and Group 2 the Narrow Gaugers camp, 1:20.3/1:22.5 and 1:24 (myself) scalers devoted to slim gauge lines. I think eventually each is going to need a seperate definition (G, F, H, I'm not sure what the NMRA standards are) and the manufacurers will have to market their products to that specific scale.

Aristo/USA is taking the lead in the mainline camp, all of their product is now geared towards that end of the market. and Bachmann has become the lead manufacturer for most of the narrow gauge camp. LGB is somewhere in the middle but has always leaned more towards the narrow camp. The rest fall somewhere in between.

[Anonymous]

I'm going to go to the "sparkin" side of the hobby when the manufacturers start building "mag lev" kits and of course the "track" kits to run them on.

I tend to be less fussy about modeling the layout than I am about being more of a "purist" (whatever THAT means) when it comes to locomotion itself.

I.e. - So far I'm a Live Steamer. But there is also a REAL deisel electric now out for "G" scale. A REAL one with an internal combustion engine that runs a Generator, that drives motors that power the wheels!

I may get one of these soon and a proper consist to go with it. Still no powered track required and I could concievably have a layout that "morphs" from a turn of the century Narrow Gauge Steamer to a '50's style area where the true Diesel electric would be righ at home. Each would look weird out of it's respective modeled area, but it coud still run on the same layout of track. THIS makes me smile.

When we can do a Mag Lev, THEN I'll go to a seperate layout for that. Perhaps a Japanese theme with a Godzilla in the layout somewhere. (heh heh).

[Anonymous]

Yes, I'm very surprised the Aristo and USA Trains have found markets for the large SD45s, SD40-2s, and now the new Aristo 2-8-8-2 mallet considering that each of these has a minimum operating diamiter of 8-10 feet! But they have, so the layouts are obviously out there. By the way, interesting thought on two different types of garden railroaders, my problem is that I can fit both of them... hehe...

[Anonymous]

This is going to be a rather naive question, but what's the big deal with prefab layout curve sizes?

Bulk rail and a rail bender will allow anyone to create a curve of ANY diameter desired, including some interesting "s" curve configurations for varying diameters. Hard to gentle in one stretch and vice versa. etc. Conforms to existing features of the yard or garden without consideration of what's for sale pre-fab-wise.

I've never used anything BUT bulk rail and a bender. Not sure what the issue is here with layout kit curves.

Thanx.

[vsmith]

I think the issue with ready curved track is that its just that, already curved. People dont have to think about it just clamp it together and go. Using a bender means planning and thinking about how to lay the track down. that might be a little intimidating for some. Also rail benders are not cheap, but rather pricy! that also might scare some off.

I personally think if your layout is rather small or confined to a limited area, use the prefab stuff. its faster and you dont have to worry about too-tight corners. But if your spreading out and can layout the track more like a real RR than yes, the bender/bulk rail is the way to go. The curves will far more pleasing and realistic, but that intails alot of area to get those realistic sweeps that make outdoor garden RRs look so real. Somehow I dont think most peoples back yards will be big enough to support such sweeping vistas.

[Marty Cozad]

I to bend 90% of my track and scratchbuild 90% of my switches our of old rail. But the sectionals are helpful to many and yes when I wanted a perfectly rounded curve heading into the canyon bridge I bought 20' dia curves. Some times its down to time[:I] I really have started watching how much info I give out untill I find out how mature,, for the lack of a better word. The person is about the hobby, I know of acouple of folks who gave up the hobby after visting our RR. It totally back fired on me. Now I show photos of others GRRs first. to show them how "do-able" the hobby is FIRST. Then they can see what can be done in 12 years of labor.[;)]

[Anonymous]

I am a mainline person and a narrow gauge person. What I currently own thats big and bad is a USA Tains F3 A-B-B-A chrome set. It is probably not what you guys were thinking but I want to start a SP oil can TankTrain. My current radius is LGB's 16000 series. I will get a hold of those USA streamliners oneday so I will expand the radius to 10' or something. I hope that modern trains dominate the future but there will always be a narrow gauge engine or shortline train in my heart at all times.

[Anonymous]

Marty Cozad:

I would LOVE to see some of your stuff if you have some pics.

I know a lot of folks here don't publi***heir e-mails for various reasons, but I have managed to hook up with vsmith and trade a couple of items. Pics, article, etc.

I know we all like our privacy and I'm fussy about it, SPAM possibilities and all.

Maybe we could talk the Board Managers here into setting up e-mail repositories for members.

I know they have responded to the difficulties in providing a place to post pictures.

[Anonymous]

vsmith:

Yeah I guess the rail bender migh come across as intimidating to some beginners, but when I did my first layout in HI, I wanted to take advantage of the natural trees and Basalt boulders that were there. The rail bender was to only way for me and so I bit the bullet and went for it. It was not a large layout at all, but I can see the reason for "pre-fab" curves if your layout is trully flat and un-obstructed.

[Marty Cozad]

Mr Bass
I had my phone # in the Feb issue of GRYs and many folks thought that was the wrong thing to do. Well in about 6 months I had a total of 17 calls. most out of state, two where guys who bought their first G set after seeing the artical and couple were supporters of modern mainliners who gave me open invites if I am ever in their area. Since then a few who were on vaction calling ahead to drop by. Our RR is always open for visitors, if they call ahead so I can be there. Our German shepred dog is not always friendly to strangers unless we are there.[^] My e-mail address is [e-mail]. or if you go visit MyLargescale.com I post many photos there and at Aristo's board. Personally its so much better to answer questions with a photo than thousands of words. I'd have to go 3 times a day to MLS in order to keep up on all the posting and sharing going on.
well chat later
www.http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/NTCGRR/cnwweathered.jpg

[Anonymous]

Marty Cozad:

Nice. The link you provided at the end above can be plucked out from the [img] delimiters and pasted to a new browser window and it works fine.

Yeah, you can't post a photo here but you can paste a link directly from another browser window address bar and it will continue to work as a hot link here.

I'll e-mail you in a few days.

Regards,

LDH

(vettbass is just a handle. I'm a Bass Player who drives a Corvette which is where THAT's comin' from.)

[Marty Cozad]

Early evening a SD-45 lash-up heads south almost to Minersville crossing.
http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/NTCGRR/bnhm2%20006.jpg Mainline running and railfanning can save you lots on your gas bill[;)]

[Anonymous]

Marty, another great photo!

[bman36]

Hi Marty,
I like both. Currently I am building for a Narrow Guage logging operation but the next phase will include a mainline loop for Standard Guage. I'm still stuck in the past so for now you will mainly see vintage Canadian Pacific in diesel passing by the"Gears In The Woods". Saw your rr in GR and was very impressed. I can see how a newcomer could go "Me? No way". I think we all forget that everyone's railroads started from "nothing". Keep it on the rails. Later eh...Brian.

[Anonymous]

Guys,

I have found that I can get great benefit from going back to old threads that I first didn't fully understand (and thus, due to my then novice entry into Large Scale) and look at them through the "rose colored" glasses of the present...

this is such and attemp...




Marty,

What are suitable methods for weathering? The example provided above is excellent, but I have not received results with it in my experience. Do I simply need practice?

[Anonymous]

I like to model the modern day loco's and cars as well as going back to the 50's and earlier days too . My railroad is in my back yard in a typical new subdivision. It's only 75' wide and about 40' to 45' long . I used all 20' dia. curves and my only two switches are #6's . I plan on adding another in the spring for a industrial siding and it too will be a #6. I want to get a few more 5 platform articulated cars over the winter . In my old days of HO I did alot of weathering with pastel chalk oversprayed with a dullcoat clear. I plan to give all my rolling stock and loco fleet a weathering job over the winter. I hope to have pictures soon of my 4-6-6-4 challenger going around . My friend has one of these also in UP and 8 USA passenger cars in UP . Some day soon hopefully he'll bring his stuff over and we can get pic's of that too . The 4-6-6-4 looks nice going around but it still hangs over too much to me. Can't wait till spring to start working outside again as I still have a lot of dirt to move and a water feature to build.

[Marty Cozad]

Capt
that is one of the few, I mean VERY few that I have been truely happy with.

right after I did this car I tried another and totally messed it up. There are people in the car now and I surprisenly won 2nd place at the Denver show with it. I almost did not take it out of the box when I saw all the other great models.
Yes , try ,,try and try again.
start little and add to it. I use fine sand paper and drag the printing down the sides to get the aged look then spray with rust and roof brown and other paints.
PS.
Mike , I'd love to have you share your photos on here. Its fun seeing what others are doing.[^]

[Anonymous]

I devote myslef to modern standard gauge railways and they are not big, there ok i only do European though but I do not have a myopic view on this pasttime

Regrds Ian

[Anonymous]

marty
i am a standard gauger but im limmited to 10' radi and i own plenty of diesels 5 sd40-2 3 sd45 no dash 9 because of 1 handed operation dont work for me. because of the removeable switch cover thats my problem with sd 45 also. i run the earlier diesels nw2's f3's gp7&9's gp30's gp38-2's i would love to trade my sd45's and sd40-2 for smaller 4 truck diesel's. you have a RR others dream of ! im hoping charlie's sd 70 mac's are going to be able to be 1 handed?

[Bucksco]

As far as standard guage models go what is the preferred scale? Aristo's Dash 9 scales out to 1/29 is this what people want? Would those out there modeling American railways have a preference-I'm just curious. Even though the track scales out at 1/32 I think 1/32 trains seem a bit small but this is just my opinion.