My little switching layout is a "what if", set in northwestern Ohio, about 50 miles south of Lake Erie and east of Toledo. It fictionally represents a 17 mile segment of the Norfolk & Western RR that was (would have been) abandoned in the late 60's-early 70's, but the businesses along the line collectively bought it so that it could still link up with the Chessie System and the Erie Lackawanna to continue rail service. presently, the railroad only owns one switching locomotive and two cabooses; no revenue rolling stock. So, just the locomotive and the two cabooses are painted and lettered for the Toledo Erie Central RR. In real life, that kind of roster is typical of many short lines. The "class 1" or major lines (Chessie and EL) are used to interchange cars with the TEC.
Years ago I modeled the BN and after a visit and operating session on Allen McClelland's V&O I decided to make a fictional RR to interchange with the BN. I came up with the Illinois Western. I had a color scheme of Brown and Tan with yellow lettering that looked prototypical.
Hi goodness181
The short answer is yes
Start with a name and a location.
Location is important it gives the terrain the railroad will run through this in turn will guide loco choice and train length.
ie mountains Big engines short trains or plains big engines big trains and so on
It may even inspire a customer this can be believable like a silver mine or fun such as consolidated treacle mines, this starts the rolling stock needs.
And so it grows.
Have a good back story this will also guide you to produce a believable railway
and help with stock choices ect
note I used the word believable not prototypical
Oh and just to stir the pot
Real engines are red
regards John
Goodness181 So i'm new to model railroading and had an idea for my own railroad company. Do people do this?? i was thinking about going the extra mile too and painting locomotives and cars to my company's colors and all. Didnt know if people did this alot or they just stuck to the company names like CSX??
So i'm new to model railroading and had an idea for my own railroad company. Do people do this?? i was thinking about going the extra mile too and painting locomotives and cars to my company's colors and all. Didnt know if people did this alot or they just stuck to the company names like CSX??
Some freelancers take a prototype railroad and put it in a fictional time or place.
I model NKP in a mountain setting.
-Joe Renner
My rolling stock collection includes a couple of cars from freelanced railroads. A club in Pasadena special ordered cars from Athearn for their freelanced railroad, the Sierra Pacific Lines. I bought one at an open house. Some time later local vandals tagged it.
And there was MR's own Turtle Creek Central. I used their decals to decorate this Walthers Insulated Box Car. I had to print out the car information myself by looking at similar cars.
You can have your fictional railroad connect to real railroads for more variety and operating choices.
My fictional Blacklog Railroad runs north and south in west central Pa. In the north it connects to the PRR and the Tuscarora railroad. Going south it connects to the East Broadtop Railroad and the South Penn. ( the South Penn right of way and roadbed was started in the late 1800s, but never finished but is finished and operating on my layout....semi-fictional?? ). Going further south there is a connection to the Western Maryland.
Use your imagination and have fun.
jjd
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/252543.aspx
Made the link clickable.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Anyone interested in building a freelanced model railroad should read The V&O Story. It is the bible of freelance model railroad philosophy. Allen did an excellent job of creating a believable fictional railroad. I didn't even know the V&O was a fake railroad until I read it because the locomotive paint scheme looked believable. I was in elementary school but I knew a lot about trains.
Hello All,
Welcome to the forums.
Checkout this link to a similar discussion:
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
[quote user="BRAKIE"]
Freelance railroad modeling is popular with hundreds of modelers but,freelancing has some guide lines that must be followed in order to create a fully believable railroad.
My Columbus & Hocking Valley is a modern short line railroad that is named after the original C&HV of the 1800s.
There is another form of freelance railroads called joint ownership where locomotives and cars is supplied by the owning roads.
My Scioto Rail is one such railroad that is owned by NS and CSX...That's my excuse for using my CSX and NS cars and locomotives.
A great site to work on paint schemes is Joshua Moldover's Paint Shop website:
http://paintshop.railfan.net/
__________________________________________________________________
Mike Kieran
Port Able Railway
I just do what the majority of the voices in my head vote on.
Cool. I actually think i did find a web site with some lol here it is.
http://trainiax.net/mescaleloco.php
I found the graphic of the SD40-2 online some where (it has been years now I cant remember where) and it was painted with UP grey and yellow. I simply used Photoshop and recolored the engine the way I wanted for my railroad. I am planning on using Wisconsin Central maroon and black with gold lettering.
Massey
A Veteran, whether active duty, retired, national guard, or reserve, is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America" for an amount of "up to and including my life."
SMassey yup I have the South Massey Railway. It is part of the city called South Massey. I also have a maritime company Massey Marine Salvage and Towing. Which relates to my R/C tugs and other ships in my boat fleet. My salvage vessel is still in the ways, construction on her has been suspended indefidently. OK back to the Trains. I came up with a paint scheme for my SMRY engines I just have yet to complete the actual paint job on any of the ones slated to recieve the paint. Here is an idea of my scheme. Massey
yup I have the South Massey Railway. It is part of the city called South Massey. I also have a maritime company Massey Marine Salvage and Towing. Which relates to my R/C tugs and other ships in my boat fleet. My salvage vessel is still in the ways, construction on her has been suspended indefidently.
OK back to the Trains. I came up with a paint scheme for my SMRY engines I just have yet to complete the actual paint job on any of the ones slated to recieve the paint. Here is an idea of my scheme.
Very Nice!!! Now did you use a program to do the color schym??? If so what was it and where can i find one like it? or did you down load the pic and do a photo shop over it???
Goodness181 Aralai: I have a real railroad - Guilford (old B&M, MEC, etc) but a fictional locale - Derry, Maine. Stephen King fans will recognize a loosely disguised Bangor with some strange goings-on around town... AAAA very nice!!!! I'm not a Stephen King Fan myself but i grew up and wen to high school just across the river in Brewer so i know the area very well. need any ideas or any info about the area let me know but looks like your doing very well on your own!!!
Aralai: I have a real railroad - Guilford (old B&M, MEC, etc) but a fictional locale - Derry, Maine. Stephen King fans will recognize a loosely disguised Bangor with some strange goings-on around town...
I have a real railroad - Guilford (old B&M, MEC, etc) but a fictional locale - Derry, Maine. Stephen King fans will recognize a loosely disguised Bangor with some strange goings-on around town...
AAAA very nice!!!! I'm not a Stephen King Fan myself but i grew up and wen to high school just across the river in Brewer so i know the area very well. need any ideas or any info about the area let me know but looks like your doing very well on your own!!!
Thanks! Summer has kept me busy away from my layout, but looking forward to getting back to it in the fall. Any advice from a local would be greatly appreciated!
My Build Thread: https://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/t/185298.aspx
Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/stephenkingsmaine
Aralai I have a real railroad - Guilford (old B&M, MEC, etc) but a fictional locale - Derry, Maine. Stephen King fans will recognize a loosely disguised Bangor with some strange goings-on around town...
Mike Kieran I love it!! Wow, I thought that it was an SW1500 and a Geep hood. Great work!!!
I love it!! Wow, I thought that it was an SW1500 and a Geep hood. Great work!!!
In all honesty I did use an SW1500 for my model. I just wanted a quick and dirty representation of a SWeep, not an accurately detailed model. Here's a link to an article I wrote about how I built it in just over an hour. Thanks for the kind words.
Tom
Life is simple - eat, drink, play with trains!
Go Big Red!
PA&ERR "If you think you are doing something stupid, you're probably right!"
fiatfan Here's my kit bashed SWeep painted for the Adobe Flats Municipal Railway. A SWeep is a combination of an SW1200R and a GP-9 built by CN. Tom
Here's my kit bashed SWeep painted for the Adobe Flats Municipal Railway.
A SWeep is a combination of an SW1200R and a GP-9 built by CN.
Goodness181 Mike i like it too. I have been tossing around some ideas on a name for my railroad but as of right now I'm not set on anything. One idea is the G & H Railroad (Goodness & Howe) my good friend wants to help me build it so thats where the Howe part is from. but right now I'm not set on it as of yet.
Mike i like it too. I have been tossing around some ideas on a name for my railroad but as of right now I'm not set on anything. One idea is the G & H Railroad (Goodness & Howe) my good friend wants to help me build it so thats where the Howe part is from. but right now I'm not set on it as of yet.
What locale is your railroad? What kind of industries will it have? G& H has good possiblilities.
Thanks Brakie,
I'm using a plethora of engines for it, but mainly EMD & GE switchers. I'm partial to KATO NW2s and GE 45 tonners, but I do love me some SW1500s. I plan on picking a Precision Scale Model. I already have an Athearn MP15.
I plan on bringing it to meets, so I needed a portable railway that would fit in my car and also fold away to fit in a closet.
richhotrain I call mine D Rail Ments RR. Rich
I call mine D Rail Ments RR.
Rich
LOL.
SOunds like you have some track integrity issues!
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
Nice Tom! I never get tired of SWeep! The proof that even Class I railroad can freelance stuff by themselves and kitbash once a while!
Matt
Proudly modelling the Quebec Railway Light & Power Co since 1997.
http://www.hedley-junction.blogspot.com
http://www.harlem-station.blogspot.com
This is not my ficticous railroad, but John Allen's, and I am relettering my UP ten wheeler for the Gorre & Daphetid to haul the G&D passenger/baggage cars. This photo has a paper print pasted on the loco to check for fit and size before I print the decals. the two cars are not finished either as they are awaiting some detail parts and weathering. This is just my way of honoring John Allen for his fantastic layout and ideas in the earlier days of model railroading.
-Bob
Life is what happens while you are making other plans!
Alton Junction
very nice. I like the green!!