Fictitous Railroad companys and Layouts??

[JOSEPH RENNER]

Some freelancers take a prototype railroad and put it in a fictional time or place. 

          I model NKP in a mountain setting. 

        -Joe Renner

[CofG]

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??

 

Well, it sems like a huge variety of responses and they are all correct. Before I started building mine, I had to figure out what I wanted in a RR. A continuous run scenario so I could do switching alone? More than one operator? Or just enjoy building one that anyone can enjoy. The answer was "YES". What is the name? Who cares? When I finish, I can run any proto or fictitious line between 1945 - 1965 because I like variety and after all, it's mine. Do what you invision in your head and see where it goes.

[John Busby]

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

[josephbw]

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.

 

[E-L man tom]

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.