I wouldn't. The topographic, economic, political, and practical reasons why a modern highway is where it is versus where rail lines are tended to be very different. Take Pennsylvania for example. The Turnpike and I-80 are the main east west highways across the state (US 22 and 30 the secondary). The rail lines cut very different paths across the state, with 30 being the closest to the old PRR and 22 not too far off the B&O. But even those aren't the same towns.
ncandstl576 In cases where a route is completely fictitious, is it a good idea to use modern day highway and interstate routes to help with plotting the course of your railroad?
In cases where a route is completely fictitious, is it a good idea to use modern day highway and interstate routes to help with plotting the course of your railroad?
I never did researching highways or interstate into my railroads. I always saw old videos and pictures of railroads and try to copy that aspect.
Later on I design my own railway based on actual tracks and buildings alrighty placed.
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
NittanyLionI wouldn't. The topographic, economic, political, and practical reasons why a modern highway is where it is versus where rail lines are tended to be very different.
Well put. I agree.
Most likely, the railroad was there first, it's civil engineers deciding the best route to get from city to city.
Look at old railroad maps, before a lot of roads were built. The railroad was the road from town to town.
Mike.
My You Tube
mbinsewi NittanyLion I wouldn't. The topographic, economic, political, and practical reasons why a modern highway is where it is versus where rail lines are tended to be very different. Well put. I agree. Most likely, the railroad was there first, it's civil engineers deciding the best route to get from city to city. Look at old railroad maps, before a lot of roads were built. The railroad was the road from town to town. Mike.
NittanyLion I wouldn't. The topographic, economic, political, and practical reasons why a modern highway is where it is versus where rail lines are tended to be very different.
In Iowa at least, many of the original cross country road routes followed the major cross state rail routes. From North to South: US18 the MILW, US20 the IC, US30 the CNW, US6 the RI, US34 the CBQ. So those rail routes are already taken. As highways and vehicles have improved, many of those routes are way off their original ROW. Like interstates, they have been straightened out. I's not as important for highways to actually go through a town anymore.
Many times the railroad was the original road between those small towns because those towns were established with the coming of the railroad. Many named after someone connected with the original railroad that built the line.
Jeff
jeffhergertIn Iowa at least, many of the original cross country road routes followed the major cross state rail routes.
True in much of the west, as well. The railroads often chose routes because of the favorable geography -- and the highways followed suit. Not to mention that many of the towns had grown up along the rail routes and were then joined by the highways later.
If a highway is there now, likely a railroad could have been earlier -- if there was economic justification.
Byron
Layout Design GalleryLayout Design Special Interest Group
ncandstl576In cases where a route is completely fictitious, is it a good idea to use modern day highway and interstate routes to help with plotting the course of your railroad?
Follow rivers. Highways have too steep of grades.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
NittanyLionTake Pennsylvania for example. The Turnpike and I-80 are the main east west highways across the state (US 22 and 30 the secondary). The rail lines cut very different paths across the state, with 30 being the closest to the old PRR and 22 not too far off the B&O. But even those aren't the same towns
Ironically the PA turnpike uses some of the old grade of the South Penn RR. Two of the tunnels were originally bored for the railroad.
.
Reading back through your posts, I found it hard to determine if you are planning to use real towns/locations or not.
Please clarify if you could.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
SeeYou190 ncandstl576 In cases where a route is completely fictitious, is it a good idea to use modern day highway and interstate routes to help with plotting the course of your railroad? . Reading back through your posts, I found it hard to determine if you are planning to use real towns/locations or not. . Please clarify if you could. . -Kevin .
Howdy, my railroad is the Arizona Southern, and it grew out of the info in a book about about Railroads of Arizona, Vol. 1: The Southern Roads by David F. Myrick.
The real RR went the way of the Dodo many moons ago, but in my universe it survived and became standard gauged later in its life. Rather than bore everybody with a rehashing of the AZSO timeline and history, I'll just a leave a link to the blog for those who care about such things.
https://mancosbobsarizonasouthernrr.blogspot.com/
Suffice it to say I tend to overthink things too. Starting with rosters for engines and cars alike, there is a named passenger train, map, and even an employee newsletter floating around depending on the year I'm doing at the moment. This project began late in 1987, but had been on my mind since the late 1970's when I discovered the book referenced above.
Peace,
John Huey
ncandstl576I meant real towns.
If you are going to use real towns on a freelanced railroad, there are three situations I can think of.
1) This town was never served by a real railroad, but your railroad saw an opportunity and extended rail service there.
2) This town was served by a real railroad and your railroad now interchanges with that railroad, and maybe serves a few customers.
3) This town was served by a real railroad, but in your world of nonsense that railroad does not exist in this town, so your railroad replaces it.
I can easily see where any of these three situations can be made to saound plausible.
mancosbob Howdy, my railroad is the Arizona Southern, and it grew out of the info in a book about about Railroads of Arizona, Vol. 1: The Southern Roads by David F. Myrick. The real RR went the way of the Dodo many moons ago, but in my universe it survived and became standard gauged later in its life. Rather than bore everybody with a rehashing of the AZSO timeline and history, I'll just a leave a link to the blog for those who care about such things. https://mancosbobsarizonasouthernrr.blogspot.com/ Suffice it to say I tend to overthink things too. Starting with rosters for engines and cars alike, there is a named passenger train, map, and even an employee newsletter floating around depending on the year I'm doing at the moment. This project began late in 1987, but had been on my mind since the late 1970's when I discovered the book referenced above. Peace, John Huey
ncandstl576Thanks mancosbob! I found your blog very interesting,
I agree, very interesting.
And to add to Kevin's scenarios, something that does actually happen, your town was served by a real railroad, they left, sold off trackage that your town and a few others were on, such as a branchline, to your railroad.
BUT, just a word of warning, as what also has happened in the real world, if your railroad becomes successful and nicely profitable, be warned, you may have to fight off a take-over or a buy-out by the big national operators of such lines, such as Progessive Rail, or WATCO. Just warning you.
Routing depends on what you are trying to do and how much you care about the real world. Creating your own completely ficticious line and then asking "how would this work prototypically?" usually doesn't end well if the people answering are knowledgeable and honest.
A person created an imaginary line between the BNSF in new Mexico and the UP in Texas, then asked what run through bridge traffic trains between the BNSF and UP would operate over the line? The answer is none. The UP and BNSF lines are roughly parallel and connect at LA and in Texas. There would be zero financial incentive to either road to involve a shortline as bridge carrier in the middle Whoever originated the traffic would carry it all the way to the other end and maximize their profit. It would be very easy to dis-incentivise schedules, rates and service to encourage shippers to eliminate the middle man.
mbinsewisomething that does actually happen, your town was served by a real railroad, they left, sold off trackage that your town and a few others were on, such as a branchline, to your railroad.
Great example, and it actually happened in Lee County, Florida where I live. The Seminole Gulf Railroad took over the old Seaboard System trackage.
My railroad, the Utah, Colorado & Western draws heavily from the prototype UP and BNSF railroads (until it purchases NS for cash!). Therefore, I looked at the the fleets of equipment both of those railroads own or interact with when determing the locomotove types and numbers for my layout. As has been pointed out, we can't fully model a prototype (well, mostly), but we can take excerpts from it. Go find the prototype you are freelancing from and look at their rosters.
I've then gone back in time and pulled the histories of the real railroads that were pieced together to form the UC&W before the purchase of NS. I've put all of that into a PowerPoint presentation that also serves as a marketing tool for the railroad, featuring its deparments, facilities and operations. Pretty cool if you ask me. :)
perrylambI've then gone back in time and pulled the histories of the real railroads that were pieced together to form the UC&W before the purchase of NS. I've put all of that into a PowerPoint presentation that also serves as a marketing tool for the railroad, featuring its deparments, facilities and operations. Pretty cool if you ask me. :)
WOW, or should I say OMG Now that is over the top.
I just never had a clue that modelers would get so involve with the "history" of their freelance railroad, that never excisted.
I guess your having fun!
Welcome to the forums!
That seems like a great story, but it lost me, or should I say I got lost, as it all runs together, like one giant paragraph, which made start to try and speed read it, that's where I got lost.
But anyway, it's all good. Nice to know the beginnings of your railroad.
I think the OP is putting too much thought into this. If you have to have a prototypical reason for the railroad to go into an actual town where there wasn't a railroad, you'll fail to find a good reason.
All of the railroads avoided those towns because it didn't make economic sense in the first place. If you mimick their reasoning to the nth degree, you'll conclude the same thing.
My advice:
Pick a town(s) you like that have/had a railroad. Switch out that railroad for your freelanced road. Pretend your railroad got there first before the other one.
If you want more traffic through your town than what the prototype had, pretend the next town down the line and off the layout has some big traffic generation factory that was never there. Its off layout, so you don't have to think about it very much. Just run the extra trains.
But in choosing a route from scratch, try to follow rivers as they were natural pathways and tend to have fewer grades. Also, bridges are expensive so railroads tended to wind through valleys to avoiding having to cross rivers, or went a bit out of their way to cross a narrower part of the river. Short bridges cost less than long ones.
- Douglas