Edit post

Edit your reply below.

Post Body
Enter your post below.
If you are interested in the D&H I would go ahead.  If you really dont have a particular interest, I would hold off until you do more research.  Those books are $59-65 a piece, and if your model railroad planning budget is limited, your money is more wisely spent elsewhere.  Wikipedia would get you started.  The ORER will tell you what railroads existed in the 1980s (at least on paper).   RR Fallen Flags is a good place for photos, as well as RR picture Archives.  Im sure someone else will chime in with some other good online photo resources.  There is a book called North American Railroad Family Trees that would also be helpful.  The 1980s were an interesting time in US railroad history.   Can be found in your local hobby shop or <a href="https://www.amazon.com/North-American-Railroad-Family-Trees/dp/0760344884">https://www.amazon.com/North-American-Railroad-Family-Trees/dp/0760344884</a> See also: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staggers_Rail_Act">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staggers_Rail_Act</a> A lot of short lines got started in the 1980s.  What type of railroading interests you?  Conrail and D&H existed in the 1980s.  D&H was absorbed by Guilford then subsequently booted out, bought by CP in 1991 and has been since parted out.  Maine Central and Boston and Maine lost their corporate independence.  Milwaukee Road Western extension was abandoned in 1980 and the eastern part of the sytem became part of the Soo Line in 1986. Indiana railroad was started in March of 1986. Here is a good conrail locomotive reference: <a href="http://crcyc.railfan.net/locos/locomotives.html">http://crcyc.railfan.net/locos/locomotives.html</a> CSX and Norfolk Southern were both formed in the 1980s (the exact details are a lot of corporate stuff that, while fascinating, I have no interest in explaining here). We lost Chessie the cat with the merger of Chessie System (C&O, B&O, WM) and Family Lines (L&N, Seaboard, Monon, and several more) to form CSX.  Norfolk and Western and Southern Railway merged as well in the 1980s (to better compete with CSX). Burlington Northern and Santa Fe were still independant railroads (Sante Fe had a somewhat hilarious merger failure).  UP has been there since the first transcon was completed.  SP and Rio Grande merge after the failed SPSF merger (Kodachrome was pretty cool though) in 1988.  <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Fe%E2%80%93Southern_Pacific_merger">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Fe%E2%80%93Southern_Pacific_merger</a> Hopefully thats enough to get you started.  The ORER will tell you every single piece of interchangeable rolling stock that existed the year it was published.  You can search the different railroad online photo archives for specific pieces of rolling stock after reading through the book, or you can check the photos on line and compare the reporting marks to the ORER to see if that car existed during your time frame.  50-89ft box cars are probably a good bet.  You would likely only want rollerbearing equipped trucks (plain bearings were banned from interchange I believe by the 1980s).     I would suggest the Freight Cars book by Jeff Wilson (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Model-Railroaders-Guide-Freight-Cars/dp/0890245851">https://www.amazon.com/Model-Railroaders-Guide-Freight-Cars/dp/0890245851</a>) (Kalmbach out of print, check LHS), as well as Track Planning for Realistic Operation by John Armstrong (Third Edition in print, buy it from the forum masters or your Local Hobby Shop) and Freight Yards by Andy Sperandeo (out of print, Kalmbach, try your Local Hobby shop or <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Model-Railroaders-Guide-Freight-Railroader/dp/0890245762">https://www.amazon.com/Model-Railroaders-Guide-Freight-Railroader/dp/0890245762</a> ).   The last two books are invaluable track planning resources for your model railroad.
Tags (Optional)
Tags are keywords that get attached to your post. They are used to categorize your submission and make it easier to search for. To add tags to your post type a tag into the box below and click the "Add Tag" button.
Add Tag

Update Reply

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Model Railroader Newsletter See all

Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!

Subscriber & Member Login

Edit post

Post Body

Tags (Optional)

Subscriber & Member Login

Users Online

Search the Community