Now what kind of fun would that be! most definitely not but the way I justify it or shall I say get around it and still stick to my original plan is I have taken if you will a page from Howard Zane's book. Almost latterly in fact.For those of you not familiar with his Piermont Division is a fictitious railroad set in the coal country of West Virgina in the late 1950's
Not being a big bucks mainline railroad the Piermont typically buys used equipment of all types form who ever is selling and most of the time they don't even bother to re-letter locomotives to their own road name. So you'll see Western Maryland, B&O, N&W Clinchfield, Atlantic Coastline and yes even a UP Big Boy sitting in one of the yards waiting for it's work assignments. When I first saw this in one of the Allen Keller video's I thought this is pure genius and I bow to the great master.......lol Yes I am a self proclaimed train junky and have no desire to enter a 12 step program or find a support group. I like all types of power form many different railroads. I am not out to impress anyone but myself and if I see something that I think is really cool and I can afford it I buy it. I recently came across a good deal on an On30 Forny I always wanted one now I have one, it's still supposed to be fun right.
Ryan Reed Oh, yes. I model the Milwaukee Road's Gap through eastern Washington circa October 1977. Over the years, I have researched and unearthed detail train reports, wheel reports, dispatcher logs, and other data that shows exactly what locomotives, cabooses, and freight cars were actually running on it during that month. For example, I have a detail train report for Oct-Dec. 1977 that's about two inches thick and from that, I compiled a list of all mechanical reefers that were operated in and out of Othello, Warden, McDonald, and Moses Lake, WA in October 1977. I divided the seperate number of MILW 9600, 9800, and 9900-series reefers along with the BNFE, UPFE, SPFE, SFRC, and ARMN reefers by 60 and that gives me a historically-correct representation of how many different MILW, BNFE, UPFE, etc., reefers I need to model. Same thing for MILW boxcars, I simply take the number of a given class (data from a 1977 ORER) and divide that by 60 and round up, so to model the MILW 52000 series boxcars, there was 100 of them, divide 100 by 60, that gives me 1.666, round up and I get 2 cars to model. By doing that, you will see any given type of boxcar, grain hopper, etc. as often on the layout as about the same as if you were railfanning the MILW in 1977. In all fairness though, if there's a type of car that I really, really like, I'll probably model one or two extras - they may not always be on the layout together, but sometimes they might. That all said, this kind of historical research is as much fun for me to do as the actual model building, merging two interests! ;-) -Ryan
Oh, yes. I model the Milwaukee Road's Gap through eastern Washington circa October 1977. Over the years, I have researched and unearthed detail train reports, wheel reports, dispatcher logs, and other data that shows exactly what locomotives, cabooses, and freight cars were actually running on it during that month. For example, I have a detail train report for Oct-Dec. 1977 that's about two inches thick and from that, I compiled a list of all mechanical reefers that were operated in and out of Othello, Warden, McDonald, and Moses Lake, WA in October 1977. I divided the seperate number of MILW 9600, 9800, and 9900-series reefers along with the BNFE, UPFE, SPFE, SFRC, and ARMN reefers by 60 and that gives me a historically-correct representation of how many different MILW, BNFE, UPFE, etc., reefers I need to model.
Same thing for MILW boxcars, I simply take the number of a given class (data from a 1977 ORER) and divide that by 60 and round up, so to model the MILW 52000 series boxcars, there was 100 of them, divide 100 by 60, that gives me 1.666, round up and I get 2 cars to model. By doing that, you will see any given type of boxcar, grain hopper, etc. as often on the layout as about the same as if you were railfanning the MILW in 1977. In all fairness though, if there's a type of car that I really, really like, I'll probably model one or two extras - they may not always be on the layout together, but sometimes they might. That all said, this kind of historical research is as much fun for me to do as the actual model building, merging two interests! ;-)
-Ryan
My hat's off to you, Ryan. I sense your enthusism and I admire your historical research - you've got to REALLY dig to get that kind of information.
Phil, I'm not a rocket scientist; they are my students.
Phil,
Back in the early 1990s, I was invited to a video/slide show at a friends house and for the first time watched that Allen Keller video that showed Jack Burgess' Yosemite Valley. I was absolutely floored (incredibly impressed) with Jack's level of research, historical correctness, and his modeling ability. I loved it! He's been my hero ever since!!
Ryan ReedPhil, Back in the early 1990s, I was invited to a video/slide show at a friends house and for the first time watched that Allen Keller video that showed Jack Burgess' Yosemite Valley. I was absolutely floored (incredibly impressed) with Jack's level of research, historical correctness, and his modeling ability. I loved it! He's been my hero ever since!! -Ryan
I model the B&O, 1950-1955, and with but a handful of exceptions stay steadfast to the time frame and railroad practices. That doesn't mean that I criticsize a modeler that doesn't. Some 40 years ago, a brass importer had a little slogan that went something like this:
Rule 1: This is my railroad!
Rule 2: While prototype rules and operating practices are always welcome, in the event of visitor precieved detail discrepencies, viewer anachronism's and operating procedures, consult rule 1!
This is the justification for our model railroads.
I stick to my road name(s) but find it hard to stick with the transition era. I picked this era so I could have both steam and diesel. I guess I fall victim on the roads as well. I model Eastern Alabama and Western Georgia. Perfect for Southern Railway,Central of Georgia just to name two. I also have a couple of N&W class As and Js and a C&O 2-6-6-6.
The bottom line is: Its your railroad,run it the way that makes you happy!
Dave
my sentiments exactly. I do 90's conrail and csx but you'll see a few others in there occaisionallly. It's my RR and being the boss I can run what I want.
I model Southern Railway 1970-1980's (pre-NS merger of course).
ALL my locos are Southern and pretty much fit that era. I do have a couple that I won't be using that are more appropriate for the 1960's. Got those years ago when almost nothing was available for Southern. The rest of my locos are either already DCC equipped or DCC ready, so whenever I build my layout, I'll most likely go with DCC. The older ones I have, I'll probably give to my son. I've already given him some of my older locos and a lot of freight equipment that is too old for the era I'm modelling.
The majority of my railcars are Southern cars. My boxcars, covered hoppers, and open top hoppers all are 50% or higher Southern. In fact all my open top hops are Southern except 3 or 4. And I have probably over 100 altogether counting a 50 car unit "Big Red" coal train. My box car ratio should increase whenever Exact Rail gets the correct number waffle sides out. I don't have a lot of flats, gons or coil steel cars, but most of them are Southern's as well.
The two categories that I don't have any Southern's in are Reefers and Tank Cars. I only have 3 reefers. A BN and two PFE's. I have about 45 tank cars. All private shippers.
I don't model anything with NS on it (or for that matter CSX either...although I do have a number of cars with B&O, C&O, SBD, WM, etc).
Some of my hoppers and tanks are a little too "modern" for the era I'm modelling, but I explain that away that Southern decided to NOT merge with N&W and instead of buying newer locomotives, they just upgraded their existing fleet with newer electronics and mechanical workings.
Route Rock! Yep, pretty much stick to it. Ah, but CNW, CGW, GN, NP, oh, the possibilities are endless!
Jimmy
ROUTE ROCK!
johngriffey18ca1I'm just trying to get an idea of if folks stick to their modeling era and road name(s)?
Actually I am pretty certain (thanks to Electrolove's work shown here on the form) that I am now going to focus on modeling the Pueblo & Arkansas River Valley. The merger with the Canon City & San Juan is still going to happen; however, the Treaty of Boston decides AT&SF & Rio Grande have to share the Royal Gorge instead of giving it exclusively to the Rio Grande. So then bring that forward 70 years or so into the 1950's and that will be my railroad. Primary feature of the layout will be the hanging bridge of the Royal Gorge of course. A scale 1000 feet deep.
Well, I went a while without having any specific limitations other than scale and gauge, but the results were pretty scattershot. Since I have limited time, money, and effort to spend on model railroading, I figured I'd be better off narrowing my focus down so that I could get some consistency and stop having Shays pulling autoracks. Now I model the Twin Cities within a few years of modern day, with a focus on BNSF and Minnesota Commercial. I fudge things a bit from time to time but I've generally kept pretty close.
I model the IHB in the mid-70s. I do stick to era, but the IHB lets me run just about any rolling stock with "prototypical" accuracy. I have a stable of IHB NW-2s for power. But since everybody had trackage rights, I also have a variety of 70s-era Eastern and Midwestern locos that make their appearance from time to time dragging a through train. That was one of the reasons I decided to model the IHB.
Everybody must know of the Skunk Hollow and Sweetwater Creek that operated somewhere. Well I'm just getting started on modeling it in the mid to late fifties era. Of course all equipment will be faithful to it's roster. After all this RR was struggling to keep operating at this time and aquired it vast fleet of tired steam and decrepit cars from whatever RR had hand-me-downs available cheap. It ran passenger service, a combo passenger/freight car (one) to serve the residents. But I see a bus station being opened also. It has a few businesses to cater to and not much else. Why am I doing the fifties and not a later period? Because for this line it's roadbed evolved into bike trails and roadways. So you see I can't vary from my chosen time and....Is that a early diesel wanting to use my trackage?
Oh well, it will be FUN and that's the IMPORTANT part of the hobby.
Remember to always let your dispatcher know where you are.
God's Best & Happy Rails to You!
Bing (RIPRR The Route of the Buzzards)
The future: Dead Rail Society