I am modeling the late 40's early 50's so I run steam and early diesels, but I do not purchase modern diesels. I won't even purchase McGinnis era blue diesels.
Modeling the B&M Railroad during the transition era in Lowell, MA
I have a problem where my ideal layout has Pennsy steam with a lot of modern Amtrak passenger service.
If someone can help me out, I'd appreciate it.
TheWizard I have a problem where my ideal layout has Pennsy steam with a lot of modern Amtrak passenger service. If someone can help me out, I'd appreciate it.
DAVID FORTNEY TheWizard I have a problem where my ideal layout has Pennsy steam with a lot of modern Amtrak passenger service. If someone can help me out, I'd appreciate it. just do it, if that is what makes you happy, do it. Your the CFO.
just do it, if that is what makes you happy, do it. Your the CFO.
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
Wiz, David, Angelo, don't be so mundane. All of you seem to be stuck in Universe Three (Neil Armstrong.)
I have it on good authority (my own) that in Universe 22 (Michael D. Rodent, LtCol USAAF) Amtrak came about in 1946 and took over ALL passenger service, even little pokey locals and PRR commuter runs powered by G5s 4-6-0s.
Congress also placed strict controls on gasoline, a response to the BLEVE events that occurred when aircraft (and aircraft carriers) took damage during WWII. Only properly certified individuals could fuel vehicles with it, and only those people had the keys to the locking gas caps mandated for all gasoline-burning vehicles. Fueling stations were built like ammunition bunkers - and the higher cost was passed on to the public. Because of this nuisance, people who would have driven their own cars opted instead for the convenience and lower cost of rail travel.
The idea of designating alternate universes by number (name of the first moon lander) originated with Robert Heinlein. I, personally, model in Universe 13 (Alfred E. Neumann.)
What, me worry?
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - as I rearranged it)
You can make a layout that rotates time/eras every so often, so you can run a variety of things. I'm thinking with the layout I'm building to instead have each town or 'scene' be a different era, so one town would be set in say 1940 and would be served by steam power, heavyweight passenger cars, 36' and 40' wood boxcars etc. Not a perfect solution, but easier than rotating.
Of course, it's easier to add steam to a 'modern' layout than modern diesels to a steam layout. In the last 15 years I've seen and/or ridden behind several steam engines - Milwaukee 261, UP Challenger, SP 4449 and the CN Hudson (2761?).
wjstix You can make a layout that rotates time/eras every so often, so you can run a variety of things. I'm thinking with the layout I'm building to instead have each town or 'scene' be a different era, so one town would be set in say 1940 and would be served by steam power, heavyweight passenger cars, 36' and 40' wood boxcars etc. Not a perfect solution, but easier than rotating. Of course, it's easier to add steam to a 'modern' layout than modern diesels to a steam layout. In the last 15 years I've seen and/or ridden behind several steam engines - Milwaukee 261, UP Challenger, SP 4449 and the CN Hudson (2761?).
CN Hudson 2761? The CN Hudson class steamers were numbered in the 5700 series, CPR Hudsons were numbered in the 2800 series. The last Canadian Hudson in service I saw, other than the Royal Hudsons was the CPR 2716 which was rebuilt and used for the exlusive Royal Canadian luxery train operated by CPR, operating out of Calgary.
Where was the CNR Hudson you mention running when you saw/rode it?
I run steam and modern diesel trains on my layout. My railroad is owned by an eccentric gentleman who rode the rails extensively in his youth. His railroad's revenue generators are coal and lumber. He inherited a sum of money when his father, the founder of the railroad, passed away. His inheritance has allowed him to purchase used steam equipment, which has been refurbished. From time to time, he likes to run a railfanning trip, so he'll advertise the trip and sell tickets. His collection includes a Santa Fe Northern 4-8-4, a Union Pacific "Big Boy", a couple of Mikados (one light, one heavy), as well as a Santa Fe "Superchief". Luckily, his son and grandson both love trains, too, so the collection will stay in the family and be run from time to time.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
Well, for me, I do what I like at the time. I have Steamers and Diesels all the way up to the SD70's and that suits me fine. Building designs don't change much during my period and so I run what I want. I'll never be finished with my layout just because of time constraints.
I have been in N Scale for over thirty years and live on an acerage in the foot hills of Colorado. That acreage keeps me real busy from mid April to mid November when the snow is flying and the wind is whistling through the pines. I can't even start on something on the railroad during working months but that is when I do my mental planing for the next layout working months.
I was a young boy when my dad would take me down to the train station and watch the steamers. Our neighbor was an Engineer for the Burlington so my Dad and I could get up close in those days with his permission and even up into the engine before he took his train out. To this day I can remember the smell and sound of these great engines.
When I came home from overseas in the Military I remember taking the Penn GG1 electrics pulling to Chicago and then the Burlington Zepher Diesels taking me home to Omaha when the Airline Pilots went on strike. It was a good thing because that kept me close to trains.
So to answer the question about what Locomotives I enjoy running the most, it is the ones that I encountered in some way in my lifetime. Also though, the SD70's which I have not been that close to are just really something to watch pulling coal through the Rockies from a distance and I will always love the sound of 3 or 4 Rio Grande SD40T-2 Tunnel Motors pulling by our fishing camp site. All the memories I have in some way I try to incorporate into my N Scale layout. Doug
A matter of semantics: Most of the steam engine smoke was actually water vapor. The coal particulates in steam locomotive smoke settle out as dust and are in some ways better for the environment than the hydrocarbon fumes in oil burned exhaust. Diesel smoke only looks cleaner...Our communities now that have heavy highway trucking industry are having air quality issues possibly worse than during the American "steam era". Carlisle, PA is very nearly as bad as Los Angeles, CA. There are severe childhood allergies and asthma resulting from heaving trucking industry in Cumberland County, PA (just west of Harrisburg).
So far as running steam and diesel, I'm eliminating diesels on my layout. My son has one E-7 passenger diesel left, and seems to prefer steam power anyway.
Does running a steam generator car behind a F or E unit count?
Motley My layout is modern era 1996-Current. My solution to running steam on my modern layout is passenger excursion trains.
My layout is modern era 1996-Current. My solution to running steam on my modern layout is passenger excursion trains.
Same here. I model the 1990s but I wanted one steam engine just to have one, so a steam excursion it is, based on a real one. I run it about once every three or four months.
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