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You're Swapping Era's!

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You're Swapping Era's!
Posted by pcarrell on Friday, July 18, 2008 7:40 PM

Someone comes to you and says, "You can still do MRRing, but you have to switch era's drastically.  If you're a steam fan, you need to move to diesels, and vice versa.  If you're a transition era fan, you have to move to one end of the spectrum or the other."  After he gets up off of the floor from the right hook you planted on his jaw, you tell him.........

( Do you go 1800's?  1970's?  Present?  1910's?  Steam?  Diesel?  Electric? )

Philip
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Posted by Don Z on Friday, July 18, 2008 7:42 PM

I'd tell him to go back to sleep...it's just a bad dream.

Don Z.

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Posted by CSXDixieLine on Friday, July 18, 2008 7:49 PM
Easy...I would switch from my modern CSX to a Seaboard Air Line layout circa 1966 (n-scale of course). That may be my eventual "dream layout" anyway. Jamie
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Posted by Animal on Friday, July 18, 2008 7:54 PM

easy, going from SP in the 80's to SP in the transition eraSmile [:)]

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Posted by jeffrey-wimberly on Friday, July 18, 2008 8:03 PM
I model 1970 to the present, now go crawl back under your rock.

Running Bear, Sundown, Louisiana
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Posted by pcarrell on Friday, July 18, 2008 8:15 PM

 jeffrey-wimberly wrote:
I model 1970 to the present, now go crawl back under your rock.

Awww, you're no fun!

Philip
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Posted by Last Chance on Friday, July 18, 2008 8:18 PM

Whatever is on the track is the era running.

Down at the club they still tell stories of a Big boy freight train delayed by a shay in front of it.

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Posted by tomikawaTT on Friday, July 18, 2008 8:18 PM

"The door's right there.  If you move fast it won't hit you in the butt.

If you move a little faster, neither will my boot."

 

There are some decisions I reserve for myself, that are not subject to outside change, question or adverse comment.  My choices of prototype and era are two of them.

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

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Posted by Flashwave on Friday, July 18, 2008 8:45 PM
 pcarrell wrote:

After he gets up off of the floor from the right hook you planted on his jaw, you tell him.........

Uh, I can't say that on this forum...Big Smile [:D]

All kidding aside, I have 2 layouts to do. Modern Indiana, and Transition Era (for the rest of the world, anyway) Rockies.

-Morgan

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Posted by markpierce on Friday, July 18, 2008 8:52 PM

Under most circumstances, I would consider the person an ignoramous and a bore as it is obvious I'm modeling the best era.

Now, if I was modeling the present day prototype and whined of sorely missing cabooses, steam locomotives, minority diesel locomotive builders, more varied freight operations, a variety of passenger trains, and so on, I would probably welcome a suggestion for a more appropriate time period to model.

Mark Pierce 

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Posted by MisterBeasley on Friday, July 18, 2008 9:04 PM

You mean, like take all my Jordan vehicles, steamers and Mather box cars off and replace them with 56 Chevies, Geeps and maybe a couple of TOFC's?  Like that?

It'll take me about 10, maybe 20 minutes.  You wanna, like, go down to the beer fridge and bring up a couple while you're waiting?

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

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Posted by IRONROOSTER on Friday, July 18, 2008 9:07 PM

If I had to switch from 1950's, I would go for 1905.  Some steel, but still alot of wood.  Smaller, less cluttered steam locomotives.  If ever I dual era the layout, that's most likely going to be the second one.

Enjoy

Paul

If you're having fun, you're doing it the right way.
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Posted by ereimer on Friday, July 18, 2008 11:25 PM

sorry , no can do

i picked 1905 specifically because the locos and cars were shorter , and would better fit the small space i'll have for a layout and therefor the smallish radius curves i'll have . 

i guess if i could i'd switch to On30 but keep the time frame unchanged, but that's not really what you were asking for

 

 

ernie

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Posted by loathar on Friday, July 18, 2008 11:56 PM
(sound of round being chambered...) GET OFF MY LAND!!
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Posted by twhite on Saturday, July 19, 2008 12:01 AM

WHAT?!!  And get rid of all of my ARTICULATEDS because someone says I can only run SD70MAC3B's or whatever the heck they're called? 

No way, Jose!

Tom SoapBox [soapbox]

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Posted by Autobus Prime on Saturday, July 19, 2008 12:13 AM
pc:

Back to the turn of the century it would go. I'd probably do the PA oil region. A few diseasels are all right (that's what we have immune systems for) but there's no way I'm letting powered boxcars run the show. :D

I might even go real crazy and try the Midland Railway of Britain. I always did like their Singles.

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Posted by tomikawaTT on Saturday, July 19, 2008 12:17 AM
 twhite wrote:

WHAT?!!  And get rid of all of my ARTICULATEDS because someone says I can only run SD70MAC3B's or whatever the heck they're called? 

No way, Jose!

Tom SoapBox [soapbox]

Hey Tom...

Don't look now, but all locos with swiveling trucks are, technically, articulated - whether they be Shays, Heislers, Climaxes, Beyer-Garratts, box-cab motors, GG-1s or....

 

Wait for it....

 

Those stinky things with internal combustion prime movers and either electric or hydraulic transmissions.

OTOH, the locomotives with one set of drivers firmly affixed to the boiler and firebox are SEMI-articulateds...

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with diesel-hydraulics and, on the TTT only, freelance articulated steam)

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Posted by stevechurch2222 on Saturday, July 19, 2008 12:24 AM
I'd just stay with the era I'm with,the 80's from 1981-1985 on the Milwaukee Road River Line Division,from Ottumwa,Iowa to Savanna,Illinois,i have always liked the SD40-2's and MP15AC's that the Milwaukee Road ran.My second favorite era if I switched would be the mid to late 70's on the Milwaukee Road.
Steve Church Milwaukee Road River Line Division
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Posted by Autobus Prime on Saturday, July 19, 2008 12:45 AM
 tomikawaTT wrote:
 twhite wrote:

WHAT?!!  And get rid of all of my ARTICULATEDS because someone says I can only run SD70MAC3B's or whatever the heck they're called? 

No way, Jose!

Tom SoapBox [soapbox]

Hey Tom...

Don't look now, but all locos with swiveling trucks are, technically, articulated - whether they be Shays, Heislers, Climaxes, Beyer-Garratts, box-cab motors, GG-1s or....

 

Wait for it....

 

Those stinky things with internal combustion prime movers and either electric or hydraulic transmissions.

OTOH, the locomotives with one set of drivers firmly affixed to the boiler and firebox are SEMI-articulateds...

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with diesel-hydraulics and, on the TTT only, freelance articulated steam)



T3:

Hmm...I always thought "articulated" WRT a diesel or electric meant the wheels were contained in frames hinged to each other that took draft and buff forces, where "trucks" are just swiveling units that contain the wheels but aren't the main frames. OTOH, Shays are considered articulated locos, and they are just on trucks. SO it seems inconsistency rules.
 Currently president of: a slowly upgrading trainset fleet o'doom.
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Posted by HarryHotspur on Saturday, July 19, 2008 1:48 AM
I like everything from 1860 to 1970, so I could easily change.

- Harry

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Posted by Jake1210 on Saturday, July 19, 2008 4:54 AM
As much as I'd hate to dumb my 1930's narrow gauge, If I HAD to switch,  since 1930s is about the start of the transition era, I can move to both sides of the spectrum... So bump me back to 1920's on the ATSF's Raton Pass!
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Posted by jeffrey-wimberly on Saturday, July 19, 2008 5:39 AM
 pcarrell wrote:

 jeffrey-wimberly wrote:
I model 1970 to the present, now go crawl back under your rock.

Awww, you're no fun!

What, I'm supposed to run out and buy a bunch of steamers and 1930 to 1960 vehicles, structures and figures? Ain't happening.Laugh [(-D]

Running Bear, Sundown, Louisiana
          Joined June, 2004

Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running Bear
Space Mouse for president!
15 year veteran fire fighter
Collector of Apple //e's
Running Bear Enterprises
History Channel Club life member.
beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam


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Posted by BRAKIE on Saturday, July 19, 2008 5:57 AM
I have no desire to model the filthy steam era..I no longer have the desire to model the decaying 50/60s that many feel is the so called "golden era"..I would rather model the era when railroads started to come off life support..The 70/80s.

Larry

Conductor.

Summerset Ry.


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Posted by dehusman on Saturday, July 19, 2008 6:01 AM

Since I am in the process of changing from 1952 to roughly 1902, been there doing that.

Dave H.

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Posted by wedudler on Saturday, July 19, 2008 6:31 AM
At first, I should have a clean era. Then I can think about swapping.

Pueblo & Salt Lake RR

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Posted by CSX_road_slug on Saturday, July 19, 2008 6:37 AM
I have a fair number of 1968-era B&O diesels in storage, after I get decoders into them I might be able to do it.

-Ken in Maryland  (B&O modeler, former CSX modeler)

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Posted by RRCanuck on Saturday, July 19, 2008 7:13 AM

I swap eras all the time because "I love it all".  I just can't force myself to forego neat models simply because they're not from an era I primarily model. No willpower I guess.  I generally have a big enough roster from various eras that I can populate the layout any way I want to.

Going from transition era to modern isn't such a problem in terms of the structures I have and the vehicles that I can swap out fairly easily.  But running steam forces me to overlook a lot of anachronisms - for example, you wouldn't normally see steam and Radio Shack at the same time!  Thank God my imagination is all-powerful and I can usually block such contradictions from my mind - at least for a while.  Cheers.

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Posted by Dave Vollmer on Saturday, July 19, 2008 7:45 AM

As it turns out, I'm doing precisely that...

I've started a second roster for my 1956 PRR layout...  Conrail, crica 1980.  It's a slow, expensive process, but the outcome should theoretically be two layouts in one.  The end state would be a full roster of cars and locos for each era, along with two sets of vehicles, signs for structures that can be swapped-out, and certain whole structures that can also be swapped out.

The idea here is to keep my otherwise limited door-sized layout as interesting as possible for as long as possible, until I have a more permanent home w/ a basement.

Modeling the Rio Grande Southern First District circa 1938-1946 in HOn3.

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Posted by PreferredSauce on Saturday, July 19, 2008 8:11 AM

I have found a way to explain the mixture of things I just like on my layout by having Heritage days in the town on my layout. This give me an excuse to have just about any era on my layout, I just say its part of the heritage celebrations. I do try to keep trains consistent with one era, If I am running steam the train has roof walks and cabooses, if it is a modern diesel No caboose but a End of train device. This way I am not tacked down to any specific era and I can put what I like on my layout.  

I have two things in my tool box , Duct tape and WD40 If it moves and should not I use duct tape if it doesn't move and it should I use WD40.
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Posted by galaxy on Saturday, July 19, 2008 9:11 AM
 RRCanuck wrote:

I swap eras all the time because "I love it all".  I just can't force myself to forego neat models simply because they're not from an era I primarily model. No willpower I guess. 

I run my layout the same way. Call it "It's my railroad and I'll run what I wanna" or whatever, but I cannot stick myself in one "era". I love steam locos, but also developed a like/love for diesels as well. I have an F7 and a GP35, and plan to get a GP 40, and an SD or so and maybe an E series. I like the Chessie systems, and CSX may sneak in there. I can swap out rolling stock and some buildings and be late 1800's, early 20th century or mid century, or with some additions in power, late 20th century.

In the area I live is a sub line that sits right beside farm houses and such built in the late 1700's when most of the towns in my area were incorporated. In 1828 the second railroad in NY state was chartered here. The dual stations (passenger and freight) were built in the mid to late 1800's when the railroad come through (most have other uses now). It now currently runs diesels hauling scrap iron gondolas and LP Gas and farm stuff up and down. So I DO have a "prototype" to follow!!!! Wink [;)]

 

-G .

Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.

 HO and N Scale.

After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.

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