FAVORITE ROAD!

[R. T. POTEET]

I know that there is a Tracklayer post titled What part of the country do you model? currently active here on the forum and the topic of "What is your favorite railroad?" has been ask frequently. I would like to tackle this from a little bit different standpoint to wit:

WHY DO YOU MODEL THE RAILROAD WHICH YOU DO?

Let me elaborate on this. I live in the Southwest but I do not model either of the railroads closely associated with this region i.e. Santa Fe or Espee. At one time I did consider myself to be a Santa Fe modeler yet my modeling of the Santa Fe consisted more of buying equipment lettered for Santa Fe the devil take the hindmost as far as accuracy and fidelity to prototype was concerned. However, whenever one of the hobby magazines published an article dealing with Appalachian coal haulers I salivated all over that issue of that magazine. I soon decided that that--the Appalachians--was where my true interests lay and that is where I have set my freelanced Seaboard and Western Virginia Railway. Why a freelanced design rather than a particular prototype? Let me say this: rather than having a favorite railroad from that region I have favorite locomotives and those locomotives may not be specific to any favorite railroad. Rather than a favorite prototype I want to attempt to create a railroad that captures the flavor of railroading in that particular region.

Now, as I have read postings here on the forum I have observed a couple of things: sometimes there is a proximate correlation between where a person resides and the prototype they are modeling i.e. people residing in the Northeast quite frequently will model B&M or New Haven; residents from Iowa might well be drawn to Northwestern or Burlington. There is another phenomenon: a considerable number of modelers model a railroad completely separated from their place of residence i.e. a modeler from Georgia might be modeling the Great Northern while another from Texas, say, is modeling the New York Central. The Rio Grande as a prototype is popular from as far away as Sweden and as close as Denver.

If you are a freelancer with a road that has a regional identification in its title i.e. something like the Chicago, Des Moines, and North Texas or the ilk why do you associate with that particular region? Or if you are a prototype modeler what was the fascination with your particular prototype that led you to pick it for modeling?

 

[Lattayards]

The Milwaukee Road, due to the fact that my Dad worked for them for about 43 years. After he died a bought a couple HO scale cars just to kind of remember him by and before I knew it, I had several and decided I needed some track to place them on. Now I've got about a 10' x 30' layout that is nearing completion (maybe one more winter's worth of work). 

[stevechurch2222]

I too model the Milwaukee Road,I filmed the Milwaukee in Ottumwa,Washington,and Davenport,Ia in the 1980-1985 time frame,I currently model in HO Scale,but due to a limit of space,I am considering modeling in N Scale with SD40-2's for road power and kitbashed MP15AC's from the Atlas MP15DC for switching the yards,industries,and local freights.

[Tjsingle]

Conrail, I used to live near the tracks in Norristown PA, during the breakup years.

 

[shayfan84325]

My Blackwater & Butte Creek RR is a freelanced short line located in south central Oregon.  There us a town named Butte Creek there.

I live in northern Utah, but grew up in Ashland, Oregon.  I chose to model that region because it's greener that Utah (and much greener than Wyoming - where I went to college (please no comments about last Saturday's game)).  For me, the aesthetics of my layout are important, so I chose the prettiest area that I know well.

[mopac57]

I, too, live in northern Utah (like shayfan), but model the Missouri Pacific in Texas (with ATSF and Cotton Belt thrown in, too). I chose MoPac because I grew up near an MP line, and have fond memories of Jenks blue diesels rumbling through shabby Texas towns.

[selector]

I had a very early and intense interest in steam locomotives, but I could also be found, chin in hand, watching highway excavating heavy equipment when I was three or four.  My mom would have to phone the OPP once or twice a year to say I had slipped away....again...and where was the nearest road construction.  Sho' nuff, I was there, watching engrossed from a safe distance.  (Note: my mother was anything but negligent....I was just wilful and very fast on my feet once I got a whiff of diesel and freshly turned earth.)

But I grew up largely around steamers in Peru at 14,000 feet above sea level.  Later, I got on with life and never did have much to do with, or develop an interest in, modern railroading.  It was later in life that I began to learn more, but the forums and such were largely based in the USA.  Once I learned about big steam USA-style, I was hooked.  I was that little boy, except I even got eye candy this time for being distracted.

The NYC bigger engines and much of the PRR big steam just digs deep into my psyche.  Also the N&W Class A and Y, plus the Yellowstones and Alleghenys.  I don't find much about the Big Boy that gets to me...no idea why...but I do find the Challenger appealing.

All this to say, R.T. , that I can't model just one road, so I have to do a lot of notional and fictionlancing to make something that passes for a railroad in my basement.  Works for me, and I am the only one I have to please on a daily basis.

-Crandell

[Shopcat]

My as yet unnamed bridge route forges from my two favorite prototypes NKP and Monon. I grew up young in Western Indiana (only a few miles north of the venerable Tony Koester ) and later in Central Ohio. Thus the two connections. But my geographic heart is grainger-land. Corn, beans, wheat, livestock. Mostly flatland running, grainger industries and picturesque Midwestern towns. The Monon IS Indiana, and the NKP joins my two home states. My biggest challenge with this is I am bouncing all over the era map...pre-, mid-, post-transition periods all are appealing. Actually, a nice problem to have, all things considered.
Rick

[route_rock]

  I am going with the Rock Island as I grew up along its route.I am debating doing something almost turn of the century to 1915 ish. I like old Railroad stories pulp mags and would love to recreate that on my Rock Island and Peoria Line. I wouldnt mind running 1975 on with the same line.Running Midland coal trains on it from Lafayette. I might take some license and keep it a through route from Milan to Peoria just so I can run some intereting trains.

  Reason I fell for that version of the Rock? It ran through my home town and switched the truss plant where my Grandfather and two uncles worked.Had taken my grandfather to war and brought him home and another uncle many years later.My Mom had ridden it for a class trip to Chicago and got sicker than a dog as she put it lol.It was also an employeer for a great uncle. So yeah I love it and even though I am interested in lines like the Frisco ( ran through where I was born and by my great grandparents) The Katy ( just love the green and yellow SD 40's plus my Daughter says thats what shes named for lol) I just cant seem to find the same urge to model them.

 

  Someday I will have a layout that represents my neck of the woods.Rock Island ,Q ,Milwaukee, M&StL,an interurban the Rock Island Southern,and maybe even a narrow gauge line ( there were three in my area) Set back in the 1920's.

[GAPPLEG]

Doesn't take much guess work on what I model.  Grew up in El Paso Tx. all SP there at the time, Worked here at the GE Loco. factory for 38 years. My little addition to the railroad world is , I do model it as if it still exists. So I can have EVO's and SD macs etc. if I want to.

[barrok]

In grew up in Detroit -- I model a freelanced shortline in Detroit with connections to the Grand Trunk and Western and Detroit, Toledo & Ironton.  I love Detroit and wanted to model the industry found there.  Urban settings do it for me.  THere is nothing like switching cars in and out of urban canyons!

 

Chuck

[C&O 2-6-6-6]

What is better than a coal drag with two large articulated steam locomotives working a grade.  That is why I model C&O.

[Robby P.]

Norfolk Southern!!!!! 

I guess its due to growing up watching them go by when I would visit grandmothers house in VA.  I remember thunderstorms happening and here I am out the window looking.....

I was probably 10 or so at that time.  When I lived in NC I was still in love with the NS.  Its mostly due to the black and white paint scheme.  I LOVE THE COLORS!!  Most people don't but I think it sone of the best.

Now here in PA, I have it (NS main line) on the other side of the river.  I don't make it over there much, which is only about 5 minutes away.  I need to get there and just watch them go by, without a care in the world.

[Santa Fe buff]

I model Santa Fe.

As a kid I loved watching the Santa Fe's going by so I decided to model them.

I run a passenger train in  N-scale.

Larry

[Texas Zepher]

You know..... If I could answer that question I would probably be modeling a specific road.
1. I like the Mistique that is Santa Fe. Not to mention having grand parents and uncles with farms backing up to the main line. I like their war bonnet paint scheme, and the names of the trains they pulled. I like that they were true to passenger service to the very end. Then of course there is the GRAND CANYON!
2. I like the history of the Great Northern. I like their big sky blue scheme. I like, but hate to model, their bizzare home built steam locomotives.
3. I like the Alco PA diesel locomotive and therefore any railroad that ran them.
4. I like the smallness and simple history of the Lousiville and Wadley and the Wadley Southern. Two railroads that could easily be modeled in a relatively small space.
5. I like the diversity of paint schemes on the Minneapolis and St. Louis. I like their large cross of mainlines to define their operating territory.
6. I like the Rock Island because that is the paint scheme of the first serious HO F unit I ever owned at about age 4. I liked watching their no-maintenance U-boats go belching by on the mainline by my highschool in 1973.
7. I like the Northern Pacific because their steam locomotive fleet is everthing that the GNs wasn't. New modern and flashy. Not much home built stuff here. The Ramon Lowey paint scheme on the NCL is in my opinion one of the best.
8. How can one not like the Pennsy and NYC with 4 track mainlines, fantastic fly overs, and impressive stations. Us westerners have a hard time visualizing a really dense railroad network.
9. How can one see pictures of the N&W with its steam locos running through the 1950s and not want to model those final bastons of steam.
10. Ahhh the character of Denver Rio Grande, the Rio Grande Western, the Rio Grande Southern, the Moffat Route, The Denver South Park & Pacific and all that mountain glory that surrounds them.  The desert west of the high plains.  The drama of their history and engineering.  The survivor that was the D&RGW with its research and development facility in Salida.  Salida with its dual gauge track and two turntables.  The Santa Fe built hanging bridge that the D&RGW ended up with.   The envisioning and planning of the California Zephyr.  How can one be a Colorado native and not want to model the D&RGW!
11.  The Mopac with their very different collection of Alco locomotives in contrast with the dominantly EMD neighbors.  Then the interesting RS3s repowered with EMD prime movers that ranged over Kansas branchlines through the 1960s and early 1970s.
12.  Can't go to the Mopac without thinking about their Texas cousin the Texas & Pacific.  Simple straight main line but interesting and complicated connections to other railroads.
13.  How can one not want to model the CB&Q with their classic management that became the caldron for railroad executives in the first part of the century.  A railroad that never went into bankrupcy and prevented its parent roads from doing so during the depression.  The introduction of light weight streamliners and diesel power.   Classy E units running elephant style right up to Amtrak.  Ooo, ooh, let me model the Q.
14.  etc.... is there a railroad out there I don't want to model (oh yeah I guess there is - UP, SP, CSX, Kyle ...).

 

[twhite]

Well, I grew up in the Sierras along the old Highway 40 corridor, which was also the stomping grounds for Espee's Donner Pass route.  Then sometime in the 1960's I became enamoured of the D&RGW steam power in Colorado and Utah (long gone, of course) and figured that both Espee and Rio Grande had some of the most distinctive big steam I'd ever seen. 

So when I built my trans-Sierra Yuba River Sub, I had a perfect setting for running my two favorite mountain railroads.  At the same time.  It's hard to take the mountains out of a guy who was born and raised in them.  And still lives about 25 miles from them. 

However, if I suddenly had a change of heart and decided to model another railroad and another setting, I'd choose West Virginia and the Chesapeake and Ohio.  Steam, of course. 

Tom

[Tracklayer]

I know that there is a Tracklayer post titled What part of the country do you model? currently active here on the forum and the topic of "What is your favorite railroad?" has been ask frequently. I would like to tackle this from a little bit different standpoint to wit:

WHY DO YOU MODEL THE RAILROAD WHICH YOU DO?

Let me elaborate on this. I live in the Southwest but I do not model either of the railroads closely associated with this region i.e. Santa Fe or Espee. At one time I did consider myself to be a Santa Fe modeler yet my modeling of the Santa Fe consisted more of buying equipment lettered for Santa Fe the devil take the hindmost as far as accuracy and fidelity to prototype was concerned. However, whenever one of the hobby magazines published an article dealing with Appalachian coal haulers I salivated all over that issue of that magazine. I soon decided that that--the Appalachians--was where my true interests lay and that is where I have set my freelanced Seaboard and Western Virginia Railway. Why a freelanced design rather than a particular prototype? Let me say this: rather than having a favorite railroad from that region I have favorite locomotives and those locomotives may not be specific to any favorite railroad. Rather than a favorite prototype I want to attempt to create a railroad that captures the flavor of railroading in that particular region.

Now, as I have read postings here on the forum I have observed a couple of things: sometimes there is a proximate correlation between where a person resides and the prototype they are modeling i.e. people residing in the Northeast quite frequently will model B&M or New Haven; residents from Iowa might well be drawn to Northwestern or Burlington. There is another phenomenon: a considerable number of modelers model a railroad completely separated from their place of residence i.e. a modeler from Georgia might be modeling the Great Northern while another from Texas, say, is modeling the New York Central. The Rio Grande as a prototype is popular from as far away as Sweden and as close as Denver.

If you are a freelancer with a road that has a regional identification in its title i.e. something like the Chicago, Des Moines, and North Texas or the ilk why do you associate with that particular region? Or if you are a prototype modeler what was the fascination with your particular prototype that led you to pick it for modeling?

 

Who's Tracklayer ?...

It seems I change favorite roads more often than I change my socks.

As odd as it sounds, I own and run a lot of Santa Fe equipment yet Santa Fe is my least favorite road. Go figure. But right now I'd have to say that my favorite(s) are Western Pacific and the Nickle Plate Road. If I could only pick one it would be the Nickle Plate.

TL

[pathvet9]

AC&Y RR because my growing-up home still is next to a gulley containing that roadbed that is now being used by the W&LE RR. There is a neat 150'+ trestle right near my home that we kids used to walk all the time and see if we could get caught by a freight, so I plan to model that for sure.

Otherwise the RR seemed to be part of our life as it rumbled by day and night.   

 

[Wikious]

My favorite is the same one I model, the Wisconsin and Southern. A lot of my memories watching trains while growing up are of the WSOR. It's also close by, so I can drop by the yards and get ideas pretty much whenever I want. Besides, they probably have the cleanest, sharpest-painted engines in the region.

[CSX_road_slug]

I live less than a mile from one of the best-known, and most picturesque rights-of-way in the U.S.: The B&O's Old Main Line from Relay, MD to Point-Of-Rocks, MD.  Plenty of grades, curves and tunnels, with a few truss bridges thrown in.

However, instead of modeling the OML, I'm modeling a different stretch of the B&O that runs south from Cleveland, OH.  I was born and raised in southeast Michigan and fell in love with steel mills and lakeboats.  I couldn't use my HO scale model lakeboat on a Maryland-based layout, and I want to maintain some semblance of prototypical accuracy, so I chose the Cleveland/Lorain and Wheeling subdivision of the B&O.  [I couldn't do SE Michigan because the B&O didn't run thru there.] No steep grades or tunnels, but numerous lineside industries to switch.  Running a peddler frieght and switching the local spurs is one of my favorite types of operation. 

I'm currently modeling CSX in the 1990-95 timeframe, for two reasons: (1) Ditch lights were not yet required on every road loco, (2) the YN3 solid-blue paint scheme which I don't like at all, didn't exist; and (3) the old-style color position light signals were still used.  This is important because someday I hope to get decoders installed in a mothballed fleet of Stewert F7's and P2K geeps painted in B&O. Someday... 

[Capt. Grimek]

I grew up in Northern N.J. and loved the Erie Lackawanna and Pennsy railroads. My Father and I often took field trips to places like Harrisburg, Altoona, Horseshoe Curve, etc. I loved Pennsy Tuscan red.
As a kid I modeled those roads.

Now as an adult, living (for 35 yrs.) in the Pacific N.W. I've aquired a similar love for GN, Sante Fe,
NP, WP, etc. I always loved and preferred tall mountainous scenery and now that I live in/near it,
I'm pulled to that type of scenicing but miss the beauty of New York Central's steamlined steam locos,
T1s and other Pennsy locos, etc.

I've decided to model the P.N.W. (finally) for two main reasons:
l. I can look locally for correct scenic coloring, rock shapes, etc. and have access to local rail museums to
research things like period appropriate roadbed material and coloring. Also if I want to make my own trees, etc. all I have to do is look out the window to see if I'm doing an adequate job of it.

2. My "peer" group in operating sessions and club visits are all modeling this area and can provide a "born again beginner" with info. regarding older prototype issues as they grew up in the steam age here. (Ok,
they're on the older end of "peer" group for me :-)
I love Big Boys, Challengers, Northerns, etc. and they are right up there with Eastern locos for me so
it's not too much of a compromise. I MAY be guilty of staging a "World's Fair/Exposition" on my layout some day though so those Eastern Roads can "come visit".

The downside is that I'll have to purchase or build a Bazillion more trees and experience some more difficult scenery building (mountainous) than my Eastern layout in my youth.

And finally, My wife and I purchased our cottage home from a retired Great Northern brakeman/conductor and well....Dave Fox would just want GN to play a part on my layout in his former home. We spent many hours talking about the old days and writing down his engine numbers from his
trains. He met his wife right here in town when she took a lunch break from her job at J.C. Penny's
and walked with a girlfriend down to the GN depot and Dave came swinging down off the caboose and
landed right in front of Phyllis. It was love at lst sight. So, I feel like I owe it to Dave's memory to
base my layout in this area and specifically, GN.

[loathar]

While I grew up watching those colorful Penn Central F units roll past my house day and night, I chose CP Rail and CSX in the 80's-90's. I just like the paint schemes and the terrain they run through. Also like being able to have B&O and  C&O schemes show up now and then. Lets me run F units right up to big SD's.

[lvanhen]

My road of choice is the Union Pacific.  To be honest, it was probably the color scheme of their streamliners and their varied & mostly giant steam, diesel, and turbine power that got me started on my now extensive collection of UP "stuff"!!  I'm not a purist, as I still have in my collection such things as a Bachmann wrecker & flat, a couple of snow plows, and varius other MOW pieces painted Armor yellow!!!  I'm also eclectic about the period - I have 5 1860ish 4-4-0's, some 1910 to 1930's steam, later steam including a Mountain, a Challenger, and a BigBoy, diesels from a GP7 to AC4400's, and a Veranda Turbine!!  I'm also a bit of a nut for MOW and snow removal stuff - 48 MOW and 12 snow plows!!  My freight cars run from Civil war to modern, and passenger from 34' Overtons to streamliners (but not Amcrash!).  I've had layouts of 5x12, 5x20, and several 4x8's, but none of them ever got to the scenery stage.  Next years to a retirement home will hopefully let me finish a layout that will have 4 seasons at at least 4 era's represented.       

[Crewman1]

I run narrow gauge, so...

Westside Lumber Co.

Denver Rio Grande & Western

DRG&S

C&S

Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes RR

you get the idea.  I'm narrow minded.

-Crewman 1

 

[IRONROOSTER]

The Maryland & Pennsylvania RR, mainly because of the book by George Hilton.  It just appeals to me and I can add some B&O and PRR if I want since it interchanges with them at the ends.  The real trick will be working in the WW&F waterfront in Wiscasset Maine.  But that's the beauty of model railroading - you can co locate different parts of the country.  And I also want a camelback even though the Ma&Pa didn't have any.  So I'm mainly doing one road, but with additions.  I don't know what you call it, but I don't care - this is a hobby and I do what I appeals to me.

Enjoy

Paul 

[Ulrich]

Both CN and CP...the two roads I'm most familiar with...I also like the paint schemes and modelling those big new EMD and GE units.

[NYCfan]

I think I've said this before, but like most model, (and prototype), railroaders that I now of, I love to repeat it.

I grew up in Hudson Falls New York, which is to the Southeast of the Adirondack Mountains. That was where I went hunting, fishing, sledding, snowmobiling, etc... I've spent a whole lot of my life in those mountains and wish to someday return. 

For that reason, I love to model the D&H. However, most of my family lived in New York City, so once I found out that the NYC operated from Albany to the City, (nevermind the beauty of Grand Central Terminal!!!), I fell in love with the NYC.

Once I had the room, (and money!!), and after many smaller "skill building" layouts, I finally settled on a theme and name. I decide that it would be neat if there was a central location, a Union Station/Yard, if you will, where the NYC and PRR, (which I added after the loss of an Army buddy who hailed from Altoona), would bring their passengers and freight to transfer to the D&H to continue North into the mountains. Also where the D&H could do the same thing, only going South. So I did, and named it the Lower Adirondack Railroad. Now that it's up and running, but never finished of course, I just need to design a herald and history, and off I go.

After all "It's my world" so to speak. 

[mobilman44]

Hi!

Some very interesting answers so far.........  May I add?

I was born/raised in Chicago and model the transition perid.  I am heavily into the Santa Fe, probably due to its popularity when I was a kid (Lionel F3s, movies, songs) and color schemes, and its exciting route (Chicago to LA).  Secondly, I model the Illinois Central, as those were the trains I saw as a kid at Grandmom's in southern Illinois - where her porch was a stone throw away from the tracks.

Strangely (or not), I have the most history with the C&NW as I grew up near their tracks in Chicago and spent a lot of time trackside in the '50s.  I guess I just saw so much of them that I wanted to model something different.

In any case, I can certainly see how one could love and model ANY railroad, and during any timeframe. 

ENJOY,

Mobilman44

[carknocker1]

My Port Destiny Terminal RR , is The L&N and Southern RWY , I grew up with the Southern and L&N 1 block from my house . I grew up in Indiana but I model Northern Florida , because I love Florida and and harbours . 

[Mr. SP]

Like the moniker says Espee is the favoured road with BN second. Spokane Portland & Seattle was the local road originally in my hometown.

Besides Espee & BN there is GN MRL C&NW SBD and my shortline Oregon Central & Pacific in the collection