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Names for your railroad

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Names for your railroad
Posted by pike-62 on Thursday, September 25, 2008 4:58 PM

After reading the editorial in the oct. issue I was reminded of a rather unique name a friend had named his railroad. It was the Kent Avon & York line. When I first questione him about it I never put two and two together that the abreviation was also his wifes name. He took each letter from her name and used them for the starting letters of the road name. Does anyone else have anything similar to this to share?

 

Dan Pikulski

www.DansResinCasting.com

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Posted by mokenarr on Thursday, September 25, 2008 5:13 PM
  My railroad is called the  Mokena Railroad.   i lived in the town of Mokena and named my railroad after it..    There are 3 towns on the layout,  Sandi Springs   after my wife,   Lori Bend and Eric Junction  after my kids.     I also named industries after people  , Like Karney Coal and Bruggeman Beef.     Its fun and thats the way its supoose to be
Old Steam loco's never die, they just lose thier fire.
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Posted by BATMAN on Thursday, September 25, 2008 6:17 PM
The sign on the train room door reads.

WELCOME TO THE CPR RAILROAD.

B.A.S. DIVISION

B.A.S. stands for Brent, Aidan,Samantha. Me and my two kids.

They came up with the name one night in a restaurant when I mentioned that I thought I would get started building the thing.

Brent

Brent

"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."

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Posted by tomikawaTT on Thursday, September 25, 2008 7:09 PM

Naming my primary railroad was a no-brainer.  When it's a government-owned monopoly, do you really have a choice?

There are a few 'niche' railway companies in Japan, mostly doing things the National Railway Company was happy to avoid.  I actively model one, and have three waiting in the wings (non-operating background, pending future development.)

  • The Tomikawa Valley Railway, a coal-hauler owned by the company that developed the collieries.  It built the entire Tomikawa Valley route, but the Imperial Government took over the easy part through more developed country, then drilled the tunnels that made it a through route.  The TTT was left with the dregs, the last few kilometers of 4% up to the mines from Tomikawa.  The end of the railroad module has been operating since 1980.
  • The Kashimoto Forest Railway - based on the Kiso Forest Railway, named with my wife's maiden name.  Her family was active in the timber business in Shikoku.  The Kiso Rintetsu was an extensive network of 762mm gauge rails in some rather wild country.
  • The Harukawa Electric Railway - based on the 762mm gauge Kurobe Railway, built to service the hydropower installations in the Kurobe Gorge, currently hauls a lot of passengers to the various hot springs along the route.
  • The Nishikawa Electric Railway - based loosely on the Hakone Tozan Dentetsu, connecting several mountain resorts to the National Railway.

Tomikawa-san was the reason I requested assignment to Japan from Korea very early in my Air Force career.  Other names are family 'in' jokes (the two main stations along the Kashimoto Forest Railway are named for my son and daughter - Japanese-language nicknames.)  Fortunately, a lot of Japanese surnames can do double duty as place names.  Even more fortunately, those people are very unlikely to find out that their names have been pre-empted.

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

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Posted by rs2mike on Thursday, September 25, 2008 7:21 PM

Mine will be the PRF&W(Pine River Falls and Western).  My wife and I like pine trees and waterfalls so there it is.  I also plan on naming industries after people we know and those in our family.  The first one I have is Katie's Cafe and Wine House after my Wife.  Now all that is left is to start building things.

Mike

alco's forever!!!!! Majoring in HO scale Minorig in O scale:)

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Posted by jeffrey-wimberly on Thursday, September 25, 2008 7:25 PM
The sign on my door reads 'Kansas City Southern southern division'.

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 my05hammer on Thursday, September 25, 2008 7:32 PM

The name of my railroad is "Grain Belt".  It was going to be "Anchor Valley Central", but I wanted a name that sounded rural. 

Then come to find out that there really IS a "Grainbelt RR".  But it is spelled as one word and mine is two words. 

The main town is still Anchor Valley, and there will be three other towns on the layout (construction starts after the Christmas Holidays), one at each end of the route that are named Bedford Falls and Rock river, and one small township called Emerald.  

 

 

Love all Worship One
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Posted by MisterBeasley on Thursday, September 25, 2008 7:34 PM

My layout is the fictitious town of Moose Bay, which came about just because I liked the name when it showed up in my head one day.  The two principle streets in town, Penny Lane and Saint Anne Street, are named after my wife and daughter, with a bit of homage to the Beatles thrown in for additional merriment.  Those two streets are also the names of the subway stations below them, so there's lots of signage to announce them.  The Scollay Square station is from the old "Charlie on the MTA" song, and it's also a now-defunct station in the Boston system.  A number of businesses in town are named in honor of some of my daughter's friends.

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

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Posted by Catt on Thursday, September 25, 2008 7:55 PM
My railroad has been the Grande Valley railroad (now railway) since september of 1978.The main reason being that I live in Grand Rapids,MI. in the Grand River valley.
Johnathan(Catt) Edwards 100 % Michigan Made
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Posted by West Coast S on Thursday, September 25, 2008 7:58 PM

My San Joaquin & Sierra Nevada Railway did exist until it was absorbed into the SP system at the turn of 20th century. Orginally a narrow guage operation, no effort was wasted converting the profitable segements to standard guage with the remainder being abandoned. During their fight to fend off the SP, studies were done to standard guage and electrify the line to tap important feeders that were independent and also under wire. My pike represents a compromise with the SP, it electrified and standard guaged while remaining independent with the SP/SF as  important interchange partners. My main drag in Lockwood is named Lorraine Blvd. after my wife, she also has a steeple cab electric named for her!

Dave

SP the way it was in S scale
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Posted by dragenrider on Thursday, September 25, 2008 8:41 PM

My nod to friends and family include:

*  Carrie's Berrys.  An industry named after my wife, Carrie.

*  Colby Cut.  A rocky pass named after my godson, Colby.

*  Mosier Magnets.  An industry named after fellow firefighter, friend and modeler Al Mosier.

 

The Cedar Branch & Western--The Hillbilly Line!

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Posted by selector on Thursday, September 25, 2008 8:53 PM

Sentinel Colliery Railway is the name of the small spur railway run by the Company by that name.  They lease equipment from several railways, and pay for servicing under contract.  The mine is near Seneca Falls, NW (No Where), a bit bigger than a village, with an important sub and an interchange between as many railroads as my loco roster can stand.  That would be eight railroads so far.   Wow, what a hub!  The local kids love seeing who can spot the unique engine that runs through Seneca Falls, or better yet, stops for some servicing.

I just made up the names.  I was fairly certain I wouldn't end up being original with Seneca Falls, and it turns out I am correct.  In fact, I expected that it would be up-state, and it is in NY if I am correct.

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Posted by marknewton on Thursday, September 25, 2008 9:00 PM
 tomikawaTT wrote:
The Nishikawa Electric Railway - based loosely on the Hakone Tozan Dentetsu, connecting several mountain resorts to the National Railway.

Geez, Chuck you really do like mountain-climbin' lines! I didn't realise you were a fan of the Hakone Tozan - good choice. Ever been tempted to include some dual-gauge track and run an Odakyu LSE?

All the best,

Mark.
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Posted by shayfan84325 on Thursday, September 25, 2008 9:30 PM

I named a live steam model boat after my wife (now ex); she got mad, because the boat was cute but not exactly streamilined - it looks sort of like Kate and Bogie's African Queen.  I learned not to name stuff after real people; their reactions are hard to predict.

My railroad is the Blackwater & Butte Creek Railroad.  Blackwater came from the Doobie Brothers song, and Butte Creek is a real stream in Oregon where my father and I often fished (the fishing was great, the catching was a little iffy).

Phil,
I'm not a rocket scientist; they are my students.

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Posted by loathar on Thursday, September 25, 2008 9:33 PM

I've really been struggling with this one for the past couple years. I've been thinking about a play on a name and going with The Stetsburg Sub. Or maybe The Stetsburg and Walish.
I don't know if I like them or not. Maybe I could call it Mayoville...Whistling [:-^](naw..)

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Posted by Autobus Prime on Thursday, September 25, 2008 9:38 PM

Folks:

I've done this.  On my current RR, I'm trying to use the names in ways that sound authentic.  So far, all I have is Edwards Mill, named after our son.  I don't have too many buildings yet.

The two towns were named in a different way.  One was near the electrical panel, and the other was near the Johnson furnace, so they were named "Wattsburg" and ... "Johnson Furnace".

 

 

 Currently president of: a slowly upgrading trainset fleet o'doom.
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Posted by macjet on Thursday, September 25, 2008 9:42 PM
If I see a piece of rolling stock that is on clearance or an otherwise great deal I'll buy it regardless of the roadname. After a trip through paint and some trim film these pieces of rolling stock emerge as assets of GRLX (Garrett Railcar Leasing) which is named after my son.
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Posted by Loco on Thursday, September 25, 2008 10:03 PM
Now that the time is here for me to actually build a RR I have NO idea what the line will be.  Other than a division of Union Pacific as I have a ton of U.P. power.
LAte Loco
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Posted by lisican on Friday, September 26, 2008 2:28 AM

"The Malpaso & Saccara Railroad"

Pretty sure I misspelled the second word. The first is the name of a creek near where I grew up (and also the name of Clint Eastwood's prodution company) and the second comes from a town in Egypt where they discovered a small model of a bird that when blown up to human size,  could fly reasonably well. Scientists believe that it illustrates that the ancient Egyptians understood flight. Or they got lucky with a tiny wooden bird.

Basically I liked the words and how they sounded together. Malpaso is a bigger grity city (translated, the word means "Bad Step"), and Saccara will be a desert outpost styled city.

http://www.1223artistry.com http://www.ohnoamonster.com
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Posted by RRTrainman on Friday, September 26, 2008 6:58 AM

Mine has a ring to it Russell Rail, my town is Russellville fictious name but on my door to my train room there is a big R&R on it.

4x8 are fun too!!! RussellRail

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Posted by georgev on Friday, September 26, 2008 7:48 AM

My railroad, the Rochester and Richmond, is actually named for a rail-trail bike path.  I had been trying to figure out a road name for a long time.   The railroad is set in the Appalachian coal region but I never figured out exactly where and I had never planned to follow a specific prototype.   

Back to the bike trail..... The former Grand Trunk branch ran from Pontiac MI through Rochester to Richmond MI.  This was abandoned about 10-12 years ago and converted to a trail.  A little over a year ago my wife and I rode from outside Rochester to Richmond and back with a group of friends.  This was a long trip for us (about 50 miles) and it was a hot day.  When I am riding the rail-trails I often think how things may have been different.  What if this branch had some additional industry and was sold off to a short line?  That maybe found a market for cross-town commuters.... that maybe was owned by a steam enthusiast who occasionally fired up a locomotive, sort of like the Ohio Central?  What would you call the railroad? 

OK, so maybe this is a heat and exercised induced fever dream, but the name "Rochester & Richmond" came out of it.  Like RRTrainman's, it also abbreviates to R&R which is what the railroad is - rest and relaxation.    

George V.

 

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Posted by wedudler on Friday, September 26, 2008 9:10 AM

My Westport Terminal RR is named after the town. There was in Model Railroader Sep. 83 an article by John R. Decker "The yard at Westport". This article gripped me!

This article was the base for my first "Westport". But due to the growing business they had to build a new yard

And I made my own paint scheme.

 

Wolfgang

Pueblo & Salt Lake RR

Come to us http://www.westportterminal.de          my videos        my blog

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Posted by BRAKIE on Friday, September 26, 2008 9:32 AM

Many of you will recall my HO/N Scale Columbus & Hocking Valley and the HO Huron River RR.

However,there's been another name floating around in my thoughts and that is the Columbus Belt & Terminal a 14 mile industrial switching line located on the South Side of Columbus(Oh) set in 1990..

Here's the twist..

This switching line is a paper railroad own jointly by either NS/CSX or NS/CR .

IF I choose to do the CB&T for my N Scale railroad I will rotate locomotives between the owning roads.

Another thought is to paint and letter 2 locomotives  CB&T.

Larry

Conductor.

Summerset Ry.


"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt  Safety First!"

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Posted by Dallas Model Works on Friday, September 26, 2008 3:26 PM

My layout is called Mt. Penelope and my fictional railway is the Mt. Penelope Rwy. Co. -- both named for my wife.

There is also a church named after my oldest son (just 'cause his name has biblical origins; he is a little more on the  Evil [}:)] side) and there is a hill named after my youngest son.

Craig

DMW

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Posted by jfallon on Friday, September 26, 2008 5:06 PM
  I based my railroad loosely on the Chesapeake & Albemarle, a local short-line that runs from the Norfolk area to Edenton, NC. This part of Virginia has been refered to as Tidewater for as long as I can remember, so I named my railroad the Tidewater and Albemarle. The reporting marks are TAR since the FRA wouldn't accept the obvious choice.Smile,Wink, & Grin [swg]

If everybody is thinking alike, then nobody is really thinking.

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Posted by aloco on Friday, September 26, 2008 5:19 PM

Although I'm a CN and CP modeler in HO scale, I do have a fictitious short line locomotive fleet.  The railway is called the LBSS&G (Lopsided, Backwards, Smeared, Smudged, and Gouged). The name is dedicated to the hazards that go with painting and detailing model railroad equipment.

All the locos in the LBSS&G fleet are ex-Pennsylvania units and are painted Brunswick Green. The roster is as follows:

1 Alco RSD-4

1 Alco RS-11 (with six wheel trucks)

1 BLW AS-616

1 Alco S-2

2 Alco  S-1s

2 BLW VO-1000s

2 BLW VO-660s

2 BLW S-8s

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Posted by northernsubpcrr on Saturday, September 27, 2008 2:22 AM
I named mine after a creek which passes under an abandoned wooden tressel I proposed to my wife on.  "Paint Creek"  It is along the former B&O Norther Subdivision in Pennsylvania.  It is still refered to as the Northern Sub.  and is owned and operated by the Paint Creek.
http://www.clarionmodelrailroadclub.com/PaintCreek.html http://www.clarionmodelrailroadclub.com/index.html http://www.nmradiv11.org/ http://www.pittsburghandohiorailroad.com/index.html http://www.bjsrr.com/index.html
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Posted by PreferredSauce on Saturday, September 27, 2008 6:05 AM

I struggled with a name for my railroad untill I moved into Essa Township I live in a valley so the Essa Valley Rail Road was born.The EVRR has a nice ring to it.

 

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 Jumijo on Saturday, September 27, 2008 7:44 AM

Ours is called the JUMIJO RR (pronounced Joo-mee-joe). I used the first two letters of each child's name to come up with that. JUlia, MIchael, and JOhn.

 

Jim

Modeling the Baltimore waterfront in HO scale

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Posted by germanium on Saturday, September 27, 2008 12:59 PM

When I get to starting my road, it will be an industrial pike called "Nackers yard", which where most of the equipment will look as if it should have been dumped.

Dennis 

 

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