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Names for your railroad

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  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Vancouver Island, BC
  • 23,330 posts
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.

  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: Ozark Mountains
  • 1,167 posts
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!

  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Los Angeles
  • 1,619 posts
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
  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: Sliver City,Mich.
  • 708 posts
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
  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Bedford, MA, USA
  • 21,484 posts
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. 

  • Member since
    January 2008
  • 150 posts
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
  • Member since
    June 2004
  • From: Orig: Tyler Texas. Lived in seven countries, now live in Sundown, Louisiana
  • 25,640 posts
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


  • Member since
    October 2007
  • From: ohio
  • 1,371 posts
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:)

  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Southwest US
  • 12,914 posts
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)

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: 4610 Metre's North of the Fortyninth on the left coast of Canada
  • 9,352 posts
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."

  • Member since
    February 2006
  • From: Mesa Arizona
  • 341 posts
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.
  • Member since
    February 2001
  • 872 posts
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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