This is where being totally freelanced really has benifits, everything newly bought or scratchbuilt gets new roadname decals and new numbers, its then beaten and weathered so its automaticly 'correct' and in the proper 'era'. As it is I only run 2 'official' roadnames, "Borracho Springs Rwy" and the "Angry Beaver Logging Rwy" but I still have a couple of non-roster items in their original livery, but these are more display items rather than operational rolling stock.
Have fun with your trains
I strictly adhere to North American railroads of the 1880-2010 era. I did stray once, when I bought a Bachmann Chinese 2-10-2....But wouldn't you know it, the prototype ended up doing the same thing.
Dave
Just be glad you don't have to press "2" for English.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ_ALEdDUB8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hqFS1GZL4s
http://s73.photobucket.com/user/steemtrayn/media/MovingcoalontheDCM.mp4.html?sort=3&o=27
In my case, I'm building a layout that designed to rotate time periods, so I can use a lot of different era's equipment.
johngriffey18ca1 For example, I model the modern era and Union Pacific. However, I have purchased SP daylight and I'm getting all the SP daylight cars that are coming out from MTH. I also have a challenger engine with a coal tender vs the oil tender it has now and the SP daylight I mentioned eariler has whitewall wheels which are from the older days of railroading.
For example, I model the modern era and Union Pacific. However, I have purchased SP daylight and I'm getting all the SP daylight cars that are coming out from MTH. I also have a challenger engine with a coal tender vs the oil tender it has now and the SP daylight I mentioned eariler has whitewall wheels which are from the older days of railroading.
I see no problem using steam engines currently (or at least, recently) in use as excursion engines on a modern layout...SP 4449, UP Challenger and 4-8-4, etc. I'm surprised more model railroad companies don't offer models of these engines, like say Milwaukee 261 - you could use it in modelling the 1940's-50's, or the mid-90's to today.
The more I study railroad history, and the more I learn about all the different railroads, the more difficult it is for me to stick to any one era or railroad.
For example, I may love the red/silver warbonnet of Santa Fe, and the blue/yellow warbonnet freight paint scheme of Santa Fe--but with very rare exceptions (F units running out the last miles on freight), they did not co-exist. Since I prefer to run only steam power and large articulateds, but I don't like the look of Santa Fe steam at all, that pretty much disqualifies me from modeling Santa Fe.
Many roads had one or two or even three really great classes of steam power--but some are not readily available in HO, or I just don't like the look of them. I also prefer modern freight cars, but do not own any that fall after the steam era, as I sold them all.
At the end of the day, my favorite locomotives would be the N&W Y-6B 2-8-8-2's, as well as previous classes Y-3 through Y-6A, and Alco Century diesels.
My current railroad would have to be NdeM--they got some large American steam power secondhand and obtained their own 2-6-6-2's and 4-8-4's, owned some neat Alco Centuries, and also ran their large American designed steam power (including 4-8-4's) at least well into 1967--thus they did coexist with some big Alco Centuries--but were in different regions of Mexico. Where I stretch the imagination too far is in my wish that NdeM obtained Y-6B's secondhand. Though they did obtain Norfolk Southern 2-8-4's secondhand, and later plenty of N&W diesels, sadly no big 2-8-8-2's migrated south of the border.
The NdeM actually ran Alco C628's on passenger trains in mountainous regions, and if I want to have a 2-8-8-2 on the NdeM---well, it's my railroad. Also, I'm still deciding if my UP articulateds will stay or go.
John
I am modeling the Lake Superior and Ishpeming and sometimes it's difficult to find locos and rollling stock. Fortunately it intechanges with the Wisconsin Central along with a couple others so it makes the job a little easier. I guess the overall answer is yes, but sometimes I will take poetic license and just make it work, which if anyone is familiar with the Upper Penninsula of Michigan, is kind of how the 'Yoopers' handled many situations.
There's never time to do it right, but always time to do it over.....
selector Nope, I'm one of those grubby collectors who has engines from about five or six different roads, often on the layout at the same time. That includes a couple of SD-75M's along with my steamers; got one in the yard this minute next to steamers from the NYC, N&W, and the C&O.I run what I like when I like. If I were bent on modeling, it would be different.-Crandell
Nope, I'm one of those grubby collectors who has engines from about five or six different roads, often on the layout at the same time. That includes a couple of SD-75M's along with my steamers; got one in the yard this minute next to steamers from the NYC, N&W, and the C&O.
I run what I like when I like. If I were bent on modeling, it would be different.
-Crandell
Yes but Crandell, from what we have been shown of your layout (work) you could run a "Camelback" cab forward and in your settings it would still look perfect,
You always show us the way it should look, and I for one love it. You and Grampy are my heros.
Johnboy out.................
from Saskatchewan, in the Great White North..
We have met the enemy, and he is us............ (Pogo)
I go with what I like. I regularly run SD70's and AC6000's along with my steamers.
Springfield PA
I stick to my era, but I like collecting custom painted/lettered freight cars for home layouts. The last custom freight car I bought was for the Bay Valley Dispatch; BVD. The logo was a pair of shorts with track as a belt. I thought it was pretty clever!
Chuck
Modeling the Motor City
OP wrote...Quote: "Do you find yourself straying outside what you set up as your era and road? I try not to because cost is already high, but there are some neat items for purchase out in the market..."
John... I think most modelers have a particular railroad prototype - historic or modern - that they like to emulate and try to re-create.
I have so many favorites that its sometimes vary hard to stay focused on the main theme of the railroad you want to model.. with emphasis on the word 'you'.
My layout is being constructed in phases - or, room by room and I model modern era(1985 - now)Union Pacific - but, I'm not modeling any particular part of it - I'm freelance-prototype modeling. When it is all finished in about 2 more years, it will overwelmingly be recognized by any visitor, as unmistakably UP in nature. But that is not going to stop me from running any steam or diesel of another era or railroad, if I wish to do so.
Eventhough I'm dedicated to the UP, I'm originally from PA and grew up in a family of PRR personel and was exposed to PRR and B&O from the time I was 4-5 yrs old -about the same time I was exposed to this wonderful hobby.
I never dreamed that I would ever see some of the amazing models and replicas being offered to us in HO(or any other scale), thanks to the technology that has impacted the hobby in just the last 20 years alone.
. There's a lot that has changed and more fine models are available than ever before.
With all the amazing models out there, it is very tempting to 'want' to obtain all the different models that 'appeal' to our senses...it will also bankrupt you if you're not careful.
I try to stick with my contemporary models in Union Pacific liveries. But I have a soft spot for Pennsy steam & diesel power and own quite a few(read- more than I should) of them, as well as vintage Union Pacific power - I just bought a NKP Berk...now what the h#*!! does that have to do with the UP?
nothing...at all. WHY did I buy it? Because it sturred up my senses and made me think if a time in my childhood that brought me happiness. Besides, I just LIKED it.
Just like I like my Turbines, Challengers, Bigboys, Northerns, chiken wire F3's, Alco FAs and PAs and those unmistakable 'Sharks'. And as soon as MTH announces those, I'm going to get a set or two of those too... so there!
Actually, part of plan is to have a collection of all the surviving great steamers and famous diesels in American railroading on display behind glass in my home. So far, I've been able to aquire such locomotives as the restored UP Challenger 3985 and the UP 844 Northern, the restored N&W J 611, and now, the restored version of the 765 Berk. There are others too. I even bought a set of the M-10000( a very nice running and very detailed model I might add)as well as the Aerotrain City of Las Vegas.
The point is, if there is room in your finances to occassionally go 'overboard' on a model that doesn't 'adhere' to your normal game plan, there is nothing wrong with possessing a few(IMHO).
It's when guys start buying stuff just for the sake of show-n-tell or worse...allow their buying to become compulsive, that it starts to become a serious issue -especially financially.
Of course, if you're independently wealthy, like most of the readers here, then it's no problem. Unfortunately, for the rest of us, we have to keep a level head about our hobby budgets and what really is essential, to complete the model railroad roster you want to maintain.
In this world of advance reservation ordering to assure you get a copy of what you want, this can spread your hobby budget thin- fast.
Just use common sense and ask yourself if you really need it for the layout, or do you just want it because you like it(for the moment)...then whip out the ol' M/C and get it...or, think about the other items you are really wanting and then 'walk away'.
You get to choose.
have fun model railroading!
HeritageFleet1
I still buy what I like, but drifting more toward 1950 to 1970. I like F and E's and 1970 Muscle Cars. I still have a few modern engines, but selling them off.
I hate Rust
Hmmm...
How closely do I stick to my modeling 'era' (September, 1964) and my prototype road name (Nihon Kokutetsu?) Simply stated, with one exception (a DE10 diesel-hydraulic that sees rare but critical service) ALL of the rolling stock 'lettered' for my prototype was on the rails in revenue service during that period. I have the personally-recorded list of car and locomotive numbers, and an official list of JNR equipment, to prove it. Of course, the JNR was a government-owned National monopoly (Japan National Railways) so sticking to prototype is about as difficult as getting wet in a rainstorm.
On the other hand, my private coal-hauler, the Tomikawa Tani Tetsudo (translates as Wealth River Valley Iron Road) is the home of a motley collection of superannuated teakettles, currently runs a 2-6-6-2T (never existed in Japan) and has coal hoppers that are wild feats of imagineering unlike anything ever seen anywhere outside my layout space. Rumor has it that, upon the receipt of an 'on backorder' Round Tuit, a couple of teakettle frames will be transmogrified into a Golwe. (The story is that the new (as of 1960) Chief Engineer is a squirrily gaijin who has been helping the new owner to modernize the previously marginal property to properly exploit a new, very rich coal seam. Since this cat is married to the boss's daughter...)
And then there is the heritage fleet - a quartet of assorted 4-8-4s, a 2-10-4, a GG-1 and a choice selection of cars bearing the heralds and reporting marks of clubs I once belonged to. Currently residing in boxes, the plan is to put them on display in a glass case in the workshop when I add shelves to that particular wall. They never (well, hardly ever) turn an over-gauge, under-scale wheel on my 1:80 scale 1067mm (prototype) gauge empire. The probability of additions to that miniscule roster is on the order of the probability of my layout being inundated by a tsunami (2200 feet altitude in the middle of a desert three mountain ranges removed from the nearest ocean) or hit by a falling asteroid...
Actually, except for the desert, my prototype area resembles that!
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - since 1964)
I like small shays and any rod-driven steam engine with slide valves - they operated on lower boiler pressure and are less powerful, so the trains are shorter/slower and make my layout seem bigger. Besides, they look like an espresso machine with wheels (wife says they are cute). 36' freight cars look darned good on my 22" radius curves and they go well with the espresso machine steamers.
This slide valve passion keeps me grounded on the 1880-1930+ era. I don't feel that I have to be too specific about the actual year, but my layout has automobiles from the 1920-1936 time frame (I like old cars, too), so that narrows me a little further.
I know that piston valve locomotives were becoming common in the early 20th century, so my slide valve engines are vintage even for my era. I explain that it's a short line that bought most equipment second hand.
Many of my figures are dressed more like 1968 than 1935, but I don't sweat the small stuff; besides, that blonde with the short skirt has such great legs that she'd have gotten away with her abreviated dress even when you could stop in at the Ford dealer and look at a factory fresh Deuce.
I love freelancing - I was never one for strict discipline in a hobby. This is for fun.
Another thing I left out of my era is the whole segregation thing - in my little world, that just didn't happen. Likewise, the Depression.
Phil, I'm not a rocket scientist; they are my students.
My fictional Heartland Division of the CB&Q is intended to be a composite of the Burlington Route and its subsidiaries, C&S and FW&D during 1962.
GN and NP have running rights.
Santa Fe and other western railroads run occasionally on "detours" assuming trains were diverted in emergency situations.
From time to time I will change the 1962 to 1940's or 1950's.
For operations, I have "operating sessions" to simulate realistic railroad transportation. Otherwise, I have "running sessions" featuring trains from various railroads. As the layout construction continues, I am doing more operating sessions than running sessions.
Also, as the layout construction continues, the railroad is developing its own character or "personality".
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
It is a model railroading tradition to have a two-railroad layout...
1st => Free-Lancing => Conemaugh Road & Traction is a short-line interurban railroad with PCC and box motor (the traction), and the opportunity for some steam and diesel (the road).
2nd => Proto-Lancing => CR&T is surrounded by the Pennsylvania Railroad. The PRR had steam, diesel, and electric.
3rd => Circa 1956 => Timeframe when traction was still viable, and within two years of the Pennsy going all-diesel.
Conemaugh Road & Traction circa 1956
johngriffey18ca1 Do you find yourself straying outside what you set up as your era and road?
Do you find yourself straying outside what you set up as your era and road?
Not really. The theme is a freelanced shortline, operating 1995 to present. What changes about the theme of the layout is the amount of industries along the line that receive rail service. Structures are (will all finally be) built to allow up to ten industries to be served, which would require newer, more modern diesels like gp38-2's. On the other hand, the layout could be run with having most of those industries abandoned over the years, which then results in operations and equipment becoming less robust, say gp-7's or even alco s-2's.
To answer your specific question, no, the era and road doesn't change. But the theme has some nuances that change to allow a variety of rolling stock and first generation (some second too) diesels to run, based upon what type of operating session I want to have at the moment. There are sometimes reasons to lease NS, CSX, or ex-UP gp's when the railroad is running in its "highly profitable" theme.
However, I will be buying a steam locomotive just to run it as a display when I'm working at the bench, simply because they look cool. Likely a Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0. I'll default to the "tourist dinner train" cop-out to give me an excuse to have it.
- Douglas
I model the Western Pacific. That gives me a lot of options. The WP shared trackage with the Southern Pacific in Nevada. The WP interchanged with the D&RGW in Salt Lake City and also ran some D&RGW locomotives from time to time. The Union Pacific was a visitor to WP trackage. In the East Bay area of San Francisco they had trackage rights with the AT&SF. At Bieber in Northern California they handed off to the Burlington Northern and all those railroads over time such as the GN, NP, SP&S and probably one I'm forgetting. So I have great latitude from which to chose from.
Heritagefleet1 John... I think most modelers have a particular railroad prototype - historic or modern - that they like to emulate and try to re-create.
Not so sure that I would say "most". I know very few who were ever able to stick to one railroad or theme.
In my case, I'm modeling certain scenes of the Southwest, and I have been using engines that were at least occasionally seen there (excepting the Y6B's).
Since I like Sonoran Desert, and it extended much farther into Mexico, that's what I'm working on...there's just some unique plants I need to get.
My short line is owned by an eccentric who grew up riding trains, so besides the main revenue generators (coal mining and lumber), he collected complete trains from different eras. Diesel to haul coal and lumber, steam and transitional diesels for railfanning trips.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
If it's a Canadian road, I'll run it. Anything from steam to early diesel to modern - but not all at the same time. I'm lucky to have enough that I can run CN or CP in each of these eras. While I respect those who confine their activities to a specific time period, my will is weak - if it's a beautiful model, it can find a home here ; ) Cheers.
No.
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
Phoebe VetNo.
Don't be such a chatterbox!
LOL
I thought that was a complete answer. I don't stick to my chosen era or road name.
When my wife or grandchildren say "Can we get that?" I have a tendency to say "Oh, sure.".
Originally planned to be Erie, Lackawanna and Delaware and Hudson, the three railroads that served my home town when I was growing up, it now also has a PRR K-4 Pacific, an Amtrak F-40PH, Two Atlantic Coast Line GP-38s, New York City R-17 and R-22 subway trains, Thomas the Tank Engine, and Hogwart's Express.
So, as I stated, the answer is: "No, I don't".
John(UP 4-12-2) wrote...Quote: Not so sure that I would say "most"...>Since I like Sonoran Desert, and it extended much farther into Mexico, that's what I'm working on...there's just some unique plants I need to get.
...John
Hello... I see what you are referring to so allow me to rephrase my commment - IMHO, I believe the 'majority' of Model Railroaders who run on or operate a layout, are committed to or at least suggest a prototype railroad they are interested in. That doesn't necessarily suggest that that modeler couldn't run 'other' or roads or era of railroad equipment on his/her layout. I'd guess that a majority do it to some degree.
To the OP - There are also many modelers that free-lance a fictional road that has an entire history created around it giving it a reason of existance and a 'flavor' of its own. Some famous ones you may recall are the V&O, Ohio Southern and the Cat Mountain & Santa Fe. They never really existed but are still based on a prototype operation that influenced its creation.
This type of modeling does allow for a lot of latitude becuase you are not adhering to one set of operations, type of equipment, etc.
If you want to run or operate or just own - different road types, you don't have to create a fictional road to justify having or running them...if you like a particular model that doesn't fit in with the particular railroad you are chiefly following as a basis, then run it!
You can see by some of the other posts here, that you can almost justify any reason why, for instance - a PRR or NKP steam engine would be seen running on a modern, concrete tie UP mainline in the middle of the wildes of Wyoming,Texas or Utah - using my own layout and railroad favorites as an example.
The main thing is for you - to have fun and enjoy what you are doing - it doesn't really matter what anyone else is doing.
Good Luck to you on the Layout and have fun.
SpaceMouse Let me put it this way. I have a hobby budget. When I spend outside my era, it takes that much longer to get the stuff I need.
Let me put it this way. I have a hobby budget. When I spend outside my era, it takes that much longer to get the stuff I need.
Right on the money (pun intended). I have expanded my era slightly by one year to be able to use some other rolling stock and vehicles that I like. I will get some foreign road locos for transfer runs but they will be in the right era and limited.
Ricky
Kind of. I stuck to the same road, but the era has changed.
I originally was doing 1970-1980. Then I switched to 1975-1985. Now it's 1977-1987. The switches were from when I picked up a piece of rolling stock that fell out of the range. A coal hopper caused the first change, and an SSW FMC box and an LMX Dash 8-39B triggered the second one.
Vincent
Wants: 1. high-quality, sound equipped, SD40-2s, C636s, C30-7s, and F-units in BN. As for ones that don't cost an arm and a leg, that's out of the question....
2. An end to the limited-production and other crap that makes models harder to get and more expensive.
I absolutly positivly stick to my limitations of the Santa Fe in the Central Valley between 1946 and 1969 like a Post-It note on fabric. Probably half of my motive power never ran in the Valley, I have enough cars and engines for a full train from the yellowbonnet late 70's, and again for the mid or late 80's. Then there is the sampling DRGW standard guage power, and the early 60's Japanese equipment. I won't even mention the Colorado narrow guage, SN, IER, and 2 logging/mining roads. At least the PE stuff was disposed of years ago, and I have found a good home for the pile of eastern coal hoppers. At least the current purchases TRY to stick to the era.
Phil
Timber Head Eastern Railroad "THE Railroad Through the Sierras"
In HO I stick fairly close to my C&HV with some CR locomotives however,in N Scale I fear I have become a operating collector in my old age seeing I have C&HV,NS,CSX,Southern and Santa Fe.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
Oh, yes. I model the Milwaukee Road's Gap through eastern Washington circa October 1977. Over the years, I have researched and unearthed detail train reports, wheel reports, dispatcher logs, and other data that shows exactly what locomotives, cabooses, and freight cars were actually running on it during that month. For example, I have a detail train report for Oct-Dec. 1977 that's about two inches thick and from that, I compiled a list of all mechanical reefers that were operated in and out of Othello, Warden, McDonald, and Moses Lake, WA in October 1977. I divided the seperate number of MILW 9600, 9800, and 9900-series reefers along with the BNFE, UPFE, SPFE, SFRC, and ARMN reefers by 60 and that gives me a historically-correct representation of how many different MILW, BNFE, UPFE, etc., reefers I need to model.
Same thing for MILW boxcars, I simply take the number of a given class (data from a 1977 ORER) and divide that by 60 and round up, so to model the MILW 52000 series boxcars, there was 100 of them, divide 100 by 60, that gives me 1.666, round up and I get 2 cars to model. By doing that, you will see any given type of boxcar, grain hopper, etc. as often on the layout as about the same as if you were railfanning the MILW in 1977. In all fairness though, if there's a type of car that I really, really like, I'll probably model one or two extras. They may not always be on the layout together at the same time, but sometimes they might. That all said, this kind of historical research is as much fun for me to do as the actual model building, merging two interests! ;-)
-Ryan