Do you stick to your modeling era and road name?

[YoHo1975]

As a quick comment to the OP, you know Doyle McCormack has a habit of repainting that 4449 every so often and at one time that included white wall tires. So, you have two options. You can either simply claim that in your world, it still has white walls...OR wait a little bit, because some day, it will probably have them again.

[shayfan84325]

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.

[tomikawaTT]

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)

[cudaken]

  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.  

[Heritagefleet1]

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

[PASMITH]

I try to model prototype SP on the Klamath Falls Branch during the early 1900's. I say try because, it is no secret that it is impossible ( At least for me) to do this accurately. For example, I do not know with any certainty what SP locomotives were assigned to that branch during what period of time. SP purchased the tracks for that branch in 1905 from the Weed Lumber Company in a secret agreement under the name California & Northeastern. Sometime between then and about 1909 SP stopped using that name. Further, the old Weed locomotives were also purchased but, it is not exactly clear when they were sold, re-lettered or changed from wood to coal. It is also not clear during that period, when some of the SP 4-8-0's used on this branch modified their air piping and number boards. I could go on about the freight and passenger equipment particularly with regard to SP's 4 wheel cabooses. Based on my research and photographs, I seem to be limited to modeling the time period between 1905 and 1909 to get it right as things on the SP were changing rapidly. This led me to consider what I call "time sharing" and once tried to have my thoughts on this subject published. The theory is that if you have scenery and industries that can span a certain era, you can realistically run different era trains on your layout but perhaps not at the same time. Actually though, you could run these trains at the same time under certain assumptions. For example: Tony Koester observed that " mixing eras is insidiously easy..." and"...the catch is that anachronisms and plausibility can't exist side by side" I agree but Tony Koester and Allen McClelland had been sharing their 'hot shot" train number 261 across their model railroads which are separated by 500 prototype miles and twenty years of model time. ( See Time Machine Railroading", GREAT MODEL RAILROADS, 1995). Maybe such sharing does not have to be separated by 500 miles but simply by a stagging yard? But more likely, It's best to just forget all these philosophical issues and just have fun doing it your way Peter Smith, Memphis

[barrok]

 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

[Hamltnblue]

 I go with what I like.  I regularly run SD70's and AC6000's along with my steamers. 

[last mountain & eastern hogger]

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

 

    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.................

[HaroldA]

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.

[UP 4-12-2]

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

[wjstix]

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. 

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.

[steemtrayn]

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.

[vsmith]

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.

[E-L man tom]

That's me too. Although I am presently modeling a free-lanced switching layout in the 1970's, I am an Erie Lackawanna fan and a Chessie fan too. Since the 1970's brought us the early years of Conrail and many of the "foreign" road's motive power (even cabooses) onto the tracks of these roads. Therefore it would not be unsusal back then to see a Pennsy SD-9 or a WM GP-9 in a consist with the home road's motive power. I do have some (but not many) locos outside of the EL and Chessie and I will run them on occasion. The switching layout, however, allows for no multiple lash-ups of power. Six axle power is also not very practical although I do run a six axle locomotive now and again. All of this power (and the many pieces of rolling stock) that I've collected over the years will eventually go onto a larger layout. The main thing is what suits you, not someone else. It's your railroad!

[Mr B & O]

Yes, although I have shifted the era recently.

 I am modeling Sand Patch Grade on the B&O.  This allows B&O and (through trackage rights) WM equipment.  Originally, I started out with a fairly broad range from post-WWII to Chessie.  Over time, as I matured as a modeler and B&O fan, I narrowed it down to ca. 1955, but I was unhappy with the selection and running properties of B&O steam; also, I've always been interested in freight car development in the early sixties.  So, I finally bit the bullet and shifted eras to the 1957 to 1964 time frame.  That may seem an odd choice of years, but was carefully chosen based on what was happening on the B&O at the time.  I am not necessarily religious about things though--for example, B&O began to renumber diesels from two- and three-digit numbers to four digits in January, 1957 (some had been delivered in four digits starting mid-1956).  This took until June, 1957 or so to complete.  Many of the HO Scale models of B&O diesels come numbered in three digits, so I use the time-lag in completing the renumbering as an excuse to leave these models as three digit numbers.

Greg

[odave]

In keeping with the "model railroad as theater" metaphor, my layout can either be "in character" or "out of character".

When an "official" operating session is underway, I consider my layout to be "in character", so the motive power and rolling stock present on it are constrained to the nominal era and road names.

If I'm just in the train room playing around, the layout is "out of character" and anything goes. It doesn't have to be a representation of anything in particular in that state.

So I don't feel compelled to justify or explain purchases that are outside of my layout's era and setting.  The oddballs are in my collection for the fun of it.

[Eric97123]

It is your railroad, model it how you want... that was the advice I was given when I started..  I am doing a more modern period and I am a CSX fan so I try to stick to with their engines but I did by an UP B23-7 engine last week as well.  And seeing how 40 year old GP-38/ -7 are still in service or fairly retired I can mix them in with newer stuff  but if I clash, I am not going to sweat it.  I am not to picky about the rail road name of my rolling stock and I this was recently confirmed when I got a chance to see several UP trains go rolling by and they had a great mix of cars from railroads all over the country.  I also look at rail fan photo sights and have seen photos of UP/BNSF/NFS trains in CSX yards or mixed in pulling cars, so as I go forward with buying new engines I will be mixing it up but trying to keep CSX engines in the majority.

[Driline]

ATLANTIC CENTRAL

And I don't drink, don't smoke and only have one wild woman. I may not "be fun" but I'm having lots of fun.

My kids are grown, I'm self employed, my time is completely in my control. My house and cars are paid for and life is good.

Sheldon

 

Sheldon.....I gotta say.....You don't look too happy. 

[galaxy]

I "protolance" the B&O and all it's incarnates-that is B&O, C&O, Chessie System, CSX. {Or the B&O and all successors or the CSX and all predecessors}

I loved the real life Chessie Systems I watched roll by the crossing near my house as a teen in the 70's, and I also love B&O, C&O steam.

But I get bored with only a 1-5 year span or an "era" on my layout. SO I can model steam turn of the last century or can model diesels turn of this century by changing out locos. cars, and a building or two. Many buildings {around here including wood RR depots built in the 1860s-1870s} still stand and operate as various business or stations for short lines.

I also fell in L-O-V-E with some of the PRR steamers at the RR Museum Of PA in Strasburg and so I allow PRR "trackage rights" over my B&O/C&O lines on ocassion. It turns out I found out for real that in certain areas B&O DID allow PRR "trackage rights'" to get into certain areas. so I'm not far off the mark to real life RRing.

So I can have various types of fun on my pike as I see fit, or feel like running.

But that's jsut me and my

The name of the game of a hobby is to have fun! so do so anyway you like!

[richhotrain]

Since my layout is an exact replica of the Anything Goes Railroad, I don't have to deal with this issue.

I like it, I buy it.

Rich

[mobilman44]

Hi!

For literally decades, my railroad was the Santa Fe from the 1940s thru 1957.  I later extended that to 1959 as there were some models that I just had to have that were from 58-59.

About 10 years ago, the first affordable with quality (to me) models of the IC E units came out, and I added the IC so I could run the "trains of my youth" around the layout - under the premise they had trackage rights with the ATSF.   My description is "I major in the ATSF, with a minor in the IC".

And yes, I am very strict that all locos/cars and autos/structures did exist during my somewhat extended time period.

Hey, it works for me!

Mobilman44

[ATLANTIC CENTRAL]

jwhitten

ATLANTIC CENTRAL

 

I've never sold off one "toy" to buy the next "toy". I don't get bored, I'm not ADHD or ADD.

 

 

 Blech. You're just no fun at all, are ya?

 

 

(Just kidding )

 

John

And I don't drink, don't smoke and only have one wild woman. I may not "be fun" but I'm having lots of fun.

My kids are grown, I'm self employed, my time is completely in my control. My house and cars are paid for and life is good.

Sheldon

[jwhitten]

ATLANTIC CENTRAL

 

I've never sold off one "toy" to buy the next "toy". I don't get bored, I'm not ADHD or ADD.

 

 

 Blech. You're just no fun at all, are ya?

 

 

(Just kidding )

 

John

[jwhitten]

Santa Fe all the way!

Crandell can you hear that........its the sound of all the rivot counters wincing...

 

In perfect four-part harmony...

 

John

[MisterBeasley]

I was being pretty good about being in the Late Transition Era with my main line being the Milwaukee.  I have a couple of off-road switchers in the yard, which I tell myself I'll either repaint someday or make up some plausible story about.  More recently, I've even swapped out my totally-wrong Athearn Milwaukee cabeese (I mean, a Santa Fe model in silver?) for bay window models.

But, one day at my LHS I saw and heard a Proto 0-6-0 steamer, and I had to have it.  Again, a re-badging is on the to-do list, but the steam bug hit me at the same time as I was getting hooked on sound.

So, now I have a dual-era layout, when I "get religion" and actually go through the effort of swapping out the engines, rolling stock and automobiles.  I like this option, because it gives me the chance to run either diesel or steam, to have a lot of different rolling stock, and to fill my streets with either pre-war cars or those from my childhood.

[slsf1]

I began by modeling the Frisco in the 1978 - 1980 time frame, and my layout was loosely based on the Carthage, MO branch.  At first I stuck strictly to this.  Problem is that I also have always had a love affair with the Katy and the Rock Island (especially in western Kansas & eastern Colorado).  As time has passed I have also begun to collect some Katy and Rock Island items.  I still stay with the 1978 - 1980 time frame.  My layout is small so I can change all the motive power and cabooses (cabeese?) easily.  Depending on my mood today it may be a Frisco layout and tomorrow a Rock Island layout.  It works for me, and as long as I'm enjoying myself I guess that's the whole point.  Enjoy!

[rogerhensley]

I was at 1985-1990. I have since moved back to 1969-70. I have sold off all of the rolling stock and locos that didn't fit and am now concentrated in the older era with just a little fudging. :-)

[tstage]

Yes, I do - New York Central, mid-'40s, steam/early diesel.  And it makes decision-making about purchases much easier than if I didn't stick to one road name.  I think it also helps me to remain more focussed in what I'm trying to accomplish on my layout.

Tom

[ATLANTIC CENTRAL]

I'm building a large layout that requires a large fleet of equipment. I stay completely within my era and scope.

The very few items I have that are outside my era or layout theme were gifts or purchased before this theme was adopted. That was 25 years ago. I have over 120 locos, 90 passenger cars and about 700 freight cars. Those few items that are outside the layout theme can be counted on my fingers.

I don't, collect, resell, or invest in model trains. I buy them as part of the needed equipment to build and operate the layout.

I buy VERY LITTLE used, in fact "used" items generally have to be "new in the box but previously owned" for me to be interested in most cases.

In 40 years in this hobby, I have never changed scales, sold off any signifcant amount previously purchased stuff, or bought anything with the intention for it to sit in a display case.

I don't own a UP Big Boy, Gas Turbine, FEF or Challenger, PRR anything, N&W Class J, SP GS4, NYC Hudson, or any locos who's prototypes were built after 1954.  

But, to be fair, I don't behave that way with anything. I don't buy things I don't really want, I keep and take care of the things I spend my money on, I think before I buy 99.9% of the time.

I've never sold off one "toy" to buy the next "toy". I don't get bored, I'm not ADHD or ADD.

Sheldon