Hi, Vic,
Since buildings change over time a lot more slowly than rolling stock, it would be simple to maintain two different sets of rolling stock, and have operating sessions for different eras, as suggested by others above. But if it bugs you to see '50s rolling stock passing by modern-day industries, having a layout that can easily change its time period cues could be a fun modeling project, too.
Suggestion: Buy two copies of key structure kits, detail them differently, and affix them to the layout via a base that the building can be slipped onto and off of. For instance, detail a small downtown storefront block (such as Walthers' Merchants Row II) with a corner malt shop, a TV-repair shop, and a record store -- businesses that set a '50s/'60s period mood. Then kitbash the other version of the kit to modernize the storefronts, and give it signs for a Starbucks, a cell-phone store, and a FedEx/Kinko's -- definitely modern brands. Swap the buildings between operating sessions, and your operators will have no problem telling which era they're operating that night. Likewise, build two versions of a depot, one open for business, the other boarded up and derelict (or maybe restored as a museum, excursion-train headquarters, or antique shop). Rooftop and roadside billboards can be mounted on pins and swapped out, too, as can vehicles. Have fun with it!
--Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editorsotte@kalmbach.com
IDEA #1
Separate operating sessions on same layout- some days run 1980s equipment, some days turn the clock back to 1950 or whatever. Make structures and scenery fit either era, possibloy with very minor revisions such as Amtrak signs etc. I recall seeing General Motors travel show of progress that had a model scene where various elements of the scene flipped over to show how they changed from 1890s to 1950s. Yes, there would be some time spent changing from one era to another-- but that could make it more special.
IDEA #2
Excursion and museum trains are frequently mentioned. But what about the executive business train. Santa Fe had one, using sleepers, diners, lounge, observations and a special "theater inspection observation car" as thoroughly documented in Passenger Train Equipment 1870-1975 of the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Vol. 2 Business and Special Purpose Cars by Frank M. Ellington & Joe W. Shine. 1975, Railcar Press I & II, Colfax, Iowa. 177 p. (This HUGE book, 19" x 12" horizontal format, opens up to more than a yard wide.
Your Burlington Zephyrs wojuld be gone, but there was a Burlington Northern official train. (I think the BNSF official train still runs.) and UP has a directors' train or such. Those can all be run alongside modern Amtrak and freights and TOFC/ COFC.
Note that the operation of a directors' train, though it looks like a passenger train, would be somewhat different from a scheduled revenue passenger train, AND from a museum/excursion train.
IDEA #3
I model 1950s, with passenger mixed streamline and heavyweight. But I plan to run an occasional movie train, recreating the appearance of a train assembled to tell a story-- the soldier leaving for or returning from the war in the 1940s, the gamblers meeting in their Pullman drawing room during a Prohibition era gangster story, the small town girl going to the big city in 1911.
Again, this would be different kind of operation from all of the above. For motion picture purposes, it would be necessary to have a train run through a particular scene where the location fits or has been "set-dressed" for the era. Have to be when nthere is not a modern train passing in the bg. Movie train would probably make on run-past or arrivial or departure, then back up to repeat for another take. Entirely different operation from a regular scheduled passenger train.
Happy railroading.
Flying switch56 So, how do I incorporate these trains [classic passenger trains] into my layout?
So, how do I incorporate these trains [classic passenger trains] into my layout?
1) Run classic and modern together, and apply the golden rule (he who pays the gold makes the rules)
2) Swap eras occationally, and only run 1950s trains in one session, only modern in another
3) Run "railfan excursion trains" occationally
Smile,Stein
There is nothing wrong with your idea of a dual-era or even triple-era layout. I was always a late Transition Era guy, but one day I was at my LHS and I caught a serious case of steam. Since then, I've enhanced my steam roster and bought mostly steam-era rolling stock to go with those engines.
When buying or building structures, stick with older-looking brick and wood. You will find many buildings from the early 1900s still around today, but there were no steel-and-glass buildings back then. Trucks and automobiles are like railroad cars, so have a set for each era and swap them out. With a bit of planning, you can make a few buildings easily replaceable, too.
Most of us are limited by space. Having a dual-era layout lets us have twice as many trains.
While it's nice to have all your trains on your layout at once, you might also consider some hidden staging. This would allow you to run a number of "once-through" passenger trains without the usual need for large passenger terminals and the like.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Flying switch56 My operating interest lies with western roads (Santa Fe, Burlington Northern, Union Pacific and the occasional visiting road) between 1980 -2000. My rolling stock consists of cars appropriate to those time frames, as well as my engine roster (SD40-2s, GP50s, SD45s, 40-8CWs, SD70MACs, etc). When I feel like switching time frames I simply swap out certain cars and engines and I'm good to go. Now, I have nothing against earlier diesels or even steam (I'm tempted to take the steam plunge...but that's another story). My dilemma revolves around the fact that I absolutely love classic passenger trains. I still have fond memories of riding the Santa Fe Super Chief, the Mopac Scenic Limited and the Texas Zephyr in my youth. Over the years I've collected many passenger trains from various roads; many of them with as accurate a consist as possible, and a few fantasy trains of my own design. So does any else have this problem? If so, how do you deal with it? I'd love to have a second layout specifically designed to run early passenger equipment, but that's simply not an option. Vic
My operating interest lies with western roads (Santa Fe, Burlington Northern, Union Pacific and the occasional visiting road) between 1980 -2000. My rolling stock consists of cars appropriate to those time frames, as well as my engine roster (SD40-2s, GP50s, SD45s, 40-8CWs, SD70MACs, etc). When I feel like switching time frames I simply swap out certain cars and engines and I'm good to go. Now, I have nothing against earlier diesels or even steam (I'm tempted to take the steam plunge...but that's another story).
My dilemma revolves around the fact that I absolutely love classic passenger trains. I still have fond memories of riding the Santa Fe Super Chief, the Mopac Scenic Limited and the Texas Zephyr in my youth. Over the years I've collected many passenger trains from various roads; many of them with as accurate a consist as possible, and a few fantasy trains of my own design.
So does any else have this problem? If so, how do you deal with it? I'd love to have a second layout specifically designed to run early passenger equipment, but that's simply not an option.
Vic
Vic,
I wouldn't call this dilemma a "problem". It is more of a challenge if anything.
I share your dilemma. I love the colorful passenger trains of the mid-20th century (let's say from the late 1930's to the mid-1950's) pulled by locomotives like the F3, F7 and E8, but I also like more modern freight locomotives from the 1970's and 1980's like the SD40-2, SD50, and Dash 8-40.
I am planning a new layout that centers around Dearborn Station in Chicago in the early 1950's. I plan to run a number of passenger trains in and out of the station. To accomodate modern freight operations at the same time, my layout design will incorporate a hidden loop around the station and a separate mainline track running around the perimter of the main layout which will feature the passenger trains. That way, there are essentially two track plans on one layout. The fact that visitors will see two time periods at one time doesn't bother me in the least because it is all fantasy anyhow. Besides, the two time periods will not share the same tracks, so I have no "problem" with that aspect of the layout.
I think that is the key. Keep the the two time periods separate on the same layout if you have the space. I supposed the other way around this dilemma would be to run the two different time periods on two different levels, but I chose the way that I just described.
Alton Junction
Hello fellow modelers. I have a dilemma that you may consider a "no-brainer" to answer.
A little background first. I've finally finished rebuilding my home after it was devastated by flooding two years in a row. Since I will be building my layout in a different room than originally intended, I came up with a new plan which, IMHO, works better than the old one.
OK, enough with my sob story...
So, how do I incorporate these trains into my layout? I have three strings of Amtrak trains that work perfectly with the time frames I've chosen to model (and Amtrak trains are beautiful in their own right). I'm not exactly a rivet counter when it comes to my models, but I just can't get past the anachronistic sight of running a Burlington Zephyr, Phoebe Snow, or Rock Island Golden State with relatively modern day equipment.
Like I indicated earlier, this may seem like a silly dilemma, but any and all opinions and suggestions are welcome.
Modelling the span between the real and the N-sane...