My freelanced line is set in in 2005+, but is set up as if the railroads still have a ton of business. Coal is still king, and both long and short hauls are profitable, as trucking can’t keep up.
I model a fictional short line, that runs from the shore of Lake Erie in NY state south west into PA. (Most places there is not really trackage where I model it, or the places do not really exist at all.) My line interchanges with both NS, CSX, and two real shortlines. (Partnered with one.) It hosts both NS and CSX run through traffic, as well as a run through from both shortlines. My line also operates a road freight each way in addition to a local. There are various interchange points, with 2 locations for NS, one for CSX, 2 for the partner shortline and 2 for the other shortline.
The modeled portion includes a small yard, interchange with one of the two shortlines, a section of the main line, and a few online industries. (Frac sand transload location, a dimensional lumber distributor, and a warehouse with secure indoor and outdoor storage for offline industries.) I am unsure if another online industry will be modeled or not.
The motive power is a mix of NS, CSX, freelanced line power, and power from both real shortlines that interchange. The freelanced power is all second hand, save for one new ES44AC that was purchased at the same time as an order placed by NS, that was tacked on the end of NS production and was made to their same specs. (Painted as a heritage EL unit. It was subsidized by NS in exchange for use of the line for Coal and Intermodal unit trains.)
My line also owns a couple of MOW cars, as well as a couple of cabeese for both MOW use and for use as shoving platforms. No other freight cars are owned.
The line also has a very good PR dept that will use steam locomotives on fan specials, and hosts a weekend passenger special, and an occasional Amtrak special.
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.
3: Any objections, consult above rules.
My railroad is in 1954, and is in no specific area.
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I just buy and run what looks good to me. I am not trying to fit into the real world anywhere.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Saw this thread and how long ago everything was posted, so I thought I'd give revamping it a shot.
My railroad, the Delaware & Thunder Creek Railroad, was formed in 1881 to transport anthracite coal between the small fictitious town of Thunder Creek, Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Canal. Of course, it eventually grew to replace the canal and had a rather large influence in the Northeast (in my layout's timeline, lines like the Lackawanna and Lehigh Valley never got as big as they did). The management of the railroad was very smart, however, in the fact that they focused on expansion and diversification. So, when the anthracite industry in PA collapsed in the '50s, the D&TC kept on chugging (literally, because it didn't retire steam locomotives until 1964. You can tell which side of the battle I am on.) Though I model the mid '50s, I've outlined the railroads history to the modern day, where it is about the size of CSX and NS combined, and competes directly with UP and BNSF.
It's nice to see this thread active again.It would be even nicer if this could be the designated "Free Lance Thread" and stickied at the top of the forum.
I am modeling the period between 1968 to 1976, the years between Penn-Central and Conrial. An independant start-up line the Coal Belt Lines (CBL)has bought into the Lehigh Valley, CNJ, Pennsylvania line taking over much of the routes from Allentown, Pa. to Scranton and Wilkes Barre offering better services to non-coal hauling customers and better service to the mine owners at better rates. The line is financed by coal mine owners, industrialists and venture capalists and later IPO money. Much of the CBL early equipment, 2nd Generation diesels is purchased third hand, 'hand-me-down-get-rid-of-it' equipment. Most of the equipment comes from SP and ATSF with some from UP - therefore the colors - the yellow jacket scheme, black and yellow. CR and the CBL do a hand-off at the Allentown (south) through freight is exchanged in Wilkes-Barre (North) and Mount Carmel (West). The CBL out lasted the PC and owns much of the operating territory CR would have taken over if the industrialist and mine owners and investors had not stepped in to take over much of the defunct PC lines. # # #
Plywood Pacific stage; most of my modeling efforts have been focused on rolling stock. I will post some pics, but will probably take a couple of days w/ the Easter holiday (don't have the jogs on my tablet).
http://mprailway.blogspot.com
"The first transition era - wood to steel!"
MidlandPacificStandard gauge railroading in the Colorado Rockies in the days before the Archduke went to Sarajevo- what I think of as "the first transition era," roughly 1890-1913.
This sounds like a really interesting concept. And I agree with your thinking of the era as the first transition - it's a big part of why I picked 1907. Have you made any progress with your line? I'd love to see pictures or hear more.
Chris
Love that avatar, Angelo!
Standard gauge railroading in the Colorado Rockies in the days before the Archduke went to Sarajevo- what I think of as "the first transition era," roughly 1890-1913. Railroading went through a period of enormous change: systems were consolidated, air brakes and automatic couplers were mandated, train length and weight grew dramatically, and brought more innovations. Steel replaced wood, locomotive size grew and grew again, and over the course of those two decades, a Western trunk line could plausibly sport almost any kind of equipment. Imagine a better-capitalized Colorado Midland, begun about a decade earlier, embracing the D&SL route, completed to Salt Lake City and extended tbrought the Feather River to the Northern California coast, and you have my concept- the direct main line, tied to a regional system, that Denver never really had until the Moffat tunnel was completed.
Well, I finally have motive power for mine.
(My Model Railroad, My Rules)
These are the opinions of an under 35 , from the east end of, and modeling, the same section of the Wheeling and Lake Erie railway. As well as a freelanced road (Austinville and Dynamite City railroad).
I have numerous freelanced railroads. I'll list a few.
1.) Georgia, North Carolina, and Ohio Railway. Class II.
2.) Clintonia Boomerang (commuter train) "Clintonia is the name of the fictional city." It's also a flower.
3.) Sienna Star Lines "Black Star" a Class III short line of 9.5 miles.
None of them are made. But one day one of them would be. I hope.
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
I posted this in another similar thread but never in this one, so here's my story:
I've decided to model a network of freelanced narrow gauge shortlines set in the Four Corners region in 1907, in order to allow me to combine a number of prototype influences in a plausible way. None of these lines existed, but the fictional background I've been working on coming up with is largely rooted in historical fact.
It's pretty well known to fans of western rail history that when he started the Denver & Rio Grande, General Palmer's goal was to create a north-south transcontinental route linking Denver and Mexico City via El Paso. This, of course, never came to fruition. Setbacks, largely to do with a protracted battle with the Santa Fe system, resulted in the D&RG never making it south of its rival's namesake city. Nevertheless, some other southward routes from Utah into Arizona were considered and even surveyed. My San Pablo Valley RR picks up at that point where history left off.
General Palmer resigned as president of the D&RG in August 1883, but kept the same post at the Denver & Rio Grande Western Ry., the D&RG's sometimes-subsidiary, sometimes-enemy across the Utah border. What my line presupposes is that the general kept his eye to the south for a few years longer, looking for a way to build his dream line into Mexico.
Meanwhile, as the Rio Grande mainline from Denver to Ogden crossed the Utah desert in the early 1880s, miners and investors in the territory's southern La Sal and Abajo Mountains saw an opportunity to tap the mineral and lumber resources there and connect them to markets, primarily in the capital cities of Utah and Colorado. The D&RGW leadership became aware of these plans and provided significant assistance in financing the one they thought looked most promising. This was the beginning of the San Pablo Valley RR, linking the La Sals with the Rio Grande mainline at Whitehouse via the canyon of the Colorado River and the San Pablo Valley. (In actuality, the valley I've named San Pablo is called Spanish Valley, and is the location of Moab, UT). This was completed by Christmas 1883. Construction resumed in the spring of 1884 and the line was extended to Monticello by fall. About the same time, the Rio Grande sent crews into northern Arizona to survey routes and raise money to build north towards the new SPV. By the end of the year, the grandly-named Utah Arizona & Pacific was incorporated for this purpose, and construction began northwards from Esperanza, Arizona Territory, where a connection was made with a new AT&SF branch line.
In September 1885, the SPV and UA&P met near Blanding, UT. By this point, General Palmer's hopes for a line to Mexico had finally faded for good, but the two 3' gauge lines served as a viable north-south bridge route, linking the transcontinental lines of the D&RG/D&RGW and AT&SF. Several additional smaller lines were built in the years that followed, as mining boomed in the La Sal range. First was the Castle Valley & La Sal, linking the SPV mainline in the Colorado River canyon with the new city of Castleton and the mines of the northern La Sals, built in 1887. The next year, the Paradox & La Sal was built, connecting the SPV to Colorado's Paradox Valley. Several lumbering lines were also constructed in the mountains to supply the growing towns along the new railroads.
In these years, the railroads flourished. The SPV and UA&P even jointly operated an opulent pair of express passenger trains to include Pullman service - the northbound train named the Ute, and the southbound the Navajo. They also carried agricultural products, including significant annual livestock rushes, as well as the raw materials for which they were originally founded and the many products necessitated by the expanding population of the region.
In 1890, what originally appeared as a major windfall became an existential threat to the lines - the standard gauging of the Rio Grande mainline. Due to their close corporate relationship, it was first speculated that the SPV/UA&P system would also widen its gauge, but this was not to be. Rather, in order to assist in financing its transition, the Rio Grande sold most of its shares in the shortlines and left them to fend for themselves. As the only route of commerce into the region, they survived, but were never again as profitable now that it was necessary for bridge traffic to change gauges twice - once at each end.
The SPV would eventually gain a few miles of track with 4' 8-1/2" between the rails. With the continued success of mines in the region, a smelter was constructed on the outskirts of Moab in 1895, and its founders helped raise money to add a third rail between their facility and Whitehouse, so that processed materials could be loaded directly into standard gauge boxcars. Again, rumors flew that the entire railroad would be standard gauged, and again they proved false - only the line's northernmost 40 miles were converted to dual gauge, although the SPV did acquire one new standard gauge engine to serve it.
And that's roughly where October 1907 finds the railroads - the UA&P is currently emerging from receivership to the SPV, which is doing reasonably well. The CV&LS and P&LS are still profitable and keep their small rosters of second-hand engines in excellent condition. The Ute and Navajo continue to run, although less frequently and with shorter consists. The fall stock rush is in full swing. Over the next few decades, much will change, and by midway through the century, all these rails will be torn up and few will remember that narrow gauge trains ever even ran here. But for now, 3' gauge teakettles jacketed in Russia Iron proudly roam the mountains and desert of the American Southwest, and most people seem to think they always will.
And here are a few pics of said teakettles:
#16, 51, and 19
And #20, my newest addition. #16, 19, and 20 are all modified Blackstone C-19s (HOn3), while #51 is the aforementioned lone standard gauge engine, a modified Spectrum 4-4-0. As you can see, the dominant paint scheme on the SPV is a simple one, but most engines still wear Russia Iron boiler jackets and a good deal of well-polished brass, as any good turn-of-the-century steamer should.
My fictional shortline the Leelanau County Railway Company is set in 2015 + in Michigan's northwestern area. My railroad operates lines in Leelanau, Manistee, Benzie, and Grand Traverse Counties. It operates over branches of the Manistee & Northeastern Rwy, Empire & Southeastern RR (logging line shut down 1921), Ann Arbor RR, and Pere Marquette. Motive power is 3 ALCO RSC-2s, 3 EMD GP15-1s, !ALCO RS-2 and 1 EMD SW8. Steam engines are USRA 0-8-0, 4-6-0 with 52" drivers and russian decapod 2-10-0. Interchange is at Hatchs in Leelanau County with Michigan Northern Railway. Traffic on Leelanau County Rwy is inbound: lumber, feed, fertilizer, beer, cement, building materials, unprocessed scrap metal, plastic pellets, flour, sugar, corn syprup, propane, and blending wines. Outbound is wine, plastic fishing line, grain, baked goods. Colors of engines and cabooses are CB&Q chinese red with white lettering.
I have painted a GP60 Into my short line railroad. I'll post a photo tomorrow.
Nice to see this old thread rejuvenated. I last posted to it in 2011.
Since then, I have made a major change of plans. My eyes deteriorated and I tore up the N scale layout. Also going to take down the current HO layout and enlarge the benchwork to maximize room space. Keeping the loco roster very small while getting whichever steamers appeal to me most, regardless of Region (or even Country) of origin, etc... No more UP, AT&SF, or Southern Pacific. Going to name my own railroads and businesses. Yes, I have dove into the deep end of the freelance pool.
Cheers! Rob
Interesting. I been buying from an Ebay who sells undecorated HO and N locomotive shells from SD45Bs to Topeka GP7 and 9s. I bought two SD38-2s from him with plans of buying more, a SD45-2B, and SD40-2HH (High Hood) B unit. All of which are only $25 unless you buy them all lol
Mr. LMD, Owner, founder
The Central Chicago & Illinois Railroad
Somehow I ended up with more GP40-2 units then I needed. To make a GP40-2B or booster without buying one, based on an article sometime ago (I believe a year ago) in RMC on a NS GP40-2B unit I modified one of my engines. (Same idea will work on any locomotive) was using thin plastic fill in the windows, take off the dynamic brake hood use a non-dynamic brake hood in its place, take off turbo-charger replace so it's also blank. Now, depending on how ambious you are, you can take off the three fan towers on the rear-end (cut out and replace with a blank) or as I did just left them with the idea the fans are used for cooling the booster unit. Real simple. And an eye catcher when spliced in the middle of two power units. # # #
I purchased an undecorated SD40-2 High Hood B-Unit for my two KATO SD40-2 locomotives to pull in service instead of using another cab unit which I'm sure drive some railroad execs. crazy.
Any pictures in the upcoming future?
Well there is an update from me. I painted up a gp35 in my passenger scheme. Plus, the AVDC has now been placed under ownership of the Wheeling and Lake erie. But it will still remain a seperate road. They have also shown interest in purchasing a former conrail Jordan spreader for snow plow service.
I'm bacccckkkkk,
A quick update I have purchased 2 SD38-2 locmotive shells that I always wanted finally turning the SD38-2 roster spot from black to red. I also purchased a SD40-2 high Hood with plans on buying another to operate on my layout. I'm still looking for the High Hood CNW Alco Locomotives.
Awesome looks and updates.
Happy to say for my layout, the CC&I is currently on hold as a friend and myself are looking to buy land that will allow us to model the entire USA under one roof. However, the CC&I did receive a GP7 and GP9, both of which will undergo DCC converting, repainting, and renumbering so the GP7 matches the fictional history I made for it.
ManOWar
I say go with the FP7 because it looks so cool and would fit your passenger train consist perfectly :D
The coach is the "Wanderer", doubles as a general commuter coach, and part of the business train for the Austinville and Dynamite city when need be. The "Mountain" is the Presidential business car, used only by the president of the railroad and his guests. I still need to buy a letter sheet in yellow to put the railroad's name on the cars.
Yes I have a paint scheme and logo. I tried to post a picture - but it does not seem to be working. Logo is a WW over top a larger V inside an inverted Triangle. Cars are D&H Blue with Bright Yellow logos - Cabooses are the opposite.