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freelance modelers, what are you modeling?

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  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Wayne County Michigan
  • 678 posts
Posted by dale8chevyss on Wednesday, January 4, 2012 5:55 PM

Mine is simple; I lived in a rural area for 26 years and this year I moved to a suburban area and miss the country every day.  I plan to model around what I loved; watching trains sail past corn fields at 60 (approx) mph, with a simple town nearby. 

Modeling the N&W freelanced at the height of their steam era in HO.

 Daniel G.

  • Member since
    September 2011
  • From: chicago, Illinois
  • 683 posts
Posted by Mr. LMD on Wednesday, January 4, 2012 11:13 PM

@dale8chevyss 

do you have a name for your layout, just wondering?

Mr. LMD, Owner, founder

The Central Chicago & Illinois Railroad

  • Member since
    September 2011
  • From: chicago, Illinois
  • 683 posts
Posted by Mr. LMD on Saturday, January 28, 2012 3:24 PM

This is my finalize blueprints for my fictional railroad. There is one mountain and one cliff in the middle of the layout.

 

Mr. LMD, Owner, founder

The Central Chicago & Illinois Railroad

  • Member since
    November 2004
  • From: Cape Girardeau, MO
  • 3,073 posts
Posted by JimRCGMO on Saturday, January 28, 2012 7:29 PM

Well (frogs are shiverin' in their BVD's), I will freely admit to being corrupted/influenced by John Olson's Jerome & Southwestern layout, by Malcom Furlow's San Juan Central (though narrow gauge isn't my thing), and by a trip to the beauty that is the Southwestern U.S. (couple decades ago or so...), so my fictional RR is set in the Four Corners area, connecting between the D&RGW at Farmington (NM? Maybe...), and then down to connect to the ATSF in Holbrook (AZ, I think), and with another connection to Cortez (up in the pines and aspens of the Rockies, so must be CO), thus being named the CAW (Colorado, Arizona & Western). I'm working on a slogan that will involve a crow or raven (pun on the reporting marks...). Wink Oh yeah, and set in the 1950's (just because!), the steam to early diesels transition period.

Jim in Cape G.

  • Member since
    September 2011
  • From: chicago, Illinois
  • 683 posts
Posted by Mr. LMD on Wednesday, February 1, 2012 2:49 PM

My updated Cars (the ones on the left were delivered and opened today.

However, I am not finishing yet. I need a few more hoppers , some sleeper cars,  and a few more boxcars. I am also thinking about buying some caboose kits to make into shacks for my logging little town.

Mr. LMD, Owner, founder

The Central Chicago & Illinois Railroad

  • Member since
    September 2011
  • From: chicago, Illinois
  • 683 posts
Posted by Mr. LMD on Friday, February 3, 2012 3:58 PM

I just need to convert, if possible, my Atlas/Bachmann 0-6-0 saddle tank to DCC then I will be set for the time being.

Mr. LMD, Owner, founder

The Central Chicago & Illinois Railroad

  • Member since
    September 2011
  • From: chicago, Illinois
  • 683 posts
Posted by Mr. LMD on Monday, February 13, 2012 4:38 PM

Any narrow gauge railroad modelers?

Mr. LMD, Owner, founder

The Central Chicago & Illinois Railroad

  • Member since
    September 2011
  • From: chicago, Illinois
  • 683 posts
Posted by Mr. LMD on Sunday, December 9, 2012 7:35 AM

Hello fellow modelers,

Any updates on your layouts or did you attend any model railroad events lately? I attended the naptown and White River event Saturday and bought two Illinois related DVDs. I wanted to buy this great modeler who paint and decal his own locomotives 2-8-8-2, but didn't have enough money. I will tell you, it was a blast talking to him, if I could I would have pulled up a chair and talked to him for hours about model and real railroading. I am glad I am not the only one who hates Amtrak and how they just stick famous passenger train names onto their cold, no soul trains.

Mr. LMD, Owner, founder

The Central Chicago & Illinois Railroad

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • From: Omaha, NE
  • 10,621 posts
Posted by dehusman on Sunday, December 9, 2012 8:26 AM

Mr. LMD

This is my finalize blueprints for my fictional railroad. There is one mountain and one cliff in the middle of the layout.

 

 
I would strongly suggest you draw you plans to scale.  I am not sure whether you space is a table (island) or an around a room  space.  Either way there are multiple aspects that could cause the plan to be either, unbuildable, unoperable or incredibly frustrating to operate.
 
Not trying to be mean, just 40 years of model railroad experience seeing what works and what doesn't.
 
I would suggest if nothing else, buy a roll of brown paper and on a big piece draw a large chunk of your benchwork footprint.  Buy a switch or two of the brand you intend to use.  Scan or photocopy those switches and then use them to lay out how the tracks lay in fullscale.  Then you can put cars on a the plans and see how much you can fit.

Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com

  • Member since
    September 2011
  • From: chicago, Illinois
  • 683 posts
Posted by Mr. LMD on Sunday, December 9, 2012 8:47 AM

DEHUSMAN

I  do understand your advice and wisdom concerning the layout, but I have completely moved on from that design as I underestimated the size of my N scale inventory of locos and cars. I have recently completed a new design but since it was dampen in the rain while i was walking home from college, I had to make a copy since it's really hard reading a soaked blueprint. I have also have the mindset that even with my final design looking challenging and quite impossible to do, I have come under the idea that my layout will have enough space for the things in this final copy. It might look too tight and two challenging, but creativity is my strong point and I know I have enough room to build my layout. I will layout the main line track first then evaluate as I construct the layout.


nothing is impossible if you think outside of the box.

Mr. LMD, Owner, founder

The Central Chicago & Illinois Railroad

  • Member since
    January 2005
  • From: ARCH CITY
  • 1,769 posts
Posted by tomkat-13 on Sunday, December 9, 2012 9:12 AM

 I model a freelance bridge RR The Missouri & Arkansas Railway used by the CB&Q & MKT. The location is in Eastern Missouri. The line starts out at Old Monroe Mo. On the CB&Q next to the Cuivre River at MO. State Highway 79, then goes west to Hawk Point Mo. From Hawk Point the main line splits with one branch goes West to Mexico Mo To meet up with the Wabash / Norfolk & Western line. The other branch swings south along MO. State Highway 47 where it crosses the old Wabash / Norfolk & Western RR line near Warrenton Mo. This line continues south thru Missouri Wine Country to connect with MKT near Marthasville Mo. near State Highway 94. Since this is "My" railroad most places will have the "flavor" of this area but may not be perfect to the prototype.  Time is pre Burlington Northern (1970). The location & time frame gives me a lot of room of the type of motive power I can use plus pre-merger freight cars from so many different Railroads from all over the country. As with many railroads built in the 1800’s they never reached all the way as planned. So they never made it all the way to Arkansas.

  #1 This will be a point to point RR built on Hollow-core doors (about $24 ea) along two walls, so it will be in sections. 

#2 It's going to be less track, no large yards, no switch machines, open staging, & simple engine service area.

#3 Just a few small towns with one or two sidings.

#4 More open scenery between towns.

#5 Interchange with the Norfolk & Western on the West end, MKT on the South end & the CB&Q on the East end.

 

I model MKT & CB&Q in Missouri. A MUST SEE LINK: Great photographs from glassplate negatives of St Louis 1914-1917!!!! http://www.usgennet.org/usa/mo/county/stlouis/kempland/glassplate.htm Boeing Employee RR Club-St Louis http://www.berrc-stl.com/
  • Member since
    September 2011
  • From: chicago, Illinois
  • 683 posts
Posted by Mr. LMD on Sunday, December 9, 2012 9:19 AM

TOMKAT-13

I love the look and the history of your railroad. The detail in the buildings and along the tracks looks impressive and if you should expand your railroad, please do share. 

Mr. LMD, Owner, founder

The Central Chicago & Illinois Railroad

  • Member since
    June 2012
  • 2,297 posts
Posted by Burlington Northern #24 on Sunday, December 9, 2012 11:13 AM

my current and future layouts will be set in Washington, they will include the BN and it's forebearers as well as 2 fictional roads 

DuPrey rail lines- A small company that interchanges with BN and Coastal, that serves various small towns. it operates both private passenger trains and freight. a younger company that was started in the early 80's it had just enough to buy a couple hand me down locos and a new one(just gotta figure out what I want them to have) 

Coastal Railways- dates back to the 30's when diesels had just started, in the logo is a shark. they have  premier passenger trains which often times are painted to resemble the species of shark that they were named after. 

the layouts area will be between seattle and as far south as portland, it will go as far east as toppenish and the dalles. going west it will head to Aberdeen. Olympia and Centralia will be represented as a couple major terminals. My yet to be named BN hockey stick train will originate in Olympia head south, then east, then north, then west to seattle over the pass. then back down to Olympia (repeat). there will also be different eras represented on these layouts like (pre merger of the big 4, BN's heyday, and Pre merger 1990s, and post merger). the Joint base lewis mcchord will also be serviced as I have a USAF train as well.   

SP&S modeler, 1960's give or take a decade or two for some equipment.

 http://www.youtube.com/user/SGTDUPREY?feature=guide 

Gary DuPrey

N scale model railroader 

  • Member since
    July 2007
  • From: Pottstown PA
  • 1,039 posts
Posted by rdgk1se3019 on Sunday, December 9, 2012 12:08 PM

My freelanced railroad is called the Birdsboro & Reading Railroad.

The original idea for the RR started way back in 1992 when I lived in Florida and was a hardcore N scaler.

It would have been modern day railroading with historical equipment in used from a nearby museum.

The basis for the line would be the old Wilmington & Northern branch of the Reading Co. spun off from Conrail in April 1980.........older; used and abused motive power that Conrail wanted nothing to do with anymore would have been the first locomotives in use ; ie, U25B`s , GP7`s etc.

But...........

After I got back into HO scale in 2006 I started to tinker around with the idea of the B&R again.

This time set in October 1974......the very month and year I was born.

At this date there are two lines going in three directions out of the home base of Birdsboro, PA.

The old Wilmington & Northern from Birdsboro south to Wilmington, DE and the Pennsylvania Schuylkill division east to Phoenixville, PA and west to Reading, PA.

The Birdsboro & Reading Railroad started out by purchasing the northern half of the Wilmington & Northern branch from Birdsboro,PA south to Coatsville, PA around 1931.

Then as a condition of the Penn Central the PRR Schuylkill division from Phoenixville, PA west thru Birdsboro, PA and up to Reading, PA was acquired in 1968.

Then in 1971 after the Reading Co. and their continuing financial troubles sold the southern half of the Wilmington & Northern branch from Coatsville, PA toWilmington, DE to the Birdsboro & Reading Railroad thereby giving the B&R a tidewater terminal in Wilmington, DE.

Fast forward to October 1974........the B&R has a brisk business as a bridge line and as a carrier of frieght to and from customers on its own lines ie, steel, coal, gravel, lumber, propane, chemicals, iron ore, cement, and sand.

Motive power consits of GP30`s , SD45`s, SD40-2`s along with leased power from the Reading Co. in the form of MP15`s, GP40-2`s, F7`s, FA/B1`s, RS3`s.......along with a few pieces of Penn Central power.

Dennis Blank Jr.

CEO,COO,CFO,CMO,Bossman,Slavedriver,Engineer,Trackforeman,Grunt. Birdsboro & Reading Railroad

  • Member since
    September 2011
  • From: chicago, Illinois
  • 683 posts
Posted by Mr. LMD on Sunday, December 9, 2012 12:55 PM

BURLINGTON NORTHERN #24

Impressive history and function for your layout. I hope the interchange junction area is a great place for the people of your layout. I like the two diesels you posted on here. they are great looking and awesome. 

Mr. LMD, Owner, founder

The Central Chicago & Illinois Railroad

  • Member since
    September 2011
  • From: chicago, Illinois
  • 683 posts
Posted by Mr. LMD on Sunday, December 9, 2012 12:58 PM

RDGK1SE3019

I would love to see your layout and railroad play out in a video as you have an interesting and cool railroad that could probably be a great little or big line today. What is your logo for your railroad?

Mr. LMD, Owner, founder

The Central Chicago & Illinois Railroad

  • Member since
    June 2012
  • 2,297 posts
Posted by Burlington Northern #24 on Sunday, December 9, 2012 1:01 PM

Mr. LMD

BURLINGTON NORTHERN #24

Impressive history and function for your layout. I hope the interchange junction area is a great place for the people of your layout. I like the two diesels you posted on here. they are great looking and awesome. 

thanks, yeah the future layouts will be worked on in phases,  hopefully my entire fleet will be converted to DCC and MTL equipped by then.

SP&S modeler, 1960's give or take a decade or two for some equipment.

 http://www.youtube.com/user/SGTDUPREY?feature=guide 

Gary DuPrey

N scale model railroader 

  • Member since
    July 2007
  • From: Pottstown PA
  • 1,039 posts
Posted by rdgk1se3019 on Sunday, December 9, 2012 1:09 PM

Mr. LMD

RDGK1SE3019

I would love to see your layout and railroad play out in a video as you have an interesting and cool railroad that could probably be a great little or big line today. What is your logo for your railroad?

Here is a pic of the GP30`s

Dennis Blank Jr.

CEO,COO,CFO,CMO,Bossman,Slavedriver,Engineer,Trackforeman,Grunt. Birdsboro & Reading Railroad

  • Member since
    September 2011
  • From: chicago, Illinois
  • 683 posts
Posted by Mr. LMD on Sunday, December 9, 2012 1:51 PM

Burlington Northern #24

Mr. LMD

BURLINGTON NORTHERN #24

Impressive history and function for your layout. I hope the interchange junction area is a great place for the people of your layout. I like the two diesels you posted on here. they are great looking and awesome. 

thanks, yeah the future layouts will be worked on in phases,  hopefully my entire fleet will be converted to DCC and MTL equipped by then.

I have to get my fleet of steam and diesel equipped as well except for my bachmann locomotives.

Mr. LMD, Owner, founder

The Central Chicago & Illinois Railroad

  • Member since
    September 2011
  • From: chicago, Illinois
  • 683 posts
Posted by Mr. LMD on Sunday, December 9, 2012 1:52 PM

rdgk1se3019

Mr. LMD

RDGK1SE3019

I would love to see your layout and railroad play out in a video as you have an interesting and cool railroad that could probably be a great little or big line today. What is your logo for your railroad?

Here is a pic of the GP30`s

I love the detail and how they almost looks like lizards just sitting there.  Does your railroad or locomotives have a nickname?

Mr. LMD, Owner, founder

The Central Chicago & Illinois Railroad

  • Member since
    July 2007
  • From: Pottstown PA
  • 1,039 posts
Posted by rdgk1se3019 on Sunday, December 9, 2012 1:53 PM

Mr. LMD
I love the detail and how they almost looks like lizards just sitting there.  Does your railroad or locomotives have a nickname?

No.....not really.

Dennis Blank Jr.

CEO,COO,CFO,CMO,Bossman,Slavedriver,Engineer,Trackforeman,Grunt. Birdsboro & Reading Railroad

  • Member since
    September 2011
  • From: chicago, Illinois
  • 683 posts
Posted by Mr. LMD on Sunday, December 9, 2012 1:59 PM

rdgk1se3019

Mr. LMD
I love the detail and how they almost looks like lizards just sitting there.  Does your railroad or locomotives have a nickname?

No.....not really.

Either way you have an interesting and unique railroad.

Mr. LMD, Owner, founder

The Central Chicago & Illinois Railroad

  • Member since
    June 2012
  • 2,297 posts
Posted by Burlington Northern #24 on Sunday, December 9, 2012 2:54 PM

Mr. LMD

Burlington Northern #24

Mr. LMD

BURLINGTON NORTHERN #24

Impressive history and function for your layout. I hope the interchange junction area is a great place for the people of your layout. I like the two diesels you posted on here. they are great looking and awesome. 

thanks, yeah the future layouts will be worked on in phases,  hopefully my entire fleet will be converted to DCC and MTL equipped by then.

I have to get my fleet of steam and diesel equipped as well except for my bachmann locomotives.

yeah, I'm thinking of getting rid of my bachmann locos except for my lt mtn(spectrum), dash 8-40cw(spectrum) and my 4-8-4 northern. I'm also going to replace my Life like F40s and GP38-2, I should started with atlas or kato. but my unique BN passenger trains will be the first with MTL's.

SP&S modeler, 1960's give or take a decade or two for some equipment.

 http://www.youtube.com/user/SGTDUPREY?feature=guide 

Gary DuPrey

N scale model railroader 

  • Member since
    September 2011
  • From: chicago, Illinois
  • 683 posts
Posted by Mr. LMD on Sunday, December 9, 2012 6:35 PM

BURLINGTON NORTHERN #24 

The Bachmann locos I have are two 2-8-0s, a cnw 4-6-0, a conrail SD45, and a Rock island 4-8-4

Mr. LMD, Owner, founder

The Central Chicago & Illinois Railroad

  • Member since
    June 2012
  • 2,297 posts
Posted by Burlington Northern #24 on Monday, December 10, 2012 2:14 AM

Mr. LMD

BURLINGTON NORTHERN #24 

The Bachmann locos I have are two 2-8-0s, a cnw 4-6-0, a conrail SD45, and a Rock island 4-8-4

nice, I've got a pairt of u36B's and a pair of GP40s that I want to get rid of. though the B&O geep I'd like to replace with an atlas or kato B&O geep.

SP&S modeler, 1960's give or take a decade or two for some equipment.

 http://www.youtube.com/user/SGTDUPREY?feature=guide 

Gary DuPrey

N scale model railroader 

  • Member since
    September 2011
  • From: chicago, Illinois
  • 683 posts
Posted by Mr. LMD on Monday, December 10, 2012 3:25 AM

Burlington Northern #24

Mr. LMD

BURLINGTON NORTHERN #24 

The Bachmann locos I have are two 2-8-0s, a cnw 4-6-0, a conrail SD45, and a Rock island 4-8-4

nice, I've got a pairt of u36B's and a pair of GP40s that I want to get rid of. though the B&O geep I'd like to replace with an atlas or kato B&O geep.

I'm not a huge fan of the u boat loco series, they just not are interesting to me unlike the little switchers (NW2, mp15) that I love.  I like GP40s, GP15s, and GP20s because they are bigger locos then the switchers but can still pull and switch like a switcher. 

Mr. LMD, Owner, founder

The Central Chicago & Illinois Railroad

  • Member since
    June 2012
  • 2,297 posts
Posted by Burlington Northern #24 on Monday, December 10, 2012 12:40 PM

Mr. LMD

Burlington Northern #24

Mr. LMD

BURLINGTON NORTHERN #24 

The Bachmann locos I have are two 2-8-0s, a cnw 4-6-0, a conrail SD45, and a Rock island 4-8-4

nice, I've got a pairt of u36B's and a pair of GP40s that I want to get rid of. though the B&O geep I'd like to replace with an atlas or kato B&O geep.

I'm not a huge fan of the u boat loco series, they just not are interesting to me unlike the little switchers (NW2, mp15) that I love.  I like GP40s, GP15s, and GP20s because they are bigger locos then the switchers but can still pull and switch like a switcher. 

I honestly don't know what I was thinking when I bought them they seem a bit tall and a bit to toylike for me.

SP&S modeler, 1960's give or take a decade or two for some equipment.

 http://www.youtube.com/user/SGTDUPREY?feature=guide 

Gary DuPrey

N scale model railroader 

  • Member since
    September 2011
  • From: chicago, Illinois
  • 683 posts
Posted by Mr. LMD on Monday, December 10, 2012 1:21 PM

Burlington Northern #24

Mr. LMD

Burlington Northern #24

Mr. LMD

BURLINGTON NORTHERN #24 

The Bachmann locos I have are two 2-8-0s, a cnw 4-6-0, a conrail SD45, and a Rock island 4-8-4

nice, I've got a pairt of u36B's and a pair of GP40s that I want to get rid of. though the B&O geep I'd like to replace with an atlas or kato B&O geep.

I'm not a huge fan of the u boat loco series, they just not are interesting to me unlike the little switchers (NW2, mp15) that I love.  I like GP40s, GP15s, and GP20s because they are bigger locos then the switchers but can still pull and switch like a switcher. 

I honestly don't know what I was thinking when I bought them they seem a bit tall and a bit to toylike for me.

Selling them or swapping them would be a good idea so you can get rid of them in exchange for better locos

Mr. LMD, Owner, founder

The Central Chicago & Illinois Railroad

  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Colorful Colorado
  • 8,639 posts
Posted by Texas Zepher on Monday, December 10, 2012 1:35 PM

pastorbob
Actually my main layout is based on the Santa Fe in Oklahoma,..

However, at Cherokee Ok on the Enid Dist, there used to be a Santa Fe branch line running north south and connecting with Santa Fe  atCherokee.  That line was abandoned, but I resurrected it with a twist.  I made it a freelance struggling wheat hauling line connecting with Santa Fe.  The railroad is called the Oklahoma Northern,

  Hey you can model me on your layout!  When the ON passes the Great Salt Flats just south of Cherokee you can put me out there on the flats mining for selenite crystals.  I'll even wave to the loco.    The railroad separates the wild life area on the flats from the private property to the west.

  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Colorful Colorado
  • 8,639 posts
Posted by Texas Zepher on Monday, December 10, 2012 1:40 PM

Cederstrand
The two most unusual items include:  ....

A Soylent Green plant. Will probably end up on the HO layout.

Hmmm what is the car list for that industry.   Full passenger coaches in and reefers out?  Or is soylent green a dry product that could be put in flour hoppers?

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