georgev Having said that, would I freelance again? No, because of the work involved to build a significant number amount of rolling stock. It's a lot more time consuming to paint and letter cars and locos than I thought it would be.
Having said that, would I freelance again? No, because of the work involved to build a significant number amount of rolling stock. It's a lot more time consuming to paint and letter cars and locos than I thought it would be.
Going prototypical won't necessarily eliminate the need to letter equipment. If you don't want to letter equipment you have to pick a location, era and railroad that has a lot of options.
I have a prototypically based layout and I have to letter almost all my equipment (I actually have build most of them too). Why? Because the loction, era and railroad aren't supported with any depth by manufacturers. I picked the era specifically for the challenge, because it was unusual and would require me to do research. I like doing research, searching for information and clues. Industrial archeology. I like building and lettering cars so it wasn't a barrier.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
Mine is a free-lanced coal and mixed freight hauler in the Appalachian area set in the late 1940's-early 1950's. The only thing that really sets the date are the vehicles and build dates on the side of the freight cars. I
Why freelanced? So I could build a stable of rolling stock based on generic steam locos and other rolling stock that were available for a price I could afford back when I started this particular railroad almost 30 years ago. Back then, a specific prototype was only available in brass other than maybe Bowser PRR loco kits which at the time were out of my price range.
George V.
NP2626 Jumijo Freelancers...feh. Huh?
Jumijo Freelancers...feh.
Freelancers...feh.
Huh?
Internet slang for "yuck".
Alton Junction
NP 2626 "Northern Pacific, really terrific"
Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association: http://www.nprha.org/
I'm modeling the B&O's 987th and a half sub division as it was at 5:07 AM on June 30, 1953.
Modeling the Baltimore waterfront in HO scale
NP2626 I model the Northern Pacific, in the transition. My location is Butte Montana. However the track plan and scenery are completely free lanced. This is because when I started out in 1988 I had no interest in prototype modeling. Modeling the N.P. came gradually to me at about 5 years into the project. Luckily, I used John Armstrong's "Track Planing for Realistic Operation" as my bible when designing the layout . Also, I am heavily into freight, whereas the real N.P. Butte Short Line was almost exclusively passenger traffic. So my layout uses staging in the middle of a basic oval. East staging is Logan Junction and West staging is Garrison Junction. Butte was a major mining town, Gold very early, silver later and finally Copper and other minerals. I have interchanges with the Great Northern and the Butte Anaconda and Pacific. As is sometimes the case, I am considering starting over as there are portions of the layout which I feel just don't work very well. We shall see. In a couple weeks I will be retiring. we'll see what tickles my fancy then.
I model the Northern Pacific, in the transition. My location is Butte Montana. However the track plan and scenery are completely free lanced. This is because when I started out in 1988 I had no interest in prototype modeling. Modeling the N.P. came gradually to me at about 5 years into the project. Luckily, I used John Armstrong's "Track Planing for Realistic Operation" as my bible when designing the layout . Also, I am heavily into freight, whereas the real N.P. Butte Short Line was almost exclusively passenger traffic. So my layout uses staging in the middle of a basic oval. East staging is Logan Junction and West staging is Garrison Junction. Butte was a major mining town, Gold very early, silver later and finally Copper and other minerals. I have interchanges with the Great Northern and the Butte Anaconda and Pacific.
As is sometimes the case, I am considering starting over as there are portions of the layout which I feel just don't work very well. We shall see. In a couple weeks I will be retiring. we'll see what tickles my fancy then.
Very detailed and interesting. i was thinking of protolancing, but it would have been impossible to do since my railroad is a combination of almost all of Illinois defunct railroads, SP/D&RGW, and a few others.
Mr. LMD, Owner, founder
The Central Chicago & Illinois Railroad
rdgk1se3019 Mr. LMDBut since this idea might cost over $100 million, I would probably buy land or the ghost town of Evans, Illinois, build a Grand Scale model railroad, i think, with a full functioning mini train yard and stations and industries. wht unused land would probably be sold for real estate. Do a google or bing search for "Train Mountain".
Mr. LMDBut since this idea might cost over $100 million, I would probably buy land or the ghost town of Evans, Illinois, build a Grand Scale model railroad, i think, with a full functioning mini train yard and stations and industries. wht unused land would probably be sold for real estate.
Do a google or bing search for "Train Mountain".
I will but i cannot promise there will be one exact correct result lol
Dennis Blank Jr.
CEO,COO,CFO,CMO,Bossman,Slavedriver,Engineer,Trackforeman,Grunt. Birdsboro & Reading Railroad
Burlington Northern #24 nah, they'll be blue. might end up with a rainbow fleet train.
nah, they'll be blue. might end up with a rainbow fleet train.
Cool. Keeping it basic and fun
rdgk1se3019 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.
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.
The PC Schuylkill Secondary used to run loads of auto frames stacked on flatcars (back when cars had a frame) out of the Dana Corp. in Reading. They would be rocking back and forth like mad on the ratty track. Phoenix Steel was still going and served by both the PC and RDG. The original Georgetown Loop high bridge was made by Phoenix Steel, as well as pieces of the Golden Gate Bridge towers. The RDG cut down USRA gons into low sided flat cars to ship the bridge pieces. Those cars were subsequently known as "Golden Gate" cars.
I had a couple really freelance N scale layouts, then started a freelance Lenape RR (pronounced le-NAH-pee) roughly sorta based on the W&N branch back in Jr. High. We used to go to Lenape Park (pronounced len-a-PEE) when I was a kid and I would occasionally see a RDG train running along the Brandywine River. In High School I joined the Schuylkill Valley Model Railroad Club in Phoenixville. For the next 4 years I modeled the PRR, PC and the SVRR of the club.
The SVRR paint scheme was based on the SOU paint scheme. This being back in the 1970's we used dry transfers for lettering and striping was all straight, you had to curve it yourself. That's where I learned from hard experience the challenges of complicated script slogans and trying to get complicated patterns around the curved noses of F units. Ick. Things are waaaay better now. After graduating college I did a little MP and a little PC, then went towards the LV. I went back to N scale with some modules, then some HO modular and a brief fling with HOn3.
As I learned more about the LV I realized that it really didn't have what I wanted. So I changed to the RDG and eventually modeled a freelanced branch of the RDG based on the Cattasagua and Fogelsville Branch. I named it a combination of Catta-sagua and Consho-hocken, the Cattahocken Branch. Mostly serving interchange with the LV and CNJ and the steel industry. A move killed that railroad. Lesson learned : never chose a railroad name that sounds like a cat coughing up a furball
After several subsequent moves I settled on the RDG W&N branch in the 1948-1952 era. I built a 12x23 layout. Gradually I decided to do something different and was drawn to the 1900 era. I had always admired the work of Irv Shultz and Rev. Gerry McGee. I actually go to run on two of Rev. McGee's wonderful layouts. About 3 years ago I redesigned the layout, back dating it to the 1900-1906 era (just after the P&R took control of the W&N RR, but before the Safety Appliance Act took effect). The old layout was ripped out , stripped to the bare benchwork and completely rebuilt with handlaid code 70 rail. I have been acquiring engines (0-6-0, 2-8-0, 4-4-0, 4-6-0) and cars. They are a mix of Roundhouse kits, wood kits, resin kits, homemade resin kits or cars kitbashed with plastic shells and resin underframes. 3/4 of the cars are ones I have painted and lettered with era appropriate decals.
If you ever need any info on the W&N Branch, holler.
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
Burlington Northern #24 Mr. LMD Burlington Northern #24 it was going to be grey or blue depending upon which species of shark the train's named after like, The Mako the train would be dark blue on the upper parts and fade as it goes down the sides of the locomotive. great paint scheme. what will the letting be? lettering? it may be the same as the one on the idea sheet, I may add the passenger cars in to interchange with the BN's forebearers when I run that time period.
Mr. LMD Burlington Northern #24 it was going to be grey or blue depending upon which species of shark the train's named after like, The Mako the train would be dark blue on the upper parts and fade as it goes down the sides of the locomotive. great paint scheme. what will the letting be?
Burlington Northern #24 it was going to be grey or blue depending upon which species of shark the train's named after like, The Mako the train would be dark blue on the upper parts and fade as it goes down the sides of the locomotive.
it was going to be grey or blue depending upon which species of shark the train's named after like, The Mako the train would be dark blue on the upper parts and fade as it goes down the sides of the locomotive.
great paint scheme. what will the letting be?
Cool. Are they going to blue or green?
BURLINGTON NORTHERN #24
Your paint scheme shouldnt cost a lot to do if you keep the base color simple and nothing complex.
Mr. LMD Burlington Northern #24 Mr. LMD vsmith Mr. LMD Burlington Northern #24need to figure out what. I love it personally. I would love to see shark teeth on the front of the locos as they speed along the tracks to their destinations. The slogan needs to be in a new font and the color is fine as long as it's not against the same color background. other than that, I love the Coastal railways. Of course those teeth would have to be on some Baldwin Sharknoses now wouldnt it? Clever dear sir. Now if baldwin had shark jaws decal on their sharknoses, i would probably buy a few, but they didnt. again, very clever with that pun lol why would the ones that I will buy for coastal not come with shark jaws, it's around in the perfect era. you guys are genius' I really do like the idea and picturing the locos racing along the rails with their sharkteeth showing and thank you.
Burlington Northern #24 Mr. LMD vsmith Mr. LMD Burlington Northern #24need to figure out what. I love it personally. I would love to see shark teeth on the front of the locos as they speed along the tracks to their destinations. The slogan needs to be in a new font and the color is fine as long as it's not against the same color background. other than that, I love the Coastal railways. Of course those teeth would have to be on some Baldwin Sharknoses now wouldnt it? Clever dear sir. Now if baldwin had shark jaws decal on their sharknoses, i would probably buy a few, but they didnt. again, very clever with that pun lol why would the ones that I will buy for coastal not come with shark jaws, it's around in the perfect era. you guys are genius'
Mr. LMD vsmith Mr. LMD Burlington Northern #24need to figure out what. I love it personally. I would love to see shark teeth on the front of the locos as they speed along the tracks to their destinations. The slogan needs to be in a new font and the color is fine as long as it's not against the same color background. other than that, I love the Coastal railways. Of course those teeth would have to be on some Baldwin Sharknoses now wouldnt it? Clever dear sir. Now if baldwin had shark jaws decal on their sharknoses, i would probably buy a few, but they didnt. again, very clever with that pun lol
vsmith Mr. LMD Burlington Northern #24need to figure out what. I love it personally. I would love to see shark teeth on the front of the locos as they speed along the tracks to their destinations. The slogan needs to be in a new font and the color is fine as long as it's not against the same color background. other than that, I love the Coastal railways. Of course those teeth would have to be on some Baldwin Sharknoses now wouldnt it?
Mr. LMD Burlington Northern #24need to figure out what. I love it personally. I would love to see shark teeth on the front of the locos as they speed along the tracks to their destinations. The slogan needs to be in a new font and the color is fine as long as it's not against the same color background. other than that, I love the Coastal railways.
Burlington Northern #24need to figure out what.
I love it personally. I would love to see shark teeth on the front of the locos as they speed along the tracks to their destinations. The slogan needs to be in a new font and the color is fine as long as it's not against the same color background. other than that, I love the Coastal railways.
Of course those teeth would have to be on some Baldwin Sharknoses now wouldnt it?
Clever dear sir. Now if baldwin had shark jaws decal on their sharknoses, i would probably buy a few, but they didnt. again, very clever with that pun lol
I really do like the idea and picturing the locos racing along the rails with their sharkteeth showing and thank you.
In the Charlton Heston film of the same name, "Soylent Green" is a cracker like product. The cover story given to the publis is that it is made from soy protein and lentil flour. So boxcars would be loaded for outbound movements unless they use intermodal...
"I Often Dream of Trains"-From the Album of the Same Name by Robyn Hitchcock
Burlington Northern #24 dehusman The slogan is too long and the typeface is too hard to read. Its a train, its supposed to be moving, If it takes more than a couple seconds to read its not a good slogan. Most railroad slogans are 2-4 words. (Building America, Everywhere west, Mainline of Mid America, etc). You have to see if the shark emblem will conflict with portholes and vents on the F units. that is the more modern scheme F's will carry a far different one, I've split this road into different logo eras. building america is UP's everywhere west is CB&Q's and the last one belongs to IC, because I am in a rather sour mood I will not continue because it will land me in trouble. thanks Mr. LMD
dehusman The slogan is too long and the typeface is too hard to read. Its a train, its supposed to be moving, If it takes more than a couple seconds to read its not a good slogan. Most railroad slogans are 2-4 words. (Building America, Everywhere west, Mainline of Mid America, etc). You have to see if the shark emblem will conflict with portholes and vents on the F units.
The slogan is too long and the typeface is too hard to read. Its a train, its supposed to be moving, If it takes more than a couple seconds to read its not a good slogan. Most railroad slogans are 2-4 words. (Building America, Everywhere west, Mainline of Mid America, etc).
You have to see if the shark emblem will conflict with portholes and vents on the F units.
thanks Mr. LMD
You are very welcome and I enjoy reading your comments about your railroad and the creativity into it.
Have fun with your trains
dehusman Mr. LMD I would probably invest and buy either the IC or Rock Island back, make sure I have railroad minded people help run the railroad, allow branchline and a few class I railroads to share trackage. You can't buy the IC because its owned by the CN. And they would want waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more than $100M for it. You can't buy the "Rock Island" because the major main lines are owned by various class one railroads. You might be able to buy a piece of it, some secondary route or branch line. I would buy back either RR famous train name depending on which one I use and make sure Amtrak have no access to my tracks. Sorry, Amtrak can negoiate for whatever route it wants. Federal law. If you buy a crappy piece of the Rock they probably would never be interested, but you can't really keep them from gaining access if they really want it. I would buy Evans, Illinois land since it's a ghost town and invest buying a reasonable modern train yard and the rest I would invest into profitable companies like Caterpillar, Apple, etc. By the time you get done trying to do even half of what you have proposed you will be lucky to have enough money left to buy an Apple, let alone invest in the company. 8-)
Mr. LMD I would probably invest and buy either the IC or Rock Island back, make sure I have railroad minded people help run the railroad, allow branchline and a few class I railroads to share trackage.
I would probably invest and buy either the IC or Rock Island back, make sure I have railroad minded people help run the railroad, allow branchline and a few class I railroads to share trackage.
You can't buy the IC because its owned by the CN. And they would want waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more than $100M for it.
You can't buy the "Rock Island" because the major main lines are owned by various class one railroads. You might be able to buy a piece of it, some secondary route or branch line.
I would buy back either RR famous train name depending on which one I use and make sure Amtrak have no access to my tracks.
Sorry, Amtrak can negoiate for whatever route it wants. Federal law. If you buy a crappy piece of the Rock they probably would never be interested, but you can't really keep them from gaining access if they really want it.
I would buy Evans, Illinois land since it's a ghost town and invest buying a reasonable modern train yard and the rest I would invest into profitable companies like Caterpillar, Apple, etc.
I know, it's called imagination and please sir READ the question before trying to bash people because I did say if you could buy ANY railroad. I'm really starting to think you are just trying to troll me. And the funny thing about amtrak is it might be a public or private railroad, but my company would be a private company and If i have to go to court to keep amtrak away from my line, then so be it. Law or no law.
Flying switch56 I don't think you understand the purpose of a real railroad. It's a business like any other and depends on revenue to survive. Even if you were able to buy a stretch of rail for the purpose of running an excursion train you'd still need to provide points of interest and unique service to entice people to buy tickets. On the other hand, if you were to buy it just for your own interest - a 1=1 scale layout say - the cost of maintenance would eat up all your money in no time. I say spend your money elsewhere. Edit: I see you edited your post before I replied.
I don't think you understand the purpose of a real railroad. It's a business like any other and depends on revenue to survive. Even if you were able to buy a stretch of rail for the purpose of running an excursion train you'd still need to provide points of interest and unique service to entice people to buy tickets.
On the other hand, if you were to buy it just for your own interest - a 1=1 scale layout say - the cost of maintenance would eat up all your money in no time.
I say spend your money elsewhere.
Edit: I see you edited your post before I replied.
That's fine with me. I'm sorry for editing it so soon.
I see many smaller railroads being sold for less than $1 million and I know the IC or Rock are huge railroads, but I would probably take up the Rock old trackage, improve any rail that needs fixing, propose a share trackage rights with Metra since they bought the Rock rails anyways because it will for one bring in extra revenue for Metra as well allow the railroad to enter Chicago.
I wouldn't go out and buy buy buy locomotives to be the biggest, I would probably share trackages with smaller railroad carrier and even allow the KCS run on the tracks to chicago.
But since this idea might cost over $100 million, I would probably buy land or the ghost town of Evans, Illinois, build a Grand Scale model railroad, i think, with a full functioning mini train yard and stations and industries. wht unused land would probably be sold for real estate.
Vic
Modelling the span between the real and the N-sane...
dehusman Mr. LMD If you were given $100,000,000 and you had a choice of buying a fallen railroad from one of the Class Is-IIIs, what would you do? Invest in something else. There is a reason the "fallen flags" fell. The stuff that is really worth something belongs to Class 1 railroads. The stuff that caused them to fall are short lines or up for sale.
Mr. LMD If you were given $100,000,000 and you had a choice of buying a fallen railroad from one of the Class Is-IIIs, what would you do?
If you were given $100,000,000 and you had a choice of buying a fallen railroad from one of the Class Is-IIIs, what would you do?
I would probably invest and buy either the IC or Rock Island back, make sure I have railroad minded people help run the railroad, allow branchline and a few class I railroads to share trackage. I would buy back either RR famous train name depending on which one I use and make sure Amtrak have no access to my tracks. I would buy Evans, Illinois land since it's a ghost town and invest buying a reasonable modern train yard and the rest I would invest into profitable companies like Caterpillar, Apple, etc.