freelance modelers, what are you modeling?

[dehusman]

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.

[Mr. LMD]

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]

Any narrow gauge railroad modelers?

[Mr. LMD]

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]

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.

[JimRCGMO]

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...). Oh yeah, and set in the 1950's (just because!), the steam to early diesels transition period.

Jim in Cape G.

[Mr. LMD]

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

 

[Mr. LMD]

@dale8chevyss 

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

[dale8chevyss]

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. 

[Mr. LMD]

Mike in Kingsville

Mine is a "what if". In the mid 1800's an early steel mill existed on the banks of the Gunpowder River in Maryland's Baltimore County called The Joppa Iron Works. It operated for a while then shut down. The B&O runs nearby and Baltimore is about 13 miles away, giving me the chance for urban modeling and a steel mill. I entered the Joppa Iron Works post on Wikipedia since I lived in the area for 10 years and found slag from the furnace operations on my property occasionally. My web site has a general history at http://rail.habersack.com/?page_id=18

Since defunct things can continue on a "what if", the Northern Central Railroad operates nearby. Here are a few pics for you:

The approach to "B" Furnace. Furnace "A" is in the front silvered mirror...

Northern Central still up and running:

The plant's first box cab diesel:

Another shot of the box cab:

The mill at night:

~Mike~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In your first photo is that a 70-ton or MP15? Too bad they do not make boxcar locos for N scale :)

amazing pictures tho :)

[Mike in Kingsville]

Mine is a "what if". In the mid 1800's an early steel mill existed on the banks of the Gunpowder River in Maryland's Baltimore County called The Joppa Iron Works. It operated for a while then shut down. The B&O runs nearby and Baltimore is about 13 miles away, giving me the chance for urban modeling and a steel mill. I entered the Joppa Iron Works post on Wikipedia since I lived in the area for 10 years and found slag from the furnace operations on my property occasionally. My web site has a general history at http://rail.habersack.com/?page_id=18

Since defunct things can continue on a "what if", the Northern Central Railroad operates nearby. Here are a few pics for you:

The approach to "B" Furnace. Furnace "A" is in the front silvered mirror...

Northern Central still up and running:

The plant's first box cab diesel:

Another shot of the box cab:

The mill at night:

~Mike~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mr. LMD]

caballorr

 My ho scale /1/64 scale  layout is set in fictional county of Hazzard Range county in southwest NM long the Rio Grande . The county seat is Sparta witch is one side of the layout. with a small farm on the other . I mostly prototype freelance modeling having  my layout set in  2009 -? time frame .I just run a single loop and one  siding so the history  I wrote below is for the whole railroad I just model a 10 by 8 part .
                    This is history of Fictional Inter county railway or ICR. The ICR can trace it's roots back to 1888 when a short line was build from the town of Sparta NM to Phillipsburg NM 90 miles away from Sparta the railway was called the Sparta Creekdale and Phillipsburg Railroad. or S.C &.P RR. The S.C &.P RR served the mining towns of Phillipsburg and Creekdale NM . Ore .passengers and freight were hauled from Pillipsburg and Creekdale to Railroad interchange with Atchison ,Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad in Sparta . The S.C & P RR thrived from 1888 to about 1921 when a road was built from Sparta to Phillipsburg and three other ones from other county's so Phillipsburg was not so append on the S.C &.P RR. The S.C &.P RR took a further blow when in when the great depression hit .By 1960 the S.C &.P RR had hit the end of the line . the mines closed and the last train pulled into Sparta on June sixth 1960 the S.C &.P RR was abandoned.

In the 1985 the Atchison ,Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad sold it shops and yard in Sparta to a company called Desert land development. which in 1990 sold it to Mr Thomas Falls a wealthy businessman form Albuquerque NM . He saw a need for a railroad to serve the counties of Chickasaw Hazzard Range & Sweet water . With Atchison ,Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad just passing through the counties and not serving them . With in two years of working with the Atchison ,Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad the local,state and federal government . Mr Falls got tracks rights Finance backing and equipment on DEC 1 1992 ICR ran its first train. Ten year later the ICR was on the brink of bankruptcy that when Mr Falls step down as president of the ICR Mr Mark Paso took the over . When its Parent company White out Industries bought ICR IN 2004 it has did a 360 Since then . Aside from picking up and dropping rail cars from tri counties business then Interchanging them with BNSF .They rebuild and restore locomotives , freight and passengers cars . As most other railroads in this economic times in US it has felt it too, but being crafty ICR has stayed in the black and without laying off no one . Mr Paso took a 40 % pay cut as long with other three in management the ICR has stayed in the game . With ICR being in all most 20 years of business it is working on starting passenger serves and reopening the line to Phillipsburg. ICR future looks bright  

       You can see photos on my flickr page http://www.flickr.com/photos/icr140/sets/72157627398297952/

 

That seems like one amazing bio for your layout.

[gabeusmc]

Look at mine

MINRail

Northern Branches

Lakeforest Spur

 

     Minnesota Rail’s, or MINRail, is a newly formed short line in Mid Minnesota. After BNSF abandon its line in 2010 from Mann Lake to Cripple Creek it isolated two small short lines, The Grain Belt (GBRR) and the Lakeforest Central (LC). These two short lines banded with the Mann Lake Southern (MLS) and bought the branch line and continue to operate it. MINRail interchanges with the BNSF in Mann Lake and Cold Springs (southern terminus of the Mann lake Southern)and the CN in Ashton.

     The Northern Branches were two small short line railroads that were owned by the grain elevators that they served. The Lakeforest Central ran from Lakeforest where it served a grain elevator and a fertilizer dealer. It ran to Cripple Creek to interchange with BNSF. Then the Grain Belt that ran from Cripple Creek to Lewiston to Wexford. When these two railroads merged with the MLS they were labeled the northern branches, the Grain Belt the Wexford spur and the Lakeforest Central the Lakeforest spur.

     Like the Wexford spur, the Lakeforest spur started as a Northern Pacific and Great Northern Railroad branch lines. There was a small interchange yard in Lakeforest. When the two railroads merged in the 70’s to form the Burlington Northern, the Great Northern’s branch was dropped due to the redundancy of the line. Part of the Great Northern branch was kept in Lakeforest in order to serve the grain elevator in town. In 1987 a fertilizer company was built in Lakeforest and in 1990 the branch line was abandoned past Lakeforest. When the Santa Fe railroad and Burlington Northern merged in 1995 they abandoned the branch (the same fate came to the Wexford branch). The next year the Grain elevator rented a locomotive and the abandoned branch and operated the line for the harvest season. It returned the locomotive in December 1996. They continued this operation until 2000

     Then in 2001 the Fertilizer Company, CENEX, wanted to have rail service to their company. They, in agreement with the grain elevator, created a small short line to serve their companies.  They leased a GP-15 locomotive from EMD leasing in fall 2001. They had as needed service, usually running a train twice a week till harvest season when the train ran 5 times a week. At one time there was a building supply company that the line served, but they stopped receiving by rail after the housing bubble burst. The Lakeforest Central merged with Mann Lake Southern and the Grain Belt in 2010 and bought a soon to be abandoned BNSF branch line.

      The Lakeforest spur and Wexford spur, as MINRail labeled them, were in great disrepair when they merged. Over grown tracks characterized most of the two lines. In fall of 2011 MINRail spent some money revitalizing the two lines. A fill over Cripple creek was rebuilt, a switch in Lakeforest was replaced and some of the connecting track in Cripple Creek was rebuilt because it was in such disrepair.

     Operations on the lines are done on demand. A train usually runs from Mann Lake to the interchange with the CN in Ashton, Minnesota, just south of Cripple Creek. In the winter, spring and early summer months a train travels up to Lakeforest, Cripple Creek or the Wexford spur, one to three times a week. During the harvest season, late summer and fall, trains traverse up the line anywhere from three to six times a week. Speeds on these lines are usually about 10 miles per hour due to the poor track, but the company does not have that much money to spend on locomotive repairs and maintain more used track let alone these two lightly used Branches.

      The future is up for these lines, and for that matter MINRail. The railroad is attracting new customers, and with the high demand for corn and wheat (which comprise 80% of traffic) this short line railroad ought to be around for a long time

[Mr. LMD]

caballorr

 My ho scale /1/64 scale  layout is set in fictional county of Hazzard Range county in southwest NM long the Rio Grande . The county seat is Sparta witch is one side of the layout. with a small farm on the other . I mostly prototype freelance modeling having  my layout set in  2009 -? time frame .I just run a single loop and one  siding so the history  I wrote below is for the whole railroad I just model a 10 by 8 part .
                    This is history of Fictional Inter county railway or ICR. The ICR can trace it's roots back to 1888 when a short line was build from the town of Sparta NM to Phillipsburg NM 90 miles away from Sparta the railway was called the Sparta Creekdale and Phillipsburg Railroad. or S.C &.P RR. The S.C &.P RR served the mining towns of Phillipsburg and Creekdale NM . Ore .passengers and freight were hauled from Pillipsburg and Creekdale to Railroad interchange with Atchison ,Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad in Sparta . The S.C & P RR thrived from 1888 to about 1921 when a road was built from Sparta to Phillipsburg and three other ones from other county's so Phillipsburg was not so append on the S.C &.P RR. The S.C &.P RR took a further blow when in when the great depression hit .By 1960 the S.C &.P RR had hit the end of the line . the mines closed and the last train pulled into Sparta on June sixth 1960 the S.C &.P RR was abandoned.

In the 1985 the Atchison ,Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad sold it shops and yard in Sparta to a company called Desert land development. which in 1990 sold it to Mr Thomas Falls a wealthy businessman form Albuquerque NM . He saw a need for a railroad to serve the counties of Chickasaw Hazzard Range & Sweet water . With Atchison ,Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad just passing through the counties and not serving them . With in two years of working with the Atchison ,Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad the local,state and federal government . Mr Falls got tracks rights Finance backing and equipment on DEC 1 1992 ICR ran its first train. Ten year later the ICR was on the brink of bankruptcy that when Mr Falls step down as president of the ICR Mr Mark Paso took the over . When its Parent company White out Industries bought ICR IN 2004 it has did a 360 Since then . Aside from picking up and dropping rail cars from tri counties business then Interchanging them with BNSF .They rebuild and restore locomotives , freight and passengers cars . As most other railroads in this economic times in US it has felt it too, but being crafty ICR has stayed in the black and without laying off no one . Mr Paso took a 40 % pay cut as long with other three in management the ICR has stayed in the game . With ICR being in all most 20 years of business it is working on starting passenger serves and reopening the line to Phillipsburg. ICR future looks bright  

       You can see photos on my flickr page http://www.flickr.com/photos/icr140/sets/72157627398297952/

 

That seems like one amazing bio for your layout.

[caballorr]

 My ho scale /1/64 scale  layout is set in fictional county of Hazzard Range county in southwest NM long the Rio Grande . The county seat is Sparta witch is one side of the layout. with a small farm on the other . I mostly prototype freelance modeling having  my layout set in  2009 -? time frame .I just run a single loop and one  siding so the history  I wrote below is for the whole railroad I just model a 10 by 8 part .
                    This is history of Fictional Inter county railway or ICR. The ICR can trace it's roots back to 1888 when a short line was build from the town of Sparta NM to Phillipsburg NM 90 miles away from Sparta the railway was called the Sparta Creekdale and Phillipsburg Railroad. or S.C &.P RR. The S.C &.P RR served the mining towns of Phillipsburg and Creekdale NM . Ore .passengers and freight were hauled from Pillipsburg and Creekdale to Railroad interchange with Atchison ,Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad in Sparta . The S.C & P RR thrived from 1888 to about 1921 when a road was built from Sparta to Phillipsburg and three other ones from other county's so Phillipsburg was not so append on the S.C &.P RR. The S.C &.P RR took a further blow when in when the great depression hit .By 1960 the S.C &.P RR had hit the end of the line . the mines closed and the last train pulled into Sparta on June sixth 1960 the S.C &.P RR was abandoned.

In the 1985 the Atchison ,Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad sold it shops and yard in Sparta to a company called Desert land development. which in 1990 sold it to Mr Thomas Falls a wealthy businessman form Albuquerque NM . He saw a need for a railroad to serve the counties of Chickasaw Hazzard Range & Sweet water . With Atchison ,Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad just passing through the counties and not serving them . With in two years of working with the Atchison ,Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad the local,state and federal government . Mr Falls got tracks rights Finance backing and equipment on DEC 1 1992 ICR ran its first train. Ten year later the ICR was on the brink of bankruptcy that when Mr Falls step down as president of the ICR Mr Mark Paso took the over . When its Parent company White out Industries bought ICR IN 2004 it has did a 360 Since then . Aside from picking up and dropping rail cars from tri counties business then Interchanging them with BNSF .They rebuild and restore locomotives , freight and passengers cars . As most other railroads in this economic times in US it has felt it too, but being crafty ICR has stayed in the black and without laying off no one . Mr Paso took a 40 % pay cut as long with other three in management the ICR has stayed in the game . With ICR being in all most 20 years of business it is working on starting passenger serves and reopening the line to Phillipsburg. ICR future looks bright  

       You can see photos on my flickr page http://www.flickr.com/photos/icr140/sets/72157627398297952/

[Texas Zepher]

Aikidomaster

I am in to prototype freelance modeling. I am using the N&W in 1957 as the prototype and West Virginia, and North Carolina as the area, .... I am roughly modeling the Pocahontas Division of N&W that ran from Bluefield, WV to Williamson, WV.

Ah are you calling it something like the route of the "rocket boys".  One of my favorite scenes from the movie is when they were ripping up the rails and heard a train whistle.

[Mr. LMD]

Aikidomaster

I am in to prototype freelance modeling. I am using the N&W in 1957 as the prototype and West Virginia, and North Carolina as the area, I also have a few Southern FT's and a MS4 mike just for good measure. I am roughly modeling the Pocahontas Division of N&W that ran from Bluefield, WV to Williamson, WV. However, the Southern crossed the N&W in Lynchburg, VA, so that is part of my influence. Also, the Southern Railway ran The Tennessian on N&W tracks pulled by N&W class J's.

I model in HO scale and have a 20 foot x 30 foot area for my layout. I love superdetailed models such as Fine Scale Miniatures by George Sellios. His buildings are not exactly West Virginia, but they look great which is another reason to freelance. I am scratchbuilding several N&W stations.

Good Luck

 

I hope it turns out great

[Aikidomaster]

I am in to prototype freelance modeling. I am using the N&W in 1957 as the prototype and West Virginia, and North Carolina as the area, I also have a few Southern FT's and a MS4 mike just for good measure. I am roughly modeling the Pocahontas Division of N&W that ran from Bluefield, WV to Williamson, WV. However, the Southern crossed the N&W in Lynchburg, VA, so that is part of my influence. Also, the Southern Railway ran The Tennessian on N&W tracks pulled by N&W class J's.

I model in HO scale and have a 20 foot x 30 foot area for my layout. I love superdetailed models such as Fine Scale Miniatures by George Sellios. His buildings are not exactly West Virginia, but they look great which is another reason to freelance. I am scratchbuilding several N&W stations.

Good Luck

[Mr. LMD]

This is my inventory as of today. I have more coming since they didnt come in for christmas.

[ChadLRyan]

Can't wait to see it , please post pix!!!! 

'Diamond Jim' does some pretty nice work.. 

Show us some "In Progress" shots of what you are workin on!!!   Please!

Back to the Thread Title:
-Although I am more quazi prototype, I guess you could call this (An April Fools 2011 JOKE) the Freelance forecast of  'Signs of things to come!!!'

 

[Mr. LMD]

gabeusmc

I found A dam, not the one I was looking for but thats ok. http://mrr.trains.com/Videos/User%20Videos/2011/09/Modeling%20an%20HO%20scale%20dam.aspx

i will be making mine better muahaha :)

[Mr. LMD]

gabeusmc

I found A dam, not the one I was looking for but thats ok. http://mrr.trains.com/Videos/User%20Videos/2011/09/Modeling%20an%20HO%20scale%20dam.aspx

i will be making mine better muahaha :)

[Cederstrand]

That dam is mighty fine. Would love to see the finished results. Thanks for posting the link.

[gabeusmc]

I found A dam, not the one I was looking for but thats ok. http://mrr.trains.com/Videos/User%20Videos/2011/09/Modeling%20an%20HO%20scale%20dam.aspx

[Texas Zepher]

pastorbob

 My Santa Fe in Oklahoma follows the Okla Div and the Enid district with all the grain elevators in 1989.....  However, I removed the old ATSF Orient line that ran from central Olahoma into Cherokee OK and in its place sold the track and assets to the "Oklahoma Northern" railroad.  Now I have the best of both worlds..

Is there any reason you stopped in Cherokee and didn't take it all the way to the mainline connection in Kiowa Kansas?  Or was that the Enid Branch that I am thinking of?  Kiowa - Cherokee - Jet - a few others - Enid.

[Mr. LMD]

Kristensen

Hi!

I am from Sweden and i love the american railroads. I´m trying to model the us i the 50´ 60´ and the 70´ and maby a little from the 80` The scale i´m modeling in is n scale.

N scale is the great way to go. I hope you have a small amount of steam because is still king.

[Kristensen]

Hi!

I am from Sweden and i love the american railroads. I´m trying to model the us i the 50´ 60´ and the 70´ and maby a little from the 80` The scale i´m modeling in is n scale.

[gabeusmc]

Cederstrand

***Mr LMD, a Dam would be one heck of grand feature on any layout. Do you know of anyone who has tackled such a project?

Cheers! Rob

I belive there was a super-narrow gauge layout called" A Dam fine layout" or "train" or somthing like that. I think I saw a video on youtube about it.

[HarryHotspur]

VSmith -

That's terrific, imo!

[Mr. LMD]

gabeusmc

 

Mr. LMD:

 

 

gabeusmc:

I'm modeling modern minnesota.

The line hauls Grain, Grain, fertlizer, Grain, this and that, and grain.

weeds hold the rails down.

Quote from the CEO "Railroads have their own Paint schemes?"

A train with 4 or more cars is rare(at least on my northern branches)

From, Gabe

CEO of MINRail( or Minnesota Rail Corp, aplogies to Tom Johnson)

 

 

 

Any high demands for grains? :)

 

 

Well actually on the unmodeled part of MINRail, there is a Ethonal plant. Also there is some law thingy (not that I think its a good idea) that a large percentage of corn has to be used for Ethonal prouduction.

Anyways I love grain elevators and covered hoppers

 

I order some undecorated covered hoppers for my logging camp to collect sawdust.