We can probably agree on which themes or eras are well represented. in the hobby.. the 1950s, Techachapi Loop etc..but what prototype themes/models/eras are under represented or completely absent (and why)? I will start with commuter operations.. I don't see many modellers who make them central to their layouts.. Industrial type switching also seems to be under represented.
SP&S for N scale I'd love some F's though I got pictures of a retired SP&S F3.
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
Trolleys and interurbans, I am actually surprised that with the rich traction heritage in Milwaukee that Kalmbach hasn't (yet) added a car line to the MR&T. At least the MR&T could interchange with the electric at E. Troy...
Randy
Gorre & Daphited. Honestly. I grew up thumbing my way through my father copy of Westcott's book and admired Allen's spirit which is sadly missing today.
On the other hand, I really love the early days of real railways and would love to model Ontario's Great Western Railway of the 1850s. Sadly, that isn't going to happen.
Two seasons in my Canada, Modelling and Paintball.
Ulrich Industrial type switching also seems to be under represented.
While ISLs are gaining popularity,single industry layouts like veneer mills,steel mills,auto plants,coke plants and other like switching layouts do seem under represented.
IMHO I suspect that's because of the limited car types and limited operation.
As I have mention before I have thought of a veneer mill layout with 2 or 3 mills power would be a 0-6-0T and 40' boxcars.Of course a more modern veneer mill could use a GE 44,45 or 70 Tonner or even a EMD or Alco switcher with 50' boxcars,bulkhead flats and centerbeams.
IMHO we have not even seen the tip of the iceberg in single industry layouts that would offer up a pleasurable 1-2 hours of operation.
Boring? Not really just think of the detailing that could be done.
Of course that would mean one would need to break free of the standard thoughts on layouts.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
The dawn of railroading, the 1830's. Bachmann has had a few passenger train sets and MR had a layout plan in the July 1976 issue. But I haven't seen a layout that anyone has done.
Enjoy
Paul
The Pennsylvania Anthracite coal fields in the 1895-1920 era - camelback country.
Modeling it not only requires a bit of eccentricity, but also a total lack of any concept of steam locomotive design as an art form!
Jim
Camelbacks rule, diesels droo!l
In general? Anything that is not PRR or UP, or modeled before the 50s . Those two lines and the 50s (& newer) get modeled much more frequently; some understandably.
Part of it is what's available and what is popular. When you've got multiple runs of Baldwin Centipedes, Gas Turbines, F7s, and Big Boys being built and snatched up, that's what is going to be modeled. Manufacturers are most concerned about what is going to sell and what they won't get stuck with taking a loss on.
More specifically? Small steam and diesel switchers and S-scale anything are under appreciated.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
mr ulrich, back in the 50,s,60,s,70,s,and early 80,s,there were a number of quality companys that produced a number of commuter and interurban cars.bowser,model traction supply,mts imports(brass) and e sydum(sp) co.i see very few on e bay these days.old walthers catalogues from the 50s,60s,and 70s would show what used to be available.i would really be interested purchasing new models of interuban equipment,if some company would produce them. thanks tuxedo.
Up until the late 1960s, one of busiest passenger rail operations in the U.S yet we can't even get a model of it's most popular EMD locomotive. The New Haven RR. How many years have modelers been begging for an FL9 in various flavors (NH, PC, Conrail, Amtrak, Metro North, Conn Dot)?
"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"
If you look at the major manufacturers you would think railroads were invented sometime in the 1930's. Pretty much any era prior to the Great Depression is under represented. The most common coal car from the 1870's to 1910 was the hopper bottom gon and there has never been a mass produced model of that type of car.
Southern railroads seem to be under represented.
Steam power is under represented.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
I think the Northern Pacific is under represented. 10 & 20 years ago I think it was better represented than now. However, we need to consider the fact that these older lines had passed into the history books long before many of the modelers of today where around, so it seems natural to me that there would be less interest in them.
I also think the modeler (people who actually build models) are less representative in the hobby today.
NP 2626 "Northern Pacific, really terrific"
Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association: http://www.nprha.org/
Taking the question to be what is modeled as a theme vs what is manufactured, I'd say one of the most missing segments is the south/southeast, esp prior to the NS & CSX mega mergers. Yes, lately we've seen more models painted in southeastern schemes, but you still seldom see southeast represented in the model magazines. Given the extensive size of some of today's model railroads, there are some routes in the southeast that could be modeled in their entirety, either the entire railroad, or major subdivisions of class ones.
Another theme would be standard gauge in Colorado during the 1890s-1920s. Narrow gauge is big, but standard such as Colorado Midland or CS&CCD are scarce.
NP2626 I think the Northern Pacific is under represented. 10 & 20 years ago I think it was better represented than now. However, we need to consider the fact that these older lines had passed into the history books long before many of the modelers of today where around, so it seems natural to me that there would be less interest in them. I also think the modeler (people who actually build models) are less representative in the hobby today.
I agree. But I thought it underrepresented back when it was the Northern Pacific.
The Quebec, North Shore and Labrador was built from scratch in t he 1950's to serve an iron mine in northern Labrador. They laid a heavy duty main line from the St Lawrence River, a couple a hundred miles thru uninhabited wilderness. Traffic is a lot of unit ore trains and a sprinkling of mixed freight and passenger service to bring supplies and workers to the mine. Trains magazine has done several articles over the years, including one from way back in 1958 or 59. As a modeling project, doing modern up-to-date unit trains pulled by lots of locomotives against a background of tundra and snow ought to fun for someone.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
The reason some things are under-represented is that, while they appear at first glance to be interesting, the reality is enough to bore the owner to tears.
Take rapid transit/commuter rail. (Broadway Lion, I know you have a great interest in the NY subway system, but that's big and diverse enough to hold one's interest.) I only have room to model the terminal operations of my electrified commuter, about the equivalent of the old Pelham Bay station that's on the destination sign of Mr Beasley's subway train. If that was the ONLY thing I could operate, it would bore me to tears. The trains don't switch, they just pull into a stub track at a platform, stay a while, then leave the way they came. They do the same thing in the Netherworld, but the stub isn't next to a detailed platform.. (Zzzzzzz!!!)
Other things are a matter of availability. If you want 1870s rolling stock you can either scratch-build each car as a one-off, or you can rig to batch-produce them from some reasonably durable material that will flow into inexpensive molds - after you make the molds. (If you want to model Podunk and Northern #1, that will almost certainly be a one-off.) Eighty years ago that was the way everyone did it. Not today.
To a great extent, if we want extensive empires we are pretty much at the mercy of the manufacturers. Building everything from the rails up pretty much means that layouts will be small and their rosters will be sparse. Each of us has to choose one or the other. Only somebody who has a LOT of discretionary spending capability can have both.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
seems that SP, UP, and mulitple eastern roads are preferred to the scores of other railroads. good thing there is paint, paint brushes, decals, and locos. If you can't buy it why not do it yourself, Like NP's challenger(the first built) #5001, or SP&S' challenger #910. If I've learned anything so far in my short time being a model railroader, it's that you don't have to be limited to what manufacturers are giving you I.e. took a bachmann spec. undec. light mtn, made it NP #1256 though NP never owned any light mtn. locos. even the guy at toppenish rr museum whom I spoke with said he had a friend who did cab forwards in NP. is it a matter of money or just trying to stay true to prototype?
I too am a fan of trolley lines and subways. When I returned to the hobby in 2005, I was thrilled to discover the subway trains then made by Life-Like, now a part of Walthers. True subways, of course, are underground, so the lines on my layout are only visible at the edges of the layout where I've placed stations, and in one gap where the trains emerge briefly at a low point in the terrain. My subways do nothing but run in an eternal loop, so they aren't interesting operationally, but as a scenic thing running right below the more conventional layout they are a real pleasure for me and my visitors.
I see overhead wires on layouts now and then, but most of the electric units I see operating are "cheating" and running without it. I'll admit that I've got no trolley wire, either, nor a third rail for my subway cars.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Although there are many logging railroad modellers, you rarely if ever see a logging railroad set in the winter. Yet 100 years ago, most logging in the Great Lakes area of the US and Canada was done in the winter, since the trees were often in swampy areas, with poor dirt / mud roads that were easier to travel on when frozen. Plus the biting flying insects weren't a problem in the winter.
BTW I was surprised when visiting New York how much of the 'subway' system was actually above ground.
Compare content of Model Railroader mags from the 1960s & 1970s to today's MRRs...
As to prototype -- Traction and steam have become less prolific on model railroading as time progresses -- Perhaps because "the times" have made them invisible to the visible eye with prototypes moving to "bigger is better" with motive power, and rolling stock in particular providing more of "a big box" appearance -- Whether "sole-survivor" Amtrak passenger operations, or today's surviving Class I freight operations.
As to modeling -- "The times" have also lent themselves more to ready-to-run, and kit-bashing instead of scratchbuilding. For example, regardless of scale modeled, traction (especially the overhead) requires scratchbuilding due to lower cost, strength with brass poles, plus modeling flexibility vs. what R-T-R overhead does exist (with more expensive cost) and "fragile" strength from plastic construction.
Conemaugh Road & Traction circa 1956
I'd have to say that the mid to late 70's when Conrail was just beginning to take over the eastern railroads. That was a most interesting time. Although the railroads, espceially in the eastern U. S. were in, at best, very poor shape, there was so much character in those times when you would see old weathered locomotives that were well past their times of retirement still soldiering on. It was not unusual also to see locomotive consists of more than one road name. It seemed everything, locomotives, rolling stock, as well as the industries they served, just screamed "model me!"
Well, I think the Argentine Central and Colorado 2 foot gauge in general is pretty underrepresented...
Really, I guess I'm not sure what the premise of the original post is. Is it a problem if what is modeled doesn't bear a 1:1 relationship to the railroads that have existed throughout history? Are we supposed to do something to create some sort of "balance" where one doesn't really exist? Should we refuse to purchase locos and rolling stock decorated for popular lines that are overrepresented? Should someone looking for a prototype to model be forced to choose from a list of under-modeled prototypes?
And then there's the ultimate go-to stock answer to the original question: "My favorite railroad, the XYZ Railway, has seen only one car released RTR in the last 75 years, so it's obviously underrepresented."
Railroads, eras, and regions are like automobiles. Some are Mustangs, Corvettes, and LandCruisers and are wildly popular, if you can afford the freight. Others are a lot like the Edsel. Sure, there's 3 dozen people with a fan club, but they're dying at a rate of 6 a year and no one's joining? What does that mean? People model what they like to model and that's always changing for a lot of reasons. If it's really modeling you're after, then choosing a lesser modeled prototype is exactly what you want. But why expect RTR locos and rolling stock for it then? That's a bit of a paradox to me.
Lot's of answers like that already in this thread. Not sure what we'll learn from this. Maybe I'm too philosophical this morning. Y'all chat and enjoy.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
No real premise to my thread...just curiosity. I've never seen a model of the Newfoundland Railway, for example, although such might be interesting to model. Also, someone mentioned modelling the Great Western Railway (Ontario) of the 1850s...This was also interesting to me as it was a broad gauge line at the time. There are some narrow gauge modellers (the Rio Grande has been pretty much beat to death)...but i've never seen/heard of anyone modelling a broad gauge line.
Someone also mentioned the Quebec North Shore and Labrador...this one might also be fun to model although operations are simple, trains are long and consist prdominantly of ore cars. But the scenery ain't tundra...it is beautiful up there, and the scenery certainly rivals anything the Rocky Mountains have to offer.
Just idle curiosity on my part...perhpas driven by my eventually wanting to build something that is a bit off the beaten path.
Ulrich No real premise to my thread...just curiosity. I've never seen a model of the Newfoundland Railway, for example, although such might be interesting to model. ...
No real premise to my thread...just curiosity. I've never seen a model of the Newfoundland Railway, for example, although such might be interesting to model. ...
Given that the Newfoundland was 3'6" it would be easy to model in Sn42 using HO track/loco mechanisms/trucks. I guess it was just too remote to the rest of North America to be well known.
IRONROOSTER Ulrich No real premise to my thread...just curiosity. I've never seen a model of the Newfoundland Railway, for example, although such might be interesting to model. ... Given that the Newfoundland was 3'6" it would be easy to model in Sn42 using HO track/loco mechanisms/trucks. I guess it was just too remote to the rest of North America to be well known. Enjoy Paul
Actually, there are a number of people who model the Newfoundland lines. Not a large number, but if you compare modeling interest vs real life significance, interest in the Newfoundland lines may actually exceed the real-life importance of these lines. In fact, if one were to take the percentage of those modelling narrowgauge of any kind vs the traffic on these lines when they were running, narrowgauge probably has an outsize lead. Attendance at the National Narrow Gauge Convention rivals that of the NMRA convention.
I'd agree that modeling broad gauge is a relatively rare thing.
I wasn't trying to throw water on this campfire. Rather, I was interested in what meaning we should attach to the differences that exist between what's of interest to modelers and what's out there in the real world.
Ulrichbut what prototype themes/models/eras are under represented or completely absent (and why)?
Why they are under represented by the manufacturers is easy. Why make and market a loco or freight car that only 100 people might be interested in when you could just as easliy invest in a loco or freight car that 10,000 might be interested in.
NP2626I think the Northern Pacific is under represented.
I find it interesting that the 1920s aren't modeled as much, given that US railroads were at their peak, or close to it, then.
Sean
HO Scale CSX Modeler
Colorado_Mac I find it interesting that the 1920s aren't modeled as much, given that US railroads were at their peak, or close to it, then.
I would love to model the Algoma Eastern which ran from Sudbury to Little Current in the early 20th century. It went through some incredibly beautiful terrain in the La Cloche mountains. It was the sort of railway trackage where the conductor could wave to the engineer as they literally passed in opposite directions around some of the bends. It also included the well known swing bridge at Little Current which is still in operation although the tracks were torn up years ago.
The problem for me is that it wouldn't provide much variation from an operating perspective. It was a single line with a few mine spurs and it basically went from Sudbury to Little Current and back with very little variation in its schedule. Building the scenery would be a fantastic test of skill as would kitbashing the passenger cars. Building the swing bridge would be quite an accomplishment. But then what? Run the train to Little Current - turn it on the wye - run the train to Sudbury. Swing the bridge occasionally - without a fast clock that would be good for a whole 15 minutes! We might have to pick up a few ore cars on the way past the two mines on the route.
That would get boring really fast. If the Algoma Eastern makes it on to my layout it will be as a cameo appearance - an 0-10- 0 leading a mixed passenger/freight consist with maybe a little switching at the mine and a stop at each of the two passenger stations. Then, back to staging.
What I want to be able to do on my layout is run a variety of scenarios - today its Canadian Pacific passenger trains, tomorrow its some freight switching in the yard. Next time I can focus on the engine service facility or an excursion steamer in the late 50's.
I think the point I am trying to make is that from my perspective I want to be able to do a whole bunch of different things with my layout. Concentrating on one single theme is not my cup of tea - cudos to those who do it. That means ironically that my favourite railroad (Algoma Eastern) will be under represented on my layout too! How is that for irony Ulrich?!?
Pardon my blithering
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!