Hi All;
I'm curious about how everyone chooses the time period to set their railroad. For instance, i was reading an old article in MR where a railroad's time period was 1960-90. That allows for a lot of latitude in loco's etc. Is your time period designed for total proto. accuracy, or do you think that it's OK to run equipment that may seem out of place and not "prototypical" for a given year?
Grew up in NJ in the 40's and 50's. used to watch the CNJ steamers on ther way to Jersey City and back. Chose the early to mid 50's as my time frame as it allowed me to model the transition period.
I picked 1960. My space doesn't lend itself to 30" curves, and my industry tracks are all shortish.
This means 40' boxcars rather than 60', to make things look busier, and the trains longer.
Only my opinion
Dave
My time period is the early Conrail era '75 to '85.
It allowes my to run equipment from the Conrail Merger and one can see Reading, Erie, EL, PRR, PC, NYC, Leigh Valley etc.
This was about the time I was railfanning and also when the local railroads (which is the area I am modeling - Western PA) were running full out with Coal Trains and the economy in this area was booming.
Now - we have NO railroads left in my local county - Coal is gone!
But it is running full tilt on my layout every week! ;-)
BOB H - Clarion, PA
'Time Frame' can mean different things to different folks. The 'Hard Core' modelers will choose a specific year(and sometimes day) and set hard & fast rules that nothing on the layout can be newer than that date.
I think most modelers set a rather loose time frame based on what they remember when either gowing up, or when they took an interest in trains.
Myself, I have basically set 1959 on the Milwaukee Road for my layout. The Milwaukee had just transitioned from steam to diesel(and renumbered the diesel fleet into the 2 & 3 digit numbers for the most part). There was at least one steamer still running(protection power for the Austin-La Crosse passenger run). So I 'pushed' things and I have some L-3 2-8-2's and C-9 2-8-0's on my layout, along with lots of GP9's and other 1st generation locomotives. that said, I do have some 1963 freight cars on the layout.
I do have 'modern' cars/loco's, but they are either in display shelves or in boxes. I usually run them at the 'club'.
I admire the 'Pro-Specific' folks, but I do not worry about every specific detail or if the freight car was still running on the prototype. A guy I know bought a bunch of P2K tank cars, and weathered them(they looked good). When someone pointed out they had 'K' brakes on them, he took them off of his layout to modify them. Not sure if he ever got around to updating them!
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
west willow and laurel Hi All; I'm curious about how everyone chooses the time period to set their railroad. For instance, i was reading an old article in MR where a railroad's time period was 1960-90. That allows for a lot of latitude in loco's etc. Is your time period designed for total proto. accuracy, or do you think that it's OK to run equipment that may seem out of place and not "prototypical" for a given year?
I think most of us pick what we like, personal preference. For most that is influenced by what we experienced personally. But as anyone can testify, there are plenty out there who don't choose a time period and just like trains and run what floats their boat. Just go to train shows and you'll see that principle is quite popular.
Since I see so much mish mash of "anything goes" at train shows, I really now appreciate it greatly when I get to see scenes where people try faithfully to imitate real life, whether it's modern or it's a past time period. At one time I felt it it wasn't western and something from 20 or 30 years ago, I just tuned out mentally. Well, if I see a western scene from the 70's or 80's faithfully reproduced, that is may absolute favorite, but I can really appreciate even eastern scenes from the 50's or 60's now, even though it seems foreign to me, because it represents a fairly faithful immitation of a real scene as it existed back then!
I grew up in California the mid-1960's thru mid-1980's and made numerous trips to Colorado in the 80's, so my favorite trains are Southern Pacific and D&RGW in the 1970's and 1980's. I realize many like to model what they see in real life, and I was like that too so I did collect model trains on that basis up until the late 1990's. But then I realized I liked the 70's and 80's best during the past 8-10 years, so I have sold off nearly everything I owned that is post 1990. The really awsome thing is that there has been a lot of really nice models produced in the last 5-10 years that are accurate for the 70's and 80's.
Just recently Tangent released the Pennsy and Penn Central models of the X58 box car - outstanding! Yes, I model mainly the D&RGW but as a bridge route, there was a smattering of everything in the freight trains, and time frame accurate variety is way cool!
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
2008 because I have a 2008 ORER. That pegged my 2000 - 2010 window
I chose modern, 2000-2012ish, but a short line, so, no auto racks, no TOFC Cars, etc.... So, still shortish cars, and short trains that fit on my layout are prototypical. Allows me to run some modern equipment, while still using older, second (or third, sometimes forth...) hand equipment. And, the occasional run through using modern mainline power, which was, in this time period, done on the line I'm loosely modeling. The Proto-freelancing is nice, as I don't have to be "exactly" the same as what I model. That allows some "wiggle room" in my layout, allowing me to model a "what-if" portion of the line, that really is not there, while giving the feel of the actual railroad I'm using. Also allowed a few extra industries to allow more frequent trains, and a few extra runthrough's that would not normally be there.
BTW, reason was, I'm under 30, so I grew up in, and remember, mostly 90's on.... Choices for me, locally, were Conrail, NS, CSX, or short lines. Short lines ruled out Conrail, as they are former CR lines. That set the period after CR, and I don't have room to do the NS/CSX lines in my area justice, so.... Short line it was for me to stick with local lines.
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.
jrbernier 'Time Frame' can mean different things to different folks. The 'Hard Core' modelers will choose a specific year(and sometimes day) and set hard & fast rules that nothing on the layout can be newer than that date. I think most modelers set a rather loose time frame based on what they remember when either gowing up, or when they took an interest in trains. Jim
Thats a good point, and well, the looser the time frame the more it allows us to have some freedom to buy collect a wider variety of trains. Thats part of the challenge - is to avoid impulse buying. I expect that one of the primarly reasons we see people selling new, in the box, trains on the secondary market. Sometimes I'm surprised to see something offered for sale only weeks or a few months after that item hit the store shelf for the first time! But the tighter the time frame, the better one can create scenes which look more realistic, and are definitely more satisfying to view, as I alluded to earlier.
As we have begun to see by the responses, age is a major factor. While occasionally you will find a young 20 or 30 something modeler doing 50's or steam era, as a rule people model what they personally see or have seen, so the old guys are generally those who are modeling 50's, 60's, or 70's.
As evidence of the above, as those who were old enough to have seen and remembered railroading in the 40's and 50's get much fewer in number, we are seeing based on poll results that the most popular era to model has shifted from steam/diesel transition, to 70/80's era.
I love steam and I like transition era diesels. I was born in 1946, so I was 12 when the last of our local roads dieselized. I've settled on a nominal year of 1952 because the local railroads had the right mix of equipment and operations to satisfy my tastes, even though my own personal memories of 1952 are pretty spotty and dim. I was involved in the development of a kit representing a car built in 1954, and had to have that. I have some factory lettered steam locos that are numbered for individual engines that were scrapped before 1952, and a few classes that were scrapped or left my geographical area before then. I can obviously tolerate a certain amount of deviation from the 1952 date, but I don't like anything that's too jarring. So I guess it would be more accurate to say that my time period is about 1949-1954.
RG5761: As Richard Hendrickson used to say, we are ALL Pennsy modelers. And his primary road was Santa Fe.
Tom
I model the Northern Pacific in 1953. I started out being somewhat interested in the all steam era of the 1930s, then decided I want to have some diesels, so I up dated to 1953. I love 40 foot box cars and am happy with the transition.
However, I think that this is a hobby and a person can and should model what ever in the heck the want!
NP 2626 "Northern Pacific, really terrific"
Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association: http://www.nprha.org/
I love it all!
I want to run anything from Stephensons Rocket to something that has just rolled off the assembly line.
There are really some tightly wound rivet counters out there. Everything about their trains is perfect, however on the rest of the layout you will see things like mailboxes, light standards, vehicles, airplanes, the list is endless of things that came about well after the era of their layout. They brush those things off, but will give you the death stare if they see something not accurate on your favourite loco.
My layout (in progress) will easily be transitioned to an early 20th century time period by having certain things easily removable and added from it, if I choose to be true to the time period.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Great replies. I've set my railroad in central Arkansas in the fall of 1997 so i could accomodate the SP before UP took it over. I can still run UP, CSX and BNSF over the line. The only anomoly is a sd 70 mac # 727 which wasn't built until 1999, but i can live with that as i think CSX took delivery of SD 70 MAC's in 97.
My new layout will be 'set' in 1956 however since I also like more modern diesel locomotives like SD60s and AC4400s I will feel free to occasionally run some more modern trains.
Modeling an HO gauge freelance version of the Union Pacific Oregon Short Line and the Utah Railway around 1957 in a world where Pirates from the Great Salt Lake founded Ogden, UT.
- Photo album of layout construction -
I'm one of those modelers who does not model what I recall from my youth. I grew up in the'80s and initially collected equipment from that period, but during my college years I realized I was absolutely in love with the years around WWII (History major, go figure). I've set my layout in the 1940's, but I allow a little deviation on rolling stock to open up my options some. Some of the prototypes for the equipment was built in the 1950's and I'm okay with that. As long as it "feels" right, I'm happy. Steam locomotives and 40' boxcars rule the day on my railroad, regardless if their use dates exactly match my intended timeframe. Vehicles on the layout are another story. Nothing newer than 1949. I guess that's how I justify my '40s timeframe!
Mike
I got to ride on the CP Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver and back when I was 11 years old in 1965. That got me very interested in F series locomotives so I'm modelling the late 50s. I use a little license because I love the Canadian Pacific script logo so most of my coal cars have that on them even though the script logo wasn't in general use until 1963. Same with some of my switchers. I have managed to collect a small fleet of FP7s and 9s, both A and B units, all with CP block lettering so the passenger trains will at least fit the era.
However, when it comes to steam I will run whatever I want. I prefer the smaller 4-6-0s and the like, all of which were probably scrapped by 1959. Doesn't bother me in the least! Heck, I'm even going to run Hogwarts Express because it was the first HO train I got.
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
I model the early 1950's transition from steam to diesel, because I like steam and first generation diesels. I started noticing trains as a kid in the late 60s but don't want to model that period as there were fewer passenger trains and the infrastructure was crumbling. Penn Central was interesting but rather depressing, IMO.
Victor A. Baird
Fort Wayne, Indiana
I started by focusing on the early diesel era. My grandfather was a brakeman and a conductor for the Union Pacific shortly after WW II. I decided to make my model railroad an homage, of sorts, to him. I even named my little town Bradshaw, his middle name and his mother's maiden name.
However, my wife, who grew up near the Santa Fe line in New Mexico was not enthralled with the UP F3/7 locomotives. "That's not the trains I remember when I was a kid." Remembering the age old adage, "Happy wife; happy life," I bought a couple of SD45's in Santa Fe colors. "Now that's what I remember!" The railroad is, after all, a joint effort between the two of us.
Richard
I'm modeling the far west end of N&W Clinch Valley Line in the summer of 1975. This was while the L&N had trackage rights to connect with the Clinchfield and before the big 6-axle Alco's were banned from the line.
I also lived in Roanoke, VA (N&W headquaarters) at the time of the merger with the Southern. I had friends that didn't come out of the merger well so my timeframe had to be prior to 1981.
I try to stick to what is appropriate for the timeframe as closely as I can.
I have the right to remain silent. By posting here I have given up that right and accept that anything I say can and will be used as evidence to critique me.
BATMANThere are really some tightly wound rivet counters out there. Everything about their trains is perfect, however on the rest of the layout you will see things like mailboxes, light standards, vehicles, airplanes, the list is endless of things that came about well after the era of their layout. They brush those things off, but will give you the death stare if they see something not accurate on your favourite loco.
I have never seen this happen once -- the "evil rivet counters" meme is pretty tired.
In my experience, folks who are focused on time period accuracy are worried about what they are modeling and couldn't care less about how others are modeling.
Layout Design GalleryLayout Design Special Interest Group
For me I stumbled into the 78-80 time period because of my interest in collecting IPD short line boxcars.My 85/87 freelance C&HV and Huron River is because I had several cars that fit that era and of course my 94/95 Summerset Ry is because I wanted to model that era.
I also have SCL,Seaboard System,CR,CSX and NS locomotives and these will fit my freelance railroad eras.So,its turn out better then I ever dream it would.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
ndbprrSome of us model a railroad rather then a time frame. Having early steam through the range of diesels can allow different time frames when operated. The buildings don't change much in cities over the years.
Actually, I have fallen into that trap, although if a RR has been around for a long time, it can get really expensive to have all the rolling stock necessary to cover a long time span. The D&RGW, for example could cover *phew* the 1930's thru 1996 anyway, as the coroporate image didn't have a sudden cut-off after the SP/D&RGW merger in 1988, but gradually morphed visually during the early to mid-1990's.
In my case, I have chosen, partly due to purely financial reasons, to limit my time-frame as 1965-1990, and even that I feel is a bit more than I can bite off, but to be fair, the diesel roster of the D&RGW didn't change much at all between 1970 and 1990 so that helps a lot! Freight traffic did slowly change of course but you can still cover it - bigger changes were change from Rio Grande Zephyr to Amtrak, and intermodal changed form 40' trailers to 45' trailers, and some slow morphing of freight cars.
RG5761: As Richard Hendrickson used to say, we are ALL Pennsy modelers. And his primary road was Santa Fe. Tom
Ah, you noticed I got sucked in with the Tangent X58 box cars (PRR and PC?). I canna help it Captain! Well, D&RGW did have Alfred E Pearlman so thats in common. That said, I don't own any Pennsy engines, zip, so I'm only a Pennsy modeler in that I need some freight cars for a prototypical mix as they went thru the Rockies.
As far as Penn Central goes, I know many considered it a disaster but for some reason many still love to model it - in all it's colorful glory. Me, I think the green PC freight cars are so cool looking, I can't resist having some too, and whats best, is it's prototypical!
Rivet counting True Confessions:
I committed a serious gaffe once at a train show. I've studied B&O EM-1's pretty seriously and thoroughly over the years, and I know the variations among the thirty engines. I was at a train show where a fellow had done a wonderful job of detailing an EM-1. The level of detail indicated to me that this modeler must have realy done his homework, but I noticed a detail variation that seemed wrong for the engine number on the model. I asked the model builder whether the engine had a shop modification that I didn't know about, and he was highly incensed that I had pointed out an error on his model. Honestly, I admired his modeling work and paint job, and never had any intention to give offense. The error, if it could be called an error at all, could have been easily corrected by changing the number.
Hendrickson said we're all Pennsy modelers because there was a time when the PRR freight car roster was the largest in the land and PRR cars could be seen from coast to coast. PRR had many freight car classes and subclasses that had more cars than many roads' entire rosters.
I model the Bangor & Aroostook in the 80's for two reasons. The red, black, and grey livery is my favorite of all the ones that they used and the early 80's was when I was old enough to be out on my own, with my own place, and my own truck, and could go watch more than just the local that ran nearby.
I liked the 30's and have found that a lot of stuff that came later could have been built in say 1939 like the diesel S-4, major visable difference being the trucks which were in contention for the original S-1 so I give them a pass. Just for you nitpickers out there, there were S-1's in 1939, just not production.
I model in different eras.
My main one is Union Pacific and BNSF sits in 1998 to 2007. But it's mainly in 2007 (early) because of the UP red to yellow reflection stripe. All my locomotives and freight cars checked in pictures and year it was photographed. I buy no equipment that's after a significant date in 2006.
I also model Conrail in 1987 (after the Maryland accident) thru 1989.
I'm very passionate about railroading and not a rivet counter.
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
I sometimes wish I could pin things down to one era, but I kinda like everything. My layout is being built with the idea of the time frame rotating from basically the late steam era (c.1940) to 'today'. For example, I'm working to make it so the steam/transition era Commissary and Freight House buildings can be removed in the more modern times to make room for an intermodal unloading area.
I picked 1956 because I wanted to run late steam and first generation diesels. Most railroads were well on their way to becoming fully dieselized if they hadn't yet got there but it would still be plausible to be running steam on my freelanced railroad. I picked 1956 for what seems like a trivial reason. I had some HO scale posters that said "I Like Ike" to help set the time period and they would be appropriate for 1956.
I do cheat a little bit. Most of my automobiles are CMW makes and choices are somewhat limited so I do have a few 1959 Fords that have a styling that still blends in with 1950s styling. I also have a few Jade Green NYC boxcars which if I remember right came along in 1960. That's the nice thing about freelancing. Since I am running a fictional railroad in fictional towns, how much of a stretch is it to include a few things from a slightly later year.