The answer is the same as it was in grade school, middle school, and high school. Do your homework. Part of the reality of being a proto modeler is that as much time is spent on research, reading and looking at pictures, as it is on shopping.
A wealth of information is available from historical society publications and other articles online and in print. You do the best you can.
I model a small part of a large railroad which is not as well served as the Southern Pacific, Santa Fe and others with active historical groups, but it doesn't take too long to find relevant data.
Model companies are selling replicas now that have far better detail and operating characteristics than brass models of 20 years ago, and the variety available is impressive. The time you save with buying an RTR can be spent correcting the few details that may be relevant to your prototype.
In the '70s, '80s, and '90s the drumbeat from the large model magazines was big, big, big -- large layouts, dozens and dozens of cars, fleets of locomotives. People are now rediscovering the fun of more manageable layouts. Look up Rob Spangler and Keith Jordan to see the superficially simple railroads that people are building.
People will say "looks like a boring trackplan" but there is, in fact, a lot of depth and operating potential in their around-the-walls sort of plans.
Kevin I thought about that and it would be a lot easier. And it makes sense. But if you enjoy the part of this hobby that is the history it becomes quite frustrating. Part of me likes finding out the history and how things operate. I am and airline brat and I am having to learn railroading from scratch. The only exposure I ever had to it as a kid was the Katy went thru the woods next to our apartment in West Dallas. So I spend a lot of time going whats that? There are a lot of things I am clueless about. Modeling is not so much the problem as researching. I modeled WWII armor mostly German Tamiya kits. I loved Revell model airplanes. My first train's memory still sticks in my mind. It resembled more of a flashlight because it ran on either c or d cells and loaded like one.
Robert
Hmmm...
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Maybe you should start up a Free-Lanced Private Roadname. Everything on the STRATTON & GILLETTE is 100% prototypical, and I have found some great bargains.
The only downside of a private roadname is how hard it is to find undecorated models. However, at least when you find them, the details are all correct.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
The model railroad industry has raised the prices and claim look at the great details you are getting for the money and I will agree with them. Today's models are absolutely beautiful in details. In the past models would be produced and sold with no prototypical equal. You would have and still do have locomotives that roads never owned and any time being produced as models. The real thing never existed. I actually purchase whatever I like the looks of but there are times I like to research and learn the history of certain pieces. The Problem is when you purchase something and it is so prototypically inaccurate but advertised as being are you getting what is advertised. An example would be the LifeLike/Walthers Proto 2000 E8/9's. They are beautiful but not accurate. Not even close. So all the prototype modelers are not getting accuracy and the casual modelers are paying more for trains. Modeling is the point of being a modeler but looking for the middle ground. I hope this is not it.