Both my SCR and SSRy is set in 94/95.. I chose this time frame since I have several CR,CSX and NS engines that fits 94/95 time frame.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
80's and 90's. Occasionally I'm sure I'll run something significantly older or newer, but 80's and 90's is the goal.
I'm building this for my son and I to enjoy and I've got exactly zero interest in convincing anyone else.
By way of context, even the grimeyest, most prototypical, operable, and realistic layouts I've seen rarely capture things as-they-were. Layouts are personal creations -usually of one individual- and are generally so...
-Clouded by nostalgia and personal experience
and/or
-Reflective of an idealistic, whitewashed view that neglects the reality of the past
- a highly selective/limited slice of history
...that they're really fantasy anyway. Note that I don't degrade others' layouts for this. I love seeing other model railroaders' craftsmanship, artistry, interest in accurate railroad equipment, and the fruits of their imagination.
I just acknowledge up front, the fantasy and mythology that is at play and don't get too fussed about whether -or accept the notion that- they are usually living up to some truely accurate precision of era/location/history etc.
Visit the Chicago Valley Railroad for Chicago Trainspotting and Budget Model Railroading.
First, I do not weather rolling stock or locomotives. I have in the past, and it generally ruins them, certainly ruins the value, unless it is professionally done by someone who is very good at it. I have one Overland brass M-636 that the pro painter just very minimally weathered. He insists on minimally weathering everything, and is so subtle with it that I'm totally fine with that. (He's about to do another engine for me).
That means that all my engines and rolling stock tend to look pretty "new".
I was never able to stick to just one narrow time period or "era". In most cases, for most railroads I've been interested in, it is far too difficult to assemble a representative rolling stock roster from a particular year, let alone decade--and then they should be appropriately weathered to account for which cars were new and which were not. Even for the big railroads that have relatively speaking, a lot of models available, imo there still are not enough for me to focus on one year or era. For instance, Santa Fe homebuilt most of their boxcars and reefers, perhaps starting witth builders' kits in many cases, but modifying them to suit their own purposes. That means that actually very few of the available HO models at all are "correct" or "accurate" for Santa Fe during the diesel era.
Roads like Nickel Plate, or Canadian roads, get much more difficult. Mexican freight cars are almost the holy grail...
Recently Tangent, Exactrail, Moloco and others have filled some of the gaps, but there are still huge gaps in rolling stock for several roads. Need a green and yellow reading freight car? There have been only a few good ones correctly painted and available rtr.
So it's my railroad, and I run what I want that generally fits the era of the big Alco Centuries. So if the item of rolling stock was built 1966 to say 1982, that is about good enough for me, and that is mostly what is visible on my layout. At the end of the day, I violate those years if I feel like it.
If I were modeling the "end" of steam, or the transition era, when 40' cars were still commonplace, it would be much "easier" but I'm well into the "modern" era. Picking a month or year is virtually impossible.
John
I like everything. I model modern era Colorado D&RGW, UP, BNSF 1990s to current. I really like ES44s and SD70Aces.
But... I also like 1950s steam locomotives, and passenger trains. Steam excursions. This new layout I will swap out my equipment from time to time. So I will have duel era for this layout.
Michael
CEO- Mile-HI-RailroadPrototype: D&RGW Moffat Line 1989
dknelsonI model my personal recollections of the Chicago & North Western "old" main line through South Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Nothing newer than 1970 because that is when I left for college. I am somewhat flexible as to an earlier cut off date, but usually put it at 1966 or '67.
.
That sounds like an excellent approach to me. Recreating a memory instead of an actual place and time.
It sure sounds like a great way to enjoy a layout.
EilifReflecting some some idealistic, whitewashed view that neglects the reality of the past
Absolutely! I am trying to model a point in time, but not accurately. I have done a lot of reasearch into 1954, and it was an ugly time. Of course, I do not remember it. My father was only 13 in 1954.
None of this strife will be on my layout. It will look like a fantasy.
MotleyThis new layout I will swap out my equipment from time to time. So I will have duel era for this layout.
I also intend to swap out props and be able to make photographs that look like they are from a different era.
Not necessarily operation... but we will see how that goes.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
SeeYou190 dknelson I model my personal recollections of the Chicago & North Western "old" main line through South Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Nothing newer than 1970 because that is when I left for college. I am somewhat flexible as to an earlier cut off date, but usually put it at 1966 or '67. . That sounds like an excellent approach to me. Recreating a memory instead of an actual place and time. . It sure sounds like a great way to enjoy a layout. . Eilif Reflecting some some idealistic, whitewashed view that neglects the reality of the past . Absolutely! I am trying to model a point in time, but not accurately. I have done a lot of reasearch into 1954, and it was an ugly time. Of course, I do not remember it. My father was only 13 in 1954. . None of this strife will be on my layout. It will look like a fantasy. . Motley This new layout I will swap out my equipment from time to time. So I will have duel era for this layout. . I also intend to swap out props and be able to make photographs that look like they are from a different era. . Not necessarily operation... but we will see how that goes. . -Kevin .
dknelson I model my personal recollections of the Chicago & North Western "old" main line through South Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Nothing newer than 1970 because that is when I left for college. I am somewhat flexible as to an earlier cut off date, but usually put it at 1966 or '67.
Eilif Reflecting some some idealistic, whitewashed view that neglects the reality of the past
Motley This new layout I will swap out my equipment from time to time. So I will have duel era for this layout.
If you look in the right places, every time in history is both ugly and beautiful.....
You can choose to see the good, or choose to see the bad, and allow your life to be driven accordingly.
Sheldon
I have more of a collection then a railroad at this point. I had to start from scratch about 4 years ago after what I had was stolen.
Initially I started getting what quality I could afford on eBay. The start was a Mehano/IHC 2-6-0 and some Roundhouse short passenger cars. I then found a gorgeous model of a water tower. Now the collection is kind of all over the place. Bachmann K-4, Kato F-3, U-28B, 2 Bachmann Doodlebugs.
I've been trying to go for 1910-1920 era, as the equipment is smaller. But as I'm still planning a layout it's been bounce back and forward. I'm not going to go anywhere near contemporary as I don't think I'll have the space and want something I can run.
Choose the better:
I had friends (now dead and gone) who despised Penn Central.
It has taken me a lifetime to be able to have Penn Central equipment on the layout, but I better understand the time, and that the PC equipment severely outnumbered other equipment on Conrail (140,000 freight cars to like 20,000 for the next closest road, EL)...so now I have some and no longer hate on the PC green.
narig01I've been trying to go for 1910-1920 era,
1910 has had an appeal for me also. It is one of those things I have kept in mind if I ever decide to scrap everything and start over again.
Small trains and small equipment and very few automobiles sure has charm.
Summer of 1956 is as specific as I get for my protolanced layout. I cheat a little and have a few autos and rolling stock that are a few years beyond that date but for the most part, I try not to put anything on the layout beyond that date.
The 1950s allows me to run both steam and diesel and also plenty of passenger trains. Not sure when airlines overtook railroads for intercity travel, but I don't think it was before 1956. I sprinkle a few I Like Ike posters throughout the layout which helps to set the date.
PS. The summer of 1956 was also my last summer before I started school, so it was the last time I enjoyed complete freedom until the day I retired. Maybe that was a subliminal reason for choosing that date.
SeeYou190 narig01 I've been trying to go for 1910-1920 era, . 1910 has had an appeal for me also. It is one of those things I have kept in mind if I ever decide to scrap everything and start over again. . Small trains and small equipment and very few automobiles sure has charm. . -Kevin .
narig01 I've been trying to go for 1910-1920 era,
There is no question for me as well, the only alternate era would be the early 20th century, 1905-1910.
I model today. My rolling stock is modern. But my railroads don't discard their locos; they maintain and use them as long as they run. I don't have steam power at this moment but in the real world there are many rebuilt locos than roll along SD7OACes and ET44s.
There is too many cool items to keep a narrow frame. I sure can run all of them at the same time.
Martin 4
SeeYou190That sounds like an excellent approach to me. Recreating a memory instead of an actual place and time.
^^^ This ^^^ is probably what 95% of my layout modeling goals are.
PRR8259I had friends (now dead and gone) who despised Penn Central.
I "came of age" in the Penn Central era and growing up in the Cleveland area I was exposed to a pretty hefty dose of P-C.
P-C-G43 by Edmund, on Flickr
When I started joining other railroad friends (ones who had a driver's licence!) I began to expand my railroading turf. In the pre-Amtrak days I got to visit the great Northeast Corridor route of the P-C (nee Pennsylvania). I was awestruck.
Passenger trains galore, GG1s, Washboards, E44 electrics, Metroliners, MP54s and still lots of first generation diesels. I rode the Erie Lackawanna Lake Cities, the B&O Capitol and many of the former "Blue Ribbon" and "Great Steel Fleet" of the PRR and NYC, too. (never made it onto the Century, which didn't make a passenger stop in Cleveland, anyway).
In 1971, just after Amtrak, I rode behind the former C.U.T. electrics that were now running from Harmon to Grand Central. There were still a few S motors running then, too. I have a pair of the P-1a motors in Cleveland Union Terminal paint but I'd like to get a P-2b in gray stripes someday.
I was fortunate to stand on hallowed ground one day:
P1A_shed by Edmund, on Flickr
This is the electric locomotive repair shop in Collinwood, Ohio.
Below is what it looked like in 1929:
CUT_P1a_shed by Edmund, on Flickr
IF I had the room I would certainly model such a facility.
CUT_P1a_205 by Edmund, on Flickr
Once you feel the power and excitement of these big electrics (the GG1, too) well, they just leave you speechless. I have to model them.
SeeYou190I also intend to swap out props and be able to make photographs that look like they are from a different era.
Exactly what I do. I shuffle quite a bit of equipment around. I don't spend too much time worrying about weather or not my stop signs are yellow with black lettering or red with white lettering. Close is good enough.
That said, I do have a penchant to recreate what came before. So I have plenty of New York Central Hudsons, PRR K4s, H, I, J and a few other alphabet letters in there, too. I suppose I could go back to about 1927 and model a reasonable scene when the mood strikes.
P-C_1000 by Edmund, on Flickr
PRR_diner by Edmund, on Flickr
Later on I rode many Amtrak trains so I like to represent them as well. The TurboTrain, Superliners, SDP-40Fs, Amfleet, private cars, business cars, I like 'em all.
IMG_1602_fix by Edmund, on Flickr
At the moment I'm working on a consist for the New Haven's Merchants Limited. Now I'm over a barrel with their two observation cars, Bunker Hill or Watch Hill.
NH added a big, ugly diaphragm to the rounded end of the obs in 1953, Ergo, if I do not add this diaphragm I have to paint the car in Hunter Green but most of my other N-H cars are 1955-era McGinnis Orange . Do I stick with "prototype accuracy" and have the green obs without the diaphragm which wouldn't have been seen with any of the orange cars? Or do I make up a story that the New Haven decided the diaphragms were too ugly and removed them, while retaining the McGinnis orange?
Decisions — decisions.
Sure, I saw a lot of nasty, decrepit stuff on the Penn Central, but it wasn't ALL that way —
PC_Alco_9365 by Edmund, on Flickr
Regards, Ed
PRR8259 Choose the better: I had friends (now dead and gone) who despised Penn Central. It has taken me a lifetime to be able to have Penn Central equipment on the layout, but I better understand the time, and that the PC equipment severely outnumbered other equipment on Conrail (140,000 freight cars to like 20,000 for the next closest road, EL)...so now I have some and no longer hate on the PC green. John
I knew guys who felt that way, and I knew guys who felt that way about Amtrak when it took over. It also extended to their railfanning and prototype photography and now of course they could kick themselves at the missed opportunities.
Dave Nelson
SeeYou190,I model the New Haven, which means I model everything before 1969 going all the way back to 1830's.
I own NH U25B's from the 1960's as well as steam power that was all gone by 1952, and I don't care that I run them at the same time. However, I draw the line in two situations: I don't mix anachronistic locos together on the same train, and I don't cross my "Nothing after 1968" rule with only the following exception: if I've worked or ridden on the real equipment.
That being said, I don't currently have a layout as I'm a member of a large club. So I don't have to worry about how many stars are on the US flag, or how long women's dresses are, or what year of sedan is parked on the street.
Basically, I deal with anachronisms by (mostly) ignoring them.
BTW, if you're modeling 1954, there's plenty of TOFC service around. CGW and NH were running TOFC starting in 1936-37 and SP got into it in a big way in 1953.
gmpullman,Well, as you probably know, the NHRHTA & Rapido just shipped out our latest NH stainless steel car, the diners. Your dream (and mine) of modeling the Merchants Limited just got a lot easier. The next car will almost certainly be the "County"-series cars, which were the combines that were Baggage-Buffet-Lounges (31-seat, 29-seat or 28-seat) or Baggage-Buffet-Parlors, and the half dozen that lost their Baggage rooms and got two more drawing rooms instead. It'll be a very complicated car.The Watch Hill/Bunker Hill cars are going to be a pain because the NH had two and only two of them. As you noted, the rear diaphragm was added during the green era. When they did so, the NH cut back on the fluting so it's not just a simple matter of slapping a diaphram on the car. It would need a new end, too. The odds of these happening are very remote.
The problem with "making up the story" about your NH Obs without the diaphragm is one must remember why the NH put them on in the first place: they were using them mid-train. They did so because when they ordered the Obs cars, the Merchants was parlor-only (no coaches). By the time these two cars arrived, that was no longer the case.
Originally, the coaches went on the front of the train but this messed up switching operations in NH when the Springfield section of the Merchants was added or removed. So they put the coaches on the rear to make switching the Springfield section easier. The trouble was that you didn't want to force your 1st class passengers to walk through a number of coaches to get to the tavern-lounge-observation car, nor did you want your coach passengers taking up valuable space in the 1st class tavern-lounge section. The solution was to put the Obs mid-train separating the 1st class passengers from coach passengers and add a diaphragm to allow the passage of train crew from one end of the train to the other.
SeeYou190:
That boxcar on the first page looks very familiar
As to my era:
From the merger that formed the BN to when the SLSF was merged into the BN. That allows me to work patched Northern Pacific units in and also allows BN green units as well. I protolance so I also have equipment painted for my road. My avatar is the road's logo.
Thanks for filling in the blanks, Paul
I solved my Rapido diner quandry by buying one of each (the Merchants ran two, IIRC) I'm going to settle on mixing both green and orange but have enough cars on hand to run one of each if I want.
Obviously, some of the green cars still existed after February '68!
PC by Marty Bernard, on Flickr
In the meantime I'm filling in the gaps with a few Soho cars that are no where as nice as the Rapido cars but they make great "placeholders"
N-H_Hill-obs2 by Edmund, on Flickr
Here's one I caught in Washington back in '72 that would make for a fun model but the prototype police would scream foul:
PC_2576_Coach by Edmund, on Flickr
From a frame of 8mm film I took.
I know there were several roads that had diaphragms either added or as built. The Rio Grande dome-obs looks particularly ungainly. Better than not having them at all, I guess.
Cheers, Ed
ATLANTIC CENTRAL SeeYou190 narig01 I've been trying to go for 1910-1920 era, . 1910 has had an appeal for me also. It is one of those things I have kept in mind if I ever decide to scrap everything and start over again. . Small trains and small equipment and very few automobiles sure has charm. . -Kevin . There is no question for me as well, the only alternate era would be the early 20th century, 1905-1910. Sheldon
I too like this era. If I was still in HO, it would be my era. But S scale has very little for this era.
But the Ma&Pa in 1953 was still using locomotives and rolling stock from that era. So I can use 1950's trains and fill in the older Ma&Pa stuff as I am able to find/build it.
1925 - 1955
I chose that time period, because those were the years that my grandfather rode the rails showing cattle. That it proved to be one of the more interesting periods of history had <wink>nothing</wink> to do it with it.
The plan right now is to model 1935ish-1939. As the base line for buildings and direction for motive and rolling stock.
1946 - 1948 for the second snap shot, again building changes and urban growth will be shown
1952-55 Urban expansion at it's greatest, but buisness is starting show shift to trucking, and the railroad having to shift it's focus a bit.
The layout will have removeable plates on the buildings that I know have changed, or were built at later dates. Too me it's satifies my "things change" mentality and it's a good excuse to buy more crack...I mean models. And should things change, well I can always do more for the models for a more modern look.
I model the early 1980s (before N&W got absorbed by NS) because that period has a lot of variety. I also picked it b/c there are many structures from that period that still appear today. Another reason is fewer have that than say the transition era.
Looking through the responses, it seems that most people have at least a ten year timespan that they model, with some going much higher.
It seems that only Sheldon and myself have really narrowed it down to a specific month and year.
John said he models a specific season and a year. Tom has it down to a single year.
I did not expect this at all. I really thought there would be more people date/time obsessed like I am.
gmpullman,About the green and orange cars: the NH green cars were NH Serial #212 Hunter Green, both window band and roof. The roof got dirty very quickly turning black with soot, but they were Hunter Green to begin with in 1948-49.
In the summer of 1955, all 200+ cars in the Hunter Green on the stainless steel passenger cars were repainted into McGinnis NH Serial #406 Orange-Red (with black roofs) very quickly by the NH. In fact, very few pictures exist showing both Hunter Green and McGinnis Orange cars on the same train. It did happen; one of our DVD's shows the NH's "Zoo Trains" taking kids to the Bronx Zoo and it shows a mixed green & orange train. But this time period was very short. You're pretty much locked into the Summer of 1955 if you mix Hunter and McGinnis orange cars (all skirted, of course).
The skirts came off the cars in the late 1950's as the railroad spiraled towards bankruptcy. The first cars to lose them were the diners and grills around late 1957. My thinking is that since the diners and grills had no steps to replace as part of the skirt removal, they were all done very quickly. There are a number of shots in the NH books showing skirtless diners/grills among an otherwise all-skirted train.
So here's the deal: you can accurately run a Hunter Green car with a skirted McGinnis car, you can run a skirted McGinnis car with a skirtless McGinnis car, but you shouldn't run a Hunter Green car with any NH skirtless stainless steel cars. Naturally, you can do what you want, but the above is what happened on the NH.
The green PC car isn't a NH Hunter Green car. That green is PC passenger car green, almost an olive drab. Note that the roof is painted black, too (NH roofs were green or simply dirty). PC did paint a number of ex-NH stainless steel cars in PC, but oddly enough no NH diners were among them. They did run the ex-NH diners for a short time in 1969, even all the way to Washington, D.C. on the NEC. But the diners were quickly sidelined and replaced with PRR/NYC equipment.
The Soho cars are...at least NH cars (I have two). The roof is the wrong shape, etc. One of the critical items are the placards over the trucks for the NH logos. They look okay when using script logos, but they look way too big for McGinnis decals. The placards are 24" square in real life. The Soho models are more like 30" square. Worse, the Microscale is has an old error that made the McGinnis logos rectangular instead of square. When you put the Microscale decals on the Soho cars "as is", it looks like it's in a silver picture frame.
What I did is make 30" square decals using Microscale black Trim Film. I then used these to "paint" the placard black. After drying and a dose of MicroSol to stick it to the brass, I then put the Microscale decal right over the black Trim Film. Much better than trying to mask it. And yeah, it's oversized but nothing will change that. At least one can hide it better.
As for paint, I just painted the roof and windowband and then satin finished the plated brass. The results are pretty good as the satin tones down the super shiny plated brass.
I like the "Penn Have". I think there was an old article in MR about a "What If?" railroad named, "Penn Haven" (a merger of the PRR and NH in the 1940's).
Best of luck on that Soho car!
Paul3Best of luck on that Soho car!
Thank you for that valuable information, Paul. My only reference is the "booklet" by Sweetland/Liljestrand Cars of the New Haven, not much to go on in there.
Hopefully Rapido will continue with their excellent renditions and my Soho cars will be "placeholders" at best. I only hope to live long enough to see them
I remember riding the Keystone State and Nutmeg State several times when they passed through Cleveland on #63 and 64 in the Penn Central days. I recall seeing Pine Tree State, too. The cars were still in pretty good shape. The same day I saw the "Penn-Have" car I spotted a couple of diners, too. I was in D.C. on a B&O special that went to Nixon's inauguration.
The Pullman/Budd fluting is awful on the Soho cars, as it is with most of the brass models even the expensive ones. There's some advantages to plastic injection molding.
Here is what I was messing with the other day:
N-H_Soho-parlor by Edmund, on Flickr
Thank you for the hints for the decal work. I am a fan of their trim film also.
Somehow the Watch Hill wound up not too far from me here in Cleveland.
NYNHnH_Watch-Hill by Edmund, on Flickr
Sad to see railroad equipment "Stuffed & Mounted".
I clearly fall into Eilif's "Clouded by nostalgia and personal experience" category. My dates are from the late 50's to the early 60's which is when I was first became aware of the railroads in my neighborhood (SP and ATSF). It gives me great pleasure to incorporate models of engines and rolling stock I recall from that time period. It also helps in that my layout to be is rather small and I will be restricted to smaller equipment.
Tim
Late to the model railroad party but playing catch-up.....
Algoma Central, summer 1985 for me.
At the club, it's Canadian Pacific 1970s - if it existed 1970-79 it's fair game, which does lead to some anachronisms like engines that were retired or sold before 1975 running with ones that were built in 1979 etc. However with a group project it's a little easier for people to target a decade range than everyone have to be well-versed on which specific year specific equipment came in or out.
Chris van der Heide
My Algoma Central Railway Modeling Blog
I model two eras, it's a hot mess. I belong to a club, which helps since it's a fictional railroad in the 50s. Since the anachronisms happen, I just ignore them.
I model the Erie Lackawanna, with parent roads, with a cut off of when Conrail patched the units. I also model modern-day Union Pacific. The main advantage to running at a club is I only have to worry about each train being true to itself. If I run a Lackawanna train master, I have era-appropriate cars behind it. Running my EL power gives me a broad stretch up until about 1977. Modern-day UP is anything that would run after 2000. The main things I avoid with these trains are any 40' box car, anything with running boards, and any car that would clearly be out-of-service in the 2000s.
Balancing it out, my eras are roughly EL/CR transition date, and modern-day UP. The downside to this, though, is I can't run my favorite EL-era train with my UP power. At some point I might get two UP SD40s help bridge that. My main guideline for what I run behind each power is "strongly-plausible." Buying is easier. I either get a car that is plausible for both eras (general 50's box cars, gondolas, etc.), or modern-only since I don't have a lot of those cars. Eventually I am going to build my own layout, and the scenery will be mostly 70s. I guess those towns really like their classic cars. :)
Water Level Route I planned to model the early 1940's, but given a limited budget, some almost appropriate equipment on hand, and a "good enough" approach to my hobby, that has crept a bit. It still makes me happy. That's all that really matters.
I planned to model the early 1940's, but given a limited budget, some almost appropriate equipment on hand, and a "good enough" approach to my hobby, that has crept a bit. It still makes me happy. That's all that really matters.
Mike
Generally speaking, I'm going to try to stick to the 1990s as close as I can. i really like the per diem boxcars, so there will be a lot of those. However, I don't like the idea of adding the reflective tape to my rolling stock, so before 95 will be the "main" focus. Finding automobiles, though, for that period could be the tricky park. Choosing this time period because of the variety of locomotive power that was still running around. Not a fan of the steam era at all or the 40' boxcars. I need lots of color to hold my attention.
1900-1905, but the target is October 1903.
In 1900 the P&R bought the W&N RR, so I wanted to model after the P&R acquisition. 1905 because I wanted to get as close as I could to 1906 when cars were equipped with air brakes and knuckle couplers. 1903 is a target because in 1903 the P&R issued its first "modern" rule book that was close to what most modelers are familiar with. October because based on W&N annual reports, October whas the highest traffic/tonnage month, particularly for coal.
It lets me run a few W&N lettered cars, I get to have some 30 ft cars and some steel underframe cars.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
SeeYou190 Looking through the responses, it seems that most people have at least a ten year timespan that they model, with some going much higher. . It seems that only Sheldon and myself have really narrowed it down to a specific month and year. . John said he models a specific season and a year. Tom has it down to a single year. . I did not expect this at all. I really thought there would be more people date/time obsessed like I am. . .
I remember reading a comment by one of Kalmbach's staff writers. (Tony Koester, maybe, but I'm not positive). He said when somebody says they are modeling the 1950s, what they really mean is they are modeling 1959 and doing it badly.
Since my railroad is fictional, I have a bit more leeway as far as what equipment I run. I'm not bound by when a specific division of a specific railroad dieselized. I can write my own history and this allows me to run steam and diesel together on the date that I choose.