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How many different Road Names in your Locomotive Roster

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  • Member since
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  • From: Vermont
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How many different Road Names in your Locomotive Roster
Posted by Ablebakercharlie on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 8:56 AM

Tony's train exchange sent out an email today for a pre-order offer of some ALCO RS-3s that include the Lehigh Valley roadname.   That engine fits my modeling era so I think I am going to pre-order it as I only have a couple other LV's currently.

It got me thinking of all of you with rather large engine rosters - are they only a few road names or do you have a quite a multitude of names?

I haven't seen this discussed in the forum so I thought I would ask.

charles

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Posted by MrMe on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 9:10 AM

I have 83 locos on the roster, with 14 different road names.

Of those 14 road names, thirteen of them are predecessor/acquisition/etc roads and so would have been seen on "my" railroad at some point in it's history.

The one "oddball" is run-through power in a scheme my wife likes. After all, Happy Wife, Happy Life!

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Posted by nycmodel on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 9:25 AM

I model the New York Central approximately around the early to mid 1960s. Some diesels I aquired in NYC paint and others I repainted. That being said I always desired some models that the NYC never had. So, since the NYC and New Haven did share some trackage and served adjacent areas, I used it as an excuse to buy a NH DL109 and an FL9 along with several Rapido NH passenger cars. An EP5 is also on preorder. The lack of third rail or catenary not withstanding.

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Posted by Water Level Route on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 9:28 AM

I have 20ish engines on my roster and all but one are the same road name.  The one off, as my story goes, has trackage rights over the line to and from the main yard heading east.  

Eventually I would like to get more in other schemes that I simply like, but need to fill out my main roster further first.

Mike

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Posted by tstage on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 9:50 AM

Over 60 locos but primarily one roadname: New York Central.  They had such a large and varied fleet of locomotives that it provides more than enough variety for me.  Should I have an interchange or crossing?...It would be with the Erie or AC&Y.

Tom

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.

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Posted by wrench567 on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 10:02 AM

  The vast majority are PRR. Two NH, one N&W, one new NS honoring the Veterans, one GE gevo to honor my mom's forty plus years at GE, and one set of Cleveland Browns F3 A&B set that was a gift.

    Pete.

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Posted by John-NYBW on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 10:04 AM

I have a fictional railroad which is jointly owned by the NYC and Pennsy who have trackage rights so that's three. I also have a shortline that interchanges with my main railroad. That's four. Erie F3s have trackage rights to run coal trains that's five. If we count an industrial switcher and a logging loco, that's seven. I don't regularly run it on the layout but I have a Hiawatha 4-4-2 with a set of passengr cars. It's not on the roster of my fictional railroad but if we count that, there are eight. Now if we count the retired ones on the shelf from when I modeled western railroads, it's about a dozen. 

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Posted by MisterBeasley on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 10:06 AM

I model the Milwaukee, mostly diesels.  I have a few off-road steamers I plan to re-badge, even though the Milwaukee never had those models, and a couple of diesel switchers that the Milwaukee had, but my models are from other roads so those will get paint jobs and decals.

No, not touching my Pennsylvania GG-1.  I'll make up some fantasy for how that got there.

My cabeese are all Milwaukee, both prototype Walthers bay window models and a couple of old Athearns.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

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Posted by John-NYBW on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 10:09 AM

Ablebakercharlie

Tony's train exchange sent out an email today for a pre-order offer of some ALCO RS-3s that include the Lehigh Valley roadname.   That engine fits my modeling era so I think I am going to pre-order it as I only have a couple other LV's currently.

It got me thinking of all of you with rather large engine rosters - are they only a few road names or do you have a quite a multitude of names?

I haven't seen this discussed in the forum so I thought I would ask.

charles

 

I wonder if that is the Bowser RS-3. They recently released Pennsy and Western Maryland versions of it. I think the Pennsy is sold out but the WM is still available. The Lehigh Valley runs near my fictional railroad so maybe I could create a narrative that would have it bringing cars into my layout. 

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Posted by Pruitt on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 10:10 AM

Let's see...

Road names I have are Burlington, Chicago & North Western, Northern Pacific, Central of New Jersey, several Great Northern and I think one Union Pacific.

The only ones on the layout are the Burlington and the CNW. The CNJ and UP will be repainted for CB&Q. Most of the NP will remain in boxes. The GN will be put in display cases, along with one brass NP Challenger.

There one unpainted Doodlebug that will painted for CNW some day.

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Posted by NorthBrit on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 10:19 AM

An interesting thread.

My layout is based on the real reason of the Lancashire  & Yorkshire  Railway Co.  wanting their own line to York  and not have to pay running rights to the North Eastern Railway.

The L&YR supported the building of a line from (the L&YR station)  Dewsbury Market Place  to Leeds Sovereign Street,  proposed by the Calder Railway Company.

The L&YR also supported the build of a line from Leeds Sovereign Street Station to York via Scarcroft & Wetherby proposed by the Leeds, Scarcroft & Wetherby Company.    The line from Wetherby to York was not completed due to the start of The Great War.

Therefore two Railway Companies ran into Sovereign Street; both backed by the L&YR.

A third Railway Company, the Kirkstall & East Seacroft Railway Company, had running rights through Sovereign Street  and Roseville Station before branching off to Seacroft.

When The Great War began, with L&YR money,  the extention from Seacroft to the National Filling Station at Barnbow was built.  

When I run steam locomotives I have the three Railway Companies at Leeds Sovereign Street;  though in essence are owned by the L&YR.

 

 When I run diesels things are much simpler.  The railway lines are now under British Railways control.   Therefore only one Company.

 

David

To the world you are someone.    To someone you are the world

I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought

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Posted by doctorwayne on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 12:05 PM

My layout is mostly freelanced, so I have steam locomotives lettered for my ELORA GORGE & EASTERN, GRAND VALLEY, GRAND RIVER & NORTHERN LAKE ERIE (commonly lettered as ERIE NORTHSHORE, with small lettering GR&NLE on the tenders).  I also have one loco (a Bachmann 2-6-6-2) lettered for the GRAND RIVER SOUTHERN.

I also have quite a few CNR steamers, too, in both brass and plastic, and will be adding several TH&B steam locos, that I remember from my childhood.

Wayne

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Posted by Ablebakercharlie on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 12:06 PM

John-NYBW
I wonder if that is the Bowser RS-3

It is indeed a Bowser.

I hope you'll consider having an LV on your layout!  Smile

charles

 

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Posted by Tin Can II on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 12:11 PM

The last 40 plus years of my life I have been a member of several clubs; modular and fixed; without a true home layout.  As such, I built trains to run at the club or on the modules based on what I saw in that timeframe.  So I have ATSF, BN, MKT, MP, RI and TP engines (and cabeese).

My layout will be based on a ATSF branch line, so I will keep ATSF power on the layout.  I will keep my other engines; either to run on the main for fun, or to run on FreeMo modules I am working on.

 

 

 

 

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Posted by Pantherphil on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 12:36 PM

On my East Penn Railroad and North Penn & New England N scale layouts you will see several varieties of the Pennsy first generation diesels (FA, F-3, F-7, F-9, E-9, GP-9, SD-9, and a Trainmaster) plus 2 GG-1s and two 0-6-0 switchers), several Reading first and second generation diesels, one Lehigh Valley, and one C & O.  Twenty total locomotives.

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Posted by BEAUSABRE on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 12:40 PM

nycmodel
That being said I always desired some models that the NYC never had

I have PRR GP20's, SD24's and C-420's and CNJ RS-11's, RSD-12's and C-420's (I like that ALCO model). Someday I want to have PRR ex GN W-1's (Class MM1) and ex-VGN EL-2B's (AAAAAAAA1 - yes, really. 4 axle trucks, 4 trucks per unit, 2 units semi-permanently joined) for ore traffic out of Philthadelphia (The PRR acually bought GN's Y-1's for that service, classing them as FF2's)...And, assume the RFC provided a loan post war to electrify from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh, if the PRR would absorb the NH - maybe some NH EP3's (GG0), EP4's (GG2), EP5's (E33) and EF3's (GG3). And the NH I4's become K6's, and the R1, R2 and R3 4-8-2's class M2, M3 and M4. Maybe the 2-10-2's on the Maybrook line would become class N3. Another favorite is the Lima LRS-1200. Only the NYC bought them, but both CNJ and PRR had their Alco and BLW equivalents, so why not? (Of course somebody's gotta MAKE a LRS-1200 model...the NYC used them in commuter traffic on the West Shore into Weehawken, so want to join me in TWO model rails who'd buy that model?). And yes, PRR FL18's or FL20's ! 

Speaking of electrics, assume the NYC extended the third rail to Albany (clearances on the Hudson Division) and then ran 3000 volt DC catenary to Cleveland or all the way to Chicago after World WAr II. Almost certainly they would have bought motive power from GE and that almost certainly would have been either Little Joes or something like them. And the MILW had them set up for passenger and freight service, so you would use your models in either service. Diesels would handle ward service, way freights and branch lines and the line to St Louis.   

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Posted by ndbprr on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 12:49 PM

I model predominately PRR but I also have my own class one the Allegheny. Railroad is a division point where the two meet.  Both have trackage rights. The Allegeny engines are all models the PRR never had plus one Virginian EL-3 side rod electric that has a dynomometer car attached for every run. Prr considering it for coal  trains.

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Posted by RR_Mel on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 12:57 PM

Old Weirdo RR_Mel is a SP Nut, a bit over 70 locomotives all Southern Pacific and a layout only big enough to operate a single train at a time.

I bought my first articulated locomotive back in 1963, it was a Bowser Big Boy and it ended up in my office as a conversion piece from 1988 to 2006.  I ran it on my second layout quite a bit in the 60s.  I finally sold it to a UP guy in 2006 so it would finally have a layout to run on.

Mel


 
My Model Railroad   
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/
 
Bakersfield, California
 
Turned 84 in July, aging is definitely not for wimps.

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Posted by mbinsewi on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 1:00 PM

MILW., SOO, CP, CN, WC, C&NW, BN, BNSF, NS, (only 1 so far), and my freelance fleet, the GLC.  

About 20 are actively running, and road worthy, about 20 more "in the works".

I have a small layout, so only 2 locos are on the track at any given time. 

Mike.

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Posted by Ablebakercharlie on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 1:01 PM

RR_Mel
Old Weirdo RR_Mel is a SP Nut, a bit over 70 locomotives all Southern Pacific and a layout only big enough to operate a single train at a time

Interestingly enough what compelled me also to post this thread was I went on your blog beforehand to see what your roster was. As you well know it described in detail what the engines are but not the road names (unless I missed it).   I'm glad you told us what they are so I don't have to wonder anymore!  Big Smile

charles

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Posted by York1 on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 1:35 PM

I have six locomotives:

Four modern day -- two UP and two BNSF

Two UP E8 -- A & B

York1 John       

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Posted by wjstix on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 1:56 PM

I came up with 19 just in my head, without going downstairs and counting. My freelance railroad runs from the Twin Cities to Duluth/Superior, then one branch goes to the Iron Range and the other up Lake Superior's north shore to Thunder Bay Ont. Most of the engines are from railroads that serve or served the Twin Cities; CN/CP are Canadian, and the rest were in Duluth/Superior and/or the Range.

Stix
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Posted by RR_Mel on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 2:07 PM

Ablebakercharlie

 Interestingly enough what compelled me also to post this thread was I went on your blog beforehand to see what your roster was. As you well know it described in detail what the engines are but not the road names (unless I missed it).   I'm glad you told us what they are so I don't have to wonder anymore!  Big Smile

charles

 

I bought a lot of Microscale SP decals over the years until I acquired my Alps MD1000 printer.  I now have a life time supply of SP decals.





I lied.  Actually I forgot my five Shays.





They tow log cars to and from the mountains as well as a coach consist.



The tender and coach decals courtesy of my Alps printer.
 

Mel


 
My Model Railroad   
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/
 
Bakersfield, California

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Posted by BigDaddy on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 2:14 PM

John-NYBW
I wonder if that is the Bowser RS-3

Bowser is doing a second run and looking for pre-orders

I wish Howard Zane would weigh in.  Maybe he doesnt know how many locos he has Big Smile but his theory is that they are leased motive power. 

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

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Posted by rrebell on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 2:15 PM

I have quite a few road names but try for SP. I( have a lot of NYC too due to train world over buying them. 

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Posted by John-NYBW on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 2:23 PM

Ablebakercharlie

 

 
John-NYBW
I wonder if that is the Bowser RS-3

 

It is indeed a Bowser.

I hope you'll consider having an LV on your layout!  Smile

charles

 

 

I won't rule it out. The LV was one of the railroads I considered before opting to freelance. It's an interesting operation and runs roughly parallel south to my imaginary layout. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to add an LV transfer run to the schedule. One of the reasons I decided against an LV layout is the lack of available models, at least in my neck of the woods.  

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Posted by PRR8259 on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 3:02 PM

I recently stripped down my model railroad needs because I had purchased too much stuff and just had more than I will realistically ever need, and went back to basics, which for me is Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe (in more recent years known as just Santa Fe, prior to merger with BN).  I have a simple folded dogbone single track railroad, about 80 linear feet in actual length of mainline.

I have four engines, all Santa Fe blue and yellow "warbonnet" paint scheme:

2 BLI Paragon 4 GP-20's (representing a few 1977 rebuild-in-kind units that retained the large front window)

1 Walthers/Proto GP-30u (as modeled by Walthers correctly represents a Santa Fe rebuild-in-kind unit from the early 80's).

1 Atlas B40-8

Current pre-orders are for two Atlas U28CG's, one red/silver warbonnet and one blue/yellow warbonnet.

If they ever make an upgraded U36C, I might need 2 or 3 of those.  If ScaleTrains ever does the rivet counter SD40-2 with short or standard length nose, I would need 2 or 3 of those.

Other motive power and unnecessary rolling stock is currently being sold off.

John

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Posted by xboxtravis7992 on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 3:07 PM

Its a short list but (exluding toy trains such as Lego and what not and just focusing on scale models):

HO Scale
Two ATSF locomotives (a GP40-2 and a FT unit from a Bachmann starter set)
One SP locomotive (Bachmann GS-4)
One WP locomotive (second hand Athearn dummy unit)
One Amtrak SW1200 (BLI)
Three Union Pacific locomotives (One SW1500, one SD40N both Athearn, one 2-8-0 that will someday be converted to a Tooele Valley engine when I get back on that project from Bachmann)

OO9:
One Talyllyn Railway locomotive (Bachmann Skarloey kitbash)

My next plans are to bolster my OO9 roster with the purchase of two KATO-Peco George England locomotives from the Ffestiniog Railway, Prince and Princess. The challenge with them like the Skarloey-Talyllyn conversion will be fitting DCC decoders into their shells. I am mostly ignoring buying new HO stuff for now. 

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Posted by chatanuga on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 6:30 PM

7 Amtrak

1 Santa Fe

1 Burlington Northern

2 Chessie System

1 Chicago, Burlington & Quincy

1 Chesapeake & Ohio

2 Conrail

1 Norfolk Southern

2 Norfolk & Western

1 Penn Central

3 Pennsylvania

1 Seaboard System

1 Cotton Belt/SSW

2 Union Pacific

 

Kevin

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Posted by NittanyLion on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 6:50 PM

3 Norfolk Southern - an ES44AC, an SD40-2, and an SD70ACe in Savannah & Atlanta colors

2 Buffalo & Pittsburgh - 2 SD45s

2 Amtrak - 2 P42s

4 Allegheny Valley - 2 GP40-2s, 2 SD40-3s (all four awaiting paint & decals)

1 B&O - 1 P-1a

I don't currently have a layout, while there are house renos underway.  Based on the size of what I will build and how I plan to run it, I'm approaching the maximum number of locomotives I need.  I'd like one more NS unit, so that I can have two NS trains opposing each other.  Maybe another P42 so that I can choose to run the Pennsylvanian (Amfleets) instead of the Capitol Limited (Superliners).  I'd consider adding a pair of Bessemer & Lake Erie to round out the "modern Pittsburgh" flavor.  A little voice that I have been fighting off is the idea of alternate universing that the PRR did electrify to Pittsburgh...just to justify buying an AEM-7 or ACS-64.

The B&O locomotive is for the modular club, so it is a total wildcard.

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