Why are Amtrak Modelers Far and Few Between in this Hobby?

[Anonymous]

I think most of it has to do with the time period. The Transition Era is the most popular among modelers so this pretty much precludes running anything AMTRAK since AMTRAK didn't come about until 1970. I model CONRAIL of the 1990s and Include AMTRAK service on my layout but basically the freight operations are the major part. I think that's a big part of it too.

BTW nice pics Siberianmo. [tup]

[simon1966]

Using a "fast clock" for MRR operations is fun and speeds up the action. To run Amtrak realistically, you have to use a "slow clock" it gets boring quickly and hence not too many modellers stick with it.

[rayw46]

It's amazing how many have responded to this question. It seems that there is not as much stigma attached to modeling Amtrak as some may have thought and it's obvious that more people model Amtark that anyone may have imagined

I have a small 2' x 8' HO switching layout with a fiddler/staging yard at each end. All this discussion has made me want to put together a two or three car Amtrak train to run through on the main line now and again.

[METRO]

Actually, part of the freelance history of my line is that Amtrak suspended all operations in Canada after 9/11, and their equipment in Canada was either reassigned or sold to Canadian roads.

My freelanced Selenian Lines Commission bought several Amfleet coaches and a couple P40s to suppliment the line's existing fleet of P42s when Amtrak left the Dominion. So in a way I model what is supposedly ex-Amtrak equipment.

Cheers!
~METRO

[dinwitty]

I have some Amtrak equipment, but I will not be modeling amtrak. I am sticking to the mid fifties modelingwise.
I may sell my Amtrak stuff to lighten up equipment and make room.

[slotracer]

I'll toss one other idea out that I did not see anyone point to already.....operational opportunity. Although we all know freight operations generally present far more in the way of operating variety, Some passenger operations also present some operational interst, but that type of operational variety and uniquenses is all pre amtrack and the older an era it gets the more operational variety one has the opportunity to employ on a layout.

Earlier amtrack may have some opportinities to routinely swap blocks of cars at large sations if one models them, but modern amtrack is almost entirely made up of trains that go from a to b with little to nothing in the way of swapping cars at intermediate terminals. Passenger train operations from the earlier eras saw sleepers and pullmans swapped or added or deleted off trains routinely, as were baggage, mail and express cars. Add to this mail terminals, parcel terminals and even milk cars and local passenger trains and older era's offered interesting operational opportunities that intrigue modelers enought to model them. Look alike trains that merely run accross the layout from terminal to staging and back don't offer that and probably inspire less people to model them.