Various eras on a layout...

[Tracklayer]

I was going through some model railroading magazines a while back at one of my hobby shops, and came across an article about a guy that had built a 12 X 4 N scale layout with various eras on it. On the left end, it was the old west, a little farther up, it went into the early 1900s, in the middle it was the 1940s-50s and on the far left end it was the 1970s. I thought this was really neat, and would love to have something like that myself, but I just don't have the room for it. Also, the guy built this thing years ago when items weren't available like they are today, so I'm sure he had to make, modify, etc mostly everything on it. I wish I had bought the book, but they wanted like $25.00 for it which caused my tight wad alarm to go off... Oh well. Thank goodness for my photographic memory.

Tracklayer

[cwclark]

I run a various era railroad but not to the time period extreme that your guy did...my earliest train is the SP sunset passenger, then I run trains that are from the 60's and 70's and then modern day stuff...the way i keep it all in check is to use old buildings on the layout like ones still standing in small towns usa at the present and as they did in the time period so that the trains can blend in just as well in the 60's as present day...another thing i do is keep the different time period locomotive consists together...i'll run F units and PA's together, rs's and gp-7's or 9's together...and the newer mac 70's or 90's together ...I go to great lengths to keep them separated...it looks really funny if i try to run ..say..an RS 11 with an AC4400...it never happened that way...I do have a lot of EMD cabs so they can run together with just about all my locomotives except the F-7's and the PA's because they were'nt around in that time period...chuck

[Tracklayer]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cwclark

I run a various era railroad but not to the time period extreme that your guy did...my earliest train is the SP sunset passenger, then I run trains that are from the 60's and 70's and then modern day stuff...the way i keep it all in check is to use old buildings on the layout like ones still standing in small towns usa at the present and as they did in the time period so that the trains can blend in just as well in the 60's as present day...another thing i do is keep the different time period locomotive consists together...i'll run F units and PA's together, rs's and gp-7's or 9's together...and the newer mac 70's or 90's together ...I go to great lengths to keep them separated...it looks really funny if i try to run ..say..an RS 11 with an AC4400...it never happened that way...I do have a lot of EMD cabs so they can run together with just about all my locomotives except the F-7's and the PA's because they were'nt around in that time period...chuck

The closest that I can come to this is to change a few structures and buildings around, change the automobiles out and go from one era to another. But you know how it is when you see a big layout like the one in the magazine article I saw, and your mouth starts watering... I'd love to have something like that, but I just don't have the spare room.

Tracklayer

[cwclark]

Tracklayer....where near houston are you?...send me an e-mail..maybe we can get together someday ..I have a fairly large / medium size layout and could really use some help in an operating session...i live in the country and if it doesn't involve beer or deer rifles, it's hard to get most people around these parts interested in the layout .. my e-mail is: [e-mail]