What Railroad do you model?

[Anonymous]

i model the fictional Conecticut River Valley Railroad. comming up with your own shortline is a bit of thinking but its rewarding.

http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=50972

whatever you chose, good luck
GEARHEAD426

[railroadyoshi]

I model the Boston & Maine Railroad. I really don't care about era. I model for the moment my hometown, but I'd like to at somepoint model from Boston to the Hoosac Tunnel (My town being an inproportionally large part of that)-just a dream

[Anonymous]

I don't have any models or any railroad so, I have not deicided which way to do but, I have narrowed my choices down to.

1)Freelance railroad running in southern KY during the 40's
2)Norfolk and Western in the very early 1950's
3)Southern's CNO&TP 2nd Division in 1947
4)Norfolk Southern's CNO&TP 2nd Division today.

[trainfan1221]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ftwNSengineer

I think this has been asked before but oh well.
I model the Penn Central in 1973 with some early Amtrak thrown in.

Penn Central is usually given a bad rap, but I think there are possibilities with modeling it. Probably more than people care to admit. I had a PC engine and it was one of my favorites.

[red p]

I think this has been asked before but oh well.
I model the Penn Central in 1973 with some early Amtrak thrown in.

[nbrodar]

The D&H and CP in northeastern Pennsylvania, with a little Conrail and soon Reading and Northern thrown in.

Nick

[Anonymous]

LS&I/WC/Vreeland Rail (Mineral Range). In the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

[Cthetrains]

Milw and MKT for me...I'd be happy to share what I know (prescious little as it is), about either line with anyone who's willing to ask.

[GAPPLEG]

Just to miff the world, I model the Southern Pacific as if they never got swallowed up, I will continue to add to their roster as if they still exist. GE EVO in bloody nose ! Also have a tie in to my fictional Texas Mining shortline. where I can do anything. At present the TMI has a GE u-18 (scratchbuilt) a ge 70 ton and a 44 ton. My SP roster has 60 or so locos, My aim is to have 1 of every loco sp ever rostered. Plus I have run thoughs of UP, Rock Island, and Santa Fe.

[ciortato]

CSX, DB (German State Railway) and FS (Italian State Railway).

[Anonymous]

Wow this is an oldy,

I model the Maine Central in the late 70's, my layout is focused on Portland Maine and part of the Mountian Division that ran threw the White Mountians of New Hampshire to St. Johnsbury, VT

I grew up in Portland during the late 70's and early 80's, both my dad and grandfather worked at the HQ for Maine Central.

JH

[Anonymous]

BNSF (includes BN & santa fe) i might merge with Chicago & NorthWestern but i'm not sure yet...

[twhite]

Rio Grande and SP during the steam era (WWII-early '50's). Fictional 'California Extension' of the D&RGW from Salt Lake City to Oakland, CA. Crosses the Sierra at Yuba Summit, north of SP's Donner Pass line and south of WP's Feather River Canyon. SP and WP have trackage rights, perpetually power-short Rio Grande has 'borrowed' locomotives from N&W, C&O, C&S and PRR for the duration. Occasional GN 'detours' over Yuba Pass off of their 'highline' in Northern California. Lots of big steam (no diesels, they can't 'breathe' yet on the Sierra grades). Very noisy, lots of fun.
Tom

[Anonymous]

The line of the former KBayStsB during the Bayern Verwaltung period in the late 1920s.

http://www.altezeitgruppe.com

[Anonymous]

Burlington Northern Santa Fe!! what else?!?!? why model UP and CSX when there's BNSF?

[Anonymous]

Can anyone tell me where to buy a Milwaukee HO train set?

[jhugart]

I'm free-lancing.

At the moment, I'm working on a small layout for my son, so he can see trains run. It also gives my friends and I, all armchair modelers, a chance to practice some skills on layout building and scenery. The inspiration for the scenery is West Virginia.

The planned layout for myself is a modular layout of copper mining in the Keweenaw peninsula of Michigan's upper peninsula. There were numerous railroads in the area, including the Mineral Range, the Quincy and Torch Lake (owned by a mining company, but claimed it was a common carrier in order to avoid the taxes), and some others; the Duluth, South Shore, and Atlantic was the one which really combined a lot in the area before getting absorbed by the Soo, and now the Canadian Pacific, although the tracks there have been unused for decades.

My story is that the weather in Lake Superior was just a bit worse, making road travel difficult, water travel trecherous, and train travel just right. And, that the western copper mines didn't amount to anything, so that the UP continued to provide a lot of copper into the middle of the 20th century.

As a result, there was an effort to combine the different railroad lines, and the result was the Keweenaw and Superior Railroad, known as the Copper Line. It served the mines and towns, connecting to the Great Northern in Duluth-Superior, and stretched all the way down through Wisconsin to Chicago for a few things, running some C&NW equipment at times. More track went east along the UP to go to Canada, but I haven't thought out in that direction yet.

My goal is to do this in modules: The roundhouse and yard with dock; Downtown station and industries; Quincy mine #2 shaft area; Quincy stamp mill (maybe); and Chassel logging town. The modular approach lets me avoid worrying too much on scenicking transitions from scene to scene, and lets the layout be portable if need be.

It will be in N scale, and I want to use DCC. The era that interests me would involve a lot of steam (though I prefer diesels), so I'm going to try for sound decoders, too.

[NZRMac]

Freelance, I want a coal mine, mayby forestry, possibly a port, all depends on my ability to make it all look good!!

Ken

[Anonymous]

MKT in the late 80's, right before merger. "Ship and Travel via the KATY"

David

[Anonymous]

New York Central and the CNR in the 1950's almost
all diesels. [:)] I also like to model modern day railroading
so I will occasionally change era's to reflect the late 90's
mostly Conrail, Norfolk Southern and Amtrak[8D]

Terry,

[Anonymous]

Santa Fe All the Way!

[RDG1519]

I model the Reading Company in the early '70's. The locations are Philadelphia industrial areas and the Delaware River waterfront. Early Conrail is present. I also work the Jersey Central and P-R Seashore Lines ion as well.

[Anonymous]

I model Santa Fe, however I would rather model Rock Island as it was a local line. I am also planning on making an AT&L, since it runs through our town (it's a little town, only about 500 people)

[bogp40]

B&O, some C&O and WM, all Chessie up to the CSX merger.

[jpwc50]

PRR 1948-1955

[Anonymous]

I model anything Oklahoma between the 50's to present day. Focus on the Rock Island, MKT, WT&J, AOK, Farmrail, and AT&L

[route_rock]

What railroad do I model hmmmmmmm. I am currently planning a Rock Island branch in N scale.Based on Indianola Iowa sort of.Going to be lates 60's to the 70's so I can have a stock extra and mini trains. My fiancee and I are looking for a house with enough back yard for a pole barn for my HO scale Rock Island of the 80's!Might still do what I wanted and model the entire Quad Cities or just freelance the area.Will also have Milwaukee Road and Somewhere amongst there the Davenport Rock Island and Northwestern(the DRI line) plus a few BN units. I grew up bleeding rainbow Rock and BN Green(which makes for a color that can not be described when i cut myself) Good luck in your modeling Hawkes.It has taken me years to make up my mind.

[Anonymous]

CONRAIL 1975-1976


GO CONRAIL

David

[jag193]

After 20 years of modeling the NP/GN/SP&S in the fall of 1968 in HO and after two layouts in two-car garages, I switched railroads and scales. With failing eyesight and the frustration of a few of the new "superdetailed" kits, I've moved up to On30 (I fell in love with that Bachmann stuff last Christmas) and am creating a new layout in what used to be the 2-car garage. It's based on the old "Chili Line" (D&RGW) between Otowi and Taos junction. Since I grew up close to Espanola, it's like going back home! Now, I scratchbuild just about everything or heavily kitbash all of the Bachmann stuff. I'm selling all the HO to finance the new railroad. It's great!

[THayman]

I'm a CN/VIA Rail modeler, all modern stuff (Dash-9's, P42's, etc.). My layout is not prototypical in design, but the trains and the design of aspects on my RR are. I also have added in my own local free lanced line, the Spring Valley and Toronto RR, a small passenger and freight hauler using second hand power.
-----------------------------------------
-Tim H.
----------------------------------------

[GDRMCo]

I model the Pacific North Queensland. Its a fictional RR operating in Queensland Australia running on narrow gauge track and interchanging with Queensland Rail.

[Anonymous]

Pennsylvania RR 1946-1960, Norfolk & Western Rwy 1946-1970, Atlantic Coast Line 1946-1958, Chessie System 1973-1980.

[PennsyHoosier]

PRR and Pere Marquette. I can't imagine it gets any better than those two.

[Anonymous]

Hay Hawks05!
I miss Wisconsin. I lived in the Madison area most of my life. Now living in SoCal. My favorite is Burlington Northern GE U30C Locomotive HO Scale!

[Anonymous]

I am doing a fictional railroad with Chessie system, CSX, Seaboard System, and Family Lines merger mix with a NS/ Conrail merger, And im considering also puting in a Penn -Central junction just for a little flavor ~ ChriSS

[Casey Feedwater]

I'm freelancing two lines, the Central Missouri & Southern and its subsidiary, the Osage Valley Tie & Lumber Co. Both are set in the Missouri Ozarks. At one end, the CM&S will interchange with the Missouri Pacific and possibly the Katy. At the other end, it will pick up lumber and tie loads hauled out of the woods and from the mills by the OVT&L. Rather than trying to model a specific year, I'm trying to capture the essence of an entire era, c. 1900 - c. 1928, when logging was the major industry of the Ozarks.

[Anonymous]

I model The Best railroad: The Frisco in the Mid 1960's

Go Coonskin!!!

[Anonymous]

Im new to the hobby myself. I am modeling CSX/Chessie System circa 1990 in Central Indiana on the old Cincy to Chicago Mainline,running a CSX Dash-8 and a Chessie SD-45.

Chris

[Anonymous]

Upper Midwest roads. I collect (I'm looking for a train room surrounded by house!) Great Northern, Northern Pacific, a little SOO Line and Milwaukee. It'll be in the mid 60's when it's built. Oh yeah, since the BN and ATSF merged, I think I can have some Warbonnets. Shouldn't everybody have one, anyway?

[traingeek087]

Q baby yeah.

[bluepuma]

Rock Island - cause I think I'm going train bankrupt like they did.

Ready to sell the rolling stock, locos and main line off - my SP line couldn't get out of LA.

[rambo1]

I live in the toronto ontario area so I model C.N C.P and VIARail but I also have eqpiment in Rockiland newyorkcentral santa fe and many othersfrom the U.S. I love them all. rambo1........

[Anonymous]

I live in Washington State. my main road is BNSF, yet I have UP, NYC, Chessie
and old SF F7's, and GP38's

[Anonymous]

The Rock Island - as a regional Iowa road in 1996!

This time frame also allows me to model AMTRAK, BN/SF (merging), and track use by UP.

The basis for the modeling are the locos/rolling stock the RI had in 1980 (which works good for a regional), and the real rosters and traffic of the IMRL and Iowa Interstate roads in that year.

I also am just starting to model the Iowa Interstate amd the IMRL, when I want reality on the layout (one loco for each road, so far).

[Anonymous]

I model 70's Amtrak and have interchangeable visitors running around. I've also got some mid 50's Rock Island and so 90's stuff if I want to swap out time periods.

RMax

[johncolley]

Funny, I was raised in CA and grew up with the SP black widows, but now I have retired to the northwest I am modeling Great Northern in the early half of the '50's. I love the green and orange and besides a 75 car freight with 4 FT's in front and 2 FT's about 2/3 way back, I have a 15 car Empire Builder. johncolley tholcapn

[Anonymous]

sorry to hear you had to go to school. whenever you started this topic. I am halfway through winter break. i ammodeling the Chicago Northwestern somewhere in nebraska
with side of iowa.

[Anonymous]

I model my prototype-freelance Allentown Scranton & Northern and the Reading & Northern plus CP, NS, and CN runtrough trains. The AS&N runs between Allentown, Pennsylvannia to Buffalo, New York. I model the Allentown to Scranton portion of the line. The line is based on if Norfolk Southern decided to sell a part of it's Lehigh Line and the Southern Tier line.

[Anonymous]

The CSX merger! Most equip is chessie every once in a while a Seaboard System repaint might show up in a consist .CSX was just starting to paint their own. Who can hate the Chessie Kitten!!!!

[Anonymous]

I am making my first layout. An N scale layout of a Canadian Pacific yard similar to the one in Calgary, alberta, although mine will be different in many ways. It will have some Union Pacific frieght and maybe some Canadian national as well.

[Anonymous]

I model the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern (E,J & E), a shortline RR that serves many industries on the south side of Chicago. I also model Great Northern (GN), Kansas City Southern(KCS), and Santa Fe. I model in N-scale. Have fun.

[GDRMCo]

GDRMCo a freelanced railroad. If i did model a prototype railroad i would model the Rio Grande at Castle Gate or the Santa Fe's fast Los Angeles to Chicago intermodal route or the Queensland Rail's townsville terminal.

[Anonymous]

I made up my own location and i put Boston and Maine and Amtrak stuff in it.

[bruce22]

freelance

[TRENT B]

I'm freelancing an ATSF in mountians. I have a Blue Goose and some blue & yellow warbonnets. My town is called Katieville( after my daughter) so you model whatever you want!! JUST HAVE FUN DOING IT!!

[Anonymous]

I mostly model the Borg (aka CN) from 1955 to 1980, although I'm heavily concentrated in the late 60's for my rolling stock (I just happen to like some of the newer 70's era stuff, otehrwise it would be 55-66 for era) in Southwestern Ontario. I'm planning on adding a bit of TH&B power too, as interchange traffic. It's just a 4x8 for now, but I do plan on splitting it in half, and extending one leg to get some more run. I'm in an Apartment, so space is quite lacking.

My secondary interest is pre-WW2 Kettle Valley RR, and I might try building a 2-3 module set based on the Penticton yard, or the facilities at Beaverdell, to Freemo standards.

[bluepuma]

Started with NYC, Lehigh, then got ATSF, Penn Central but that was what the locos were.

Looked at a lot of layout plans, but had no clue how to scenic such places, have a little better idea now having seen some, but originally, the thought was: Model what you know best!

That was the LA area, with ATSF, SP and UP, but what I wanted to represent is the time and place when we moved from Highland Park, Los Angeles out to Puente, near the SP tracks and a feedlot, when most of the San Gabriel Valley east of the river was farmland, and I-10 stopped at Rosemead (Lakewood Blvd), it was '56, there were fields of barley, onions, cabbages, walnut groves, potatoes, strawberries, and in the rocky areas near the mountains, orange and lemon groves. Most of that filled in with Tract homes by '61, further out, later during the 70's.

My modeling desire is to capture the feeling of that time and place with me running the trains to local areas or heading trains to Las Vegas, Salt Lake, Omaha, Chicago, New Orleans, to see boxcars with far off railroad names.

I think of the scenes I want, Herefords and cattle cars, fields of cabbage, oranges, the San Gabriel River before it was concreted over, the LA River after it was, Los Angeles along the LA River. Got to have the ATSF passenger trains of 1970 running through the orange groves, have to have the oil tranks, pumps, refining and smell near Long Beach/LA harbor, along UP or SP or ATSF lines, have to have some street running in LA. Wanted country and city edge, and some PE cars, and PCC trolleys. Oh for the room to let UP have it's own line. If I cut the layout down to basics, would have the scene closest to home set up as a loop, or another section of main line on one of the 3, and fake some industries outside the critical 4 ft of N scale stockyard. The area modeled is relatively flat, but there are river crossings, impressive bridges.

Got to have passenger trains and mixed freight, run through piggy backs. Wasn't much double track. Lacking most is a good collection of SP F7A/B units in Black Widow paint, same in ATSF Freight colors. Some day I will paint. Only problem is how to justify NYC lightning stripe FA2/FB2, Erie Lackawanna F7A/B and B&O in the beautiful blue and grey scheme. They'd be a long way from home in LA! They all made it to Chicago!

[Hawks05]

well. like always i'm still undecided. i now have 1 BN, 2 CB&Q, and 1 Rock Island locomotives. i plan on modeling mainly railroads dealing with BN (GN, CB&Q, BNSF/ATSF, and of course BN.) but for now i like collecting stuff and getting more while prices are cheap. i know down the road in like 2010 prices will be sky high. i'm really starting to think about just doing BN (and all things involved in the BN) and Rock Island. i like the idea of coal and grain. i really like the hoppers. seems a consist of hoppers is more exciting than a consist of boxcars. if anything i'll have a mix of stuff.

of course this could all change tomorrow.

side note- tonight was the first night since i think last Friday i looked at my train stuff. mainly because i've had homework, and went to a b-ball game. of course i had to look at it tonight because i got my 2 Great Northern hoppers. great looking pieces. hopefully they run just as well as they look.

[Mikeygaw]

although prefer the major east coast rr's (CSX, NS, and Conrail specifically), a lot of what i have is the western railroads such as UP, Santa Fe, and Burlington Northern

[Gunneral]

Santa Fe, all the way! [ Raton Pass ]

[jimmac230]

Depends on the era, if it's the late 40's early 50's it would be with the ATSF when steam and 1st generation diesels roam Oklahoma. If it's current, I go with Union Pacific with a little Santa Fe blended in to make it interesting.

[Anonymous]

I model CSX , southern coal, coal river subdivision 1994-now . It strectches from St. Albans to about 30 or 40 miles south to Danville yard. I also included the mine branch lines into the hollows , of course. Even though almost extinct, I half to have the occasional Chessie C&O paint scheme on some old EMDs. I mean after all, ever since I first seen the scheme in the early 80s, it's been love.

[AntonioFP45]

SEABOARD COAST LINE from 1967 to 1975. Not as glamorous as the Santa Fe or the Pennsy, but equally as vital to the economy. As for the varnish, SCL and later Amtrak ran the Champion, Silver Star, Silver Meteor, Palmetto and various others on the steel highways from Florida to New York. Heard many a story about the SCL Champion E units hitting 90 m.p.h in Florida/Georgia during the late 60s! Nice variety of motive power: Baldwin, EMD, GE, ALCO. Fun railroad to model. I remember in the mid 70s visiting yards and being treated pleasantly by friendly personnel.

[ddechamp71]

BNSF and UP in California desert (a small display showing a fictitious area looking like Amboy and Cadiz on BNSF, + a soon started Tehachapi Pass main layout, showing the transition between flatland south of Bakersfield, Ca, and mountainous area from Illmon and Caliente to Bealville and Cliff, Ca).
My chosen era: summer 1997, in order to have recently merged SP/UP (and C&NW and D&RGW) and ATSF/BN, and having the maximum of paintschemes on my motive power.
Cheers
Dominique

[Anonymous]

i am a conrail fan, and model that road in the era of 96-98'. i also throw in some reading and northern power as a modern-day run to flip-flop from then, to now. the reading and northern is a growing regional, and continue to buy former up/sp sd40-2's. my cr power is mostly emd, with my favorite kato power ,the sd40-2r's(rebuilds from 40's), sd80macs. p2k custom painted sd60's, 60m's. super-kitbashed athearn sd40-2 cr helpers, c30-7a's, and my yard pups.(gp38's, 15-1's, sw1500's, etc) i am also a big reading and pennsy fan. i run mostly coal drags, gen. merchandise, intermodal, and locals. every now and then, my cr executive e8's will show up. remember the roads of yesteryear!!

[Ibflattop]

I would like to model N&W, Wabash, and the NKP. With a Branchline for the DT&I/Ann Arbor, and anything else from the late 50's - the early 80's. KB

[Anonymous]

The Milwaukee Road. Why? My Dad bought me a GP9 in Milw Rd colors in 1970 (which I still have) and some other railway stuff. Over the years my Milw stuff has piled up. One day I'll build myself a layout!!! but for now I'm happy aquiring Stuff.

[Hawks05]

i don't plan on getting any steam engines. i don't really like that type of railroading. and most are pretty expensive.

[JoeKoh]

The Joey Ohio RR has a lot of diffrent roadnames but mostly I have B&O and N&W power and rolling stock.My motto is "where all great railroads meet".
stay safe
Joe

[Anonymous]

Dear Hawks05,
You might enjoy modeling CSX or BN if running 90-car unit coal trains with four SD-90MACs are your cup of tea. Unfortunatesy, neither of these two lines were around in the steam age if you wanted to run steamers (although there's no law saying you can only run period trains-it's your layout, so if you don't mind running the occasional 4-6-2 with intermodals, don't exclude these prototypes).
I am partial to the ideas of freelance branch lines and helper districts (steep areas where helper locomotives are needed), but I don't really know why.
A lot of times your prototype will be your favorite railroad (probably why many strictly NYC fans don't model Pennsy). Being a Union Pacific fan, I can suggest that railroad, if for no other reason than "way cool motive power." But short lines can also be fun.
You might want to get some railroad histories and see which railroad interests you most, or look at some locomotive books, such as "The Great Book of Trains."

Good luck deciding,
Daniel

[EL PARRo]

I model UP during WWII. It's my first layout, and it's only 5'x9' and in HO scale.

[Hawks05]

QUOTE: Originally posted by 4884bigboy

QUOTE: Originally posted by Hawks05

Johnnyda***hat is how much stuff you have?

if so WOW. i only have like 8 freight cars, 1 locomotive and a caboose. i have a lot of catching up to do.

What kind of locomotive do you have?[?]

Athearn GP50 Burlington Northern "Tiger Stripe Front" or pumpkin orange and black front.

[traingeek087]

This is a very hard question for me, because I live along the BNSF mainline to the Powder River coal feilds. That's about the main summary of what I see go through on the main line. So it would almost be a no questioner what I'm going to model. But, I'd also like to model the CB&Q in the 1950's or 60's, with maybe some UP action tied in there too. It's looking like I'm going to be modeling the Burlington, hey model railroading is suppose to be fun, and I'm trying to avoid buying unit coal trains. Anyways, if I really need to model present day railroading, there is a club module layout group a couple towns down the road, maybe I'll do present day there.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Hawks05

Johnnyda***hat is how much stuff you have?

if so WOW. i only have like 8 freight cars, 1 locomotive and a caboose. i have a lot of catching up to do.

What kind of locomotive do you have?[?]

[Anonymous]

First and foremost, I model the Western Maryland,east of Hagerstown. Occasionaly with Nickel Plate power on an alpha-jet for variety. However, sometimes I slip into a time warp (Rocky Horror fans?) and run Maryland Midland trains. Neat thing is, same mainline, as the 2 lines are geographicly the same, but separated by 40 years or so.
I also occasionally will toss in a little Chessie and CSX .
I also have a set of D&H PA's that occasionally come out. In my world, they never went to Mexico, but stayed in the Hagerstown area and were leased out to pull various Amtrak/Marc or private excursions. [;)]

[Hawks05]

i'm planning on buying stuff and storing it away until i get bigger space but i'll still have a layout with stuff on it. i'm going to be modeling BN, CN, and maybe some WC, Rock Island, CP, CSX, and BNSF/ATSF. should be interesting collecting all of this and storing.

[Anonymous]

I have to keep this topic going

Presently, since Im only 14, Im buying my locos and rolling stock. If anything from what I have Ill probobly try to model very early CSX around Chicago or Indiana.

As for future projects:
The Candian Pacific's Chicago to Milwaukee Main Line when Milwaukee owned it.

The Wisconson Central presently as part of the CN.

Or the BNSF racetrack in Chicago whenever.

By the way all of these will be in N-Scale.

[douginut]

Freelance interurban and trolley lines, A milwaukee Road that survived, North shore that survived. But in reading the other posts here I have an idea that modelling a leasing company might be the trick. Imagining trains of many different roads with only one or two "Leased units" to show my presence in the train.
an idea

Doug In Utah

[Anonymous]

jerk man??? yeah i been called that before...usually in traffic tho...apearently some people just have no respect for a young truck driver...oh well...im sure they will get over it LOL

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Johnnydash9
any other questions just ask man

I really need to stop reading these when i'm half asleep, for a minute there, i thiought that said "any other questions ask jerk man" and i was about to ask who jerk man was when i started this reply, but bah.

Anyways, CANADIAN NATIONAL 1956 SUPERCONTINENTAL 12 CAR SET for
$5200 MSRP, $4420 gross? gawd that's bad!

it better be painted with real gold! course it says finished or unpainted, hmm..shouldn't unpainted be about 30% cheaper? damn capalists ;)

Jay.

[Anonymous]

awesome...having trouble finding CN stuff...here are a few good links you might like....to get GOOD CN stuff...your gonna have to order im afriad...i usualy do...

Anyhow this site deals a lot in brass...trust me i know (rolls eyes) they have quite a few of my paychecks...but they have a great deal of plastic stuff as well...and a lot in Canadian Roads since they are a canadian Company...

www.modeltrains.com

also try www.railscanada.com

these should help you out a little...any other questions just ask man

[Hawks05]

you sound like a guy i went to the show with. only i think he's 28 or something, is a trucker, and lives with his sister who is soon to be married and will be moving out.

i plan on getting into this thing pretty heavily. of course i don't make much (about $250 a month if i'm lucky) so pretty much i have to go to shows or purchase new stuff only when its needed or i can't find it. kind of like the CN stuff i'm going to have to order. i can find tons of freight cars and what not but no locomotives. i can find a few CP loco's but they are to big (6 axle).

hopefully though by Christmas i'll have my layout up and running. probably won't have scenary or anything but if i can have my track layed and my engine running on it i'll be happy.

[Anonymous]

i got in the hobby when i was 12...started at it seriously when i was 17 (your age) and im 24 now...but i also make a really good amount of money being a trucker and well living at home still with mommy and daddy (only cuz im always out on the road and getting my own place would be kinda pointless) i can spend most of my money on my pickup and my model trains LOL...i had my frist article published when i was 19 and i have had my crap mentioned in magazines several times...but...i am better now than i was at 19 and im sure ill be better at 34 than at 24...thats why this hobby is so great...your always learning something new and always honing your skills....stick with it man...its great to have other younger dudes interested in this.

[Hawks05]

geez. how long have you been in the hobby. i just plan on getting maybe 2-4 more BN, 2-3 CN, and 1-2 of the rest i mentioned. i need to get some grain hoppers and some tankers then i'll be set for my layout. then i'll need to buy some buildings.

[Anonymous]

pardon the typo...all 173...i have about 133 of them modeled now...sorry its late LOL

[Anonymous]

Hawks...thats what the railroad would REALLY have if it were real....HOWEVER...i am planning on modeling ALL 137 locomotives...i have about 40 more to go till i got em all LOL....and as for freight cars...dude...i got more than i can count...must be over 300 by now...

[Hawks05]

Johnnyda***hat is how much stuff you have?

if so WOW. i only have like 8 freight cars, 1 locomotive and a caboose. i have a lot of catching up to do.

i finally decided on what i'm going to do. i'm going to make up the place and completely create something of my own. i will mainly use Burlington Northern and Canadian National as my locomotives with some others mixed in there like CSX, Canadian Pacific, BNSF, and maybe a Rock Island or Milwaukee Road along with some Wisconsin Central stuff just to make it look like i'm modeling in Wisconsin.

[Anonymous]

PROTO-FREELANCE....

The Commonwealth Transportation Railway (a division of the Commonwealth Industries Group)

173 Active Locomotives
8200 Freight Cars
1300 Route Miles thru scenic British Colombia

[Anonymous]

i am in the process of rebuilding a layout and will be a model of the old prr in and near crestline, ohio. i also have an inclination to incorporate a lot of conrail equipment so i can model more than one era on the same layout.

[DMNolan]

Lehigh Valley in 1972, plus connecting and interchange roads: CNJ, EL, RDG, LHR, PC, D&H, Ironton & PB&NE (Bethlehem Steel).

[Anonymous]

Southern Pacific mid-50's

[Anonymous]

Bah it's funny what you find on searches:

http://www.usfreeads.com/108242-cls.html

;P

[Jetrock]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BasicJim


My question is, how do you go about doing prototype modeling of a railroad that isn't around? How do you learn what engines they used? Can you buy that type and repaint and find stickers? What is involved in prototype? Engines? scenery? more?

The first step is to do some research. Much can be done online--I model several prototypes that aren't around anymore. I started with a Google search--many "fallen flags" (railroads that have gone out of business) have fans even today, and many have websites and fan clubs.

In fact, that's what I just did:

Here's a website for the RF&P:
http://www.trainweb.org/rf&p/

Here's a diesel roster:
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/rfp.html

Here's a slideshow of photos:
http://www.daylightimages.com/slides/at/atrfp.html

And here's a site selling locomotives lettered for the RF&P:
http://www.modeltrains.com/WEB%20-%20CMT/Proto/HO-scale%20-%20American/proto-ho-rf&p.htm
And a passenger car:
http://www.discounttrainsonline.com/IHC-Dome-Vista-SSPS-RichmondFredericksburg-Potomac/item348-48237.html

And here's a book on the RF&P:
http://www.goldenspike.us/index.html?target=p_325.html&lang=en-us

(Note: The above searches took a total of about three minutes.)

It is more likely than not that someone once wrote a book about the railroad you want to model--it might take a little searching but if you can find books on your line they will be helpful. Often there will be photos, if not complete lists of motive power and rolling stock--from a photo (with a caption) you can tell many things, such as make & model, lettering and number schemes, and maybe color (most older photos are B&W, of course, but sometimes the text will mention it.)

You can get all sorts of decals in obscure road names--but if yours is really obscure, you can get decal paper that you can put in an inkjet printer and make your own!

Also--if you live in the vicinity of where the railroad you want to modle ran, you might get invaluable help at local libraries or historical societies. If you don't, well, it might make a wonderful vacation spot, both to visit the aforementioned as well as to take photos of buildings in that vicinity that reflect the period you're modeling! I've taken pleasure trips to several not-exactly-tourist-type California towns to do just that...good luck!

[Anonymous]

Alaska ;)

[Anonymous]

I have started running some Japanese High-Speed trains. Depending on which line I'm running, I might even run my Chessie set which has a combination of cars dating back to the 70's right up until the merger with CSX

[Anonymous]

Burlington Northern/Great Northern/Northern Pacific/Milwaukee Road

in Montana.

Mark in Texas

[Hawks05]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CG9602

QUOTE: Originally posted by Hawks05

As some of you may know i'm just getting into the hobby and i hope to become a full fledge model railroader as this hobby seems like one of the best to have.

so i'd like to know what railroads you model. right now living in Wisconsin i'm thinking about Burlington Northern, Wisconsin Centra, Milwaukee Road, or CSX. during school yesterday i saw a CSX go through so that's why i'd like to model that one.

what do you model? sorry if this has been done before, i'm just a newb.

Hmmm.. . .Let's see. I'm in the process of modeling the CNW, WICT/WSOR. Surprising that you didn't mention CNW, as they had almost as big a presense in WI as the MILW did at one time. The BN also is in my layout. As one other posted has stated, we tend to model what ogt us into the hobby in the first place, even though that doesn't explain why I am putting Garratts in a US midwestern setting. Hmmmmmmmmmm

well i got the part about Burlington Northern, and Wisconsin Central. but WSOR, CNW, and MILW i don't know. sorry to sound dumb.

[CBQ_Guy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BasicJim

Kind of a noobie question here, but I just recently decided to get into model railroading. I am doing it under the pretense of a 'father-son' thing, but I think the wife knows it is really for me!

My question is, how do you go about doing prototype modeling of a railroad that isn't around? How do you learn what engines they used? Can you buy that type and repaint and find stickers? What is involved in prototype? Engines? scenery? more?

I am interested in the Richmond, Fredericksburg, & Potomac (RF&P) or the Alaskan RailRoad. Lived in and loved Fredericksburg and was raised in Alaska.

Any hint on the whole modeling-a-railroad thing would help!!

Thanks,

Jim

Jim,

Welcome to what many call the "World's Greatest Hobby". Here are some links to get you started and whet your appetitie:

http://www.trains.com/story/story_list.asp?idMenuCategory=6&idMenuSubCategory=61&idMenuMinorCategory=6100

http://www.greatesthobby.com/

http://www.trainweb.org/rf&p/

http://www.akrr.com/

http://www.microscale.com/catalog_results.mv

http://www.microscale.com/catalog_results.mv


Enjoy!

[Anonymous]

Kind of a noobie question here, but I just recently decided to get into model railroading. I am doing it under the pretense of a 'father-son' thing, but I think the wife knows it is really for me!

My question is, how do you go about doing prototype modeling of a railroad that isn't around? How do you learn what engines they used? Can you buy that type and repaint and find stickers? What is involved in prototype? Engines? scenery? more?

I am interested in the Richmond, Fredericksburg, & Potomac (RF&P) or the Alaskan RailRoad. Lived in and loved Fredericksburg and was raised in Alaska.

Any hint on the whole modeling-a-railroad thing would help!!

Thanks,

Jim

[CG9602]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Hawks05

As some of you may know i'm just getting into the hobby and i hope to become a full fledge model railroader as this hobby seems like one of the best to have.

so i'd like to know what railroads you model. right now living in Wisconsin i'm thinking about Burlington Northern, Wisconsin Centra, Milwaukee Road, or CSX. during school yesterday i saw a CSX go through so that's why i'd like to model that one.

what do you model? sorry if this has been done before, i'm just a newb.

Hmmm.. . .Let's see. I'm in the process of modeling the CNW, WICT/WSOR. Surprising that you didn't mention CNW, as they had almost as big a presense in WI as the MILW did at one time. The BN also is in my layout. As one other posted has stated, we tend to model what ogt us into the hobby in the first place, even though that doesn't explain why I am putting Garratts in a US midwestern setting. Hmmmmmmmmmm

[Hawks05]

ya i don't know right now, again. i just got home from my friends and his dad gave me 3 books to look at and like 10 videos for beginners. i'm going to read and watch those this week then nextweekend i plan on going with them to a show and he said he'll help me pick out stuff. he has a friend who's selling track so i'm buing $50 worth of track for $20 and he said it will all fit on my 4x8 foot layout. he showed me a ton of cars and locomotives and stuff today and said he'll help me pick out stuff that is good and that will work well. he also said he'd help plan my layout as long as i built the bench. i'm so excited about next weekend that i think i'm going to bowl out and go with him for like 9 hours or so to look at trains. should be a lot of fun.

as of right now i'm thinking of the CN and CSX. not sure though don't know. tomorrow it will change probably.

[AggroJones]

Denver & Rio Grande Western, Southern Pacific, Santa Fe, Union Pacific with a little Western Pacific, Great Northern, and Northern Pacific thrown in.

I love the west.

[METRO]

I also live in the badger state, but I model the greater Toronto area and some fictional branches. If you are just starting out, remember locomotives from many other roads travel through any given line. I can get away with having some BNSF Dash-9s on my Canadian National container trains. The reasons for this vary, there may be leased units, or new aquisitions or just passing through for some other reason. This is probably why you saw some CSX units as I don't know of them having any trackage in Wisconsin, although I do see them quite often at the Canadian Pacific yards in Milwaukee.

[Anonymous]

I love the old "WOBBLY", Western Pacific. I suppose thats a little strange for a Canadian, but this interest started years ago when Lionel came out with their "Rides like a feather" silver box car. Since then I have read lots of history and facts on the WP. and it has been able to hold my interest. I model in HO and use mostly WP equipment with a little DRG&W, SP, NP, and UP thrown in to make use of an interchange yard. The layout is 13ft. by 17ft in a basement room my wife has agreed is my territory. It is around the wall with a center penninsula and a hidden staging yard in a storage room at one end of the layout. It is a combination of some appropriate areas but mainly fictisious. I'm mainly into good operating and having fun without getting to hung up on copying in detail the Portola yards etc. I believe to do that properly takes a lot more room than what I have plus many other frustrations that it could lead to. So I just go with what feels right and some standard railroad procedures for things in the right places and this gives me my satisfaction.. TO EACH THEIR OWN IN THIS HOBBY AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT THE GREATEST HOBBY IN THE WORLD. Now go lay some track boy ! ! ! !

[Anonymous]

Santa Fe And Southern Pacific over the Tehachapi's

[Hawks05]

i'm going with CSX and UP. thats what runs through my town so thats what i'm going to do. i'm going to try and model my town and some other little towns. least thats my best guess. today i got a book on a simple layout in HO scale. should be interesting.

[64ss283]

I model N scale in Canadian National and Canadian Pacific, and a little BC Rail in Saskatchewan, Canada.



Brent

[Anonymous]

I model the "Fictional RailLine", complete with "Fictional Cities" and "Fictional Countrysides" and you guessed it "Fictional Configurations".

I don't like being tied down to minute details of some Real scene just to be told by someone that you got it wrong, those 3 buildings, were NEVER there, they were on the far side of town. so i just make fictional places with some strange fictional train configurations rolling through.

[detting]

I model the Standard Railroad of the World, The Pennsylvania Railroad. I also use prototypically correct code 100 track.

[CP5415]

Canadian Pacific. With a mix of SOO, D&H, several different paint schemes of CP itself,
throw in a Milwaukee or a TH&B unit & you have an interesting consist.
With inter-changes with UP, CSX, NS, CN & BNSF I can buy any locomotive on the market for use on my layout.

Just my two cents

Gordon

[Anonymous]

In my case, it's a ficticious CP Rail branchline in Northern Ontario (1975-1985). It gives me the chance to model what I want, but while keeping in mind certain prototypical caracteristics.

[nfmisso]

Norfolk & Western, 1950 to 1955, with some exceptions.

[Anonymous]

Like pablopicatso, I too say... Santa Fe, all the way!

I model using the Santa Fe line that follows Route 66 across Northern Arizona.

[eastcoast]

My main interest is all phases of Amtrak as they are easy to find and purchase. Then, I will repaint some of these in my own road colors,ECR, in which the idea is for these two to compete for business.I am modelling from 1980 to 2000 so I can keep it diverse with motive power.
As for freight, I am trying to focus on CSX, but find that BN is VERY complimentary to my own rail colors of green and red, therefor I use these locos as lease for the ECR. Again,competing rail lines.
ken_ecr

[JohnCarty]

My Favorite Railroad is the Wabash. At this time, however, due to space constraints (the Wabash was Class 1), I am modeling the Day Lines: St. Louis & Belleville Electric and East St. Louis & Suburban. Take your time choosing your line. The consideration will pay off handsomely.

[BNSFNUT]

BNSF in the Winslow area.

[aiireland]

C&NW (or The Cheap & Nothing Wasted as i like to call it) north out of Omaha to Sioux City (Nebraska side of the river) late 50's thru the 1960's. Not a true prototype, but i do try to keep a prototype "feel" to it.

[fishplate]

I model "ESPEE'S" Donner Pass in 1952. Modeling the scenery is very easy.
SNOW......SNOW.....SNOW!!!!

[Hawks05]

i'm thinking about going with Canadian National, CSX, and Burlington Northern. i read Trains magazine and read that CN bought Wisconsin Central so i might do that.

[Anonymous]

I model the B & O , my favorite RR, in 1958. [:D] There's a bit of WM equipment also.
Because I've never forgiven the C & O for the "Chessie System" control takeover [:(] of my favorite railroad, in 1963, there's not even as much as one single C & O freight car on my railroad, although a lot of other NE roads are represented.
regards
Mike

[Anonymous]

i have two main lines for "east" and "west" coast.For Waterloo,Ia. i am modeling Illinois Central and IC GULF.For the "west" i am modeling SantaFe. I am sticking to the late 50's/early 60's and decided to keep away from the big unit/big fleet idea. Most of my engines ard Baldwin,Fairbanks-Morse Geep7's and -9's and a new gas/electric motorcar.I am in HO.All that gives me mountains,valleys/two ports and pleanty of bridges in an 11ftby 25ft area. As usual for a first big layout, I probably have way too much track and not much room for buildings.Mike Pendleton

[Anonymous]

I'm going to model the Union Pacific in 1945. After that maybe the N&W!

[emdgp92]

I model the Waynesburg and Washington...as it might have existed in the '70s--with Penn Central rolling stock and a little Monongahela RR thrown in.

[Anonymous]

I find it easiest to base my modeling off of my railfanning. Find rail yards, engine houses, major traffic rails and take lots of photos. You'll get a lot of ideas this way. Make sure to photograph the local scenary as well if you are looking to acurrately model a specific rail line.

If you really don't want to model a specific railway I suggest looking at magazines and videos and model the bits and pieces you are interested in. Best advice I ever got concerning model railroading was "It's my railroad I can do what I want." Have fun it with it and it will help youstay hooked.

[ndbprr]

I've been in the hobby for over 40 years now and yes you tend to model what attracted you to trains in the first place. That being said I have found that what I want has changed with time, my knowledge, wants, and not least reality. I started with an AHM U25C and Y6b steam engine as my first HO trains both in PRR. I collected anything PRR and now own several cars that are at best extremely poor representations of PRR equipment. As my skills and tools increased so did my level of detail. Finally I drew a line in the sand and said to my self that anything that wasn't at a certain level of accuracy was going to be labeled for the Alleghey Railroad that in my world had a very close relationship with the PRR and ran some of its trains over the PRR and vice versa. I became so enamored with the ARR I was developing I abandoned the PRR for awhile which allowed me to buy some engiens never owned by the PRR that the ARR bought when being scrapped by the railroads in question. I still have some ARR freight cars and passenger cars and they will still run on my latest version of the PRR but I am more than ever into fidelity of pRR equipment, location and operation at this point. Will I ever be able to win a car contest - yes if I am the only one entering. I have planned a one scale mile railroad of the PRR in Philadelphia with corridor traffic and locals. One turn on the whole thing (prototypical). Real time as the distance is easily modeled in a basement. Easily built - one straight line diagonally from corner to corner with hidden staging in the peak of the triangle it forms, no tight aisles, no duckunders, no multilevels to maintain, and lots of trains. I have finally found nirvanna after 40 years of having fun. The point - I had a lot of fun along the way. I learned and continue to learn a lot and apply most of it, I changed with time, I am better for it and so is what I will model. It ain't permanent and change is the only constant so go with the flow. I doubt it but in five years I may deicde to model Colorado narrow gauge. Time will tell.

[rockisland4309]

For me it's the Rock Island from 1970 to 1980. The last decade of the Rock's operations was the most interesting. Especially, with it's motley assortment of paint schemes and locomotive roster. I model the Rock between Liberal, KS to Dalhart, TX of the Rock's Golden State Route. Nothing beats seeing a 100 car unit grain train creeping down the mainline!!! I also model a little of the Southern Pacific because the RI interchanged with them at Tucumcari, NM. So, I have a few SP tunnel motors for run-through power.

[Anonymous]

This is not an easy question for me to answer as I model several. This is becasue of my diverse interests and the fact that trains to me are like lays potoato chips. I cant stick to just one.

I am reposting directly the list of what I model from another post I made here on this forum. I would like to mention that so far the models are mainly in equipment only and my layout at present is the Lander yard and South Lander Industiral Branch on my Lander Northwestern Portion. I however Run the other roadnames on that layout as my mood fits.

Here is what I model.

THe Union Pacific Wyoming Division, 1950, HO Scale. Uncle Pete still had alot of neat looking steam locomotives. Including my favorites. 4 Challengers in the Grayhound Scheme (3977-3980). Alot of older wood sided equipment was in its last years of revenue service. as well as new still modern looking 40 and 50 foot cars such as the AAR Boxcars or the PS-1.

Mid 60s CNW Locomotives on a Modern Day representation of CNWs "Cowboy Line" to Lander Wyoming, HO Scale. I like the look of mid 60s CNW Power, I also wanted to model the line that once ran to the town I now live. However upon doing research on the appropriet line, Using the modern day industrial base that is now in the area, provides more justification for a rail line that the 5 dinky grain elevators, and seasonal stock movements that consisted of the traffic base in the mid 60s. I operate this segment as the short line "Lander Northwestern" with the brass deciding to have their locomotives painted for Mid 60s CNW.

1967-1970 Great Northern, HO Scale. Ok I am vain I admit it. The only reason I model this railroad during this period is becasue this was the era of my all time favorite diesle paint scheme. GN's Big Sky Blue. I have not decided what portion of this railroad I will model yet. But for the time being I usually use my models for this railroad at train shows I attend. Also I must mention that all the other lines I model are at least an end to end connection or at least intechange some where in the middle so they privide a continueous network. This GN segment so far is isolated from that. But Damn, a 16 car Empire Builder, in Brass painted Big Sky Blue is one fine looking train in deed.

1972 Union Pacific Wyoming Division. HO Scale. I know your priobably thinking, Haven't I been here before. Yes you have. Except its now 1972, which was a big transistion year on Union Pacific. DD35s U50C &Ds Phasing out of F units. all this makes an interesting cocophone I would like to model. Also this version is on a "wall track" shelf around the first story of my house.

1976 Burlington Northern Casper, Cannan, Valley, subs and C&S Lines Orin JCT to Denver. HO Scale. I grew up with BN. And I like the look of BN Green. While 1976 was 6 years before I was born. THe chance to not only model the rialroad of my youth, but all the cool Bicentenial locos and Movements proved to be to much of a temptation.

1985 Burlington Northern Deadwood Brach. 1/24 scale Gauge III Track. (I will save a discussion of all the "G" scales for later. It gets confusing) Blame my grandpa. He got me going with Live Steam models. So with this Line I am modeling the steam locomotives of the Black Hills Central. and Batter Power RC on the BN diesles. This is slow going as I have to scratch build all the railroad equipment. (I can find lots of accessories for the layout in this scale though) Yes this is an out door garden railroad.

1998-2002 BNSF-UP Powder River Basin Lines. (BNSF Orin, and Black Hills Subs and UPs Powder River Sub) HO Scale. This is where I grew up. I did not feel right modeling the rest of Wyoming and excluding this corner which I have come to know and love. Yes All those coal cars may get boring after a while, but keeping the trains moving is the challenge on these busy lines. Plus having Devil's Tower in the background is nice. (Yes It really is visible from the tracks, And Its not a cop out from Close encounters)

Yes you can say with all that I do have my hands full. But there are other modeling endeavors I am working on as well. I am often helping my girlfreind with her modeling. She models Vermont Rail Systems, and the Rutland.

Also there were some things I could not resist modeling. Even though They have no bearing on what I am actually modeling. This I call my special Interest catagory. Things in the catagory get modeld because they have an adnormally High amount of "Cool" factor.

The Special Interests Projects are.

Santa Fe Heavy Weight Train made from Athearn Cars and a Mantua 4-6-2
Santa Fe Streamliner Made with Athearn Streamlined cars and old Varney F-7s (Out fitted with Proto Power West Drives)
Amtrak Train of Athearn Streamlined Cars and Athearn F7s
(The above projects were done when I was in Jr. High)
Amtrak's Auto Train. (Full Scale Length Consist)
Amtrak's San Diagan
Amtrak's Empire Builder (Phase II circa 1982)
CSX Tropicanna Juice Train. (Again Full 45 car train)
D&RGW Circa 1954 "Scenic Limited" (The Yellow Silver and Black is way cool. Modeled with old 1970s vintage "OK Streamliners" Scale length cars)

Now here we are all out of breath. Your probably thinkiing "You model all that!?!?!?!?" All I have to say is not bad for a 21 year old huh.

Once again thank you for allowing me to comment.

James R. Mitich

[Jetrock]

Sacramento Northern and Central California Traction, both of which were electric interurban lines that survived to become diesel freight lines in the modern era./

[Anonymous]

Santa Fe, all the way!

[Anonymous]

Norfolk & Western here...thinking about getting more into logging and SHAYs :)