What Railroad do you model?

[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.