There has always been a fascination with minority builders among Model Rails. There had to have been more all Alco model empires than the prototype justified, not to mention all Baldwin (not steam division), and FM. Now it’s EMDs turn. I have to say it was Trains 2013 motive power annual that brought home how much GE has owned the domestic market the last 20 years. It’s hard to imagine a class one main line without the familiar GE cab leading train after train. Hard, but not impossible as both UP and KCS+ have enough SD70 (M, AC, ACe) running where any given train could have pure late model EMD power. That should be enough to justify it, if “I want to do it” isn’t enough.
So who has? Who has an all EMD line? Let’s hear those big Cats pure. Show your 2-stroke pride.
Ideally all I will have are EMD’s. If I had all my stuff together in one place I could figure out what I have, but it is scattered in 4 places in 3 different states. I know I have a bunch of GP’s, a few SD’s and a couple of SW’s. Not sure about the rest. Someday I will own a basement with a home on top of it and then my corporation will finally hit the rails! [(-D]
D&RGW was all EMD after 1966 approximately. OK, thats no longer contemporary, sadly. They were still running independantly all EMD until they bought the SP in 1988 and really 1996 was the merger with the borg. Just sayin…
My two favorite contenders for modelling are all EMD as far as I am aware, the INRD and Madison Railroad. That being said, the latter only has TWO engines, a GP10 and an SW8 so that Might be chaeating a bit.
With a username like mine, you have to figure I would have an EMD or two [swg]. My modern(ish) UP fleet is all EMD units. Even other road names depicted on my layout are EMD products. Now my Son models in N scale, modern day(ish) Canadian Pacific and Norfolk Southern and has predominantly EMD Kato’s…but he has snuck in the odd AC4400 and ES44AC…[:^)]…LOL!
I was thinking of getting a CN ES44DC recently released by Intermountain but I am on the fence, especially now that Athearn has announced they are making some modern SD70s. If I don’t get the ES44 then I will be EMD-only (for a long time!)
Reading through the replies it seems EMD does not have the romance that minority builders have in the past. Lots of people may have all EMD but it’s mostly from the era or niche they’re modeling. Wonder if people just don’t think of them as such due to all the older models still running. Still, people are not writing with excitement about the look or the sound of a late model EMD. I wonder if that is showing in model sales or publishing decisions. I do find the ACe look to scream heavy equipment and ooze railroadiness. The thrumb of a 710 is a nice counter to the chug of a GE too.
There is likely to be some time in the future where the Dash-2 (or are most Dash-3 now) are swept away in a short time. Wonder what will replace them.
I have to respectfully disagee with you about the Dash-2’s and Dash3’s, especially the SD40’s. There are so many of them around that even if the class 1 railroads eventually dipose of the thousands that they have they will continue in a second or third life on reginals and short lines as they are doing now. I expect them to be around for a very long time.
Although I admire the RS’s and RSD’s, I do have quite a facination w/ EMD units. My B&O and Chessie roster comprises about 90% EMD. From all the F units and that “crazy” B&O numbering to the hood units. SD7/9s to SD50s and Geeps up to the GP40-2s.
