I’m just trying to get an idea of if folks stick to their modeling era and road name(s)? For example, I model the modern era and Union Pacific. However, I have purchased SP daylight and I’m getting all the SP daylight cars that are coming out from MTH. I also have a challenger engine with a coal tender vs the oil tender it has now and the SP daylight I mentioned eariler has whitewall wheels which are from the older days of railroading. Do you find yourself straying outside what you set up as your era and road? I try not to because cost is already high, but there are some neat items for purchase out in the market
Let me put it this way. I have a hobby budget. When I spend outside my era, it takes that much longer to get the stuff I need.
It takes a good deal of discipline, but, yes I stick to my era and road. DJ.
My era is 1989-1990 for the ATSF and I stick pretty closely to it. I may fudge once in a while and buy something that is a year or two out of my era either way just because I want it. Otherwise, I am the ATSF in Oklahoma in 1989-1990.
Bob
I model the modern BNSF and I do stick with the era. However, I do have 3 UP auto racks, 1 CSX autorack, and 1 NS autorack. Of course I have some TTX cars, but about 90% of my fleet is BNSF.
John:
For me it’s fairly easy. I model the era between 1939-1954 and my major railroad is the Rio Grande during the steam era–with Southern Pacific trackage rights, I’m a “Proto-lancer” not a “Proto-type” modeler. Which means I can have both Rio Grande and SP ‘big steam’ and first generation diesels (very few diesels, BTW), because that’s what I grew up with.
Luckily, there are a lot of rolling stock models available for that particular era out there, and I can buy them without actually worrying about the fact that they just ‘might’ be a little ‘too modern’ for my freight or passenger car fleet.
If I happen to come across a ‘foreign road’ steam locomotive that I’d really like to have on my MR, I can always explain it away by saying that it’s been ‘leased’ from the foreign road because of motive power shortages due to the traffic patterns on my railroad. So therefore, I can have locomotives from Missabe, Great Northern, Colorado and Southern and even as far ‘back east’ as the Chesapeake and Ohio. Historically, it happened a lot with Western railroads as the traffic patterns fluctuated between the Pacific and European Fronts during WWII, and the Pacific Front in the subsequent Korean conflict.
So I’m factually okay for the most part, there.
Now, would I have one of my Rio Grande or SP steamers hauling a train of double-stacks container cars? Heck no, double-stacks don’t fit my ‘scheme’, besides I think double-stacks are BORRRRING! [:-^]
Would I have one of my Rio Grande northerns hauling a streamline train with vista-domes? Yup. Rio Grande did that with their “Royal Gorge” for several years when they acquired second-hand domes from C&O’s ill-fated “Chessie.”
Would I acquire Rio Grande or SP ‘Tunnel Motors’ to handle a st
Nope, I’m one of those grubby collectors who has engines from about five or six different roads, often on the layout at the same time. That includes a couple of SD-75M’s along with my steamers; got one in the yard this minute next to steamers from the NYC, N&W, and the C&O.
I run what I like when I like. If I were bent on modeling, it would be different.
-Crandell
Crandell:
Yah, but it always looks so darned COOL!
Tom [:D]
Crandell can you hear that…its the sound of all the rivot counters wincing…[:D]
Now, before everyone gets upset, I have respect for someone who maintains his or her era. In fact, my collection is entirely from the 1930-1960 period, but I have a N&W Mountain steamer next to a Santa Fe F3ABA consist. I also have a few Mini Metals vehicles from the early 60’s. I buy what is interesting to me and I run what I buy. I can’t imagine how someone could see a loco that they really love and not buy it (assuming they can afford it) just because its not in there era?
OK, my railroad and era are the Southern Railway from 1975 to 1985. About 80% of my locomotives fit that decade. I have a few Sou steamers and a few other steam locomotives that I just like, mainly 2-8-4 Berkshires. Since I live in central Florida I have acquired a few SCL and CSX diesels. My favorite diesel is the SD45 so have a few non Sou SD45s.
As far as rolling stock goes I’d say about 40% is Southern and the rest is anything that fits the era, ie. no double stack well cars. Since I like to run my steamers at the club I’m a member of I have a small collection of steam era freight cars from all roads. I’m not big with passenger trains but I do own about 20 Sou passenger cars, at least that’s how they are lettered.
I model the mid-1970s in HO scale and almost all my locos are early diesels (e.g. RS-3s, GP7s, S-2s, SW9s). Most of the stuff is CN and CP, but I have a little bit of BN, PC, C&NW, and some locos painted for my own short line. I won’t buy any steam locos or modern diesels, so I don’t have to worry about straying away from my ‘era’.
I model British Rail of the late 1970´s into early 1980´s - the late so-called Blue Diesel period. Setting is somewhere in the north of UK, i.e. Scotland, which limits my choice of traction and rolling stock, as well as the look of buildings and structures.
Although there are many “objects” of my desire outside that region and area, I strictly adhere to the chosen scheme - mainly for budgetary reasons. It also helps me to “style” my layout consequently.
Most of my purchases in the last 10 years are within road, era, and locale. One of the advantages of the Ma&Pa in the early 50’s is that I can run older steam, truss rod open platform passenger cars, truss rod boxcars with typical 50’s rolling stock. And the interchange roads, PRR and B&O, can have more modern engines. But really, this is a hobby and I have no problem straying occasionally.
Enjoy
Paul
Yes, for the most part. I model a pennsy-themed layout set in the mid-1950’s. Nearly all of the cars and locomotives I’ve purchased are appropriate for that theme and era. I’ve had to fudge a little on some of the steam power I’ve bought, but not terribly, and it works with the storyline of my layout anyway, so even those aren’t too anachronistic. Over the years I’ve purchased a lot of “boxed lots” (mixed stuff) so have acquired cars from all eras, particularly more modern than my selected era. I have zealously weeded those out and do not run them on my layout. A few are marked for years newer than my era but research shows that they were produced appropriately for my era, so I have set those aside in case I ever get completely bored with nothing at all to do and want to attempt to back-date them… 
John
I’m building a large layout that requires a large fleet of equipment. I stay completely within my era and scope.
The very few items I have that are outside my era or layout theme were gifts or purchased before this theme was adopted. That was 25 years ago. I have over 120 locos, 90 passenger cars and about 700 freight cars. Those few items that are outside the layout theme can be counted on my fingers.
I don’t, collect, resell, or invest in model trains. I buy them as part of the needed equipment to build and operate the layout.
I buy VERY LITTLE used, in fact “used” items generally have to be “new in the box but previously owned” for me to be interested in most cases.
In 40 years in this hobby, I have never changed scales, sold off any signifcant amount previously purchased stuff, or bought anything with the intention for it to sit in a display case.
I don’t own a UP Big Boy, Gas Turbine, FEF or Challenger, PRR anything, N&W Class J, SP GS4, NYC Hudson, or any locos who’s prototypes were built after 1954.
But, to be fair, I don’t behave that way with anything. I don’t buy things I don’t really want, I keep and take care of the things I spend my money on, I think before I buy 99.9% of the time.
I’ve never sold off one “toy” to buy the next “toy”. I don’t get bored, I’m not ADHD or ADD.
Sheldon
Yes, I do - New York Central, mid-'40s, steam/early diesel. And it makes decision-making about purchases much easier than if I didn’t stick to one road name. I think it also helps me to remain more focussed in what I’m trying to accomplish on my layout.
Tom
I was at 1985-1990. I have since moved back to 1969-70. I have sold off all of the rolling stock and locos that didn’t fit and am now concentrated in the older era with just a little fudging.
I began by modeling the Frisco in the 1978 - 1980 time frame, and my layout was loosely based on the Carthage, MO branch. At first I stuck strictly to this. Problem is that I also have always had a love affair with the Katy and the Rock Island (especially in western Kansas & eastern Colorado). As time has passed I have also begun to collect some Katy and Rock Island items. I still stay with the 1978 - 1980 time frame. My layout is small so I can change all the motive power and cabooses (cabeese?) easily. Depending on my mood today it may be a Frisco layout and tomorrow a Rock Island layout. It works for me, and as long as I’m enjoying myself I guess that’s the whole point. Enjoy!
I was being pretty good about being in the Late Transition Era with my main line being the Milwaukee. I have a couple of off-road switchers in the yard, which I tell myself I’ll either repaint someday or make up some plausible story about. More recently, I’ve even swapped out my totally-wrong Athearn Milwaukee cabeese (I mean, a Santa Fe model in silver?) for bay window models.
But, one day at my LHS I saw and heard a Proto 0-6-0 steamer, and I had to have it. Again, a re-badging is on the to-do list, but the steam bug hit me at the same time as I was getting hooked on sound.
So, now I have a dual-era layout, when I “get religion” and actually go through the effort of swapping out the engines, rolling stock and automobiles. I like this option, because it gives me the chance to run either diesel or steam, to have a lot of different rolling stock, and to fill my streets with either pre-war cars or those from my childhood.
In perfect four-part harmony… [:P]
John