I am working on the final stages of planning for my layout but the question that has been on my mind since I first started. I love all the Eras for certain things, 50-60’s (my family worked for PRR and NYC and it was one of the peaks of railroads), 70’s-80’s (Conrail and Penn Central), 90’s-Present (NS). I would like to be able to change era’s on my layout when I want. But how I want it to be pretty easy and quick as possible. I was thinking use all buildings that would work for all eras for the most part and then I could just switch cars and trucks on the roads, locos, and rolling stock. What do you think?
Well I’ve been interested in this for a long time…in fact I even had an article on the subject published in RMC ‘back in the day’. [:)]
I’m just starting a new layout, I figure on jumping 18 years at a time from 1940-1958-1976-1994 (or something like that). Maybe change eras every 3-6 months, we’ll see. One thing that is nice is that the area I’m modelling (northern Minnesota) is more scenery than buildings so that can remain pretty constant.
<>As you say, I figure I’m going to go with mostly buildings that can work in any era, but maybe work it out to allow some to be changed as the era changes - a space occupied by a diner in the fifties might become a KFC in the seventies. Water tanks would be removed - perhaps leaving the pedestals they once stood on?? A signal tower that is active in the fifties and seventies might be boarded up in the nineties.
Of course as you said, autos, engines and cars would have to change. It’s nice to find a few things that don’t change, if you model the UP you don’t have to worry about paintschemes changing for example!! A few things like billboards of movies of the time etc. can do a lot to help.
I guess as far as actually making the changes, it depends on how nitpicky you want to be as far as details. My previous layout was about 6’ x 16’ and I could make the changes I felt necessary to change eras in an evening. If you wanted to get more extreme, change out a lot of buildings etc. it could take longer.
One thing I don’t plan on doing is making the layout changeable all the time…I mean, it won’t be 1940 one day, 1994 the next. I plan on making changes in timeline order, and then leaving it for a period. I’ve known some guys who have a layout with two steam engines and two diesels - if they use the steam engines, it’s 1935, if they use the diesels, it’s 1990 !!
There’s a thread that was going on just this topic the other day. Here it is: http://www.trains.com/TRC/CS/forums/980968/ShowPost.aspx
Take special note of the book I suggested as it deals quite well with this subject.
Thanks I have to say it sounds like it can be done. If I pull it off I will post pics! 