Except few of the Europeans who model US share that experience, which absolutely fascinates me. Of course there are US model railroaders who model British or European railroads.
I hope my posts on Harrison weren’t taken as a message we should be PC in our modeling. He touched a lot of railroads in his day. BN, IC, CSX, CP, NSC, CN it would be a shame to say they can’t be modeled.
Henry, I did not take your post to suggest we should do any such “PC” modeling, and I know a little about Harrison and his way of managing.
I did take the OP’s question as to ask “if we should be PC in our modeling choices”, because “someone”, somewhere in cyberspace, posted something.
That is one of those questions like “when did you stop beating your wife?”.
I’m in this hobby to build models and have fun. If I have to justify my choices and interests to ANYONE, I will disappear from the public space so fast your head will spin.
I model a
I’m always amazed at “new” old technology [:-^]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GE_three-power_boxcab
NYC_DES-3_531 by Edmund, on Flickr
The DES-3 goes even a step further as it could run entirely on third-rail, too.
Cheers, Ed
From reading the OP, the definition of “mixed feelings” was “corporate and boring”. Not sure what more is being read into that.
You can say the same thing about any of the class I’s today, or even 20 years ago for that matter.
My freelanced shortline will interchange with either CSX, NS, or both as it will be set in the GA/FL area.
Growing up in Nebraska, my favorite railorads were the Union Pacific and Missouri Pacific, before they merged; with BN and ATSF right there too. And the Southern and the L&N. Not too many other railroads were of interest to me. Loved the Family Lines paint scheme when it was around, so there is some love for the CSX from a heritage perspective.
Hi Engi,
I checked Walthers Catalogue, Union Pacific: 10 pages x 120 products, CSX: 4 pages x 120 products. This might not be a fully true representation, but then I wouldn’t know any better.
At a UK Model Railway Ex’ - if I presented an non-decaled CSX Loco, not many of the public would recognise it, but were it non-decaled Armour Yellow, everyone would say “Union Pacific” - which IMO is a stereotype in Europe (i.e. model the UP and you can’t go wrong)
Also, as has been pointed-out elsewhere - the Transition era seems to dominate MRR’s at the moment. This was reflected in the MR Photo contest, a while back.
If I were modelling a C.1 - I would have chosen CSX for above reason(s) + I like the Liveries, the era and the North East Locations. I have often wondered myself at the apparent lack of CSX model railroads (and to a certain extent NS) being described in MR magazine. Both of these were (I believe) born out of Conrail - which in terms of Railroad History was a big event, for some?
Mobilman correctly lists reasons why many modellers do what they do + (in the USA) there are choices of Short, Regional or Class 1. - you lucky people.
Henry, I in turn - am fascinated by USA Railroads. Unlike Britain’s Railways, they have not been destroyed by Nationalisation and subsequently demeaned (and yes, that is Politics) They are instead, fully utilised for the benefit of the Nation.
I would like to see more of CSX & NS Model Railroads, very much. Paul.
A few hobby shop owners in Florida have told me that several time European tourists have come in and bought out everything they had for the UNION PACIFIC.
-Kevin
CSX runs through my area on former L&N tracks. I grew up next to the IC/ICG which was a childhood favorite, but that line is now long gone. I used to rail fan the Seaboard System and got really excited about the Chessie/Seaboard merger when it happened because I really like the Chessie. I feel at the time it was on of the best looking paint schemes on the rails and I was getting to see lots of it. Then came the CSX blue and grey which was bland in compairson and the X which was supposed to just be a place holder until they could find something better, did it no favors either.
To make matters worse it seemed CSX had an identity crisis with a “flavor of the month” when trying to find a lasting paint scheme. Then came the “bright Future” scheme and I really liked it and finally started to come to terms with the X which really didn’t stand for anything, so they said it stood for the multiplying power of the two merging companies.
I really like the latest blue and gold paint scheme with or without the boxcar logo. I really like what they did in rebuilding the GP38-2s, GP40-2s and SD40-2s into -3s. In time the Sponge Bob cabs began to grow on me. Today I still enjoy rail fanning CSX and even though I model BNSF, I have four CSX locomotives for run through on my layout.
Ralph
I didn’t read that at all.
On the other hand CSX is a big corporate merger entity, and sometimes fans of the predecessor roads aren’t fans of whatever bigger fish swallowed up their “pet”.
Large mergers tend to homogenize the individual “character” smaller roads tended to have.
Here are some photos I’ve taken of the CSX across New York State:
Here’s my favorite paint scheme, the YN2:
Here I am shooting a CSX manifest that’s passing an intermodal in Syracuse.
And here’s the photo I took of it.
Many more photos can be found on my blog, North Country… Ok, ok, sorry, I’ll stop now [swg]. Anyway, enjoy the CSX, despite what anyone says it would make an excellent subject for modeling.
Hi Harrison,
Nice shots. If I am not mistaken, one of those shots appears to be taken at Utica NY’s Union Station platform, not far from where I live.
Thanks! I’ve been to Utica twice, it’s a really nice place to railfan, mostly because my family can be up in the heated overpass while I’m freezing my fingers shooting trains… plus when the Mohawk, Adirondack, and Northern is working, I’m suddenly in heaven. I’m an ALCOholic… [swg]
And this is why Mike and I have repeatedly asked the OP for clarification…
Sheldon
Funny I have a BNSF for run through on my eastern themed road
I think they should bring back the Chessie System kitten scheme. I think the current CSX schemes bright or dark (and I have 2 of them) are just too bland Perhaps that is my all my later purchases are NS horses.
I already did Sheldon. I remember a few mentions of opinions about CSX but cant remember where. I have my answers now and am happy the other forum members are commenting.
OK, fine, and I made my point that the politics or management problems of the prototype do not play into my modeling choices.
But I have no dog in this fight as I am not remotely interested in modeling present day. Railroads in thera I model were not perfectly managed either. So what?
Maybe I am old and hard headed, but I simply fail to see why anyone wanting to enjoy model trains would worry about what others think about their choices.
Sheldon
Hello Sheldon, I am not trying to cause or make model railroaders worry about others will think about their choices, I am just asking why as I am curious about CSX as a choice of railroad to model, as I am not that framiler with that railroad (CSX) that much, with me knowing slighly more about Norfolk Southern than CSX, and the other Class 1 railroads I know much more about.
Prehaps I should have been more careful when asking why, and instead have asked “That Interested You To Model CSX?”
Sheldon, I have a policy for my railroad when visitors come over.
When they ask why I model something or they don’t think a model should look the way it does, or why I use code 100 Atlas track and switches when I should be using code 83. You know what I do? I show them the door and make sure it doesn’t hit them on the way out (although some I wish it would hit them in the head)!
It’s your railroad, do what you like and want to do!
Neal
You may or maynot realize this, but you did frame the question at least partly around the idea of how some “railfans” may feel about CSX.
I don’t have anything against “railfans” but I don’t describe myself as one. I don’t own a scanner, or sit by the tracks waiting for trains. I don’t set up video equipment to film them. I don’t spend time watching VRF - I did not even know what it was until a few days ago…
I don’t go on vacations to follow restored steam locos around the country side.
It does not bother me that others enjoy these activities, ob
