Not sure this is the right place to post but here goes. While laying track on our lower staging yard last nite we began to discuss exactly where we want to go with this layout. We want a layout with modern equipment running and modern industries but would like to incorporated some of the now defunct railroads from our location. We live in Gastonia NC so we would like to incorporate the old ACL, SCL, SAL, SEABOARD, SOUTHERN, NORFOLK WESTERN, and any other roads that operated in NC, SC, GA, VA, AND TENN. Our crazy idea is to actually have a layout on which these roads are still in existence and running using modern equipment such as the Dash 9 and AC4400. Where can we find reference, decals in HO scale, and photos.
Can’t help with decals and photos, except to suggest that you go, initially, with the last paint scheme of each of your desired roadnames. (N&W should be easy - as Henry Ford said, “Any color you like, as long as it’s black.”)
As for justification, just tell all the mundanes who think that the Neil Armstrong Universe is the only universe that you’re modeling the Cyrano DeBergerac Universe, or maybe the Ballox O’Malley Universe - where those fallen flags never fell. (Universe references explained in Heinlein’s The Number Of the Beast.)
I personally model the Leslie LaCroix Universe - which allows me to mine coal in an area that never had a workable seam…
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with a Northern Kyushu coal mine)
[8D][:D]
Decals…
http://www.microscale.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT
Choose your road name from the drop down menu.
http://www.minot.com/champ/HO-catalog.htm
A few of those old road names you mentioned can still be found roaming the rails. I have an old B-23 Family Lines SCL loco that shows up around here once in a while.
If your talking about “fantasy” schemes, I’ve thought about doing a couple of those myself. I’d like to have an F unit in CSX new blue/gold scheme.
Not crazy at all !! That is the best part of this hobby, it’s you’re call. You can recreate the exact or go in a total differnt direction. That’s why I love it.
Sounds like this person is doing something similar to what you envision. Although he is keeping his era in 1953 instead of modern, his fictional ACL branch line passes pretty close to where you are located. Sounds like he has thoroughly researched the ACL, SAL, and other roads in your part of NC–maybe he can help you with references for researching your idea. Jamie
I live in South Charlotte.
We should get together and hang sometime. I would be willing to help you build your layout. (I need the practice)
PM me.
Not crazy. People have been doing that for the last 40 years (retaining fallen flags). Down side is you have to letter a large part of your equipment yourself.
Dave H.
No sweat there. I build scale armor and aircraft so I have plenty of practice decalling
Oh No!
Not another crazy model railroader!
[:O]
Is there any such thing as a SANE model railroader?
All are strange save thee and me, and I have some doubts about thee…
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - when they let me out of this funny jacket)
Would “South Charlotte” actually by Waxhaw? Just relating to your “name”.
I live in Charlotte, but I could throw a rock and hit Pineville.
It’s not that crazy, some historical societies for particular “fallen flags” have a “what if?” category in their model contests where people imagine what say a Great Northern SD-90 would look like etc. A few manufacturers have even come out with modern engines lettered for fallen flag railroads.
Here’s a link to a guy who models a “modern day” version of the New York Central:
I guess now that I think of it that my modelling could fall in that category…my layout is based on what might have happened in a real railroad, the St.Paul and Duluth, hadn’t been taken over by Northern Pacific in 1900 and had stayed independent thru the 20th century. I have them merging with another real railroad, the Port Arthur Duluth and Western (which actually went out of business in the Great Depression) and built a line up the north shore of Lake Superior to what’s now Thunder Bay Ontario.
No, not Waxhaw. The WaxonWaxov name has a long and strange history.
I live in the city of Charlotte, but I could throw a rock and hit Matthews. In other words, we seem to be neighbors… PM me… I’m looking for an operating group to join.
What you are going to do requires some thought. For example I model the PRR but I do have E60CP and E60CF engines as well as an AEM7 and a couple of other modern engines. The problem is the PRR went to single stripe from the five stripe scheme in the late 50’s and then to just keystone decals as their last paint scheme in the 60’s because it was a lot cheaper. So what would they have today? You really need to approach each engine differently. The E60s look great in five stripes with them continuing straight across that big flat nose to the other side instead of going to a point like on the GG1s. The AEM7 looks better with a single Tuscan stripe with the Pennsylvania spelled out on the stripe. I do have one AC4400 (I think) that just has a small section of five stripes tapered downward on the ends with a big keystone on the nose. SInce you are honoring those roads you need to do it in a way that refelcts the heritage.
Be creative, and make up your own painting and lettering schemes, at least for a couple of the “expired” railroads.
Mark
My layout is a fictional short line that is serviced by old Missouri Pacific Geeps, with a couple of refurbished SD-40s. It’s set in fairly recent times, which explains the newer locomotives. It’s all owned by an older gentleman (eccentric) that grew up riding the rails. He has purchased a UP “Big Boy”, some Frisco light Mikados, and an F7 lashup that he brings out for railfanning trips. His revenue is generated from coal mining and logging in the area. The town is an old town (like many you see in the midwest), so you’ll see all kinds of trains, vehicles, etc. I picked up a couple of GP40s and GP38-2s, which are part of the Missouri-Northern Arkansas (the railroad which services our town.).