UP, SP, ATSF, Rio Grande, WP, and MoPAC, somewhere in the west. There’ll be actual citys, like LA, Omaha, and Cheyenne, but the track plan will be totally free lanced. The locomotives I will run will be from the 40s and 50s era, but I will have a few “time travelers” from the future on the layout, like an FP45 and a DDA40X.
After 3 freelanced layouts that were not that fun to operate, I spent a lot of time thinking about operations. I wanted to operate trains of all 4 (back then) western roads, because I had a lot of rolling stock in those colors (but mostly SP). I came up with the Idea of a paperwork railroad that they all had rights on, but running in places that don’t have rails today or never did. So essentialy it’s a bridge route.
So I guess you could say I model prototypical trains on a freelance route.
And let me say it’s a lot more fun operating on a model build for operations.
I went with both because I currently run a freelanced layout with prototype rolling stock and engines. My Next layout will be very strictly prototypical, aside from skipping certain towns and country space in between towns. It’ll be based on the WSOR’s Reedsburg Sub, from Madison to Reedsburg WI.
Noah
mine is both CNW never ran on the trackage that my layout runs on UP owned it and CWN interchanges with CaNW a freelanced cyber (although not for long) railroad
MY WAY! [;)]
I model my railroad as I see fit. I mostly model the CPR but with an interchange with the MEC & another interchange with any other railroad I see fit.
After reading about people limiting themselves to certain locomotives, eras & or railroads, I’d get bored with that fast.
I’m not saying that there’s anything wrong with that. It’s just not my cup of tea!
I’ll run anything & everything on my layout. If someone wanted to bring something other than the CPR or MEC, I’d say bring it!
Steam, diesel, don’t matter to me!
I run my V&T 4-4-0 with my AC4400’s
I can, because it’s my railroad
Gordon
Hard to answer this one. I model a prototype railroad and location (BNSF Wichita Falls sub from Fort Worth to Wichita Fallt, TX, summer 2000) with prototype interchanges with real shortlines, but my operations, though reflecting reality, are freelanced to suit the layout, availability of operaters, and my own personal desires. I also take some freelanced “modeler’s discretion” to include some scenic elements that are purely freelanced (i.e. a freelanced coffee shop in downtown Bowie, TX named after my daughter for one). I suppose the best term for my style would be “protolanced” though I strive for a high level of prototype integrity.
Ron
Freelanced, narrow guage mining and industrial layout loosely based on southwest desert prototypes like the Arizona Copper Company RR and a few others. I just model whatever intrigues me from many different sources.
I model a free lance short line with intersections on both ends with Mopac and running rights by same.
I would say I model both because I model a fictional place. But a real railroad (csx) and I use prototypical operations. That is my answer and I believe i’m going to stick with out.
Wait… no that’s my answer
Andrew Miller
nothing prototypical about mine at present. kind of a combination of all memories - residences, businesses of significance, basically the entire province “shrink-wrapped” into a 10X14 room…Vancouver BC area neighbouring Prince George BC and Michigan USA
I proto-freelance. I maintain a vauge Resemblence of the BN between Miniappolis and Chicago. But I deviate so much from it that Miniapolis is North Pendleton, and Chicago will probably be resemblence in Name only.
James
mine is free lance layout and prototypical motive power adn rolling stock. However I pretend that the layout is situated somewhere west of Chicago where the country is relatively flat and where one is liable to have met trains from ATSF, UP, CNW and BN in the 60’s with a sprinkling of SP/SSW and N&W. One can also meet
CB&Q as well as Milwaukee Road. I’ve often been to Chicago in the past and I’ve seen them all so I know that I’m not that errant.
Great i also model SSW with some RI run through power and some SP units in a TX/OK/MO local
My On30 Tres Arboles Railroad is mostly freelanced but I base it on the logging lines and narrow gauge railroads that existed in the areas around the eastern part of the country in the first half of the century, however, I also use some equipment that was used in the western part of the country. My general rule is that if it was plausable it’s OK.
Protofreelance.
Both. I model Rio Grande and SP during the late steam era, but on a fictional ‘California Extension’ of the D&RGW that runs over the Sierra using the Yuba River watershed (midway between SP’s Donner Pass and WP’s Feather River Canyon). SP has trackage rights between Sacramento and Reno. GN has an occasional run-through via a fictional connection from Bieber, CA to Reno Junction. And right now, with a severe loco shortage on the Yuba River sub, I’ve got borrowed power from C&S, C&O, N&W, Pennsy and even that ol’ debbil Santa Fe.
Dang, it’s fun!
I model freelance, but try to keep roadnames, scenery, and industry matched to the southern Appalachians in the 50-60’s. I would like to have an extension later that is prototypical. I believe the research needed would be interesting and a lot of fun.[:D]
REX