Just curious as I see a lot of posts and references to layouts set in either “The Transition Era” or later. I see a few folks that model turn of the century (20th), but almost nothing in the '20s to 30’s.
I feel that any time after the 1920 USRA takeover that anyone modeling the transition era also models the USRA locomotives and cars. There were more copies of USRA equipment then there were true USRA built stuff. Anyway I am basing my home layout in the early 30s depression era.
Pete
Jim,
The USRA Era was basically from Dec 26th, 1917 When the President Wilson moved to nationalize railroads for the war effort, until March 1st, 1920 when the properties were released back to the original owners.
On March 21st of 1918, Congress passed the law authorizing the USRA. A common passenger fare system, steam locomotive designs and freight car designed came out of the USRA. Many copies of these designs were built after the USRA was disbanded.
So, you basically have a 3 year window for USRA control. Other than the ‘copies’, most railroads went on to develop larger locomotive designs, and higher capacity freight cars. Many times the 20’s & 30’s are referred as the ‘Golden Era’ of railroading.
Jim
I model the twenties, with the exception of a few USRA boxcars you won’t find any other USRA examples on my layout, SP was able to supply their own motive power needs from in house sources and to a large extent, rolling stock needs as well. I do have several examples of PFE reefers that do have some USRA design elements such as underframes.
Interesting side note: SP, within months of aquiring, transfered these USRA boxcars to the Cotton Belt, one can surmise that parent SP was not impressed with the design, probably because it violated the common standards.
Dave
It is always mid August 1925 on the Seneca lake, Ontario, and Western. So yes a lot of the equipment is from the USRA period or at least of the design standards from the USRA. Yes, USRA was no longer in force, but in 1925 there was a lot of rolling stock and locomotives from the period and earlier.
73
howmus
This is off topic but I just took a few minutes to look at your photobucket pictures. Pretty amazing stuff. Well done.
Dave
Probably the most famous Layout in existance today is George Selious’ Franklin and South Manchester, which is set in the mid 1930s!
I think the reason that the transition is so popular is it allows running both steam and diesal locomotives. Steam engines were very road specific and unless your line used USRA locos.(some available in plastic) your faced with needing to buy brass, an expensive proposition! I would jump at the chance to model sometime in the 1930s, if Northern Pacific specific steam locomotives were available at more favorible prices!
Thank you, Dave! I have had a lot of fun creating my little world…
73
Jim,
I am modeling the 1920’s - specifically the period of the American Railway Express. The ARE was formed during the USRA administration of the railroads, and lasted until March 1929 when it became the more familiar Railway Express Agency.
You are right on - there are MANY transition era modelers, and a few turn of the century modelers or earlier modelers, but very few modeling the 20’s. Seems like there are many who consider themselves ‘Depression Era’ modelers and that’s probably easier than sticking to the 1920’s.
The big differences, along with the aforementioned ARE/REA distinction, would be K and U type brakes for freight/passenger cars respectively (no AB brakes until the mid 30’s). But by this time trains are required to have safety appliances like brakes, uncoupling levers and knuckle couplers (Safety Appliance Act of 1911) so you don’t have to fiddle with link and pin like the earlier era modelers or fudge that for reliable operation.
One frustration I find is rolling stock that was built in the 1920’s or as part of the USRA management, that has been painted by the manufacturer as a car rebuilt in the 30’s or 40’s. Sure, it works for the ‘transition era’, but you’ve got to change that AB brake gear to K brakes, change the rebuild and/or repack data, and make sure the paint scheme fits the 1920’s. This can be really tricky without good photos or manufacturers who don’t supply any additional data about the car’s history.
Learning all the anachronisms can be frustrating, but I think it’s part of the challenge of creating a layout with a cohesive feel for the right era.
Galen
I’m modelling the late '30s, but probably have enough suitable equipment to backdate to the '20s if I so wished. As Galen notes, much otherwise appropriate rolling stock is available but has too-modern paint schemes and/or too modern dates included within the dimensional data. There are also parts available for backdating such cars, especially the brake gear, so the '20s would be a very do-able era if you’re so inclined. Accurail offers some USRA-style rolling stock, both with USRA-era lettering and with more modern schemes introduced in the '40s and '50s, so you need to know something about your prototypes. Train Miniature (now Walthers, and not, as far as I know, all available) offered some decent examples of USRA steel boxcars and some wooden cars appropriate to the time period, if not 100% correct. Finding the correct lettering is, of course, up to the modeller.
Wayne
I think there was a lot more 20’s to 30’s modeling when there were still a lot in the hobby who were alive then. While a lot of my freight cars are USRA design or of the 20’s and 30’s, I’m modeling in 1952/1953.
Enjoy
Paul
I actually model before the USRA… mostly because so much stuff after the take over and the push for Pensy design standards made stuff look too much alike.
I’m into truss rods and light steam and also early trolley systems.
I either scratch build most stuff or use Labelle and old Central Valley. There really is a lot of stuff available at swap meets and shows. It is not too tough to find Silver Streak kits still flying around. Beware of the Walthers take over kits that were redistributed in the 70’s. They used a very poor quality of zinc in their castings and most are warped now.
see ya
Bob
The USRA turned out to be a great help to us free-lance modelers. As noted, there were many USRA engines built and even more later copies (the last built in 1953 I believe!) This means I can pick up an undecorated engine like a Spectrum USRA Mountain or BLI USRA Mikado and letter it for my freelance railroad and not have to worry about making up a story of it being an “ex” engine from another road.
Also, the USRA designs were generally all based on existing, proven designs, so even some engines built pre-USRA are “close enough” to use in modelling an engine built before the USRA.
I freelance model set in 1954, and my steam roster is heavily USRA based.
Examples:
8 - USRA Heavy Mountains (4-8-2)
2 - USRA Heavy Mikados (2-8-2)
3 - USRA Light Pacifics (4-6-2)
2 - USRA 2-8-8-2
2 - USRA 2-6-6-2
2 - USRA 0-8-0
This is about half of the ATLANTIC CENTRAL steam fleet.
The balance is largely based on LIMA Super Power designs.
Sheldon