I think there’s a tendency for MOST modelers to be interested in what they’ve seen. And we, here, have seen late 20th (and early 21st) century prototypes.
That said, I know that interest can be stirred by a manufacturer/importer. Ed Suydam got people interested in interurbans. That’s pretty much gone now, because he’s gone.
Northwest Short Line brought in a bunch of brass logging engines and suddenly logging was popular. It’s still around, but not as popular as it was then, I think.
A lot of brass engines were brought in by PFM (Great Northern) and W&R (SP&S). And those two roads still have a rather large following.
And I note that Blackstone seems to be reviving HOn3 nicely. I know I’m slightly tempted, even though I have NO excuse.
So, if you can convince someone to sponsor some early steam and rolling stock, I believe interest in the specialty would grow. And, no, LaBelle kits don’t count.
I would suggest a different reason for the decline in apparent interest in those various aspects of modeling.
If we first go with the idea that most people think of trains based on what they looked like from about 1900 on, then in 1965 there was only 65 years of rail history from which to select your era and prototype.
But today, using that same base line, there is 117 years of history from which to choose your era and prototype.
The pivotal year is 1906. Before that and you can have some cars with link and pin couplers and no air brakes, after that they will all have air brakes and knuckle couplers.
Oh yes, I did my 7th grade science project on the development of the Westinghouse Air Brake…that was 1970, I was 13 and already building Silver Streak kits and Mantua locos…sometimes hard to believe I will be 60 this year, nearly 50 years of model trains.
Mixing these types in a pre 1906 setting could be interesting. I don’t know, but I would imagine that the non air brakes and link&pin cars would have to go at the back. Would make car sorting and switching more interesting.
Well shucks and dang it fellas, that is a heap of info you all put together for an era that seems on the surface to be almost lost. Maybe MR should rethink their strategy of concentrating heavily on the modern stuff. I mean, where is the romance in that?
Hay Ed, the corny reason I was drawn to the era is, you guessed it, old Western movies of my youth! There was a sort of parallel between the desolation, the characters and their desperation in those movies, with very similar circumstances in my then home town of Tennant Creek. It was the last Australian gold rush town, situated in the Simpson desert with hopeful characters from everywhere, seeking their fortunes one way or another prior to World War II. (My father was a successful professional gambler). Maybe if the railway (railroad) station was in town rather than 315 miles south, I would have been influenced differently.
Thanks for the useful information everyone, I shall delve into it with interest.
An interesting, though not surprising, answer. I think there is nothing wrong with building on the visuals presented in Western movies. There used to be a number of layouts built on that theme back when US TV was enamored with Westerns (late '50’s).
Since it’s YOUR layout, you are the one to decide how stereotypical you want to make it. You know, the saloon, the corral, Miss Kitty’s establishment, etc.
On the other hand, you could opt for “strict reality”. Which also has it’s good points. I kind of like the Santa Fe. It’s definitely “Western”.
I agree. America before 1960 was a very different place, and America before WWII was almost a foreign country. While I think the Civil War-1880 period would be difficult to model, the 1905-1910 period is doable. I am thinking of backdating, but back to the 30s or 20s. I enjoy reading Eric Hansmann’s blog, and I have looked at Craig Bisgeier’s site. If my skills improve I may go back to the teens.
I model the Nevada mining railroads circa 1915 and it certainly isn’t that hard to do. Probably the closest magazine to my interests is the Narrow Gauge and Shortline Gazette. It has articles concerning my era all the time.
Technically code 55 would be most main track (60-90 lb rail), most side tracks were actually closer to code 40 in size (40-60 lb rail).
But I agree, I use code 70 and code 55. I have one friend who keeps telling me I should do code 40. I remind him what happened when he did code 40 once, it wasn’t pretty when the humidity changed slightly.
Modelling the track accurately would be difficult too as the track itself had a different shape and no tie plates were used. Ties also looked more roughcut. Would be interesting to model this era for those who like history. Also, smaller trains means more trains of prototype length… very hard to model modern trains on a small home layout.