I’m pretty new to the hobby and I’m not sure what era I’ll be doing the layout in just yet. So can anyone give me a brake down of what the basic differences in locomotives for each decade were from say the 50’s to today?
Thanks!
In general, you can say that steam was being phased out and diesel was coming of age. In some references the 50’s are called the transition era. You can do searches in this forum and google and find much information. Try these to start:
Hey! I can do that! For the US revenue lines (not counting tourist lines & special excursions):
1950’s - A bit of steam left on mainlines here and there, but mostly boring old diesels
1960’s - Steam not on any mainlines at all - just boring old diesels.
1970’s - Just boring old diesels.
1980’s - Just boring old diesels.
1990’s - Just boring old diesels.
2000’s - Just boring old diesels.
That pretty well covers it!
[Just kidding. Don’t bite my head off please!!] [:P]
Does anybody have a real answer to the OP’s question? Even I’d be interested.
Really general overview:
Pre-1945 - Steam was the major road power, with 8 coupled engines preferred for most road jobs (2-8-0, 2-8-2, 2-8-4, 4-8-2, 4-8-4) and some larger engines. Diesels were primarily switchers and passenger engines.
1945-1950- Steam is rapidly declining, carbody freight units (eg. F, FA) are gaining wide acceptance, hood units are being built for specialized service.
1950-1960- Steam generally dies. First generation hood diesels gain popularity. Locos are typically less than 2000 hp B-B and have non-turbocharged engines (eg. GP7, RS3, AS16). 4 major loco manufacturers: EMD, ALCO, Baldwin, Fairbanks Morse.
1960-1970- Last steam holdouts dieselize. Second generation engines arrive. Low front noses become common, turbocharged engines gain popularity, horsepowers rise over 2200 hp, CC engine become common. Alco, Baldwin, Fairbanks Morse drop out of the loco market, GE becomes the # 2 loco maker.
1970-1985- Era of major consolidations and mergers. One of the most colorful periods in railroad history. The SD40-2, GP38-2 and C30-7 become the “standard” locomotives in N. America. The minority builders ( ALCO, Baldwin, Fairbanks Morse) are thinned from the fleets.
1985-2000- The rise of AC locomotives, newer technologies enter the market, majority of new locomotives are C-C and 3500 hp or higher. AC engines begin to enter service and gain wide acceptance. By the end of the era a “typical” engine is 4000 hp. DP technology and remote control yard engine operation are widespread. The caboose goes away. The megamergers peak out.
2000-2008 - The beginning of the “green” era. Many B-B engines are rebuilt with battery or genset technology. New C-C locos with higher efficiency engines.
2009-2010 - The “dead zone”. Locomotive orders almost stop. 20-25% of the N American loco fleet is put in storage. Locos pre-SD60, SD70
[(-D] Ain’t that the truth. But MAN are those locos expensive! [|(]
Great stuff Dehuseman! Take a look at these engines and let me know what era they fall in. I’m guessing the 50-60s? Although the Conrail may be 80s???
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff35/smawgunner/NW2Engine.jpg
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff35/smawgunner/NWEngine.jpg
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff35/smawgunner/Conrail.jpg
Can’t figure out how to post more than one pic. ??
Super links! Exactly what I’m lookiing for. Thanks!
Some more overview:
Prior to 1975: Diesels are traded in and sold for scrap on retirement, with fewer than 100 locomotives going to museums.
1975 - 1990: The F40PH becomes the “standard” passenger locomotive. However, there are only two large fleets of F40s: Amtrak and Chicago Metra.
1980 - 1990: Railroad museums start collecting diesel locomotives, starting with the last of the first generation units. Locomotive resellers go into operation to serve the needs of short lines and industrial users.
1990 - 2000: 1st generation diesels are almost gone from class 1 railroads, except for specialized uses such as BN E9s and SD9s. GE U series locomotives are gone, except for museums.
1995 - 2000: Genesis units replace Amtrak F40s.
1995 - 2010: Museums start collecting C-C diesels, such as the SD40-2, SD-45, and U-30C.
2015: ??? The last railroad - owned SD40-2 is retired. Sole remaining operable SD40-2 is C&NW 6847 at IRM.
2015 - 2020: ??? A new passenger diesel replaces Amtrak Genesis units and Chicago Metra F40s.
2050: ??? MP15ACs are still going strong at grain elevators.
The first picture is a Fairbanks Morse Trainsmaster 2400HP diesel from the early 50’s. The second and third are basically from the same era. The high nose is a GP40 and the low nose is an SD 40 from the mid 1970s through the 80’s for the SD 40 as there were several upgrades
In my humble opinion, it’s those new diesels that are boring. Old diesels, particularly Alco RS units, are pretty neat. Still, nowhere as nice as steam, of course.
One question I have always wondered about is the purpose of the high nose. I see these high nose GP38-2 working in yards quite often. Why did the manufacturers make high nose locos and is there any advantage over a spartan cab or for lack of a better term low nose cabs?
I was told it was for safety reasons. Something about crossing gates ???
Some railroads, like the Milwaukee, ran their early high-nose GPs with the long hood forward. I think this was done for safety reasons - basically putting a lot of locomotive ahead of the crew for crash protection.
Mister B, you beat me to it!
IMHO, the nicest American diseasels were the Alco blunt-nose covered wagons - too bad their internals weren’t as nice. The present crop of boxed power on wheels remind me of the packaged gensets the military brings to places where the local grid can’t be depended on to provide dependable power. The packing crate may be full of wonderful things, but it still looks like a packing crate.
One of the big selling points in my conversion to Japanese prototype modeling was the fact that the transition period was more drawn out, lasting until 1975. Amazingly, after I chose my target month I discovered that I had nailed the exact time when a lot of older rolling stock was running off its last few kilometers in revenue service, while new, never-before-seen goodies were pouring off the erecting floors. (Exactly how 2 brand-new DD-51 class diesel-hydraulics ended up on a secondary main line in the approximate heart of nowhere - when there were only six in the entire country at the time - deponent saith not.)
I know that I’ve probably stepped on the corns of a lot of diesel fans. The fact remains that a steam loco carries all of its visually-interesting parts on the outside, where they can be seen and appreciated. Much more interesting than the current crop of boring NEW diesels.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with old steam, new diesels and timeless catenary motors)
Take a look at the first photo again. It is an H16-44, four axles not six like the Train Master. The N&W never purchased any H16-44s new, but inherited some from the Virginian Railway. That would make the N&W H16-44 model one painted for 1959 or later.
First High Nose GP40s for N&W were delivered in 1966. The Conrail model is one of an SD40-2.
I find most steam locomotives pretty boring to look at. Most of them are painted black, and that is boring to say the least.
I’ll offer a different suggestion. If you know what railroad(s) that you want to model, look online for historical societies for that railroad. You can often find some pretty detailed locomotive rosters. They usually even include the appropriate engine numbers as well. While the general guidelines that you’ve been given are a good place to start, it can vary somewhat depending upon the size of the railroad. Smaller roads often ended up with “hand-me-downs” from bigger Class 1 railroads. Also as mergers occurred, the bigger railroads would end up acquiring locos that they never had before and repainting them.