I’m considering building the N scale Red Oak Route 2015 project layout from Model Railroader. I will possibly transfer the plan to a 4x8 size layout, but haven’t fully decided. I intend to keep basically everything the same including the 1960s era. However, instead of the CB&Q in Iowa, I’m interested in modeling my own freelanced railroad…the Midland Great Western. The fictional MGW runs from St. Louis, Missouri to Billings, Montana (I’m sure there’s all kinds of flaws on how believable this route might be, but this is MY railroad lol). I will be modeling the western Nebraska portion of the railway, very similar to the actual Scottsbluff area. Traffic will consist of typical mixed freights, lots of grain traffic, and coal drags originating in Montana and Wyoming headed back east. I also want to model both a St. Louis-Billings passenger and local passenger train. What are some typical examples of motive power for a railroad of this type during this period? I want to use GP30s and SD40s for sure, but those are my only musts right now. What are some other good models that give the flavor of the mid to late 60s in the Midwest?
My 1960s were in Northwestern Illinois, and I started photographing trains at that time with a brownie camera and my trusty '53 Plymouth; Ready access there was to IC, Milw, CNW and CGW, but did make a couple visits over to the Mississippi to see Burlington.
Think GP9s, lots of GP7s and GP9s. SD7s and SD9s on the Burlington for heavier freights. F units still in regular service. And for passenger trains: EMD E units prevailed. Yes, there were lots of choices for that time (Alcos and FM for example), but if you wish to capture the “flavor”, be sure to have GP7s/GP9s.
To go with the other suggestions, the Q was early on 6 axle power and U25C’s and U28C’s would be appropriate for your coal trains on your road.
You could also go the Alco route with RS-11’s, RS-36’s RSD-12’s and moving to the C420’s, C424’s, C425’s and C628’s which would all have been found in the 60’s.
It’s important to remember the 1960’s were kind of “steam railroading by other means”; it didn’t work the same as today. Wyoming’s Powder River Basin only starting sending out coal in the late 1960’s, and it didn’t really become a big operation until the 1970’s. Similarly, unit trains were in their infancy, so in say 1966 you wouldn’t have seen long unit trains of coal one-after-another with lash-ups of big diesels.
Some railroads operated high-speed trains, particularly in the newish area of piggybacks (containers were rare at that time); generally freight speeds would be slower than now.
First generation diesels generally only had a 15-20 year life span, so by the early-sixties you saw ‘second generation’ diesels - diesels bought to replace diesels, not replace steam engines. So FTs would be pretty rare for example, but some railroads ran high nose GP-9 and RS-11s into the 1980’s or even 1990’s. BN had some RS-3s on the roster in the 1980’s! Generally, the newer diesels would be on the priority freights, with older engines being used on branchlines or yards…although you could still find A-B-A or A-B-B-A sets of F units on the Soo Line or NP.
I think the answer depends on what “story” you create for your freelance railroad.
When I look at the (rather crude) Kodak Brownie pictures I took of C&NW trains in the 1960s, it is rather startling to see how much of it was first generation Geeps (7s, 9s, 18s) and SW switchers, as well as passenger Fs and Es. I have found just one shot that shows what I assume to be GP35s. The CNW was a bit slow (or too cheap) to embrace some second generation power in a big way, particularly the six axle stuff.
The Chicago Great Western in that sense was ahead of them. They embraced second generation EMDs although they kept some F units to the end.
Ironically there were probably more F units in C&NW freight service in the 70s and early 80s than there were in the mid 60s on the CNW; they tended to be active in the used locomotive markets.
Considering that the real CB&Q ran between those two cities back then, I would agree with previous posters about studying the Q REAL well.
The Q generally went with EMD locos. And it had both SD40’s and GP30’s. So, right there, you’re on track. Burlington was also into SD7’s and 9’s. And SD24’s! And, of course, there were the usual Geeps. For passenger, the first choice would likely be an E7, or maybe and E8. I doubt there was much passenger traffic on the line, so a “Zephyr” style train might be too much. Or not, if you “must”.
If you research the line the Q had between the two cities, it might inform you better on the kind of locos to pick. And the kind of traffic that ran.
BUT.
Since this isn’t really the Q, you are safe to not follow too exactly. I think it’s more the style, rather than the exact models. You could, for example, wander into Alco-land. But the two models you mentioned are EMD, so that’s unlikely.
Also, your railroad would, at first glance, not be as large as the Q was. So your locomotive purchases might be more modest. And older. For example, you might avoid GP35’s and GP40’s, even though the Q got them. And the new SD40’s might be about the latest and greatest your road has arrived at. Thus eliminating SD45’s.
Also, your road might have passed on getting specialized passenger power like E’s. Mr. Big might well have decided for dual use F’s. It would have b
I would go with about 1/3 F units A B A or A B B A sets. About 1/3 first gen hood units (GP 7, 9, 18, RS 2,3,11 or their 6 axle counter parts). The rest “specialty” or brand new units. Maybe a few 2nd gen hood units, at most one set of SD 40/45 (they would be BRAND NEW if you modeled 1966, just an order if you modeled 1965), maybe some re-engined Alcod or Baldwins. SD35s would be more likely than SD 40s. Passenger service would be E7 E8’s.
I believe the “Billings Zephyr” (or Billings Rocket, or City of Billings) would have been a pretty short train:
E7A. BLI makes one. An AB set of F’s would work, but you’ll need steam generators in the B, for sure. The E7 just seems “more righter”, though.
And from the Kato Union Pacific train: Baggage (storage mail), Coach, Diner-lounge (Lounge, converted by your shops), 10-6 Sleeper. 4 cars. It looks like Kato doesn’t sell single cars. Irritating.
Or in generic terms: baggage or baggage-mail, long distance coach (44-48 seat), diner-lounge (this one could be converted from the full lounge, mentioned above; or from a full diner. I just can’t see more than one car for this purpose), and a sleeper (I’d have preferred an “American”, but a “Pacific” will do). All of these being lightweights. Because it’s the Billings Flyer!
For the local, I fancy a steam generator GP7/9, a heavyweight baggage-mail, and a heavyweight coach. More mail (storage mail, not RPO) cars and similar can be added as necessary.
Depending on the railroad C&O favored GP7/9s,GP30/35s SD35/SD40 while N&W and Southern favored six axle EMD and GEs.
Common passenger service (or what was left of it) power?
E units and passenger GP9s was normally used as was FP7s.
Branchline/local power?
Any 4 or 6 axle EMD or Alco. 6 axle meaning EMD SD7/9s or Alco RSD4/5s or RSD12. Maybe even a 4 axle EMD,Alco or BLW switcher.
Typical power for high speed mainline trains?
No particular model from FTs to SD45s and from FAs-C636s…Even some old FM cab units was still seen pulling highball freights. Add 4 and 6 axle GEs to the mixed.
I grew up in Omaha very near to a MoPac branch that ran through north Omaha along Saddle Creek Rd. In the late 1950s into the early 1960s i saw almost exclusively F-units. By the mid 1960s, second generation diesels began showing up.
It appears the OP wants to model in N scale a smallish freelance railroad: the MGW.
Since he’s in N scale, his locomotive choices are generally more limited than for people in HO. While there might be a lot of prototype locomotives to choose from, I suspect he will ONLY choose from existing models. You might make your suggestions accordingly.
Also, the kind of railroad he’s modeling didn’t get into unusual or oddball locomotives very often. Usually, they would tend towards one particular manufacturer. And that, usually, was EMD. Second would be Alco. The chance that his railroad would ever buy F-M road locomotives is about zero.
That said, it doesn’t quite apply to switchers. That’s partly because, for a lot of railroads, those were pretty much their first diesels. And they had yet to figure out which manufacturer would suit them. So they might easily have bought Baldwins, F-M’s, and Alco switchers. And then never bought their road engines. Also, switchers tend to last longer. And linger. And linger.
I recommend the OP go with his SD40 as the latest loco(s). Preceded by the GP30’s. And before that, GP7’s and 9’s. And probably some F’s. For switchers, he can go nuts. Sort of. And, as I said, I like the E7A for his passenger.
Some railroads were very ‘disciplined’ and just bought from one or two diesel builders, but most weren’t. With steam engines, you worked out a blueprint and had say Alco build it; later you might go to Lima or Baldwin and have them build duplicates. It took a while for many railroad bigwigs to understand that a 1000 HP diesel switcher made by Baldwin wasn’t the same as one made by Alco.
Plus there was a rush to buy diesels after WW2, so if EMD couldn’t provide you F3’s due to a backlog, you might go to Alco and get FAs instead. They figured the savings of getting any diesel justified getting whatever they could. It often was only later they decided to standardize on just one or two builders.
Proximity sometimes was a factor. New York Central liked Alcos because they were right there in NY state for example. FM was in Wisconsin, so Milwaukee Road, C&NW, and Soo Line were customers.
Wow, this went really well! Thank you to each and every response, they were all greatly appreciated. Up until the past year my interests were primarily the modern era, but the classic bug has bitten me hard. I didn’t have much knowledge of railroading of that era, so these replies were VERY informative.
I never realized that my freelanced line followed basically the exact route that the Burlington traversed to Billings. When I looked up the CB&Q system map I was surprised. I never knew the railroad ventured that far north, nor that it was quite that big. I can see where they got the slogan “Everywhere West.” I suppose a rational person would go ahead and just model the Burlington, but for some reason I just can’t shake the freelanced theme. I’ve already got a couple options of paint schemes for hood units put together, too.
After some thought, I decided to make the MGW system slightly bigger in size. Not too much more, though. I like the idea of a somewhat smaller, yet well put together railroad…if that makes sense. The system will have a main running northeast from St. Louis to Chicago, and another line will extend southwest from St. Louis to Ft. Smith, Arkansas before turning west to Tulsa, Oklahoma. There’s plenty of little branches along the way that would stem out to other cities along the main lines, but I’m not worried about getting that deep into the story…I&