Hello all,
new to the group. Starting back into the hobby after being out for many years. Thinking of building a layout with two loops. I made my first purchase a Santa Fe 2903 northern. Should I stick with another Santa Fe to keep the same RR line or looking at a Burlington Route Hudson. Thoughts
Gidday magnum3, [#welcome] to the Forum.
There is an opinion that “It’s your model railroad so you can do what you want!” I have rather ambivalent feelings about that statement.
Yes, the statement is true, it is your model railroad but then I’ve seen too many ffolkess trying to then, unsuccessfully, and unnecessarily IMO, justify their decisions!
Some modellers do model a specific prototype at a specific time, others also model a prototype but leave themselves “wriggle room,” some freelance, some model “what if,” others model what turns them on!
No matter what You decide, it’s a hobby, Have Fun!
½ [2c]Che
Hi Magnum3.
Welcome to the forum. You first few posts will be moderated so they will take time to be posted.
To answer your question. What you decide to purchase depends on what you goals for the layout are.
If you just like running trains and running them on the layout, then buy what you like and enjoy them.
If you have future plans for a Santa Fe based layout, then sticking with SF locomotives would make sense.
A third alternative is that you could model a location where both the Santa Fe and Burlington have tracks running near each other and they might naturally be seen in the location.
In my case, I model the CNW, Milwaukee Road and Soo Line so I have engines for all 3 running on my layout. Knowing what my end goal is allows me to only buy those roads that fit that scenario.
There are other factors like time period, prototype or free lance modeling, budget, space available and a variety of other ideas that people often refer to as givens and druthers that help you determine what works for you.
It all depends on what you see your layout becoming.
Scott Sonntag
[#welcome]
Railroads have ‘trackage rights’ across other railroad’s rails. These are negotiated and paid for per their agreements.
Railroads also use run-through power. When BNSF hands off a train to say CSX, they just climb off the locomotive and the CSX crew climbs on and takes the train to its next destination.
These things are all more recent, and so might not work in the steam ers. But what the heck, it is your railroad, and even way back when, trains could ride on the tracks of others. The have agreements to protect each others trains in the event of floods, bridges down, or just because I can save fuel riding on your tracks instead of mine, even with the cost of riding on your railrroad figgured in.
BTW: I am a LION and I like to talk funny. (ROAR)
Thanks so much guys. First off feel really welcomed and glad to be part of this great hobby with you all. It all surrounds my love for my grandfather who introduced me to trains at a young age. He retired from EMD working on the real thing. And each summer taking me to the Illinois railway museum which just a few weeks ago was able to share for the first time with my 1 1/2 daughter who absolutely loved it “saying choo choo” the whole time. My first train to purchase was the MTH premier 1st gen. Prototype 1 of the Santa Fe 2903 in o gauge. It’s there at the museum and was also sat at the science and industry which my grandfather also took me to see as a child. It’s a special memory. And so glad I found that engine on eBay. looking at a burlintron route steam Hudson to round out the layout I’m thinking. I’m saving up for a 3rd rail sunset. Are they decent trains to run? I know MTH are good. But don’t know about running brass?
The Santa Fe and Burlington crossed and re-crossed each other in the Galesburg, IL area.
Much appreciated everyone I think I will try for the Burlington Rout Hudson. Just need to save for it and hopefully the wife doesn’t get too upset when I make the purchase. Lol
Another area that the Santa Fe and Burlington actually shared track was the joint line between Pueblo and Denver CO. To that you can add in the Rio Grande and Colorado and Southern (a subsidiary of the Burlington) as well as some Mopac.
Jim
Hello and welcome.
Having 2 railroads close together will give you an opportunity to interchange cars. It could be a small yard or even a simple siding where cars can be spotted for pickup.
For passenger operations. A station could be placed in between so passengers and baggage can transfer to different railroads.
There are also large industries served by multiple roads also.
Whatever you decide. The beauty of the hobby is that there is no right or wrong. I mainly have PRR steam and first gen deisels, but I also have a GEVO and an SD90. I also accwired some New Haven and B&O power.
Have fun.
Pete.
Buy what you want and you will enjoy… then have fun… and share pictures!
[:D]
-Kevin
magnum,
I think there is great reward with sticking with and modeling one railroad. It gives you focus, as well as reduces the temptation in purchasing “cool-looking” locomotives outside of your prototype’s sphere. That can help save money in the long run.
That said, modeling a crossing and/or interchange with another railroad(s) can provide fun and interest to your layout. That would be contingent, however, on what location and/or era you are modeling - i.e. if you are trying to stay true to the prototype(s).
I like a layout that has at least a plausible “reason for existance” - e.g. proto-lanced. If that’s not a concern or driving force for you then you can model whatever you want.
FWIW…
Tom
My road engines other than a few switchers which haven’t been painted yet are all Milwaukee. Yet, I had to have a Pennsylvania GG-1. I have no catenary either. As a proto-lancer, I can imagine that the Pennsylvania extended its electric trackage through Chicago and passenger service beyond that point switched to diesel power on the Milwaukee.
Get what you want to get, who cares. You’ll figure out your own preferences.
This ^
A lot of people come to this forum wanting validation to do this or that. You don’t need our approval to run whatever trains you want.
Maybe some one a prototypical basis to run different roads together. There certainly are examples from the past. For example: at the beginning of the merger to form the BN, you could find CB&Q, NP and GN mixed because they all formed the BN.
But you can run whatever floats your boat.
Hello All,
[#welcome] to the forums.
Rather than limiting your pike (layout) to one livery (railroad), you might consider limiting it to an era, or time frame.
There are some that model specific railroads as realistically as possible- -prototypical.
Some, do as they wish; which includes “fantasy” liveries (paint schemes), “what if” scenarios, and mixed eras- -freelance.
While others proto-freelance; the pike is loosely based on a prototypical railroad but they combine freelance elements.
The latter is what I have done with my pike.
It is based on a prototypical coal mine- -in current operation- -on the Western Slope of Colorado. It is set in the 1970s to 1980s.
The coal mine on my pike is owned by the fictitious Consolidated Materials Group Corporation and the railroad, under its control, is named the Buckskin & Platte Railroad (BS&P R.R. reporting marks) which is also my avatar.
Other railroads that run on my pike are the Denver & Rio Grande Western and the Santa Fe, with a few “orphan” switchers from the Southern Pacific.
Because the pike is based on a mining operation- -requiring machinery manufactured from all over the world- -any and all rolling stock is represented.
Specialty flatcars like depressed center, GSC 60-Ton Well, and six-axle heavy-duty flatcars from other railroads are common.
If this were only true…
I have a European EDK 750 Slewing Crane and a Class G 2000 BB Vossloh locomotive (as pictured in collectors livery) along w
jj,
Maybe there’s a fairly wide definition for “proto-freelance”/“proto-lance”? What would you call a layout based on a prototype and era (i.e. use of appropriate locomotives, rolling stock, equipment, facilities, etc) but not necessarily a specific region (division) or location (town); although what you model (or don’t model) might suggest an region or location your prototype operated in or through?
For me, “loosely based” would only apply to a specific region or location. That gives me flexibility to model what I want but everything else would be appropriate to my prototype and the era I choose to model. Maybe I’m closer to being a “proto-proto-lancer”? [:D]
Tom
Along with my own Two roadnames ( Demon’s Hollow & Pacific , and Wylers Gulch & Western )
The following road names show up in my locomotive collection…
Canadian Pacific
Southern Pacific
Burlington Northern
Frisco
Cotton Belt
ATSF
Denver and Rio Grand
Texas & New Orleans
British Columbia Railways
And they vary from steam to Dash -9’s
I sort of model the Toledo Terminal as I can use locomotives and trains of the NYC, PRR, B&O, C&O, Wabash, NKP, DT&I, and D&TSL as they all had trackage rights.
Rick Jesionowski
It was known as the “Joint Line” Colorado’s Joint Line/ Trackage rights - Trains Magazine - Trains News Wire, Railroad News, Railroad Industry News, Web Cams, and Forms
You guys have been great. And some of the replies. Quite hilarious and entertainin…I really appreciate the support. I’m definitely going to pick up a Burlington Route now and feel good about he decision. Just don’t tell the wife now. Lol