Has there ever been a study or survey to determine what are the most-modeled Prototype Railroad Lines?
Jeff
Not recently that I know of. But the Santa Fe topped the list in years gone past. I think the PRR was second.
Enjoy
Paul
Gott be UP. They have the most models available.
Going by number of products available (for the steam era), I’d go with UP, SP, Santa Fe and Rio Grande (narrow gauge) in the West; Pennsylvania, New York Central and Norfolk & Western in the East. Today I imagine all the big railroads - BNSF, CP, NS, UP - have many followers.
One continuing change in model railroading is drop in the percentage of modellers who free-lance their own ficticious railroad, with their own paint schemes etc. I’d guess there are maybe half as many today as there were 30-40 years ago.
I would say PRR or Santa Fe.
If you want to start a survey, I am planning a layout that will have both CSX and NS.
I am strictly guessing, but I would say that the Top 4 are Santa Fe, Union Pacific, Pennsylvania, New York Central.
Rich
what about CSX and CN?
Rich
It may not be the most modeled, but the Rio Grande is usually the most “Sorry, sold out…” when it is offered.
Obviously, Rio Grande is THE answer to the narrowgauge version of this question, although that rubs some folks the wrong way.
I would agree. How bout second tier? Wabash? CGW? GTW?
Thanks for the input.
Jeff
The big problem in defining this also relates to time period. As each decade passes, there are more and more choices of time period, real railroads come and go - mergers happen - and so on.
In 1968, when I was just starting in the hobby, you had a lot less choices - there was no CSX, NS, etc, etc.
Back then the answer would have been pretty easy - if a modeler was prototype based, he either did a lot of painting and decaling or he modeled the UP, SP, ATSF, B&O, PRR, NYC, NH - and maybe a few others.
You don’t see much product for the B&O anymore - but it use to be one of the biggest sellers - not just here in the east, but nation wide.
But the funny thing was more modelers were building, painting and decaling, and in the first 2/3rds of the 20th century, there where way more railroads in this country than there are today -
A 1956 list of reporting marks includes nearly 300 railroads in North America.
So it is more than likely that the answer to this question is that there are likely LESS people modeling any one railroad, or time period on that railroad then ever before in the history of the hobby.
This is just one in long list of factors that has made the hobby more splintered into different interest groups.
Using myself as an example - yes I am one of those hold out freelance modelers from the 70’s and 80’s with my own fictional roadname. BUT, I also model three real railroads that interchange with my ATLANTIC CENTRAL - the B&O, C&O and WM.
And my time period is 1954 - I don’t know much at all about anything on the real railroads past about 1975 - it simply does not interest me - all these big new diesels look the same - and bore me silly.
And while I know a little about a few midwest and western lines - as it relates to my time period or before, western railroading is also not on my radar much.
With each day new stuff happens in real life on the railroads - some modelers enjoy keeping up wi
Those four are lucky they have a few freight cars on my layout - in fact I have never owned a model loco lettered for any of those four that I actually intended to run on the layout with that lettering still on the side.
So they are not very popular at my house?
Sheldon
Interesting observation, but if you go by available product in recent times, there has been WAY more C&O product than N&W product in the last 10-15 years.
Sheldon
Have to agree with the others. My guess the top 10 include:
Santa Fe, Union Pacific, Pennsy, New York Central, Southern Pacific, Great Northern, B&O, BNSF
Then somewhere in the top 20
New Haven, Northern Pacific, N&W, Milwalkee, Southern, CB&Q, BN, CSX, NS, Rio Grande (narrow)
The only C&O I’ve noticed an increase of lately is the Passenger equipment by Walther’s.
So…then…that means that any data will be skewed because you don’t run them on your layout???
More thoughts - here in our small local group - mostly older guys, PRR is clear winner with 4 out of about 25 active members. No other prototype has more than two or three, and that assumes you count me as in all three - B&O, C&O, and WM.
Sheldon
No more than for the other nearly 300 railroads that existed in 1954 that I have never owned locos for.
Important disclaimer here: I am NOT a model train collector - I have never owned, nor do I need or want, a model of the “famous” locos from around the country - not to be found at my house, UP Big Boy, UP FEF, NYC Hudson, PRR K4, PRR GG1, N&W Class J (except the one converted to a streamlined ATLANTIC CENTRAL 4-8-2), NKP Berkshire (except the five converted to ACR Heavy 2-8-2’s), etc, etc, etc.
I only buy models to fit the theme and operational requirements of the layout scheme and era.
Sheldon
What does that have to do with the OP’s original inquiry, Sheldon? He asked:
“Has there ever been a study or survey to determine what are the most-modeled Prototype Railroad Lines?”
It doesn’t matter what you personally operate (or don’t operate) on your layout. The question is what “prototype” RRs are the most modeled, which would include ALL eras. Any personal preferences are irrelevent to the conversation.
Tom
I thought my first post delt with the OP’s question rather well - the rest is “conversation” in response to the comments of others.
Several posters suggested the idea of an informal survey? Would that not be a solicitation of personal choices? So if we want to take a survey, as a few others suggested, my choices are C&O, B&O and WM in 1954 - for which I have respectable roster of equipment.
I even supplied some “hard data” at least from from 25 modelers I spend the most time with - that’s more “fact” than anyone else has presented - not one of them models the UP, NYC or ATSF.
Sheldon
Seems like MR did this a couple of times years ago and as I recall ATSF, UP, Pennsylvania were the biggies. Most of the available models were either western RRs (ATSF, UP, SP) or northeastern (Penn, NYC, B&O). Every couple of years there would be a round of letters in MR lamenting the lack of southeastern (SR, ACL, SCL, etc) models available. And forget about the many smaller lines.
I think that’s why so many more freelance back then – if you had to paint and letter, it was better to have your own design because then it wouldn’t be the wrong color or lettering from the prototype.
Although not the most Modeled Railroads, rather what is considered the top eight Railroads in the US today. Listed in alphabetical order:
Frank