Has anyone in here done a layout with multiple railroads? For example, I saw a layout the other day, that was a portion of the CSXT modeled in Alabama. The time frame looked to be about mid 90’s. But it wasnt just CSXT… It had NS, Seaboard System, and even some old Southern railroads. Has anyone modeled or seen such a layout. If so what are your thoughts on it?
John
SURE! Lots of companies share trackage. I see CSX, CR and L&N running on the same track here in Tn. I’ll be running CSX,CPR and some UP power on my new layout.
Maybe even a CR unit or two.
Yup.
When I’m running mid 1990s, it’s my freelanced Penn Lake System, Conrail and CP Rail. If I’m in a 1970s mood, I run D&H, Reading, and Erie Lackawanna.
Nick
I myself am modelling conrail in the1990s but including CSX as well. You can always say that another railroad or two has trackage rights in the area. But then by 1999 CSX owned part of conrail anyway.
Yup. I’m freelancing a modern layout right now that has many roadnames. UP, CSX, Conrail, NS, BNSF, whatever. That is based off the fact that you can see all those roadnames and more on my local branch of the CSX. [8D]
-Brandon
John, you ned to check out the Feb 2006 issue of MR.
10 different railroads all modeled on the same layout.
I myself have the CPR in which I include the D&H, SOO & Milw as well as the MEC & an assortment of other RR’s for variety
Gordon
I’m modeling mainline plus connecting short line (different ownership) and non-connecting forest railway (different ownership, narrower gauge). Does that qualify?
For a prototype that can expect to see lots of action from several different Class 1’s, you can choose a terminal district. Or invent your own terminal district and connect in whatever railroads you like. (Off the top of my head, never heard before - Tidewater Terminal District, operates coal loading piers for and connects with Norfolk and Ohio, Norfolk Southern, Chessie System, Virginian and Ohio, plus other coal haulers, past, present, model and 1:1 scale. Amazing what you can find in an alternate universe.)
There may not be a prototype for everything. If there isn’t, invent one.
Chuck
My layout is mainly CB&Q, but has NP and C&NW trackage as well.
The Northern Pacific is primarily staging, with the Burlington junction near Laurel, MT being the only modeled portion of NP. Meanwhile, the Chicago & Northwestern has a live branch from the Burlington mainline (over which it had trackage rights) near the center of Wyoming, in an unpopulated spot called Shobon. From there the tracks run to Lander. The C&NW branch is/will be partially modeled on the layout.
My layout is 100% freelance, so on my layout if my buddy wants to run the GN, while I’m running the CN I say, “whatever turns your crank” (although in reality that may not be a big stretch…though I’m not sure…).
Trevor
I think its better and more creative to use multiple lines on your layout to make your own rail line. I’m using UP, CSX, and Chessie. Good luck!
My last layout (and the new, larger version being planned for my new basement) featured several different railroads.
I’m modeling the NKP’s Peoria Division between Peoria and Bloomington, Illinois. In Bloomington, the NKP mainline parallelled the P&E mainline, making it look like a two track main; I designed the trackage so both roads could be realistically worked (the P&E was an independent loop with it’s own staging). Also in Bloomington, the NKP/P&E crossed the IC, ITC, and GM&O: on my last layout, only the IC was “live”; on the new layout, all three will be.
Further down the line the NKP (back on its own) crossed the ATSF’s Peoria branch; that interchange was live with staging hidden behind the backdrop. Since it was the only place where the NKP and ATSF touched, I wanted to be sure to include an area where ATSF F3s could be seen next to NKP Berkshires. That line will be “live” on my new layout as well.
Further down the line, the NKP crossed the TP&W’s main line to Peoria. Since the TP&W was a major interchange partner with the NKP, and since that traffic made up over 25% of the total cars hauled east by the NKP on the line, I had to make that connection live as well. The TP&W ducked behind the backdrop into staging rather quickly in the space I had available, so the TP&W operator had to work the interchange from behind the backdrop, peeking through the pass-through hole. I’ll be redesigning THAT on the new layout.
Finally, the NKP didn’t have any of its own facilities in Peoria itself, instead relying on the city’s switching road, the P&PU. The NKP used P&PU tracks into East Peoria to drop off and pick up trains, and crossed the river to get to the P&PU’s roundhouse and Union Station. Fully 1/4 of my old layout space was dedicated to the P&PU, representing all three of these areas. Peoria itself was fed by three staging yards to represent the transfer runs of 13 different railroads, as well as the P&PU’s own switching runs. There were a few P&PU industries
First “Trains” mag used to have a “Hotspots” page this sould be good to check out where you would see lots of different traffic. Then look for videos/DVDs of hotspots and places like Blue Island.
You’re at a point where loads of reading would really help… or at least get (borrow) plenty of videos. (Hint for videos… watch closely how railroaders move around and look at the rail environment as mch as the train being filmed)
The following adapts what I posted elsewhere…
For a start (as several people have said) you can run several Companies and all their absorbed roadnames on one road… This includes any lines that have trackage rights.
Then (for all the roads) there’s locos that are being leased from one road to another. This can be a straight lease to cover a power shortage, a payback of the same (Where power shortages are seaonal Roads effectively trade power). So, pretty much the same as with cars you can get locos almost anywhere. The smaller lines wouldn’t usually have their locos stray far but might well lease in from larger roads or leasing companies. Also small roads don’t always repaint their (2nd hand) locos very soon after arrival… if ever. Many survive with a patch job.
If you choose an area like Chicago there are lots of roads crossing the same territory. Quite often they share tracks or run parrallel. You might do a search on “Blue Island”. Loads of RR work through there.
There is a great thing about bottlenecks (e.g. at a big bridge) these are often “Hotspots” that see intense traffic. There is an advantage to having trains wait for a route… you can bring at least the head of a train on scene, stop it to wait a route, run several other trains by it and then move it on.
If you arrange you approach to the hot spot right you can bring a (MoW) train in on track 4 westbound, pass it with a manifest on track 1. Pull up another train (just tatty boxcars) on track 2, MoW train might then go while a tank trains cr
I am modeling a terminal line which sees tranfers from the CNW,Milw,Soo,and EJ&E. This adds alot to operations,and gives you a good reason to have all the other railroads that you like.
I try to stay in the late 70’s with the D&H, Conrail right after the startup with some EL, Reading and Lehigh Valley in their respected schemes.
Did you do all your own D&H models? Looks like a good job on the GP-39-2 conversion.
Yes I do all my models, this is an Athearn/Atlas model
I am going to do another here in the near future.
Jeffery,
How did you do the conversion? I’m looking to model some Reading GP39s.
Nick
The easiest way is to take a dynamic hatch off an athearn GP40-2 put it in the place of a 38 hatch and fill the gap at the rear, with a little cosmetic work you have a perfect 39-2
I guess great minds think alike. [:D] That was my plan, I was just wondering if you had a better one.
Nick
awesome. Like i said. im looking at mixing CSX, NS, some KCS and Conrail that do southern routes. Maybe even some Seaboard leftover from the 80s. As you guys said. it would give great variety to my layout.