Most of the people in this forum probably pay more attention to realism in their modeling than I have or will. So I have to think someone knows where I can read up on which eras featured which model diesels.
For example, I know the era and location I want to model and therefore the railroads that were in service there. But I need to know which model diesels that would have been running then. I know there was a lot of overlap, but I want to avoid using a model that was not in service until later.
Hopefully that makes sense. I know I can find the info piecemeal, but I’m looking for a web page that has all the model eras in one place.
Your best option is going to be to find roster information for the particular railroad. You won’t find any single source for all information on particular “model eras” because like you said things overlap and there are no clear-cut eras.
For example, one railway might have bough SD40s a few years before another. A certain group of engines may have had the same road numbers their whole lives, or they might have been renumbered into a different sequence. Paint schemes get changed or updated over time, but older engines get repainted at varying rates. Certain groups or types of engines get sold off, so while the type is appropriate for your time period, they might not be in service on that particular railroad anymore.
The location is the Mississippi riverfront in Minneapolis in the 1960s. That would be mainly Great Northern (shortly before the merge to BN), Soo Line, Milwaukee Road. Possibly also Chicago and Northwestern.
I’m looking specifically for the Soo Line models that would have been pulling freight in that time.
The GN train I want to run is the familiar EMD F7 that pulled the Empire Builder (unless I’m mistaken on the model – feel free to correct!) at that time.
So to sum up I’m looking for models for Soo Line (and most detailed paint scheme for that era, but I’m researching that on and that shouldn’t be hard to find), Chicago and Northwestern and what type of switchers would have been in service in the freight yard.
I’ve done some reading on particular railroads, but I’m not savvy enough to know where to find rosters as sugegsted above.
Thanks for those links. I’ll cross-reference those with this handy link that has pictures to coompany most models, including ability to filter by RR to see paint scheme from sertain eras:
I think my approach will be to make a list of the models in service at my time and choose the design off that list that I like the look of best and then factor in availability.
The GN E7’s(500-512) only pulled the Empire Builder for a few years. The 4000 hp AA combos could not keep the train moving fast enough when climbing Marias Pass and overheated their traction motors. F3/F7’s in 3 or 4 units sets took over the ‘trans-con’ assignments around 1950. Sometimes they might be seen heading west with the Empire Builder, Western Star or Fast Mail - But usually were swapped out for F unit sets at Havre, MT. In the mid 50’s, GN got dome cars and the Empire Builder got heavier. Also the Western Star and Fast Mail were combined and the E7’s rarely went west unless there was a motive power shortage, or E7’s were moving to assignments out of Seattle(International). Even the 3 unit sets of F’s could not handle the larger trains and 4 unit sets of F’s became very common until the new SDP40 & SDP45 engines arrived in the late 60’s. For most of their life the E7’s we assigned to local trains like the Badger/Gopher, the Red River, the Winnipeg Ltd and the International. They were a fixture around the Mpls/St Paul area as many of these local trains were based out of their(except for the Seattle based International).
The SOO Line still has lots of 1st generation engines in the black or maroon paint scheme. The red/white paint scheme started in the early 60’s, and a lot of equipment got repainted quite fast. Classic motive power at the time were the ‘Dolly Sisters’, a pair of DL640’s(415/416) that worked a lot of transfers. By 1969, the SD40’s and U30C engines had arrived and were in road frieght service.
The C&NW bought the M&StL in 1960. Before they bought the M&StL they had trackage rights over the M&StL and GN to access their East Mpls Yard from the Omaha Line. The area south of the GN and Milwaukee depots was a joint operation that the M&Stl and later C&NW participated in
Jim, I’m in awe of your memory and knowledge of Twin Cities-area operations (I’m guessing you’re from somewhere near LaCrosse from your location of SW Wisconsin so you’re not too far away). Unfortunately for me, I can’t base anything on memory as the 1960s are before my time. But I’m a history and railroad nut, and I’ve always wanted to model that area but in an era more interesting for railroad operations than today.
The 1960s was a good time, I thought, because it’s not that long ago and also was a time the two depots (GN and Milwaukee Road were still in operation). And I want a nice mix of passenger and freight runs.
So it will be a challenger for me to get layout detail for the yard on the south/west bank of the river and for thhose areas not used anymore. But I’m committed. And I’m armed with some books that should help.
I’m only in concept phase (stumped how to layout benchwork in my room – 11x12) but I want to replicate the riverfront area (at minimum from the old Milwaukee Road bridge serving the MR Depot to the east to the BNSF Bridge running across Nicollet Island to the west. That would take up about 3/4 of the layout and the rest will kind of be a collection of scenes around the loop so that i can HAVE a loop.
Yes, I have my work cut out for me. But I have a LOT of time too!
another good source is to look into the early years of BN operations. I forget how many years equipment ran in the old scheme before the new BN scheme was adopted. You may also want to have a few CB&Q & NP units to represent other parts of the family. Look for pix on CB&Q using GN & NP units to ferry trains from the Twin Cities into Chicago. You may find video of the racetrack with CB&Q units pulling the EB & NCL into CUS before Aday & consolidation into BN. There ought to be other pix on the freight side. You may also find NYC/PC units in a pool from Elkhart to Galesburg.
Burlington Northern is the railroad that I fell in love with as a kid. You might ask yourself why, then. I chose an era technically before the merger that created BN, but I chose that era to get to a time when Mpls was a true railroad city – when the city revolved around the depots and the railways.
Unfortunately in the 1970s railroad operation shrank away here. While deciding on my era, however, I did realize that I’m not choosing one specific year and there is an opportunity to bleed over into the famous green, black and white! I will have an BN loco in action at some point. But I am starting with Soo (another favorite) and Great Northern (because of its historical siginificanse in this area) and Milwaukee Road (because of that famous depot that I drive past every day and dream about seeing in action)
He has copies of railroad station maps for sale. I suspect he may have just what you are looking for.
I grew up South of St Paul(Inver Grove Hgts) and got moved to Rochester, MN in 1984. I worked for the CB&Q in 1968-1969 before taking an ‘all expenses paid’ tour of Vietnam! When I came back in 1972 I went back to school and and started working for IBM. I retired at the end of 2011 and am currently just doing ‘cat-up’ with house projects. The present model railroad will be removed and a new one will replace it next year.
Not sure of that Milwaukee ‘Short Line’ bridge you are describing. It is several miles south of the Milwaukee Road Depot, The old NP ‘A Line’ bridge is just south of the Milwaukee depot area and the track passes to the east of the Milwaukee depot. This is where the jointly owned Mpls Eastern railroad operated(around the Washburn and Cerosota Mills. IIRC, the long engine house is still there(it was a restaurant for a while). IIRC, the M&Stl and Milw owned the line. I remember seeing C&NW engines on the A Line bridege and working the mills in the late 60’s. This double track line continued north and crossed the GN’s east-west mainline just west of the GN depot and ducks into ‘Hole in the Wall’ at 1st Ave to the joint NP-SOO trackage.
Most of this is now gone, so those station maps will give you hours of enjoyment!
Thanks Jim. You are correct on the bridge I intended. At one point I wanted to include a longer stretch of the river eastward that would include that MILW bridge but decided I don’t own a hangar. Alas.
Fascinating history and involvement with the railroads. I’ll take your advice on como Shops and also read the Hofsommer book that is arriving today.