hello all…i currently have my layout under construction and have about 40% completed…i am modeling the NYC and would like to know what was the best year to model during the transition era that would allow me to run the widest variety of motive power…???..i don’t need a specifc year…i suppose i could model in a 3-4 year span…any help would be extremely helpfull…thanks…tim
Where are you modeling? The NYC generally dieselized by division, so some divisions would be all steam, some all diesel, and some a mix. On the NYC, steam held out the longest on the old Big Four lines through central Illinois and Indiana, which is a rarely modeled part of the system.
thanks for your reply…the beautifull thing is i am not modeling anything in particular…i would say it’s more freelanced than prototype…my scenery is modeled pretty much the upstate ny area…since the central was a big part of the syracuse railroad history…we were known as the city that the trains ran through the streets.(before they elevated many miles of it)…i also picked the fall as i like the contrast of colors…but i would like to operate the proper diesel to steam ratio but also be able to run as many different kinds of motive power as i can without someone saying “those engines\steam didn’t run at the same time period”…so i guess i can pick a span of 3-5 years if i need to…any help would be much appreciated…thanks…tim
Protolancing a generic New York State area sounds good to me. In that case, your best five year timespan is probably 1952-1957. You’ll be able to run essentially all of the NYC’s steam fleet (with the exception of some of the REALLY old stuff), and you’ll be able to model any of the first generation diesels. 1958 was the drop-dead date for NYC steam, and second generation engines didn’t make an appearance until 1961, with the GP-30.
so i would be safe running rs-3’s,alcos,erie builts and some f units with that??..i appreciate your input on this for me…thanks…tim…(i like that word “protolancing”)
In general, the larger and newer steam of the NYC ran at the same time as all of the diesels you mentioned (but not necessarily side by side with them). You’d be safe running USRA light 2-8-2s, USRA 0-8-0s, 4-6-4s, 4-6-2s, and 4-8-4s (all of which are readily available as plastic models). The NYC also ran a large fleet of 4-8-2s, but those engines are only available in brass.
And don’t forget the cabooses! In the time period you’re thinking about modeling, the NYC ran with boxcar red, wood cabooses, like the ones made by Trix. The bay window cabooses didn’t show up until steam was basically gone, and Jade Green equipment is a diesel-era only thing.
thanks for the input…what you describe is exactly what i own so at least nothing will seem out of place…one thing i also like about modeling the central is the ability to model track pans…(which only a handful of lines used)…
Good era and great area to model.[8D] Alco RS- 3’s any S series or EMD SW1 's 7’s or NW-2 were used. The nice thing also is that they had the mainline so anything “could” show up. Most of the branchlines were still there (Auburn,Oswego,Westshore and Fayettesville)NYC also serviced a few shortlines off of the Auburn branch(Marcellus&Otisco Lake and Skaneateles Shortline)