Thats up to you. It your layout and you can do almost anything. I have a modern layout and model about 35 years of diesel’s all much still in service today. Geep’s today you can find on alot of on private line’s LLCX , WATCO and many others. GP-9,15, GE U25B, U28B are all still in service some places in the U.S. today. In Tillamook, Or. they still use the old SD-9’s for power. And yes I do run steam on my layout as excusion train’s so anything is possible.
I model the period from about 1939 to about 1952. All steam. The other day I was looking at one of my favorite automobile cars and found out–HORRORS!!–that the building date was 1954. Well, gee, that’s too bad–I’m still going to run it, LOL!
I think that since it’s YOUR railroad, you can intermix just as much as you like. I’ve got a couple of 1880 steamers, so I made up a ‘movie train’ of old equipment, just in case Hollywood decides to film an epic western on the Yuba Sub.
And I have a real weakness for SP/Rio Grande “Tunnel” motors, so I just might pick me up a couple (haven’t really decided yet). And yes, I just might–MIGHT, mind you–get me some FT’s and an F-3 or two in case I decide that I could use some diesels.
That’s the fun of the hobby–it’s YOUR choice, not someone elses.
Tom [:P][:P][:P]
It’s really up to you.
I model my freelanced Penn Lake System, CP Rail and Conrail in the mid-1990s prior to the purchase of Conrail. However, with a growing interest in the Delaware & Hudson and Reading, I’m shifting more toward the early to mid-1970s.
A quick look at my staging yard, reveals trains for both eras, and no one complains.
Nick
srud01
Why don’t you post your question separately, I feel it will get lost here. You can get another good thread going once others see it. Welcome to the forum…
Bob K.
IF you are ‘converting’, one assumes you have ‘BLOCKS’.
IF your RR is set up for CAB A and CAB B, throw all block conntrols to CAB A, and replace that DC pack with A DCC one.
A RED 14V. warning light or flashing LEDs could warn you when a block is on DCC power, and not DC.
Having a time period is like having a compass, and makes it more fun; however
Railroads were built in the 1880’s when where were largly dirt roads. Hiways were a 30’s project’s between towns, which were a mix of old and new buildings - like now.
TODAYS RR’s still run on 1880 right-of-way - some of which has been upgraded.
A realistic approach is you like stuff from more than one era is to have a “sliding era” on your layout. For example, one day it’s 1950 and the next day it’s 2005. When you switch eras you remove eqipment not right for the new era and replace it w/ eqipment for the new era. The easy way is to gather up all the cars that won’t fit in the next era and park them in your staging yard. You also need to swap out the locomotives.
Structures is where the problems lie. If you era doesn’t change too much (say, 1968 - 2006) most buildings would still be found in both eras. But you really need to do some research before buying any buildings or industries.
Bottom line- a layout that represents a certain time period will generally appear more realisitc and remember- you can’t always model everything you want to
As many have already said nothing says you have to do this, or that. On the other hand I have to agree with Simon1966, dingoix, and a few others. If you fall into the do whatever you want, you will miss an entire dimension of the hobby and yes will will take away from the over all effect of the layout.
The dimension I am talking about is the need to get in and really learn about that particular era, RR, time period you have chosen to model. It will force you to learn things that would have never even occured to you before. An excellent example here on the form are the threads from electrolove. There is a situation where had he just done whatever he wanted, it would have been a mishmash of disassociated stuff, that wouldn’t be worth crossing the street to see. At the start he didn’t even understand North American rail operations, but he started asking specific questions about the time periods, prototype operations, equipment selections, and even names of past presidents of the company. Seeing how his layout plan and design is coming together, I might have to make a special trip to Sweden just to see it.
Almost everyone likes trains from both the past and present, that doesn’t mean they have to be modeled. Apply that to me and I would be in serious trouble. I really like the vintage equipment like the John Bull, I Love 1900s which to me railroading was at its high point, I love the Super Steam era and first generations Diesels, and how can anyone not love the wornout look of the late 60s & 70s. Then the rebirth of railroads and all the modern equipment that lead to what one can see on the tracks today… Wow! If I follow the "Model anything you wan
I myself have a modern-era layout. The problem with that is that I am constantly trying to bring everything up to date. The good thing about modeling a certain time period is that you don’t have to update anything except occasionally your control system or things like that. The bad thing about that is that you have to really do your homework on that time period, which is a very long process if you really want a realistic layout. That’s one of the good things about having a modern layout. Doing your homework is as simple as looking around you.
Whatever time period you choose, it really doesn’t matter because you’ll have a blast building your layout. [:)]
-Brandon
I model early steam and my layout is smaller - about 32 sq ft around the walls rather than the standard 4x8 and I am going to run multiple decades by having my town buildings on a removable section that I can replace with a different era. This allows me to build more structures (a favorite part of the hobby for me) and it allows me to have more engines. (The only diesel I’ll allow myself is the cute Roundhouse EMD Critter - even though I’m not really going up into that time period - My only use of the modeler’s license.) I will run the equipment for the appropriate time period that the buildings represent. Just an idea for running multi-era equipment.
Mike P
ABQ, NM
Texas Zepher, you’re right. Heck ,I’d love to run stuff from 1968 and 2006 but I don’t. It just would look strange to see a SD70MAC and F3 in the same train. But I like the 1960s and the 2000s. so what do I do- flip a coin? I could, but you can run equipment from different eras you just have to swap everything out. I honestly can’t decide between 1968 and 2006 so i’ll have to work out a sliding era. I really can’t run just 1968- I’d miss IC too much. But if I go w/ 2006 I’d miss CGW (but to a lesser extent that IC). I’m going to have to model both. I just can’t live w/ myself if I don’t run modern IC at least some of the time. But switching eras ought to keep the layout more fun because it isn’t the same every time. I apologize for rambling.
The thing to remember is that this is a hobby. You’re supposed to have fun. The other thing to remember is that you’re allowed to change. You may start with the Eclectic Central, 1832-2010 and later switch to the Kennebec Central, August 1921. Or something else. You may switch scales or have two layouts in two scales. Some people have a scale layout and a toy train layout.
The current trend in the hobby is towards more protoypical settings and operations. But many of us started with the Eclectic Central in HO on a 4x8 sheet of plywood. I know I did. Currently I’m in S scale with a small 1950’s era layout set in the mideast… I’m moving toward modeling the Maryland & Pennsylvania RR 1953. I do this because I find it interesting and fun. I also have a loop of Lionel track on a table under the layout, just for fun.
Enjoy
Paul
DINGOIX thats what i am talking about running one train from one era then one from another but how do you make a nutrel layout?
I can’t believe somebody would run a layout without being faithful to the era. Why, the model railroad police will be knocking on your door immediately to confiscate your out of conformance equipment.
You must be completely faithful to the era to have any credibility. For instance, my empire is faithfully reproduced in 1958. You won’t find a single thing not in keeping with that date**.
As for the DC/DCC conversion, it should not be difficult, but we would probably need more particulars to really help. Do you have reversing loops or anything out of the ordinary?
** except the white Mobil tank cars, serviced and painted in 1961, one of a fleet of 7 D&RGW Cookie Box cars serviced in 1960, a few reefers built or serviced in 1960-61 and, of course the upcoming addition of a Kato Bullet Train which was really a product of the Bunter Ridge R and D department back in 1958. Oh well, I guess being completely faithful to a date isn’t that important after all! [B)] [:-^] [swg]
Back when I started my first layout in the '70s, I was originally trying to model the 1920s. Then as I studied, I began to realize how much railroading changed - almost every decade of railroad history there was a fair amount of change. So I had the not so brilliant idea of starting my free-lance western railroad 100 years earlier - 1878 to be specific, and I would advance 1 year every year, ending up in the '20s or '30s.
Well, unless you are the Utah Pacific, have a good starting base, have a good bankroll, and plenty of hobby time, keeping up through the years - even 100 years behind - is pretty impossible. As I found out, just creating the baseline Picture Gorge and Western would be a 40 year task with all the competing interests for money and time. I’ve since advanced the baseline date to 1900, and will probably keep it there, since I’ve probably only got 30 more years of modeling left in me!
As others have said, having a specific era and prototype in mind - even if it’s a free-lance prototype - really helps with the budget, and to some extent the time crunch. It also helps with family gift-giving - by making it clear what my vision is they get to do a little research to find out what fits in. I don’t get nearly as many “just caught my eye” models as gifts that sit around collecting dust as I used to. And setting a specific period and region has engaged the wife and kids much more than just Dad’s toy train hobby. They delight in learning on their own so they can tell me what not to buy in the hobby shop!
I refuse to be totally serious, so you might even find some stuff from the 1950s running occassionally. Eventually, as I tighten down, I will get rid of the stuff that doesn’t fit in, but I’m in no hurry. This is still my hobby, my fun, and one of my passions.
Fred W
Ok. Let’s say you want to model both 1968 and 2006. You’d have a set of eqipment for 1968 and a set for 2006. Then to switch the era, you swap out the 1968 eqipment w/ 2006 eqipment and vice-versa. You just don’t run the eqipment from both eras at the same time. The eqipment you have to swap out is freight cars and locmotives. Your buildings should be compatible w/ both eras. you just need to do a little research on them.
On the “Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western”, it is always the first week in August, 1925 (well maybe the second week, but very close!). Every piece of scenery, equipment, locos, and rolling stock are for that time period only! Well… there is a Ford Model A in a parking lot, and a flat car with Waterloo Boy Tractors that has a built date of 1929 (John Deere stopped making the Waterloo Boy Tractor in 1924. I guess they were a little slow shipping out the last batch…) There are a few (about 60%) of my freight cars that have built dates or rebuild dates in the 30’s or 40’s. But everything else is authentic and accurate down to the last rivit for the first week in August, 1925. I wouldn’t have it any other way. [:o)][:o)][;)]
Have fun with your trains. The only person you have to please is you!
Well totally neutral could be pretty easy. Just “natural” scenery like trees, hills, grass. No or very few structures, no signs, no automobiles, no people…
Depending on how big a time gap one is planning, it gets more complicated and takes a ton more research. But definitely doable. I took a photo just the other day. Upon examining it, I found someone had their restored 1953 Chevy pickup truck parked at the loco shops. All the building have been there for years and years, so other than the modern freight cars in the yard behind, It could have been 1965.
Looking at the responses, I was surprised at how few do the “June 12th, 1995” thing, with many modeling a 10-15 year window. And here all this time I thought I was playing fast and loose with my 1995-1998 window. [(-D]
What I’m working on is California’s Central Valley, and between UP buying out SP and the BN/AT&SF merger, I find I can run almost anything. The SD40-2 and the Tunnel Motor still reign supreme, and between through power arrangements and leased power, I can slide locomotives from lines like NS, CSX, MRL, CN, CP, and maybe even a KCS in there.
For locals and yard work, I’ve got SP SW1500’s and GP40’s, UP SW-10’s and GP15’s, and various AT&SF Geeps and Dash 7’s & 8’s. For connections with shortlines, there’s ST&E, M&ET, CCT, Sierra Ry, and the newly formed California Northern, running older equipment like S2’s & S4’s, GE 70 Tonners, S12’s and GP9’s. And of course, there’s the CF7 switching the Corn Products plant.
The main fudges I’m planning on are having cabless B30-7’s in the central valley (they existed during this timeframe, but were only used in specific districts on BN territory), and using an SP slug in the Stockton yard (I going to swipe it from Roseville). Oh yeah, and my really major fudge - I’m hoping to rebuild a “wrecked” tunnel motor into a cabless booster unit, similar to what was done by BN with 3 SD40-2’s, or that SP did with 7771, a B36-7. [:o)] [(-D]
As you can see, one can spend a lifetime modeling just one era, and one geographic area. I could easily build a fleet of 50 locomotives, and just scratch the surface.