As stated above, I swap eras depending on what I want to run at the time. For starters, I have my 70 & 45 tonners for the 1940’s. (gasp! [:0] No steam?)
My favorite and most common era is the 1960’s with a lot of first generation diesels and the still common short cars. [:D]
Then, I have some more recent stuff for the 80 & 90’s period. I don’t really run these much because a train of modern cars takes up too much space.
So, I’m wondering what everyone else does. I’ll bet I’m not alone in this! [;)]
I model the C&O of the 60s,C&O under the Chessie banner and the NS set in 1995.My C&HV can fit in any era from 1978-2005…My biggest reason is because as many know I like the per diem era short line cars as well as the NS and some of the modern cars except for stacks and pigs.[xx(]…The C&O of the 60s is usually reserved for the club…My C&O units can fit right in with the C&O under Chessie era.[:D]
As my sig says, I model the NKP’s line from Bloomington to Peoria, from between 1947-1952. I made the switch to proto-based modelling several years ago, when high-quality steam became readily available (and affordable!). There’s so much great stuff out there for so many eras, that I had to discipline myself and limit my modelling to a very specific range. My knowledge base went up, my modelling improved, and the quality of my trains improved once I limited my time period. Otherwise, my train collection would be a gaggle of neat individual items, but with no cohesion or cover theme, making my whole layout look poorer.
brclem: Well, it DOES mean that your layout will be set after the creation of the motion picture camera!
dragenrider: It looks like your line would be best-suited to the 1980’s or so–there were still short lines and branch lines running Forties GE switchers and Geeps then–heck, quite a few are still operating old GP-7/9’s now, and I know at least one line that still uses a 44 tonner for freight and passenger work (although it’s a museum line, but oh well…)
I model a specific line, in a specific place (downtown Sacramento, CA, on its industrial belt line) but am less specific about time. The track was there until 1966, so theoretically I don’t model after 1966 (except for the section that was there until 1971.) However, because I also like electrics, I plan on “backdating” the layout to 1953 when the line still ran electric freigbht motors, and the to 1946 when it ran electric trolleys!
If I am able to finagle more room, I might even backdate it to 1940 when it ran electric interurban equipment…
This kind of “era-shifting” isn’t too uncommon–it allows a layout a bit more flexibility in choosing equipment. One could certainly combine eras at will, but sometimes it’s more fun to add “rules of the game” where, when operating equipment from a specific era, to only use it with equipment from that same era.
Here is a quick run-down of my layout theme and era…
1958, Deere Valley & Western Railroad is incorporated. Without motive power or rolling stock of its own, DV&W enters lease and trackage rights agreements with ATSF, SP, WP and UP after purchasing some little used and abandoned right-of-ways in California with financial backing of the John Deere Company. John Deere uses its own motive power and rolling stock on the DV&W tracks and is a financial contributor in construction and rehabilitation of the rail lines. The line serves the agricultural areas of California from Sacramento to Los Angeles and sees a tremendous variety of freight and passenger equipment on its trackage. The ficticious town of Deere Valley is located in the rural outskirts near Stockton, CA.
The era is 1959/1960. A variety of soon to be retired steam and 1st generation diesels are common sights including the occasional UP Big Boy which is routed from Wyoming for special fast heavy produce freights to the East. A couple of times a Big Boy was even seen hauling a passenger consist when the diesel power broke down and no other engines were available to continue the run.
Photos of the current 4x8 (scheduled for demolition and replacement this spring) can be seen at Webshots. Just click on the link in my signature
My own layout is modern-day CSX, but I also have many 1st-Gen EMD locos in the pre-Chessie B&O scheme for a friend’s layout, and a few 1950s-era N&W geeps that I run on another friend’s Shenandoah Subdivision layout.
I am late steam to early deseil. However all I have to do to change the era is to put the FP45’s on the layout and make it mid 60’s or SD40’s for 80’s and if I ever own a SD70MAC then modern times.
The era is determined by what engines you put on the road. Also by small scenic items. That 1990 Ford tarus in a street full of 1950’s vehicles wont fit in.
I model the 1940’s to early '50’s, all steam (diesels can’t ‘breathe’ in the Sierra Nevada, yet, he-he!) Pretty much the WWII era, which allows me to run heavy freight, troop trains and lots and lots of produce extras east over the mountains from the California Central Valley. Setting is mid-October, when fall colors are getting into full roar in the mountains. It also allows me to run steam ‘on loan’ from my favorite railroads, just as the prototype railroads did back during the War. With that and ‘trackage rights’, I can run Rio Grande, SP, WP, and all of my ‘borrowed’ power from midwest and eastern roads. You never know WHAT’S going to be hauling the next train!
Tom[:P][:P]
Hey I model a specific period 1950-60 I canstill run steam and I love early diesels so it’s a perfect fit for me. I’m also a trolley and interurban nut so again this is the last really good decade for that sort of gear as well.I do like modern equipment and I do own some left over from my club days,but as stated by others space becomes a real issue with the big modern equipment and i don’t own a gymnasium so this governs the type of stuff I’m able to run. Rob
HighIron2003ar, the above comment on vehicles sure could have been about me! While swapping engines and cars, all my autos remain the same and often don’t fit the current time very well. Maybe one day I’ll get buy a bunch of vehicles for each particular era. Not!!! [:o)] I’d rather settle on one decade and stay there.
Jetrock, I love the 80’s! [8D] 80’s music especially. [{(-_-)}]
Did any of you read several years ago in MR about the gent who even swapped his buildings when he would change eras? [:O]
I definitely like the modern era, but I can see me starting a new collection of steam from 1940-prior I would like to model a Big Boy or Challenger with long freight train.
I put two era’s on one layout at once.[:O] It seems weird, but it works just fine. When my friends ask, I just say that the railroad decided to bring back steam for tourist excersions[:D]
I intermix time periods freely, its not surprising to see on my layout a bunch of AC4400CW’s pulling 60 foot box cars and intermodal container cars, a few 60’s era Ontario Northland GP9’s pulling 60’s era cars and a Union Pacific Big Boy running all at the same time.
