Big steam, Big Electric, Big Time Railroasding…and not a single infernal combustion engine in sight
The Virginian is a very good railroad to model. Steam is hard to come by but has been done in brass. I have a set of EL3 engines by Overland that were $700 each 20 years ago. Love to run them. Diesels are easy 100% FM tranmasters and baby trainmasters and one GE 44 ton. Then there is those thousands of hoppers.
Unfortunately, the H16-44 wasn’t the “Baby Trainmaster”, the H16-66 was.FM “H16-66” Locomotives (american-rails.com)
In relatively inexpensive plastic, there is a Walthers’ USRA 0-8-0 that makes a good stand in for the Class SB switchers bought from the C&O, Bachmann’s C&O 2-8-4’s to represent the class BA, Walthers’ USRA 2-8-8-2 for Class USA and USB, Bachmann’s VGN EL-C/NH EF-4/PC E-33/CR E-33 electric and Accurail has VGN USRA twin hoppers, AAR 41 foot gondolas and 40 foot AAR boxcars - it’s between you and yer bank (and maybe the missus) in terms of getting a fleet of bathub gons.