A few weeks ago another poster asked if anyone had ever used their layout to operate different railroads from time to time. I’d like to ask a more limited question. Rather than completely swapping out the railroad you are modeling, what piece(s) of equipment have you or would you like to run on your layout that doesn’t fit the location or era you are modeling. I recently added Fox Valley’s Hiawatha and a few of their cars to my roster simply because I love the look of it, even though I model an east coast railroad and the streamlined steamers had been scrapped well before 1956, the year my layout is set in. I’m also tempted to add an N&W 4-8-4 because again I like the looks of it and I am partial to it because I road behind the 611 on my first steam excursion. Someday, I’d like to add an SP Daylight train because I think it was the best looking passenger train ever.
I would like to run these. However I think they look dorky pulling a short train and a train of appropriate size would look even dorkier on all but the grandest of layouts. Besides it’s the Loco’s I like, I find containers or endless coal hoppers boring.
With my modest 120 metre’s of track a small steamer chugging around the layout at 30MPH makes my layout feel much larger than it is.
I would like to run all sorts of things that don’t fit my theme, from Shays (Alishan 28-tonners) to a wide variety of unlikely articulateds (SAR NGG-16 - 2-6-2+2-6-2 Garratt, or a Welsh double-Fairlie, for openers) to the JNR E10 (dead before my ‘time’) and C62 (high-drivered Hudson not suited for mountain running.)
My solution? Two answers:
- Sigh and turn away.
- Build a Japanese-language version and assign it to a ‘might have been, but never was,’ private railway. Thus my Tomikawa Tani Tetsudo runs a 2-6-6-2 (and will get a Garratt and a Golwe if I ever find my missing round tuit) while my narrow-gauge logger’s shop crew is looking at the ‘kit’ that (may) build up to a quadruplex, or a Garratt, or a couple of ex-US Army 2-6-2s.
And then there’s that DE10 that’s a couple of years before its time. Here, in the Alfred E. Neumann universe, I simply advanced the construction schedule…
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - sort of)
My answer has several parts:
Although my heart is really set on Chessie System {like I used to see going by my house as a teen in the 70s}, I really like steam, too. SO, I adopted the “incarnates theory”, that is: I can run anything from B&O adn it’s “incarnates”- to C&O, to Chessie to CSX on my pike, and just change out a few cars and buildings to avoid getting bored quickly.{ Easy to do on a 3.5x5.1 HO layout}
Now: the fun part, Once I went to the RailRoad Museum of Pennsylvania,and saw the {monstrous} PRR Mountain #6755 loco, with the high Belpaire firebox, I was HOOKED on it! I fell totally IN LOVE! I would have married it if I could have! I would STILL love to see her restored AND running, but with her long distance tender attached, she is probably to big/heavy for today’s rails… [sigh]
I digress: SO, I developed another theory that the B&O, C&O or both- offered “trackage rights” to the PRR to run through, and as soon as the M1a/b Mountains were released in model form, I’d get one. Or two.
Well: I DID find out over SOME tracks, the B&O allowed the PRR rackage rights, so I wasn’t so 'fantasy-filled" after all.
{ANd when the Mountain models were released i just did NOT have the money to buy one, and then there were many many many reports they were faulty, so maybe it was my savings grace.}
[8-|]
I model the Milwaukee, so why did I buy a GG-1?
Because, sometime in my imaginary past, the Pennsylvania had an electrified line running beyond Chicago up the west coast of Lake Michigan, and it met up with the Milwaukee in my town of Moose Bay. There, the locomotives were swapped for steam or diesels and the passengers continued their journey north.
And, sometime in my hopefully not imaginary future, when I build my retirement layout, I will have the space to model that line, too.
You make it sound like it is hard to make something fit! After seeing this you should be very open minded about the impossibilities out there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIqY5N3V4qc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qukev5nX-7Q
Hope that’s a good link, and it is the reason I have no trouble with a J1 on a modern road.
In a word, a bunch of stuff, most of which will most likely never be purchased! the bigger problem I have is that I try to keep the era from 1955 to 1965, centered around 1962 (my favorite diesels are GP-30’s, and it was before roof walks were eliminated). But, I also like to run some 2nd generation units Like SD-45’s, DD-35’s, and tunnel motors are my close 2nd favorite diesel, not exactly visible in 62! I also like Pennsy I-1’s, 2-6-6-6 Allegehneys, B&O’s 1st gen color scheme, GN’s scheme, etc., none of which ever appeared on UP or SP tracks that I know of. But hey, it’s a model! Have fun with it. Say they’re leased, or special trackage rights were granted.
uLess is more, more or less!
Even though my layout timeframe is Steam Diesel transition era on the Mighty PRR I want in the worst way one of the NS Heritage PRR units!
I run Espee GP9’ and GP35’s, so my N scale railroad is set in the early 70’s. One thing I run occasionally is my Espee Cab Forward. Okay, they stopped running them in the mid-fifties, but geez, it sure looks good hauling a bunch of 40’ reefers! I just wish I had bigger curves to run it.
JeffB
Oh for shame…Terrible! The embarrassment of it all! The scandal! The humiliation!
Ok…Enough already.
I have fun operating a Bachmann DCC/Sound equipped Santa Fe zebra striped Alco S4 on my '78-80 ISL.
My excuse?
A local locomotive historical society pays a fee for us to operate the S4 in regular service two or three times a year.
I would run, whatever I want and era I want, anytime I want, whether it belongs or not, if I so please. I built it, scenicked, wired it for my enjoyment and satisfaction. I could care less what others may think, as blunt as that may sound, that is the bottom line. I don’t need permission from others, or opinions either, if I did I would ask for one, everyone supposedly is entitled to theirs, if asked. [:D]
And this is Mine.
Frank
Everything I run is literally years within each other or locations. I could run SP&S/SP in Oregon, SP&S/GN/NP in Washington, NP/GN/CB&Q out east, and last but not least Merger day to the final years of Alco service on the BN(minus the patching and paint) for my SNC boxcars.
All the big electric locomotives. GN W1s, Pennsy GG1, Milwalkee bi-polar and little joe.
Also some of the eastern big steam like the 2-6-6-6, B&O 2-10-2, Lima 2-8-4, N&W Js, etc.
Sigh, just can’t have everything.
Three things I’d like to run, but don’t quite fit my 1950s southern shortline.
a. Geared logging steam. Shay, Climax, and logging equipment
b. Covered hoppers. Don’t know why but I love those things.
c. Piedmont & Northern electrics. These actually almost fit since P&N is one of my inspirations, but since I didn’t model an electrified route…
My layout is a modern shortline.
I would like to run big steam and geared steam.
A GE 44-tonner. Downright cute little buggers…but they weren’t on the NYC.
Tom
Tom,
Run it…I promise I won’t tell the rivet counter Police. [:D]
[bow]
Frank
Hogwart’s Express!
With lights and sound (already installed)
Dave
Dave,
Here You go…Put on Your layout:
I won’t Tell
Frank
Hey Frank!
I’ve actually got the HO Hogwart’s Express already. In fact it was the first piece of HO equipment I owned. It was given to me by my wife as a Christmas present about 10 years ago.
I installed sound and illuminated the front lamps a couple of years ago. However, the whole train still needs a lot of work. The engine’s front truck derails at every turnout. I have yet to check the wheel gauge and I suspect that the wheels will be out of gauge, but I was also running it on some hastily assembled track on the carpeted floor of my rec room so I’m sure there were some major problems there too.
The passenger cars are way under NMRA weight. That isn’t hard to fix. They also lack interiors. That might get pricey! I haven’t studied the coaches enough to determine if there are suitable interiors available.
My interest in the train has taken second place to things like building my critters but this thread just might get me to drag it out and do a bit more work on it, or at least some more research.
Dave