I am new and was wondering what type of layout was more popular. Diesel , steam or both? Just want to get an idea to what might be a better sorce of info so I can find out more about them.
If you could tell me which one you went with and why that could aslo give me ideas on what I might be interested in modeling. Thanks in advance.
Most modelers revert to the trains that inspired them in their early years. For many of us, that will be steam, but the fact is that the most modeled era is what we call the transition era…when steamers were still aplenty, but diesels were coming on strong. Basically, between 1948 and 1958, give or take a few years from company-to-company. For many others on this forum, unless it has a diesel, it isn’t a real train. So, others will chime in with their preferences. For me, the transition era has the biggest, nastiest, rootin’ tootinest steamer there ever was, and the great looking E and F units, the AlCO and Baldwin switchers, and so on. This way, you can justify some of each.
Classic Trains magazine has good articles dealing with the earlier years of the railways, and the Railroad forum next door is a good source of information. Our hosts, Kalmbach, also offer an extensive library of downloadable articles, and whole editions that can be ordered. You should invest, if you want a solid grasp of developing a most satisfying toy railroad, in the late John Armstrong’s “Track Planning for Realistic Operation.” It is also available through Kamlbach.
Does that help a bit?
Yes that does help thank you. I like steam locomotives. Unfortanately I was born after the diesel killed them out. My father is the only one in my family that can tell me anything about them. Since he used to see them as often As I see diesel. Iam only 25. Closest I get to steam locomotives is on the internet.
I run primarily diesels, but only thru 1970 when the RR I model was merged out of existence. That being said, I have diesels from FTs (earliest F units, to GP40s). I also broke down and bought a USRA 2-8-2 Mikado just because it looks good, sounds great, and just makes me feel good when I run it.
Rick
I was born in the 1880’s so that is why I model them. [:D]
Bass,
It’s obvious that you are interested in steam. Don’t let your age hinder you, go for it!!
Years back as a teen I was strongly interested in steam, but now am diesel (1960-71 era).
If you need inspiration, in addition to the web get some good books that deal with steam. Noted railroading author, S.Kip Farrington, put out some outstanding books (out of print but sometimes show up on ebay) about steam during the 30s and 40s. The cool thing about him was that he gave a lot of technical info while at the same time speaking in a “romantic slant” about his beloved hobby, steam railroading. As a teen, I found his thick books hard to put down once I started reading.
Don Ball also has had some beautiful color photo books covering the steam to diesel transition era.
Consider modeling the transition era as you get, IMHO, the best of both worlds when steamers were at their highest horsepower and efficiency and colorful diesels were sharing the tracks with them.
Just a hint for your success, if I may. Spend some money on a couple of good steamers. They will be the backbone of your layout, its operations, and your enjoyment for many months to come if you spend some decent coin up front. I’m not talking about $400/loco, certainly when you can get many of that price for much less on ebay. What I am saying is get the better products, and leave the train sets to the unfortunate hordes that shop in a rush without doing any fact-finding. The only train set that I have heard of that might be decent is the one from Bachmann with a Spectrum class loco in it. Otherwise, good steamers can be had from Proto 2000 Heritage series, Broadway Limited Imports, Trix, and Spectrum. Athearn Genesis line makes a decent Challenger.
But, to sum up, please don’t skimp on the loco dollars. Shop, yes, but don’t go light on your locos. You will regret it if you do.
-Crandell
Steam rules. Diesel drools.
The transition era really is the most popular era.
However, what you like is what you like, and I say run with it. Steam has that feeling of being alive, the chuffs, the moving exposed parts.
I model the 1970’s on the Boston and Maine Corporation (no, not RR, it was renamed B&M Corp somewhere in that period) I primarily model 1973, when F units and RS units were replaced by new GP38s. I also extend into the late 70’s when GP40s arrived. However, I still keep steam going in the ways of excursion trains. It is possible to have a bit of all.
Bass123, I’m 58, so it’s good to see a 25 year old interested in steam trains, but you should not go for the most popular type. You should go for the most popular type FOR YOU. It’s going to be your railroad, man, so if you like diesel power, nothin’ wrong with that. If you go for a few steam tourist train trips, you’ll get a better understanding of why we old timers like those puffy engines so much. Everybody else on here has given you excellent advice, as usual. I like selector’s comments on quality locos. Anyway, do what makes you happy. It’s a hobby that allows you to be very selfish!
Bass,
Don’t let the huys who say that they model what they remember get you down. With the increase in availability of quality, inexpensive steam models, coupled to the impersonal, monotonous nature of moder railroads, there are a LOT of people right around your age who model the steam era. I’m 35, my brother is 34, and we’re part of an N scale group with around 12 member, all younger than us. Only two members are into modern diesels. The rest are into steam in a big way (I model it in both HO and N!). We’ve even converted a couple of diesel guys into transition modelers, through a combination of exposure to our steam and through taking them on steam-chasing road trips.
So if you like steam, model steam! There are more than enough resourses online and in print to get just about anyone started on a realistic, steam-based layout. Just pick a road or region you like, and start digging!
If it makes you feel any better, the only steam that I’ve seen actually running are museum loco’s. That didn’t stop me from setting my layout in 1939 and not having one of those D word loco’s in sight.
If you want to do steam thats great. What era? what location?
Me personally I model Penn Central in 1973.
If you like steam now, wait until you encounter a model steam engine with sound !
Excellent advice above about getting a quality steam engine if you do decide to go that route.
Go with whatever you like best; steam or diesel does not matter.
I model the transition era but probably not because of early memories. I was born in 1951 but I have very few memories of steam locomotives. My earliest train sets had steam locomotives but I didn’t see many real ones. I remember our family traveling from Omaha to Chicago in the late 1950s and our train passed a parked steamer as we left the Omaha terminal. My mother casually mentioned that railroads were eliminating steam locomotives. A few years earlier we were driving to Chicago and I saw a short train being pulled by a steamer, probably on some branch line in Iowa or Illinois. I’ve ridden 3 excursion trains behind steamers in the last 20 years so most of my experiences with real steam locos has been recently.
When I got back into model railroading in the late 1970s, I had intended to model first generation diesels. Most of what I saw growing up were E and F units and a few switchers. I bought a Rivarossi Mikado on an impulse and after I saw it running, I was hooked on steam. That’s why I reverted to modeling the transition era.
Another thing to consider is your available space, particularly with regards to turn radius. If you are tight for space, then you will be tempted to create tight turns. This is a problem both for modern-era trains, where locos and cars have gotten longer since the Transition, or for big steam, where the engines and passenger cars were all very long. I model the 1960’s, where steam is really not applicable, but 40-foot freight cars were standard. Or, you could go “totally retro” and head back to the era of “small steam,” that glorious time of balloon stacks.
i run early desiel to late desiel i might try a steamer or 2 if a can find a good one in N scale. but as others have noted there both fun just what you like better I like the transition era but do run more modern stuff. its all what you might like better
Atlas makes a really nice Shay. They ain’t cheap, though.
The Bachmann 2-8-0 is great. Just try before you buy as quality control is spotty. It’ll either run great or it will barely move.
Why would you have to pick any particular era? I have some steam, modern diesel and other diesel, even have a German steamer and eelctric loco. I run them all together, at the same time, on the same layout. It makes not one bit of difference to me if they never met each other in the real world. I run them because I like them.