I model Illinois Central and my second choice would be CSX.
Victor
Happy Railroading.
OK, I have given it some thought and started a list of railroads I believe would make for an interesting “second choice” layout (for me, at least):
The NYC “Old Road” between White Pigeon and Coldwater MI. Advantages: easy “multiple era” scenery so I could model 1950s NYC, 1972 PC or 1994 Michigan Southern. A good mix of light industrial and agricultural trafic, with a couple passenger trains during the NYC era.
The PRR Grand Rapids & Indiana line between Sturgis, MI and Kendalville, IN, circa 1955. Advantages: similar to above. Active interchanges with NYC at both ends, and with Wabash at Walcottville, IN. F-units on through freights and Alco RS’s on local freights.
The Ironton Railway circa 1975. Advantages: Baldwin switchers, active interchange with Reading/Lehigh Valley. Heavy coal and cement traffic - could become a bit mundane.
Minneapolis & St. Louis. Advantages: Still haven’t decided on a specific location yet (somewhere in Iowa, probably), but those multi-colored RS-1’s sure look fun to model. Maybe I would model whatever year they began the transition over to the red and white scheme. Lots of 40’ boxcars and some covered hoppers in grain service, with through freights and passenger traffic thrown in for added fun.
D&RGW between Springville and Eureka UT in the 1960s. Advantages: I still need to do some research on this one, but I believe there was a lot of coal traffic and possibly some ore with a bit of ag traffic thrown in for good measure. The line does feature some interesting if not spectacular scenery on the uphill run to Eureka.
The Union Pacific line between Emmett and Cascade, ID ca. 1965. Advantages: Yellow & Gray F-units and geeps with bi-directional log and finished lumber traffic (there were mills at Cascade, Horseshoe Bend and Emmett, I think) running along one of the most scenic river canyons in the West.
The Green Bay & Western, ca 1978. Advantages: All sorts of ALCOS in medium-de
Well I model CB&Q & MKT in the late 1960’s but if I were to choose over It might be GM&O or Wabash. I like to go to the real right of way and living in St. Louis all of these roads are close by as well as many more because this is where East meets West!
My main interest is the Ma&Pa with PRR and B&O interchanges/mainline in S. My second choice is the WWF in Sn2. My third choice is the EBT in Sn3. And I wouldn’t mind running some Sante Fe F7’s in the war bonnet scheme. And then there’s…
Hmmm, I need a warehouse and a large lottery win for all I want to do.[:D]
Enjoy
Paul
I’d model the Chessis System but perhaps move it into present day and pretend that CSX never existed. Imagine SD70ACe’s painted in Chessie blue, vermillion and yellow! And speed lettering for the loco’s… might have to wake up “The Sleeping Kitten” to do that!
I’d still have a branch line running Shay’s into the mountains for tourist excursions too.
I model the Frisco. A second choice is tough. I suspect that it would either be one of the Muskogee Co. lines (KO&G, OCAA, MV) or the Rock Island, either one in the transition era.
Tom, The MRL was a great choice (I used to live in Montana) I’m modeling BNSF and UP because they are what I grew up around (Plus Southern Pacific). My second choice would be to model MRL’s Mullan Pass. I would so love to but I believe that I never will.
i currently model a freelanced class 1 railroad in the transition era but if I were to start over with something different, I would model either a branch line or secondary mainline of a real railroad, probably in the Northeast. I would model a prototype with enough traffic to keep things interesting but where 15-20 car trains would be realistic. Also, it would run some passenger traffic. I would probably stick with the transition era but if I shifted, it would be back to the all steam era. I am currently HO but would shift to S scale.
All of this assumes there is reincarnation. My current layout has enough to keep me busy and interested for the rest of this lifetime.
On my home layout now I model the Conrail Lowgrade line from Dubois to East Brady PA.
I have 6 shortlines that are active railroad in of themselves and not just a small piece of track for dead interchange. They are:
Bessemer & Lake Erie
Buffalo & Pittsburgh
Falls Creek Railroad
Pittsburgh & Shawmut
Rimersburg & Sligo
Lake Erie, Franklin & Clarion RR
So I guess one of these would be a secondary railroad. With 2700 ft of track in the basement one can see how I am able to put all of this together in a multi-level (4 levels) layout.
BOB H – Clarion, PA
I model Canadian National. It’s my favourite because it’s what I grew up seeing. I love the old green-yellow livery and have a sentimental attachment to the black-red-white of the modern day livery. But if I were to pick another road to model I think I would have to choose between CSX or BNSF. I really like the livery, grey-blue-yellow on CSX and the pumpkin livery of BNSF. I just saw two large BNSF’s (dash-8’s I think) roll through my local station this week. There were only two of them. They were massive, and pulling a long consist of tankers. Very exciting to see.
Trevor
Interesting because my second choice interchanges with my first! I model GN in the Cascades circa '47-'50, and am starting to do the north end of Bieber, CA. for GN’s interchange with WP, my second choice would be WP highline from Keddie yard and the wye up to Beiber, with staging for Stockton/Oakland and Portola/Winnemucca. jc5729
It’s not so much of “second choice” as railroads that were aquired or merged into one that is modeled. I model the B&O. I eventually “merged” my modeling to C&O, WM which now I predominately model Chessie to but not including the CSX. On occasion some Family Lines, ACL Pere Marquette and B&LE get tossed into the salad.
You have a good observation about the modern railroads era.
The modern era layout cetainly does have many merged roads so you might have the first and second choice in some cases.
I’ve always been a fan of the Baltimore & Ohio.
The current Tennessee Central is really the B&O in different colors and locations. (Apples don’t fall far from the tree)
I’m considering a total makeover of the TC. The “new and improved” TC will happen, but I think I need a break.
WARNING: The purists will jump and scream “Foul,” but remember, it’s only a hobby. It’s mine, and therefore can take any direction “I” choose.
As a serious student of history, (Pharonic Egypt), the idea of the inclusion of a railroad into that time frame fascinates me. I’m thinking a maximum base of 4X8, with a 2X3 arm to represent Alexandria, (seaport). The Nile area is flat, save for the west bank hills. Heavy emphasis on buildings, monuments and life in general as it might have appeared in approx. 1950 BC.
The river would be central, with rails on either side for freight / passenger service. East and west bank connected by an imagined tunnel. Much interaction between river and rail traffic. I have a few small geared locomotives that I have no other use for, soooo…
i dont think a lot of people do new england central in ho. shure, their roster is almost enterily gp-38s, but that kind of makes it easier. i would do either the new england central or a conrail branch line if i didnt already do a fictional railroad. pretty much anything where my scenery research is just walking outside.
gearhead426
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