When I was young I would listen to the Milwauki engines puffing in the night. When we visited Grandma we would ride the CB&Q Zepher. Thus the passanger train on my layout are silver Zepher cars pulled by a Hiawatha Steamer. That is the only train that would be true to my memory and is more fun than simple reality. Anyone else running stange mixes to stay true to your prototype memories and dreams?
Sometimes I run a Nickle Plate caboose on a Burlington Northern train. I model the
Eighties and Nineties, but sometimes I want to run stuff from the Sixties and
Seventies. Sounds like you’ve got some great memories Arthill !
I missed the steam era (born in '61). It doesn’t matter what you run, as long as you
enjoy yourself.[:)]
I run a lot of different types of SP passenger cars and F7 “Black widow” A & B units to simulate the SP Sunset in it’s final days before Amtrak came on the scene. This breaks away from the original / traditional orange and scarlett cars pulled by a GS11 or 12 of the SP Daylight, Sunset, and Cotton Belt’s Sun Beam passenger trains, Running the train in this manner is a more accurate depiction of the passenger service in it’s final days. Even though I do have some Proto Alco PA-1 A & B units that pulled these same trains to make it even more prototype for it’s hayday, I’ll have to paint, detail, and decal them before putting them on the layout…Chuck
My entire layout is, for the most part. The era is 10-20 years before my time, but the locations, scenery and so on is all to feed my nostalgia for where I grew up.
I grew up during the late steam era in Northern California, and one of my early memories is riding in the cab of an AC-6 Cab-forward helper from Truckee to Norden, courtesy of my great-uncle (and namesake) who was employed by SP. I witnessed a lot of SP steam through grammar and most of high school–in fact I was so indundated by the fascination of steam that when the diesels took over on the Donner Pass line, I thought it was boring as all get-out (still do). I didn’t witness Rio Grande power in the Rockies until I was in my twenties, and it was all diesel, but for some reason, that particular railroad fascinated me, and I started delving into it. Then I discovered Rio Grande steam (albiet only in pictures) and realized what I’d missed. So now I live in Northern California and model Rio Grande and SP big steam. What I fell in love with as a kid and a young man I can now at least attempt to duplicate in HO. Hey, that’s good enough for me! Steam rules, Diseasels grunt.
Tom[:D]
