A generic approach is essentially what I use. The structures are a general mix of old and modern and the vehicles range from the 50's to 05. By adding or subtracting vehicles and some small details of certain times, I can make the layout reflect whatever time period I want (in the time periods of the 50's to modern day) that I want it too. Still, it wouldn't be a big leap to have a train pulled by a team of F units or RS3's to come through town in 2001. Not likely to happen but it's possible.
I'm in the '70s to '80s. I like to say 75. :angel: But there're some contradictions. I've three steam engines. Of course museum pieces. Wolfgang
I'm planning a modern layout- looking to perhaps model the Switchyard here in town- I can get the track layout right from google maps. When I get further along in the process though, I'll be looking to the collective knowlege and experience of this board to help me avoid some of the boneheaded mistakes that happen to newbies. :teeth:
Try this site for getting an ariel view. http://local.live.com/ It can zoom in a lot closer than goggle earth can.
I started in the early 80's moved it to the late 80's-early 90's, and now am thinking more Current times, perhaps late 90's, pre Conrail split.
More or less summer of 1957-- just before Sputnik, with a few details maybe a little off. Santa Fe all diesel, but I may have occasional steam for a movie run. If I can get a good running steamer, I may use one on log train that runs trackage rights over ATSF lines and on lumber-company-owned short line to the mill. I use a doodlebug for passenger service on existing layout although it was gone on the line I model by 1954... I operate ONE (count them, one) Indian Red Shock Control boxcar with the large circle-and-cross logo, which was actually introduced in 1958using it sort of as a sign of things ABOUT to come. When I build larger layout (hopefully this year), I want to operate some full length passenger trains. My period will allow mix of all-streamlined stainless steel consist on one train, and heavyweight consist on another train. Grain mostly in 40' boxcars, just a few 3-bay hoppers. Foreign line freight cars from southwest lines SP, T&NO, MP, MKT, CRIP, FW&D, SLSF, Cotton Belt, KCS, TexMex, and from more distant PRR, NYC, B&O, Southern, WP, GN, NP. Gulf tankcars with big orange lollipop logo, Humble before it became Enco and then Exxon, Magnolia before it became Mobile, Sinclair before it became Arco, etc. BEFORE the mergers that created BN and PC.
I have everything from the 30's up to present time. The buildings will fit the era with no problem as much of Chicago looks today as it did back in the 30's (railside) I am doing CB&Q, Burlington,BNSF.
Mine is 1950 to 1960, no one year per say. That way I can still run some steam some pre and post WW2 equipment that I seen as a kid on the PRR and NYC here in the midwest inch
Circa the Spring of 1968. Before too many second generation diesels. Before the insanity of mega mergers truly went wild. Boxcab E50
Probably stretching things a bit, but am doing the period 1957-1967. One big reason, lots of 40 foot freight cars. Further, ~100+ road names to choose from. The cars just seem to fit better on a smaller layout like mine - 10' x 12' - but only 76.69 square feet. Also, in that time period tracks seem to run everywhere, at least in my neck of the woods. I estimate that my area has lost more than half its' trackage since 1967. A lot of small/medium size industries served by rail, often on a daily basis. A transition in color schemes on 2 of my 3 favorite railroads. First and second generation diesels. A very happy period in my life. But, even with that - have to have a couple of Russian 2-10-0's.
Fall of 1949. The C&O now has absorbed the Pere Marquette Railroad, and the train of the future, the Chessie, has been canceled. Some of the cars from the Chessie have been assigned to the Nothern Division of the C&O to operate on the "connector" train that runs from Holland Michigan north to Muskegon. The seven car Pere Marquettes, the first post-war all streamliners operate from Grand Rapids through Holland on their way to Chicago pulled by beautiful blue and yellow E7's. I'm just getting ready to paint a Con-Cor dome-observation to complete my model of the C&O's connector which is made up of a BL-2, a converted troop-kitchen car, 2 85' coaches and the dome-observation car. My wife's mother used to live on a farm along side the tracks just up the road from where we currently live on the tracks heading north out of Holland where this train used to operate daily. My mother-in-law was lucky to have actually been able to see this train - too bad she didn't have photography as a hobby!
I model the Frisco, circa 1975-1980. I'm not too terribly strict, as I do have some diesels that were gone before 1975, such as an FP7, F9B, an E8A, RS1, RS2M, and a 44-tonner. Also, a Russian Decapod comes out from time to time. Other than that, I can run GP7s with GP15-1s, knowing that the two models were on the roster from 1977 to 1979. I also have MP power, and utilize Santa Fe and Union Pacific power on runthroughs (ATSF on hotshots QLA, CTB and QSF, and UP on southbound Soviet grain trains to the Gulf). I'm amassing some KCS power for the occ. detour freights that road had due to bad track, and hope to get some Katy power soon. I'd like later on to get diesels for Seaboard coast Line and Southern, both of which were on Frisco trains on the Cherokee Sub from time to time. The majority of power will be GP38ACs and GP38-2s, as Frisco had 146 of these type engines at one time.
I model 1978, several reasons, one I was born that year and also as there was still a good selection of locos running about on the BN.
Dual Eras I model 1912 and also 1925, by changing rolling stock and motive power. Little or no passenger service ( mostly mixeds 1912; and SPCs of steam and IC prime movers latterly). Good-Luck, PJB
Hey Jeff! it's me Colby. My time frame well..... I don't really have one. my time frame is what ever engine I'm using a 0-6-0, 0-4-0, F7, or my NYC engine.
