1956-57 timeframe

SteaminScott Aug 29, 2010

  1. SteaminScott

    SteaminScott TrainBoard Member

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    I've been trying to do some research on what locomotives were most commonly used in the 1956-57 timeframe. I seem to be able to find out when they were produced, but nothing to tell what was commonly used during that timeframe.

    Anyone care to weigh in and help an ignorant train noob figure this out?
     
  2. SteamDonkey74

    SteamDonkey74 TrainBoard Supporter

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    You might want to give us an idea of what general area.

    A lot of roads had some steam left in that time period, though most were phasing it out or not using it at all anymore. By that time you have, if I am not mistaken, the following models:

    Alco RS-1, -2, -3, -4, -5
    Alco S-1, S-2
    Alco PA, FA
    Baldwin VO-660, -1000
    Fairbanks-Morse Trainmasters, Erie-Builts, and pretty much all the other ones they ever made
    EMD GP-7, GP-9, SD-7, SD-9
    EMD FT, F3, F7, F9, FP7, FP9
    EMD SW1, NW2, etc.
    GE 44-tonner
    Whitcomb center cab switchers


    This is, by no means, a comprehensive list.


    What scale are you thinking of modeling? That will help us narrow down the choices to those that are actually available in your chosen scale.
     
  3. SteaminScott

    SteaminScott TrainBoard Member

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    I am modeling in HO. I just received my new GM Aerotrain (UP City of Las Vegas) hence the reason for the timeframe. I am really basically doing a generic layout. It have some farm areas, a small rural town, a medium to large city, and (in order to re-use some stuff I bought last year) a wild west tourist town with a tourist 4-4-0 passenger train.

    I will be looking for some type of locomotives to fill out the freight picture in the layout. At this point, I am still trying to figure out what switchers and road switchers are used for vs. the cab type units like the f7 or e7. My problem was, I can find when locos were made, but not when they were out of service. I like the look of the pa, fa, dl-109, e7/e8/e8 etc. but was not sure if they would fit in the era.

    Thanks,

    Scott
     
  4. SteamDonkey74

    SteamDonkey74 TrainBoard Supporter

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    In HO you've got, as you well know, the widest selection of any scale.

    All those you listed fit the era.

    You listed Alco and EMD units. If you want the road switchers of the same time frame and same manufacturers look at Alco RS-1, -2, -3, -4, and -5 and also EMD GP-7, -9, and SD-7 and -9. Yard switchers would be more like the Alco S-1, -2, -3, -4s and the EMD SW-1, NW-2, and NW-5.
     
  5. SteaminScott

    SteaminScott TrainBoard Member

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    If I may ask a really stupid question: What are the road switchers used for? I am guessing the yard switchers stay in the yard and move cars around?

    Also, were there any Steam locos still around at that time?

    Thanks
     
  6. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    "Yard" switchers usually handled yard and industrial work. However, they did venture out and haul local freights, and even main line time freights. Conversely, road switchers did mostly jobs out on the line, but also served in yards. Especially when new units replaced them, some would be downgraded to mostly yard service.

    Yes. There was still some active steam. There were also stored locos, held as reserve power. Some of which were kept into the early 1960's.

    Boxcab E50
     
  7. MRLdave

    MRLdave TrainBoard Member

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    You say you're looking to fill out the frieght side of things, but your last list is all passenger power......some of them saw limited frieght service late in their lives, but in the 56-57 era they would've been passenger power (except the FA). In cab units, the F series were the frieght power,although some saw dual duty, and the FM C-liners were similar. GP's,SD's, and RS's were frieght engines, but a few of those were fitted with steam generators for passenger service as well. If you have the manufacture dates, figure at least 10 years as the service life on engines....many ran for longer.......GP9's were being produced in your time period, and there are still a fair number of those in use today.....after 50+ years. Same for SD's. Diesels really didn't hit till WW2, so any diesels produced prior to your time period would've still been in use.
     
  8. SteaminScott

    SteaminScott TrainBoard Member

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    Thank you for the info. Like I said, I'm pretty ignorant still about things.

    Scott
     
  9. SteamDonkey74

    SteamDonkey74 TrainBoard Supporter

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    Hey, Scott, you are asking good questions. If you don't know what a road switcher is you should certainly ask. I didn't explain it because you had already used the term. I assumed you knew what it was.

    Ken already explained it. If I may add a few things. In general, yard switchers of that time tended to have their cabs at one end, not at some intermediate point. There are, of course, exceptions.

    Road switchers are able to run at mainline speeds. Yard switchers wouldn't get out on mainlines very often.



    Also, with the F-units, the passenger units were often the FP-7 and FP-9 units, the P designating that it was equipped for passenger service, but there are plenty of exceptions to this as well.
     
  10. bnsf971

    bnsf971 TrainBoard Member

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    A yard switcher would be an NW2, SW7, S1 and S2, S12, even 0-8-0 steam engines. Yard service was one of the last spots for steam.

    A road switcher would be a GP7, RS3, RS11.
    The 6 axle units at that time primarily were in special service, like lugging heavy coal trains, or tiptoeing along light rail in the prairie.

    Road engines would be F units, through F7, FA's, RF16's (Baldwin Sharks), C Liners, and Centipedes.

    Passenger engines would be a mix of PA's, E and F units, RS1's and boiler equipped GP7's.
    If you are modeling the N&W, it was steam for both freight and passenger, and if there is a diesel in sight it had better be headed back to it's home railroad.
     
  11. Dave Jones

    Dave Jones TrainBoard Supporter

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    Alright, now you're getting there - that is, more specific as to railroad and era. When I was finally able to do this same thing my expenses went down while my enjoyment went up.

    It appears that you're interested in Union Pacific's main line between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Before U.P. merged the line I believe it was the Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad.
    There's a lot of desert between those two cities. You're in luck here because the last year or so of 'Model Railroader' magazine has had several articles on this line in both HO and N gauge. And while they're set in current times (locomotives and cars), the scenery hasn't changed that much in the last 50-60 years.

    Another resource you might want to look at is one of the Union Pacific Historical Societies. Don't know if there's more than one but most large and historically important railroads have more than one. Some of these groups even give histories/locations of locomotive types and usage, primary freight movements over certain lines, etc., etc. Much of this information is one the InterNet or in some of their periodical publications.
     
  12. Triplex

    Triplex TrainBoard Member

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    On some roads, yard switching was the first to be entirely dieselized.

    If you're doing UP... All Time UP Diesel Roster, Index has a roster and chronology. You can find what they had then, what they had a lot of and what was rare. Common power would be F-units and GP7/9s for freight and E-units for passenger.

    As for steam, most older steam was being eliminated in this timeframe. Lucky for the modeller, because the large late steam (FEF, Challenger, Big Boy) are much more readily available than the others. All of these would be freight power; the FEF 4-8-4s were built as passenger but displaced by E-units by this date. Some lighter power like 2-8-0s were still found on branchlines.
     
  13. SteaminScott

    SteaminScott TrainBoard Member

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    My imaginary alternate reality will include towns along the route all the way from L.A. to Chicago. It will most likely run trains from the U.P. and Santa Fe. There will be the old west tourist town, desert, maybe vegas, maybe a mountain, a small town, corn fields and a medium/big city. In my alternate timeline, they will share the tracks :tb-shocked:.

    Just hopefully the reality police :we2-policeman: won't come get me. I do however want to stick with the general types of train cars and locomotives of the era.
     
  14. Charlie

    Charlie TrainBoard Member

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    Your Aerotrain fits nicely in the mid-late 50s time slot. I saw it several times after the
    Rock Island bought it. I was in high school 1956-60. I would ride the "L" to school everyday and I would sometimes see the Aerotrain as the "L" crossed over the "Rock" .

    All the diesels you indicate would definitely fit in your modeling era. BTW the Rock owned
    DL-109s. There were still pocket of steam but widely scattered. The GTW operated some fairly new 0-8-0s in Elsdon yard,not far from my home, until 1960 IIRC. After they were taken out of service,they were bought by Northwestern Steel & Wire in Sterling IL to shuttle cars around in their steel mill. Northwestern was VERY private about allowing access or photography of the locomotives,so few photos exist of the locos in their last years. As they wore out and were cannibalized for parts for the remaining engines,they themselves wound up in the melting furnace.
    I had the sad misfortune of seeing many fine old steam locos being hauled dead-in-train destined to scrapyards in the area.

    Charlie
     
  15. SteaminScott

    SteaminScott TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks Charlie. Nice to hear from someone who saw the train in action. Do you know if when the Rock Island Bought it, if it kept the "City of Las Vegas" name?

    Thanks,

    Scott
     
  16. Dave Jones

    Dave Jones TrainBoard Supporter

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    Although the "left coast" guys can tell you a lot more than I, you might to look up "Cajon Pass" on the 'Net. I can't remember how the track arrangement was, but U.P. and Santa Fe shared trackage through Cajon. I know that the "City of L.V." ran through here because I remember reading somewhere that U.P. had to add a helper unit to get the GM Aerotrain / Train of Tomorrow over Cajon summit.
     
  17. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    No, it did not.

    Boxcab E50
     
  18. Charlie

    Charlie TrainBoard Member

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    I am guessing on or before 1960 for the purchase date by the Rock Island. The Aerotrains were actually used in commuter service.
     

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