Short term solution: lubricated Big Blue, continuing to run it to quiet down. Whenever MT releases the Conrail SW1500 I'll have my yard goat. Any idea on eta for that puppy? I like the idea of using the hotshot freight as part of the switching puzzle. Over the the longer term I may build up a second fleet of transition era motive power. The B-Mann GP7 looks decent.
Lots of good advice here: model what you like, but smaller locos are definitely better on smaller layouts. That said, you don't need to go back nearly to transition era. GP-xx were still in ample supply and use during the 70's, 80's and even into the 90's.
You can go transition era and run NYCS. I did not know that NYCS was a 'less popular road'./ In fact, to hear the manufacturers tell it, it is a 'first tier road'. This pike appears to have fifteen or thirteen inch radius curves. I must agree with John that it 'cries out for four axle power'. F-units, GPs, RS, FAs, C-liners. Steam: 2-8-0s, 2-6-0s, 4-4-0s, 4-6-0s, 2-8-2s. F-units have come in NYC paint from MT, Kato, IM, B-mann. FAs from LL/WKW as well as C-liners. Atlas had the GPs and RS. Baldwin sharks came from E-R. B-mmann SPECTRUM 2-8-0 did come in NYC lettering, although I can not recall NYCS' having any 2-8-0s that resembled it. It is supposed to be a Baldwin 'Catalogue consolidated'. NYCS used mostly ALCo. B-mann sells a 4-6-0 painted NYC. NYC's ten wheelers lasted into the 1950s in local service, but they did not look much like the B-mann. Still, it is there. Atlas also sold a Baldwin yard goat in both the 'as delivered' numbering and the 1952 re-numbering. MP sold a USRA light 2-8-2, NYCS class H-6. Kato sold a USRA heavy 2-8-2, NYCS class H-9. There were unique to the P&LE and rarely ventured off the P&LE. There is also, the C-C hudson. Much of the above is out of production, but is still running around at shows and at dealers as NOS. Sometimes it comes up on FeePay, as well. If you do have a hard time finding NYCS power, send me a PM, I have more than a few of them that I rarely run, any more. The P&LEs are not on the table, but most of the other stuff is.
My primary modeling focus for era is the 1940s and steam. However, I own and run a few diesels and more modern equipment, but I have used a hidden yard for parking that equipment out of view. I called it a time-warp. Remember that most buildings did not change, so at least in that regard one is not "forced" to be stuck in a single era.
I do agree with the statement about buildings not changing any if at all with a lot of locales especially the smaller communities. Brick and wood construction was around often before the railroad came into town. So a structure found in the 1930s was most likely to be found in the 1970s and 80s with only interior changes having occurred. I did consider doing a three era power and cars at one time and had enough equipment to model that. My era thoughts at the time were all steam in the 30s, transition era somewhere in the mid to late 40s, and very early BN, or the rainbow era. Even a old steam era water tank could still be found occasionally in the 1960s or later. Railroads not spending the money to tear down a coaling tower or water tank until they deteriorated enough to have to be torn down for safety.
I agree John... Flagstaff Arizona has building that where built in the late 1800's that are still in use today. "Jeans Valley" on T.H.E.R.R. was supoposedly built in the the early 2000's but with early 1900's "Architecture" in mind...such as found in Flagstaff . I can pretty much run any era trains I want on my layout just by changing some simple things like the year of vehicles on the roads. The time frame I usually model is 1980's to present
Many railroads ran steam into the mid-late 1950's period. Some which had dieselized even stored a few locomotives for ready service, into the late 1950's. Some still had steam powered rotaries and wreckers. So they kept facilities in place as well. There were still many water tanks and stand pipes in the 1960's, and even later.
I also agree with the thought that a lot buildings, etc remained long after steam disappeared. I went to my hometown of Lima, Ohio a year ago for my 50th high school reunion and was amazed at the number of structures still standing along the NKP tracks after some 60 years. Since I am modeling the NKP this was a real advantage for me.
You know, if you put a bit of effort into research and planning, you don't have to model just one era on a layout.
I don't disagree with what's been said, but ultimately you should go with what your passion is. Just be aware that you need to use small equipment in context of your available space and that is much harder to do in a modern era setting. Have fun! Otto K.
It's figuring out the passion that's the tough part. The big loop has been nice for running locomotives in and getting them loose and cooperative, but now I'm wondering if I may be better served with the shelf-style layout I had been contemplating originally. I was dead set on having Amtrak because of positive real life experiences, and I was all about Conrail livery on a big modern loco.... but I think I had the most fun shuffling cars with my HO scale Alco HH600 and playing the switching game. Given my habit of playing for 15-20 minutes, it might make more sense to head that way. If I could get the MT SW1500 in Conrail paint right now I would probably switch over. I may fiddle with Anyrail and see what I could put together with the pieces I have. I'm attaching a previously-designed layout that David did for me. Maybe I need to reconsider.
