Freelance Defined??

I was just thinking about what it means to be a freelance modeler , and am wondering how you all define yourselves in terms of freelance . To me, freelance can apply not only to an entire layout (which can run from total fantasy to proto-freelance), but also to the details of rolling stock, buildings etc. In fact, I recently "freelanced" a whole bunch of "junked" automobiles from the 1920s and 1930s. Since I had no plans or photographs, I relied on my memory of plans and photographs, fudged here and there...and they turned out great !! So lets hear your definition of "Freelancer!!"
John

 

I consider my railroad to be a combination between protoype modeling and freelance. I model a fictious location, but place it on the Union Pacific line between Houston and New Orleans. I try to follow many prototype practices and appearances, but abandon them when I need to in order to accomplish what I'm trying to do. The tunnel that leads into staging is a goof example. Trains going into the tunnel are headed to Houston. In reality there's no tunnels around here anywhere. I also have coal mine although you don't see that in this part of the country. I do have a refinery which is freelance modeled, but represents the one here in town.

Overall, I use reference to the prototype to lend realism and believeability, but don't let it keep me from modeling what I want to have in "my little world".

Scot

 

I think virtually every model RR is freelanced, unless it is a 100% accurate to-scale model. In N scale, that would mean that in 33 feet of mainline run, you have only 1 mile of trackage . So in my opinion, everybody is a free-lancer, but the extent is up to the given modeler.

The NEB&W, for example, is a free-lanced road, but is VERY closely based on the D&H/Rutland RRs in the early 1950s. We do historical research, measure buildings, etc. to try to accurately re-create the prototype. I guess we're on the prototypical end of the spectrum.

Most others will pick a railroad to model, like Scott and myself for my personal layout, an try to get the flavor of the area. We pick up on prototype practices, but change them where we see fit in order for them to fit in our overall scheme.

Just a few thoughts from me.

 

I agree that freelancers do follow some prototype as it is natural to draw on experiences we have and even if we think we are doing our own thing, every decision we make is biased because of what we have been exposed to. What I like best about freelance is the ability to throw in whatever pleases us instead of worrying that this equipment or stucture was never seen on CN or any other prototype railway. I am currently building two Pennsy style concrete and steel coal towers to go on the MAT and know such coal towers have never been seen in Canada as far as I know but I like the design so I put them on my freelance railroad just because I want to. That is what freelance means to me.

 

Free lancing to me is modeling my railroad my way going from one fictious town(city?) to another ,but in a real place Michigan.My railroad runs partly on a real set of rails(NS/Conrail from SouthBend Ind. to Grand Rapids,Mich.where it is headquartered to the northern tip of the lower penisula(no tracks there anymore).The towns on my layout are totally frelanced right down to the names and bear no resemblance to any Michigan towns that I am aware of.My locomotives are painted and detailed to my tastes as are the rolling stock.

Didn't mean to write a book but you asked.

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Catt,
Writing books is just fine !! I too find that I freelance from a prototype: the Santa Fe in New Mexico. But from that point on, reality stops and my world takes over . My line runs south of Albuquerque, on the way to San Diego. This line never existed, but should have !!
John

 

My layout is completely freelance. I just use my imagination the way I want it go. I have had to change a couple of thinks as I went along but that is expected. I tried to get all SP engines but gave up and now plan to repaint them in colors I have yet to decide. I call my layout the KR&T which are the initals of the first names of my 3 children. I saw a Western Pacific engine with new paint of green and silver. It really looked good so I might adapt it to my engines and a few cars.

 

I agree with harron, every one is a free-lancer. I also have to agreewith telegrapher. My railroad uses operations like running lead locomotives backward (for the heck of it, ocasionally) and CSX 's practices [(such as the cut-coast-couple-pull-and-go! maneuver) which is very tough to do, but saves time] my railroad was inspired by Allen McCllelan's Virginian & Ohio. My railroad has a totally free-lanced paint scheme, a few prototypical towns, and free-lanced trackage.It's just the imagination and the thrill of your OWN railroad.

 

So is the definition of "Freelancer" something like:
"A modeler whose railroad focus may be from semi-prototypical to entirely imaginary, and all combinations in between" ??? I think of Freelancer's as being very flexible folks as well!!
John

 

By golly John,I think you've got it.


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Freelancing to me is the following:
I took a Walthers Jordan Spreader and painted it B&O, for one the B&O never used Jordan Spreaders, for 2 its all blue and has delux gold (yellow) lettering!!!!! Now is that freelanced or what????

I made a 30 plus car MOW and its all B&O and all painted blue with dulux gold (yellow) lettering. Its highly detailed to proto-type railroading, and wear and weathering just slightly nothing like the real MOW cars was though. It suits me and is an eye catcher at shows. Even though its a freelanced train set I've been told to send a article to MR magazine on it and its history. I may I'm still thinking about it

 

Thanks for the input John...any chance of seeing pics of the spreader or MOW equipment someday ?? I think Freelance is the best route to go, and if we go back to a point made earlier, EVERYONE freelances, whether they like to admit it or not (I think folks like Tony Koester over at MR might argue that they are prototype modelers all the way !! ). If I can run som protype trains (or close to prototype) and my layout as a whole gives the feeling of the era and place it is supposed to represent, then I have done my job well !! So far, I seem to be doing just that. A friend, who is not a modeler, saw the layout for the first time the other day and noticed a junked truck I have on one corner of the Module 1. He said "I have seen that truck on my trips through New Mexico!!" I never told him where the layout was set before hand .
John

 

I guess I am a prototypical freelancer (or is that an oxymoron). I model a ficticious bridgeline, jointly owned by Conrail and the N&W. The basis for the line is due to locations of new coalfields. Anyway, the towns exist in WVA but may not have had rail service. The buildings are not prototype but have a WVA feel to them. The rolling stock is close to prototype for the most part. But most of all I try to have fun. I got the jointly owned idea from the Calamais Prarie RR which was owned by UP and BNSF.

My railroad also has a steam tourist line on it. I bring the steamers out to gum up the works

 

A.J.
I think Protype Freelancer describes me too!! Your layout sounds like great fun. I will be running some steam as well, but it is in the waining days when the faster, brighter deisels began to rule the day.
John

 

You know John i'm a prototype freelancer as well. My layout is modeled after the B&O's Sand Patch grade in Pennsylvania, and the Western Maryland's Big Mount Savage grade in Pennsylvania and Maryland, both of which are classified Sand Patch. Anyway I took all that real space and shortened it up and represented the 2 area's. I scale model freight trains to the exact prototype and then again I do something like the MOW train I hand made. So I model prototype in the trains and in the area and time period and the same goes for the freelancing. But all in all I have a blast doing it!!!!!! Thats what its all about.... Having the fun doing it

[ 04 May 2001: Message edited by: 7600EM_1 ]

 

I like the general definations of freelance. I'm a freelancer because i got tired of hearing about the glory days of passenger trains,etc. and decided that my RR would represent what would have happened here in the northern mountains of Arizona if all the little RRs that used to exist had "done it right" and still existed today. History of these RRs indicate lots of poor management and missed oppoturnities. My Orca Mt. RR covers a lot of copper, coal, cattle and lumber country, and even my locomotives are freelanced: diesalized GG-1s we bought and converted [now called GG-1Ds]. It's great fun to learn from history! Curt

 

Dieselized GG-1's ??? GG-1D sounds interesting how did you get it done dieselized???? That would be a very interesting loco!!! Did you change the wheel configuration on it???? And remove the electric things on the roof, what are they called??? Pantographs???? I can't think of the name of those things at the moment.

 

My RRs design engineers did the conversions to GG-1Ds: we got some great diesel engines surplus from the Navy, then pulled of the panographs, put on some cooling fans[that just happen to cover the holes from the panographs]. We kept the traction motors,still in great shape, and wala! 5000+HP GG-1Ds running around the mountains of Arizona as noble as when the Pennsy ran them when i was a kid. HMM, is that freelancing or kitbashing. Anyway, we have 10 of them and double headed can haul any train, freight or passenger up our steepest grades. My boyhood dream come true! Curt