A question came up in another thread as to which era is more popular and since there is no firm recent data here I thought lets start a poll and find out. There's five options, let's see what is the most popular modeling era. Steam Pre 1920's Steam 1920's-40's Transition late 1940's-early 60's Early diesel 1960's-1980's Modern diesels 1990's-now
In HO I've been running transition-era NYC equipment. I'm switching over to N, and that will be a modern era layout with the caveat that some locomotive restoration organization has gotten a steam loco up and running in my neck of the woods, just in case I want to run something for fun.
I said 20's to 40's. I'm mainly "teens" to early 1930's. Also have some earlier stuff and would like more. Almost no diesel, and that only to run on N-Trak now and then.
Modern 1990s to now! I LOVE the possibilities in container traffic handling in a city harbor terminal railroad setting, and the possibilities within big city commuter passenger traffic that runs on the terminal railway's "Mainline" trackage and injects lots more constraints on switching and freight trains by doing so. Jim G
I model Southern Pacific in the transition era. Back then, SP had great diesel paint schemes (black widow, daylight and tiger strips) instead of the later 'primer coat' grey and unique steam engines (skirted GS-4's, skyline casing 4-6-2's and 4-8-2's, and cab forwards). Freight trains were switched over the division and not just stack trains running from division point to division point. Nothing wrong with that, just like having to figure out the switching puzzles. Oh the 'good ole days'.
"Modern" is too broad for me. I model Premillenial CSX. That is July 1, 1986 - about Jan 1, 2000 (or about the Conrail Merger.) No stinkin Dark Future on my road.
I recall a similar poll in our past. Anyhow, 1965-1968, MILW, Lines West. Maybe a little NP. No Amtrak, no mega-mergers. CGW still exists. In fact I at times go backwards to c.1955, to run a little pre-Schroeder M&St.L.
1954-55 for me, with a lot of Chicago & North Western flavor. If I ever change eras it will be back to the '20s and '30s. Jim
!935-1950, Boston & Maine branchline that might have operated somewhere in New Hampshire, Vermont, and other memories of my youth.
Short Answer: BNSF 1998-2003. More specific: -Also model some UP, both as a trackage rights deal and part of an adjacent line to the BNSF rails -More specifically, June '98-June '03 for a nice 5-year span. -Focus of structures, details, signals, and vehicles is 2000. -Push out past 2000 is mostly to grab a few key freight cars and intermodal loads into the fold -Push back before 2000 is mostly for key locomotives. (i.e. BN B30-7A(B), absent after April 1999) -Other: I also plan to run--with less "fidelity"--occasional BNSF swoosh era, and also mid/late-80's BN/MKT operating sessions
Why does my era have to be the pink one ??? DAMN !!! I am stuck in the early to mid 70s. BN merger happened, but PC and CRI&P flourished. Conrail doesn't exist and CRI&P was never blue (YUK !!!). Passenger business sky-rocketed, and each road runs their own passenger trains. No Amtrak or Metra here. I stretch things far enough so I can run Bicentennial equipment. History was even changed so certain equipment was successful. I run BL2s, the Aerotrain, the Turbotrain, and GE has built more than six U30CGs. And don't even THINK of leaving the yard without a caboose !!!
I am conflicted...my home layout is modern, but my short line home road runs second hand locos (SD 40-2, SD 45, Dash 7s) But on our club N-Trak and T-Trak layouts I run a lot of late steam- early diesel, with the occasional double stack. Too many great prototypes out there waiting to be modeled!
My era is 1988-1996 Southern Pacific (the colorful diesel years!). My sons like what they see today on the rails...that means Union Pacific 2004-today along with shortlines and some BNSF too. I find that more of my purchases are to support their era as birthday and Christmas gifts. It's nice when the rolling stock fits with all our trains.
ntbn, after reading your post I don't think you should be living in that particular town !!! Ha,ha,ha !!! Sorry, I had to !!!:teeth:
I choose very late 50's/1960 B&O originally so I could conceivably have some steam. I've never acquired any steam locos, however. Anyhow, my layout has a split theme. So on one side I do mid-80's and with a Conrail/CSX theme, and the above mentioned on the other side with a B&O/C&O theme.
I must be getting old, when "early diesel" runs up to 1980... Anyway, I model late 1970s Chessie System.