OK, so let me give a little backstory to my modeling proclivities. WHEN I have in the past and in the future have a home layout (I don't right now for a variety of reasons mainly space) I have a specific protolance theme that is generally modern, or at least 90s-2000s-now modern (like an adult contemporary radio station). In order to meet the motive power needs, I have a number of engines destined for the paint shop or in it. A number that will just be patch jobs and of course foreign power. I don't have a particularly large collection. Certainly it is small compared to some, but in order to fit my motive power into the theme, it all needs features such as ditch lights and removed light packages and such. That's all well and good, I'm up for the work. However, I am a member of a railroad club and at the club it is "run what ya brung." Now certainly, I can and will bring my custom painted equipment down to the club. Doesn't matter to me, but here's the rub, those patch jobs and foreign power. For example, I have enough ATSF stuff that I can run vintage 80s and 90s TOFC trains, but they won't look right with the beacon replaced with ditch lights and BNSF patches. Similarly, my SP stuff. Oy, I can't have the full lighting package AND make it appropriate for my modern era, but I think it's fun to put together these consists. So I'm constantly fighting with myself over this kind of thing. Do I back date the equipment or update the equipment? I suppose the answer is to set aside a specific set of units to leave in classic form. Maybe I just answered my own question here. What would you guys do? Now, on to the real real question. On a modern railroad, and mine is supposed to be a fictional class 1, there would be exactly zero Alco power. Not a lick of it. But I've always wanted to have a few Alcos. I figured I'd justify them as rebuilds going through a modernization. They're either running CAT or Cummins or some such under the hood or maybe, the updated Indian Railways version of the engine or, if nothing else, they could be road slugs with no engine, just a cab. Yeah yeah, the purists would be mad, but so what. So I finally acquired my first Alcos. 2 pristine Atlas C425s in BCR paint. Well shoot, these are pretty engines. What do I do? Do I leave them as is and run them at the club? Do I patch them? If I patch them, then they clearly haven't had new motors put in. Do I repaint one and leave the other? IF I do that, then I won't have a 2 engine set anymore. What would you guys do?
Clearly, what you do is sell everything but the BCR stuff and then begin a British Columbia Railway collection also getting some of those MLW releases that Bowser has been bringing to market.
Ah, the BCR greens and dogwood logo. Could easily turn from temptation to full blown modeling effort!
That's what I should be telling Bowser. Seeing those gorgeous MLW units coming out with or without sound in HO was almost enough to get me to switch scales.
BCR/BCRail kept running "Alcos" up until, what, about 10 years ago? You could pull your TOFC stuff from the 80s/90s easily and just have the other stuff be visiting power.
[video=youtube_share;wcRcVqYFqNQ]http://youtu.be/wcRcVqYFqNQ[/video] [video=youtube_share;R7hfQgCrW0w]http://youtu.be/R7hfQgCrW0w[/video] [video=youtube_share;2qIryJkDxY8]http://youtu.be/2qIryJkDxY8[/video] What's not to love?
This is not helping. Here's the thing, I really like the idea of modeling a protolance route and in that vein, they very well could choose to acquire the Alco castoffs. So it seems like a waste of money not to use the. What to do what to do.
Well, you could model the extention to Dease Lake, as if completed. Maybe even add a fictional branch to the coast for a port. Pretend it is a booming mineral and timber hauler, as originally envisioned...
You kind of answered your own questions. I would keep a set of power for 80's/90's runs on the club layout. You said that you were planning on doing a modern fictional class 1 railroad....... Ok, so if it is your railroad and you would like to run just a little bit of ALCO power, then who says you can't? I mean, why not? There are still several shortlines running ALCO power. The NYS&W ran a good number of leased C636's a few years back as mainline road power during a power shortage.
NYS&W is the prototype I turn to for just this kind of thing. The issue is the upcoming EPA regs. Of course, Alcos aren't dead, they've just moved production to India, so I can always come up with some justification. The real question is, do I mess with the paintjob. I feel like, as a modeler, I should be willing to repaint something like this, but man...
I'm getting 2 GP35s in this acquisition as well. Those are in ATSF and I have no qualms about patching/repainting one of them. The real nightmare is to come when I manage to get my Ph1 GP39-2s from Atlas (some day). I want to keep them in ATSF, but but but, I NEED a Willamette and Pacific patch job. decisions decisions and that's for a purchase I don't even know when I'll make.
The kitchen for a cookie, hot fudge sundae, nutty buddy, ice cream sandwich. Excuse me but what was the question? Keep them. You never know, when a good idea is going to light the bulb, hanging over your head.
I wish that would work for me! Unfortunately, I'd end up being rather rotund. Unless you have some diet advice for keeping the body in "scale". Ha ha.
Don't know if you really have a "problem." You have two C-425s in BCR colors - how many did Atlas produce, will Atlas or anyone else ever release them again? Sounds to me like you have two at least kinda "rare birds." And "patch jobs"? From what I've seen even the prototype jobs are ugly. And ALCOs in mainline service? Anything past the early 70s is going to call for some degree of inventiveness, real inventiveness. Plus the two GP-35s span the same period as the C-425 and I would think that shells for connecting roads (CP, CN, GN(?) would be available. And as for modelling two different time periods the judicious choice of buildings and signs would allow dual-period modelling at home. As for the club, your choice but if you ran the C-425/GP-35's please take a caboos(es) with you.
