Since this topic is going all over the place, I suppose I'll just add a few more details about my MR (or at least the MR in my mind) Given what the railroad entails, there's obviously a bit more holdover of customer service driven short line operations. Given that, the profile of the transcon is not big double stack friendly. Especially through Colorado. In my mind, Moffat gets it's tunnels notched and floors lowered, but even if that happened, it still isn't the most compelling route west. So, much like the Rio Grande, Quality must be focused on over quantity. Short and fast is the name of the game. Between that requirement and the fact that this is a railroad that comes into being in 1996 with some castoff SP equipment and some shortline power, there is a lot more lower HP and 4 axle power on the line which means shorter faster trains are the name of the game. Santa Fe and Western Pacific's devotions to 4 axle power into the modern era informs my railroad as well. Not that 6 axle power doesn't exist and plenty of it, but your average container train won't see as much of it. Moving back more toward the original topic of this thread, again, because of the abrupt nature of the start up and the need to acquire power cheaply, the railroad has a vested interests in rebuilds and repowers. They are buying heavily into EMD's ECO program in addition to their own creations. I wrote a blog post last week kind of on a similar topic to this thread: http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/entry.php?2753-The-age-of-rebuilds-a-different-way-to-protolance I'm going to build an ECO'd SD9. In my Railroad's world, it is ex BN ex POTB.
Also, Rick, I wouldn't so much suggest that it is my Engineering profession that is driving my interest in this so much as it is the part of my personality that sent me to school to be an engineer is the same part that is driving this. I also like Roleplaying games like Dungeons and Dragons which is all about making up stories using a set of rules to guide you. I would argue that everything about my model railroad except the physical tracks and such is the exact same thing. Why are those tracks there, why is that train there. Why is that power the power in use. All of that is part of model railroading or can be and it is the same as that Roleplaying game. I've established my set of rules and now I play out the fiction. You can have your own set of rules and those rules may be no rules at all. Sometimes it can be fun to play in another's game though, with their rules.
Nothing wrong with letting your imagination, dreams and visions drive you to the excellence you want to achieve. Just giving you a hard time and all said with a twinkle in the eye and mischievious grin. Did I imply or say outright...that's what I've done and highly recommend it. Yes, it is very much like a game with all the pieces interacting with each other to create a railroad reality that is yours...alone. So, you are going to get busy and turn this dream in reality...YES! Oh, and don't think that reading your thoughts doesn't intrique me...it does. I really want to see the layout you create. Guessing, you've spent plenty of time trackside witnessing what the boys operating the 1X1 foot scale trains...does to spot a car, make-up and classify a train. Locals hard at work see sawing back and forth. I can't wait to see what you create!
