I remember riding the NYC behind steam. At the time i didn't know what various locomotive types were but they were all exciting. As I grew older diesels began to appear in place of the steam they weren't as exciting but they were interesting in their own right, FT's, F3's and E units and geeps. So that's what I model. Besides those were the happiest years of my life. When I hit twenty other things began to intrude on my life and make it more complicated; mortgages, car payments, wife, child. You all know how that goes. Not unhappy just less carefree. Jim
Born in '81... model '67... Late '60s equipment and operations appeal to me. It's an era not often modeled and a lot of the equipment from that era is not available... Besides, I love doing the research and scratch building:tb-biggrin:
My dad had Lionel Steamers when I was a kid and I thought they were the only way to go. I started to save my allowance at 10yr and bought an HO train on layaway at Woolworths when I had enough money to put down on one, but I could only afford a diesel. My dad never knew about it until he caught me playing with it one day in my bedroom. He could not believe I was able to pull it off and thought I stole it until I showed him the receipt with all the payments I made. Well, he was so proud that he bought me more track and a few more cars to go with it and I knew then that I loved Diesels and ended up buying a few more trains. I gave everything away when I was sent to Viet Nam not knowing if I was coming back or not. I didn’t get another train until about 10 or 12 years ago, but I was so busy with teenagers and new job that I only set it up during Christmas. I’ve been seeing trains from UP, BNSF, and Santa Fe every day for 20 years and decided to do a modern layout because I felt more comfortable doing something that I’m familiar with. I’m almost 60 and I love modern trains and tomorrow I’m driving through Barstow and I’m following the tracks all the way.:wink3:
At 33, I grew up next to a BN line in the midwest, I once took a trip to North Platte Nebraska and saw the yards and the huge steam on display at the railfanning site. After getting back into the hobby a few years ago, my first purchase was a steam engine. It pretty much spiraled out of control from there. I love the history and research as much as the modeling. I find that each railroad had its own character much more so than today.
My nostalgia is the truest form: a fond memory of something never experienced. My interests are scattered in place and time, and don't include those I experienced. For each specific railroad, there is generally a specific time I'd choose to model it. The time at which that railroad looked and felt most like itself. EDIT (got hurried off the computer before I could finish the post I wanted): For some roads, I wouldn't consider modelling the transition years, because they look "wrong". The most modern Class 1 modelling I'd be interested in would be Conrail to its end. (The other time period I'd consider doing Conrail would be its early years.) The only 2000+ prototypes I'd be interested in are regionals or smaller. For some roads, the specific time is easy. CN? The east in the 80s. PRR or NYC? Transition years (how many people model those roads in any other time)? D&H? The mid-70s. Milwaukee? The early 70s, the last electric years. Many offer two good choices. UP? 50s or early 70s. BN? Early 70s or late 70s (big difference). CP? The east in the 80s or 90s or BC in the early 70s. Some have more. Santa Fe? The waning of steam in the 50s. The early-mid 70s. The mid-late 80s. The last years. I realize that my interests are influenced by what others model. For example, pre-1940 modelling is rather unpopular, and that is reflected in my interests. I appear to be largely a diesel fan, since most of my road/era combinations are selected for interesting/distinctive diesel fleets.
I am almost 31 and I find the transition period to be the most interesting. I have always felt that I was born in the wrong decade as I find machinery, and tools of days gone by to be much more interesting than the new stuff. I find watching modern diesels roll around a layout doesn't interest me(I can drive a few miles and be trackside and see it in person!). I think that the transition period also has so much to offer with steam heading out and the diesel taking control(newer steam, old worn out steam, new shinny diesels oh how I love it!)
I am soon to be 35 and I model the Erie Railroad. Trying to stick with 1948 for an era. Erie was gone in 1961, I was born in 1974. I got to see EL locomotive as a kid and Conrail, but once I was older and learned the history I was hooked on the Erie. Modern times don't interest me for modeling. How fun would a layout full of old abandoned roadbeds be anyways?
Interesting question. Guess I model BN and BNSF stuff because when I was in the 3rd grade I got to ride in a BN loco at the Pasco WA. yard. Now a days I spend a bunch of time around Anchorage so am somewhat fond of the Alaska Railroad. I collected some SP stuff early on because I love the daylght and black widow colors. Aslo I'm fond of SP&S for the nostalga of the Pacific Northwest. Can't forget the Palouse River and Coulee city either, for they represent Eastern Washingotn my old (and hopefully near future) stomping grounds. Jeez, it appears that if I see it I want it huh? Maybe it's a good thing I wasn't around during the steam era otherwise I'd probably have a bunch of that too. Oh wait a minute,........... Brian
I suppose what I remember from the 50's and 60's is so much different than what is happening today. Real passenger trains, not Amtrak, with head end cars and REA equipment. Diesels with varying paint schemes. Box cars that advertised the RR owning them. F's and GP's lashed together. Lots of branch lines with RS powered trains. Who wouldn't want to model that? Solid intermodal trains running from terminal to terminal? Unit trains? Basically undec cars? I feel sorry for young people railfanning nowadays ( besides the fact they risk getting arrested for doing so). About the only exciting thing these days is that diesels get interchanged so often. I recall last year, while in Houston, seeing a train on the UP with all NS and CSX power.
I have to admit the “Real Passenger Train” concept, is for me, a real tie breaker. I’ve been toying with the Idea of a second layout of ‘50s era Passenger train for a very long time now and I think you just might have me thinking more seriously about it. :tb-biggrin:
My original idea was to model SP in the 70's but when i was doing it there was many signature items unavailable (except in brass) like tunnel motors, GP40-2's,etc. I didn't care too much for Amtrak so I moved everything back to 1968. The more references I read and bought and the more knowledge that I got I had more desire to model earlier and better times - back to 1960, then to 1958 and finally 1955. Most of my references to the current layout are from the mid-50's. I can't go any later as freeway construction wiped out most of the interesting bits in my study area and I like SD7/9's (a throwback to my original plans as these were 99% of the motive power when I was growing up - like 6-9 on one train) so I really can't go back any earlier than 1952. Peter
I was lookin' at doing SP in the 70s as well, but I got too much newer stuff, so If I jump ahead to the 90s, I can still run all that older stuff from the 70s, and even let a steamer loose once in a while, that is if I any that ran. All my steamers are "For Display Only" because I beleive in every nice park should have a steam loco on display. By the time I was born, steam was all but gone, and by the time I started railfanning, only one steamer was running in the main lines I knew of UP 8444. There may have been other but this is the only one I seen before the big boom of steamers to be restored. But then I have SP locos that never were, so I'm not sure what I'm modeling, a fictional world I guess were you see cars from the 40-60 still on the road like it ws normal with cars from the 70-90s. also I have a lot of that AmTrak stuff too along with my AeroTrain and the SLXT units. .
I'm doing L&N/Southern in N scale. Wasn't around to see the L&N in action,unless you count #152 at KRM.
I just wanted a mix of steam and diesel. I do not remember ever seeing steam running when I was a kid. I am now almost 62.
Only a 10 year difference in age but I rode behind steam, watched it, smelled it, even picked the tiny cinders out of my eyes. I never saw much diesel but I have an affection for first generation diesel models. Ben
Transition era, mostly because it's the only period I ever studied. I lost interest in trains in 1962, and didn't get back in until the early 70s.
Guys,I can remember the last of main line steam and I also remember how dirty and trashy everything look..Yard buildings covered in coal dust,cinders,drab looking freight cars..Terrible! 99% of the "transition" layouts miss the mark by being to clean. The 60s didn't fair much better with the run down and decayed look... So,I suppose for me its more of the 70/80 era,the colorful Incentive Per Diem era and today over the 50/60 era of filth and decay.
I concur about the dirt, smells, cinders, noise of the steam engines, but I still enjoy them. Fortunately, we have ample opportunity to experience steam here in Southwest Colorado. I have chosen to model the early 50's of the NKP since I grew up in Lima with parents, grandparent and neighbors working in Lima for the NKP when railroading was its own universe. I am 63 and do remember that era as well as know many of the details of the area since I worked on the NKP during college in the mid 60's, while watching the Lima Locomotive Works slowly go out of business after the last Berkshires were built.
I was another person "born too late"... Love the 50's and early 60's when you could tell the difference between a Ford, a Chevy and a Dodge. Style, baby. Modern motive power, like the auto industry of the 80s & 90s, everything looks the same. I couldn't tell you the difference between an SD-60 MAC and a Big Mac (well, ya, one's bad for your cholesterol... you know what I mean...) :tb-rolleyes: Love super-power steam, and the diesels up to the GP-7. Even then, the square edges were "rounded". RS-2s were "curvy". F units, E's, C Liners and Sharks were sleek and graceful... Amazing how the streamlined steam and diesels were years ahead of the automakers. I grew up reading (and collecting) old books, advertising, and watching vintage movies. I feel a deep appreciation of the tools & people that moved this nation in that bygone era. I do occasionally stop and just watch a train go by for fun... I am always impressed by the sheer power and size of these new diesels.
I like all of the eras but choose to model the modern (present) era because I can drive to a spot and take photos or video for research. Also, there will always be equipment readiliy available for purchase. Jamie
