Hi Everyone, I am looking to model a free lance model RR that consists of 1950's rolling stock and engines. I want the ATSF and SP to share the rails - maybe even the UP. I was thinking that they could have right-of-way areas along the main line and each could control specific regions around the layout. I have some late 1950's Kadee boxcars. I have some Intermountain ATSF F3 engines [red & silver]. I have a Proto 2000 ATSF SW1200 [zebra stripe]. I have a Proto 2000 ATSF RS-11 [blue & yellow]. I do plan to get a BLI SP Cab Forward. Can some of you please recommend some appropriate steam and diesel engines that would mate well with the Cab Forward and this odd combination of the ATSF, SP, and UP. Also, should I sell any or all of the engines listed above. The Cab Forward will be the defining engine for the SP. I thought each RR [ATSF, SP, and UP] could have one main line, long distance freight engine [F-series diesels or preferably steam], and each RR could have one or two yard switchers. Thanks! Matt
I did something of this nature with my layout. My primary interest was and is the Seaboard Air Line. But, I also have a great interest in it's two main competitors - ACL and Southern. The main line (code 83 rail) is an additional ~1/3rd mile that I added to SAL's mainline. This main line has four sidings, one of which is an interchange track with a fictional jointly owned (ACL & SOU) terminal railway. This terminal road (codes 70 & 55 rail) and the SAL mainline have staging yards behind a soon-to-be (I hope) backdrop. Theory being that both ACL and Southern send their own branch line freights to terminate on the layout. My scenario is that PSJTR (the Joint Terminal road) crews use ACL and/or Southern power for switching during their 24 hour layover. Actually it means I can use either ACL or Southern power for switching the Joint terminal part of the layout (which is totally electrically isolated) from the SAL main line as I want. Joint Terminal crews (using whoever's power) spot cars for all 3 railroads, Seaboard does all of it's switching on its own mainline.
Wonderful description of your approach - and very helpful. This sounds perfect. Thank You! This will give me lots of ideas to consider with my pencil and paper as I begin to draw out some scenarios. Most Appreciated! Matt
If you are wanting to know what engines actually could have operated with a cab forward, they last regualr run of a cab forward was in 1956. So any locomotive or car built prior to 1956 would be appropriate. The SW1200 was built starting in 1954 and the RS11 was built in 1956 (for the N&W). So the RS11 would be highly unlikely to have ever seen a cab forward. What you really want are 1930's, 1940's and early 1950's cars. But you can run whatever you want. If you are trying to be prototypical you want to shoot for a the late 1940's as an average age of your equipment.
AFAIK the AT&SF never owned any RS-11's. However, it is your layout so you can run or operate just about anything you want. Again, AFAIK the SP ran it's last steam in either 1956 or 57, but I don't think it was cab-forwards. Perhaps you could run three eras on your layout. One would allow you the use of 100% steam, the second a "mix" of steam and first generation diesel, and the third you could run strictly diesel, including the "second" generation. A lot of railroads took 15 - 20 years to scrap and demolish steam era items such as water tanks, coaling towers, etc. so them being on your layout (suitably worn & shabby) wouldn't really be out of place even into the 1970's. I believe Kadees PS-1 box cars represent a type that Pullman-Standard built from the late 40's into the early 60's. And, if you model the 1950's (even late) you could have quite a lot of single-sheath wood box cars. Atlas has recently released the ARA 1932 and steel rebuilt box cars which were common even into the late 60's - 70's. They are beautiful cars and fit from the late 40's on. You'll probably want to avoid most 50 ft. boxcars. While they did exist during this period as a ratio of 40 ft. to 50 ft. I'd say it was on the order of 10 or 15 to 1. Besides, on most layouts the shorter cars "fit" and look better - IMHO. I'm glad that you found my first post helpful. Believe you'll find a lot of very helpful people on this forum.
As noted already, Santa Fe had no RS-11s. A GP7 or GP9 would be appropriate. Zebra stripe is correct; hood units weren't blue and yellow until the 60s. Santa Fe eliminated most of its steam earlier than SP or UP. If you're modelling the mid-50s, it would be appropriate to have only diesels for ATSF but steam on SP and UP. The red and silver F3s are passenger power, which is why I suggest replacing the RS-11 with either a zebra stripe GP or blue and yellow Fs to give ATSF some freight power. A Daylight 4-8-4 would be appropriate passenger power for SP; they remained through the mid-50s in California. For UP, either a Northern downgraded to freight or a Challenger would be appropriate. For passenger, E8/9s were their commonest type.
Absolutely. The answers and ensuing threads are fantastic. I've been pouring through a number of ATSF and SP threads with delight. I chose to free lance a while back once I realized that I was too tempted to purchase a range of cars that would stretch beyond any single era. Using Kadee boxcars as my default selection whenever the urge to add another car to the collection hit me, I figured that their 1950's cars [40' and 50'], plus a few of their 1960 and 1961 boxcars, would still allow me to run steam and F-series diesels: my two favorites: and still be plausible. My Sincere Thanks to Everyone!
