I am trying to find out what type of engines to use in the 1980-90 era. I want to mix freight and passenger trains on my layout. I really don't know the different types.
Well, bnsf was formed in 1996. So I'll give you some advice on the bn and atsf in the 80s. I assume we're talking mainly mainline freight as locals and branch lines and yards are much more complex. For BN SD40-2s and c30-7s are going to be mainstays. Oakway sd60s and bn sd60ms are later in the decade. I think lmx b39-8s as well. For atsf much the same, but also FP45s f45s and in the late late 80s, fp45s and gp60ms in the superfleet warbonnets. Atsf also used more for axle power on mainline freight.
Heres a roster with photos of the BN leading up to the merger http://www.trainpix.com/BN/ROSTER.HTM http://www.trainpix.com/ATSF/ROSTER.HTM and for the santa fe If you jump to 96' to model the BNSF heres a good fleet overview for you http://www.trainpix.com/BNSF/ROSTER.HTM Be sure in all three of these rosters to check the x of x units and the date.
For passenger trains we're talking Amtrak. Motive power would mostly be F40's with Dash8-32BW's and P40/42's showing up at the end of the decade. ATSF & BN did own some passenger cars but they were for specials and business use only. Dan
One more question. What brand of engine and rolling stock would be best to use ? The layout will be DCC. I don't want to go cheap but also I do have a budjet to stick to.
I have Some of those locos made by Athearn and they run fine. My SD40 in particular runs fine at any speed and is pretty forgiving. It's one of the newer Athearns thats DCC plug ready so the coffee grinder noise isn't present. I'm on a budget too and They've worked for me so far. I think I paid around $80 for most of my 6 axel locos. For rolling stock I have a mixed bag of Athearn (because their cheap(er)) and Walthers because I don't have to do much to them. I also have some Atlas and MTH cars that are all worry free and look and roll good for the money. I think most of my cars (with the exception of Walthers) are around $15-$40 each. I also got a estate set of old Athearn (not RTR) freight cars, but they are always in need something.
Well, there's another thread today asking a similar question. I think you'll generally be safe if you avoid any Bachmann besides spectrum and anything else that doesn't explicitly say it's DCC or DCC ready. For basic DCC, figure a $25 cost for the digitrax DH123 decoder with 8 pin socket on top of the cost of whatever loco you're buying. There are other Decoder brands, but Digitrax seems to be the low cost quality option. Some of course have drop in decoders as well, but for just plain jane DCC ready, that's your cost. Athearn RTR tends to run between $80-$120 from what I've seen, so add that $25 and there you go. And of course prices go up from there depending on features and details you want. If you're on a budget and want to save your sheckles, I recommend becoming confident with a soldering iron and with applying detail parts. There are a number of locos out there in the used and old stock market (athearn blue box) that just need a simple wired decoder install and some basic details added to bring them up to snuff.
For rolling stock, almost all the options are good now adays. If you are willing to build some basic kits, then Accurail is your least expensive bet. And yes, do go out and look for the old MDC/Athearn shake the box kits. Many many many of them are around as either old stock or in the used market with KDs and Metal wheels already added. You of course would need to add couplers and metal wheels to the kits which increases costs, but it's still cheaper than most RTR equipment. There are limited options of course and detail is less, but you can't beat the prices.
Almost forgot, if your interested, BN ran SP&S's Alcos right up to 1980. That means C424s and C363s aren't exactly out of reach. Also for that time period (and even today) SP&S GP38-2s where painted in the BN scheme and had (or even still have) all the BN acquired RR's badges on it. I think they called it the "Pacific Pride" scheme. Last I heard BN 2075 was still rolling around in it's Pride paint.
Southern, The two (2) "Pacific Pride" units were done in the 90's. 2075 was painted in Feb. 1990 and 2085 in March 1992. Although neither unit were painted exactly alike. 2075 was in the white-face scheme, (w/o pinstripe) whereas 2085 was in the original BN scheme, but with a white number board/headlight area.
Yoho, You're right, The P40's showed up in 1993, the P42's in 1996 and as for the Dash8-32BW's they were in 1991.
Any reason for that specific era? You mentioned passenger trains, if you went earlier to pre Amtrak times in the seventies you could have a huge variety of locos on your layout along with some beautiful paint schemes. It would also allow for passenger trains in Santa Fe livery. Most big cities had a large passenger station "Union Station" where passenger trains of different lines connected. If you like passenger trains you could do a scaled down version of one of these large terminals and have a variety of big passenger trains in different colors. BNSF is after all: Chicago Burlington and Quincy merged with Great Northern = Burlington Northern merged with Santa Fe = BNSF
Honestly, I prefer 1980s/90s railroading for Santa Fe. Sure, the Warbonnet was nice, but the pin stripes and book ends aren't so much. The Cubscout Warbonnet and the Superfleet Warbonnet are really just great.
