In order to deepen the knowledge of the time epoche, let's gather, which is important when you want to avoid anachronism. The reader should find information whether a 8-corner stop sign is correct, a white strip on the road in the time. How are the buildings which locomotives and cars are new, which out of date, but still seen the vehicles of the roads, how traffic signs look? Appearance of the persons (mini skirt, buggy) next fast food places, billboards and what else important to recognize this layout's era. Wolfgang
A lack of depots. Most double-stacks are single-unit, unlike in the early 80s when most were 5-unit articulateds. 2-bay hoppers and 2-bay covered hoppers are almost gone. GE and Alco products of the 60s have vanished from the big railroadsand still run on a few shortlines with idiosyncratic rosters. Even C30-7s are being retired or passed on to second owners. 60s EMDs are still reasonably common, but different railroads have retired different specific types. CSX, for example, no longer runs GP30s or GP35s. Many railroads no longer run SD45s. GP40s and SD40s are common, as 40-year-old engines go, but a large number have gone to second owners, and many more are probably running out their last miles. Not just 60s engines - their 70s Dash 2 versions are beginning to go.
I still see a lot of the old 5 unit articulated out there, it's just that they don't build many new ones any more so the old troopers are scattered about in a flood of single and tripple units. Occasionally even see some of the very first ones with the high bulkheads that they first thought were needed to hold the top containers.
I've noticed nearly all road power are wide-cabs - SD60, 70, 80, 90 (EMD) and dash 9's, AC4400, AC6000 (GE). Even SD40-2's have been relegated to local and hump yard service.
Well unfortunatly you can't put any railfans on your layout anymore. Or I guess you could, however not without police cars in the same location questioning them to see if they are terrorists or not... :-( No cabooses, except for in a park or maybe an old rotted/rusted out one thats used on a local. There is still one used on the local where I used to live, however its just about ready for the scrap heap. I'm guessing as to cars, most everything should be a mid 90s or newer model, however I'd throw in the occasional 57 chevy just as an antique going down the road. Just my 2 cents
I'm basing that statement on what I see north of the border - anyway, I did say "most", not "all". Except on Montana RailLink, that is.
I am repeating some of what has been said already here: We train buffs tend to think in terms of train era, but most people will judge the era by the cars. The best way to modernize a layout is to put the most recent automobiles on the layout. Or the inverse, which is to remove any autos that are from an era later than what you want to Also clothing is another way to show what era it is. The locale can be seen by clothing. Cowboy hats and blue jeans would be more rural, along with baseball caps. Suits are always more city. Of course structures are another way of updating a layout. Weather the crap out of the design preservation models buildings and keep the metal warehouses nice and new and shiny. Oh yeah... Strip malls and urban sprawl, Pay attention to specific name brand stores. Sams Club would set the time period for your layout. Old Navy. Home Depot. etc. Bill boards for TV shows. An X files billboard would place your layout in a specific era. Torn out industrial trackage with trucks parked on the old rails.
