Well I have a very long ASTF passenger train that I can bring over someday to run! Along with enough power to pull them! Or a very long Amtrak or most other passenger trains. I just have to make sure to bring non dcc locomotives.
Nice post Rick. I've always been a passenger fan. My evolution was Atlas heavyweights in the early day. Nothing after than until Kato smoothside GN sets and corrugated CB&Q sets. The Kato corrugated sets were all CBQ prototypes (thanks Charlie), but didn't really make a "complete" train. Then it happened. The new day dawned. Kato announced the first complete name train, the CZ. The rest is history. I focus entirely on Kato's name trains and have liquidated everything else save a set (3 four packs) of the CBQ corrugated. Yeah, I also have one of the NP slumber coaches which is prototypical and two CBQ business cars that are painfully non-prototypical. I certainly respect those with broad interests who wish to obtain a mixture of stuff for secondary trains, but I just don't have the space or interest to go that direction.
I'm not sure my ATSF trains will mix with your ASTF trains. LOL Please no Amtrash stuff on my layout. Longer story then you want to hear ...here. Later!
I just realized that I forgot about my Kato Amtrak stuff! All prototypical, but not really "name trains" in the classic sense. I do have one of those neat Amtrak sales only Pacific Parlor cars, so I can make a complete Coast Starlight (easily my favorite Amtrak ride). I think they've retired the Pacific Parlor's now.
I have the Pacific parlor cars as well. I could also do a smaller ATSF, only the original 7 car set of the 1938 ATSF Super Chief. I have that in brass so it is really cool! As far as Amtrak is concerned, a train is a train my friend.
Just like a boat is a boat! Did I say that? Oh boy! We are going to pull a George here, if we aren't careful. Now what did I mean by that? Nothing! But he can consider it a invitation to join in. I have no love lost for Amtrash. On the other hand you grew up with the am-mess and have loyalties. That's respected but not on my layout. You can run them all day on your layout and you won't even here me whimper. From the side door pullman: What passenger service turned into was a insult to those who rode those elite passenger trains. What am-rails did to passenger service is disgusting. Such a slinky downgrade. Added thought, I don't like the European styling of their engines/motors. This is America not Europe. Aiiyiiyii !!!!!!! It doesn't stop there. Nor is BNSF allowed to run on my layout. For many more reasons then Amtrash. Gone is my beloved Santa Fe. With it the identity of one of the "Biggest little railroad giants of all time". I once heard someone say. Sigh!! Busy day ahead. So give me a bit and I'll be back with the ongoing saga of our N Scale passenger service. Maybe a few pictures. It gets better as Kato and Micro-trains finally throws some good stuff our direction. Never mind what Rapido is doing these days. EXPENSIVE !! But Detailed to the dotted "I" and crossed "T". A shameless plug. Later!
Just so you know, my layout is Santa Fe all the way. Barstow to Winslow. I only run BNSF on NTRAK layouts with the clubs I belong to. While I do have the occasional passenger trains from Southern, B&O and others, I have chosen to be non-road specific since I have had many relatives in my family on my mothers side that worked in those roads, as I have said before I had a great uncle who ran a paint shop for B&O, others worked for NW and even NYC and others. So it is in remembrance of them I run additional roads. And yes I have met and spent time fishing with most of them.
As do I my friend, as do I. That's why you'll find Santa Fe as the dominant line. Union Pacific, Southern Pacific, Denver & Rio Grande Western, oddly Norfolk Western and Norfolk Southern, Western Pacific with some foreign power tossed in for variety sake.
Amtrak is hauling people. May not be as nice as the name trains of yore, but at least they are still sort of rolling. Being a rural American, I have never ridden it, nor any of it's predecessors, as they were defunct before I was old enough to go by train. And Amtrak just isn't readily available. There is a movement getting going to restore a private/public partnership train route from MN to Spokane via the NP, which is where the majority of the population lives in this area. If that happens, a trip to anywhere would be much more feasible, and interesting! Passenger trains do run on my layout, a couple that do fit the area, and a couple that don't. Only one 'modern' train, the Wife's CB&Q kato zephyr...at least it is purty. As for you beloved SF, well, I didn't know the RR before Krebs, and only after the BNSF merger did I work for them. The BN guys all hated the new SF style corporate mgmnt. Really a bad relationship between the SF and it's employees. I do recognize that the old SF had some great stuff going on, especially in the steam era! They did some crazy things with steam, both innovative and 'it seemed like a good idea.' Their early and up through CF-7 era was pretty neat, but since then, well it's just not good for me. So run your SF, and love it! I get it, your connections to it are deep. Now, back to your layout, is it rolling trains yet?? We would all love to see something running.....!
Krebs was a former Southern Pacific Suit and managed to finagle Santa Fe away from the SPSF merger. He was approached by BN to take over as President and he responded yes, if he could bring along his Santa Fe. Now you know why and how that happened. And when my interest in the Santa Fe about to become BNSF ended. Up till then Mike Haverty was actually turning the railroad around and reintroduced the Red and Silver Warbonnets. Kind of cool on the front end of those Super C., High Priority freight trains. The one thing BN wanted was a route to Southern California. They got it. Good to visit with you.
I always liked the warbonnets! We had a few GE repaints in the shop at LRC in Livingston, MT. I ended up with a beautiful red SF cap out of that deal. The cub scout scheme never did trip my trigger, but the older F unit scheme with the stripes was nice. I read an interview with Krebs in Trains, I think, and it was quite revealing of his character. Self centered and stock holder driven. BN lost a lot of good folk and so did SF after the merger into pumpkin land. It is what we have now, and the trains are still trains! The guys n gals running the power and doing the work are still a hard working bunch. I only say that because the environment they have to work in now is so difficult. If you don't know the rule book inside and out and upside down, you will get in trouble. Tough place to work. Anyway, get done with that nap and lets get a train or two rolling! Now, I think it's my nap time.......
I hit the hay for a full half hour and it was back to work. I have no love lost for what I watched happen with the railroad mergers through the late 70's. 80's to 90's. Give or take a year. No one asked me what I thought. Not sure why they would. You are so right about the rule book. You have to pass a test on it every so often and a lot of good working guys and gals get furloughed until they can pass it. Although the guys and gals that handle the Namp UP Yard Switching and Locals give me a wave from time to time. I don't think that's illegal...yet!
It's interesting reading your posts regarding the railroads you like and dislike, and why you feel the way you do about them. You know a lot about them. My favorite railroads are the New York Central, CSX, Amtrak and the FEC. I don't know diddly about their management or how they are run. The reason I love them, with the exception of the NYC, is that they were or now are my home roads. When I lived in the Mid Hudson Valley I saw lots of CSX trains on the west side of the Hudson and Amtrak on the east side. We live on the east coast of Florida now and I see lots of FEC action. Seeing these lines in action made them my favorites. The New York Central is the exception. I never saw it running. The reason I love the NYC is that when I was 4 Santa left a Lionel NYC gray lightning stripe F3 ABA set with horn and magne-traction under the tree for me. It was not only beautiful but it could easily pull every freight car I had up ridiculous grades with ease. I've loved the New York Central ever since. I guess I'm a simple soul. I see, I like.
I gave you a "Like" because I like what you said. Favorites are typically home railroads for most of us. Wondering out loud if I need to continue my story of our search for realistic or authentic passenger equipment? I think most of you know or have experienced the outcome.. Times changed as did our N scale train equipment. Good thing too. Later!
