Determining the era of your layout

[LATX]

Sorry fellows, but the Norfolk and Western was the last major railroad to convert...1960.

Another thing to consider: Diesels started coming into operation in the 1930's, mostly passenger and switching because of lower H-power. There is plenty of time span for combining steam with diesel on your layout. There was a steamer operating at our local coke plant until the 70's...only for switching the yard, of course and probably for sentimental reasons .

That is correct I remember reading that

 

[Jon NFL]

And, perhaps, another consideration. How much space is available for curves/dogbones. Modern cars/loco are considerably longer. I don't have long radii for newer cars or locomotives: can't run the late steams either.

 

[CNR Glen]

Since I love first generation diesels (also, F-M, EMD) I'm modelling 1959. However I do have a CPR GP-30 sitting on the track so I fudged it a bit. This era works well for me due to my smaller layout and a few tight curves in a tunnel which make longer cars of a later era unfeasible.

 

[flyboy2610]

Classic trains maginzine put UP first in diesealizing from 1949 and Santa Fe did end in the early 50's due to there last new class of 2-10-2's was regulated to helper service and then in 1952 or 3 not sure(when I go home from work I will look It up) was finally scrapped or sold off.( Sanata Fe info is used from Model Railroader Maginize series of "choosing the right locomotives" I do not I repeat do not use this information of my own thanks)

I do not dispute your information concerning Santa Fe. But you stated in an earlier post That Union Pacific was fully dieselized by 1949. That is not correct.
Arthur E. Stensvad, who worked for UP during the transition era, states on page 77 of his book "High Iron to North Platte" that:
"The last eastbound steam run out of North Platte was made in November 1958 by FEF (four-eight-four) No. 817.
The last westbound runs runs between North Platte and Cheyenne were made by 3700-series Challengers. The final regular steam run out of North Platte occurred the evening of July 22, 1959, when the 3713 left town with a PFE drag. It arrived in Cheyenne after midnight , July 23, ending the revenue steam era on the Union Pacific system."
Not trying to start a fight, but modeling steam on the UP system up to the late 50's would be perfectly prototypical.

 

[BN8002]

I chose my railroad first..then picked the era that most appealed to me..I picke dthe BN when I was young because of the colors..and then as I grew up I got more into them as I read more about them. Most of their really neat stuff came around in the mid to late 80's..so I ran with that..I have since back dated some to grab the mopac, frisco, and rock island for my layout...

 

[DirtyD79]

I model the 1990s since that when my two favorite railroads Conrail and CSX were still operating as separate companies. Also because that is the time in which I was a teenager. I remember the science fiction joke "The Golden Age of Science Fiction is twelve". I guess you can apply that to model railroading too since a lot of us modelers usually like to model stuff from when we were either kids or teenagers.

 

[diburning]

I got into modelling by joining a club.

When I joined, I decided to model the Chessie-Seaboard merger era since my first locomotive was an Atlas ATSF S-2 and my first Athearn loco was a Chessie System SD50. Early CSX was also appealing as that is the railroad that runs by my house (as well as the club)

However, the club's president owns enough stuff to fill at least 3 hobby shops and he models CSX. He pretty much owns more engines than CSX does in the present day. Instead of competing with him for addresses, identical locomotive numbers, etc, I decided to model Guilford Rail System (now Pan Am Railways) which is also a local road. Since Pan Am (up until recently) ran nothing but clunker EMDs (GP7s, GP9s, GP35s, GP40s, GP40-2LWs, SD26s, and an SD39) (now, anything that is not a GP40 series engine has been put in storage and they have recently bought a bunch of SD40-2s from KCS)

So, I decided to expand into NS as Pan Am had gone into a deal where Pan Am would haul NS's trains with NS run-through power. After that, I just took off modeling both NS proper and Pan Am Railways.

At the club, my friend (known as ST214 on this forum) models Conrail, another member models the local shortlines in addition to BNSF, another member models UP, another member models the steam era of the Boston and Maine railroad, and another member models the Providence and Worcester Railroad.

 

[trailrider]

As a youngster, in the '40's through the '60's, I rode the CB&Q and Northwestern. (As a 2-1/2 year old, I was taken aboard the cab of a steam yard goat, though I really don't remember it! But I'm sure that gave me my first "inoculation" as a steam fan.) So, that is the era I have modeled on all of my layouts, including the one currently under construction. I love running passenger trains of the component "Q", GN and Northern Pacific, especially shovel nose Zephyrs! But "Q" and C&S steam will also be running hauling both heavyweight passenger trains and freight.

As my youngest grandchild will have no memory of that time, I have a few modern BNSF engines and freight rolling stock that will go on the layout occasionally, as that will be the only thing the kid will relate to...the coal trains running from Wyoming to Pueblo, Colorado.

 

[LATX]

I do not dispute your information concerning Santa Fe. But you stated in an earlier post That Union Pacific was fully dieselized by 1949. That is not correct.
Arthur E. Stensvad, who worked for UP during the transition era, states on page 77 of his book "High Iron to North Platte" that:
"The last eastbound steam run out of North Platte was made in November 1958 by FEF (four-eight-four) No. 817.
The last westbound runs runs between North Platte and Cheyenne were made by 3700-series Challengers. The final regular steam run out of North Platte occurred the evening of July 22, 1959, when the 3713 left town with a PFE drag. It arrived in Cheyenne after midnight , July 23, ending the revenue steam era on the Union Pacific system."
Not trying to start a fight, but modeling steam on the UP system up to the late 50's would be perfectly prototypical.

O ok see I didn't know bout that info. Where is that book sold I will like 2 read it.

 

[BN8002]

I got into modelling by joining a club.

When I joined, I decided to model the Chessie-Seaboard merger era since my first locomotive was an Atlas ATSF S-2 and my first Athearn loco was a Chessie System SD50. Early CSX was also appealing as that is the railroad that runs by my house (as well as the club)

However, the club's president owns enough stuff to fill at least 3 hobby shops and he models CSX. He pretty much owns more engines than CSX does in the present day. Instead of competing with him for addresses, identical locomotive numbers, etc, I decided to model Guilford Rail System (now Pan Am Railways) which is also a local road. Since Pan Am (up until recently) ran nothing but clunker EMDs (GP7s, GP9s, GP35s, GP40s, GP40-2LWs, SD26s, and an SD39) (now, anything that is not a GP40 series engine has been put in storage and they have recently bought a bunch of SD40-2s from KCS)

So, I decided to expand into NS as Pan Am had gone into a deal where Pan Am would haul NS's trains with NS run-through power. After that, I just took off modeling both NS proper and Pan Am Railways.

At the club, my friend (known as ST214 on this forum) models Conrail, another member models the local shortlines in addition to BNSF, another member models UP, another member models the steam era of the Boston and Maine railroad, and another member models the Providence and Worcester Railroad.

WHen I got into the club I used to belong to it was amazing the number of neat things and the different railroads people modeled..And you learn a lot from the members...The downside I found with clubs is the politics..I deal with politics at work..I don't need it with my hobby...

 

[nwdrummer379]

The era I'm shooting for is the late 70's early 80's. Later on down the road when I have a bigger layout I want to model the Chessie/Seaboard merger.

 

[flyboy2610]

O ok see I didn't know bout that info. Where is that book sold I will like 2 read it.

Unfortunately, that book is out of print.
You can get a used copy through Amazon, but be prepared for sticker shock!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-list...0?ie=UTF8&qid=1270504436&sr=1-1&condition=all

I checked EvilBay, but didn't find any listed.
It's packed with photo's of the engines that ran out of North Platte, Nebraska during the transition era.
I wish you luck finding a copy!

 

[lmackattack]

I picked a 15 year span over steam diesel transition. If I was to stamp a date I would say 1955. I can however remove all my steam from the layout and Bam! its 1965

 

[LATX]

Unfortunately, that book is out of print.
You can get a used copy through Amazon, but be prepared for sticker shock!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-list...0?ie=UTF8&qid=1270504436&sr=1-1&condition=all

I checked EvilBay, but didn't find any listed.
It's packed with photo's of the engines that ran out of North Platte, Nebraska during the transition era.
I wish you luck finding a copy!

Thanks look like I'm goin to need it. But I like reading history of rail lines and locomotives