How did you decide on your Road/Theme?

[Iron Horseman]

Since I live in Kansas, the flat between the two ranges, I want mountains, tunnels, about everything not in Kansas.

Well, you know. One of my MR friends who lives here in Colorado noted that doing a mountains and tunnels railroad wipes out all the industries. He is now modeling From Denver east out toward Kansas because that is where all the real railroad action is. Trains go through the mountains, but they work the industries in the plains.

I am actually planning on doing the same sort of thing. The exit stage west for my layout is going to be the Royal Gorge. The main layout will be Pueblo and east where there is lots of farming, manufacturing, milling, warehouses, and retail industries to keep the railroad busy.

 

[wagonmaster]

Well I have ideas but until I have a place where I can build a layout. It will remain ideas. One is to model the Colorado & Southern branch from Laramie WY to Walden, CO. An actual line that was closed in the mid 90s. as a tourest railroad. All track has been pulled and portions converted to rails to trails. I will be running as they are a active line. maybe around 1970s to 1980s.

Tim

 

[Iron Horseman]

One is to model the Colorado & Southern branch from Laramie WY to Walden, CO. An actual line that was closed in the mid 90s. as a tourest railroad.

Was that the Wyoming Southern Railroad?. I remember the railroad. Seems like they had FP7s. I set out to go to Walden a couple of times to take a peak but never made it all the way over there. I always got sidetracked (usually Moose hunting or white water rafting) in the back woods of the Roosevelt National Forest, before I got there. I've always thought the "high valley" plains of North Park would be interesting.

I have a friend who's Union Pacific model railroad has the Coalmont Branch on it. Just like the real Union Pacific it has horrific grades and is a pain to operate in the "winter time".

 

[Gac66610]

Well, you know. One of my MR friends who lives here in Colorado noted that doing a mountains and tunnels railroad wipes out all the industries. He is now modeling From Denver east out toward Kansas because that is where all the real railroad action is. Trains go through the mountains, but they work the industries in the plains.

I am actually planning on doing the same sort of thing. The exit stage west for my layout is going to be the Royal Gorge. The main layout will be Pueblo and east where there is lots of farming, manufacturing, milling, warehouses, and retail industries to keep the railroad busy.

I understand what you and your friend are saying.
Hmm.... I could have my run through mountains, possibly still have room on either or both sides for some industry.
I'm definitely still in the planning stages.

 

[malletman]

I myself kind of waffled(a lot!!) as I tried different engines and found deals on others that I liked even better. Not having anything beyond just a loop on my small shelf benchwook made it easy to change road names, they just had to be able to make it around my 15" radius curves. I am working on a solution to get to 18" without overhanging my workbench were I start banging my head when I get up. I found a mint in the box PFM/United Western Pacific 2-8-2 heavy Mikado on ebay that I really liked the chunky looks of and the buy it now price was very acceptable. My friend got it for me as payment for a bunch of brass reworking I had done for him. I had planned to outfit it to run on his huge DCC equipted layout figuring it wouldnt make it around my tight curves. But....suprise it does! I have always loved the WP, with thier striking orange/silver/black diesels, from covered wagon F units to EMD hood units. But I plan to stay all steam. Took me several years, but I settled on a single road finaly. While I still have a couple brass engines from other roads, they spend thier time mostly in the display case. But I am not such a purist that I wont run them anyways! Once I finish up rebuilding the basket case PFM NKP Berk, I will probably take it an the SRR PS4 that I painted and rebuilt and sell them to finance a PFM WP 4-8-2. Mike