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Discussion Boards => General Discussion => Topic started by: GoCanes on January 29, 2012, 08:31:17 PM

Title: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: GoCanes on January 29, 2012, 08:31:17 PM
How many of you freelance with your own, made up railroad?

I'm doing a freelanced CSX in Florida, N scale, that includes a freind's small citrus industry from Vero Beach (Natalie's Orchid Island Juice, the BEST OJ on the planet), and the Cuesta Rey and El Producto cigar plant in Tampa  (based on the local CSX line, but I decided that my industries will be served by a smaller branchline, a yet to be named little railroad with a venerable GP 15 switcher and a GP 40, (I have those two undecorated locos) that will join the "real" CSX mainline.  Who wants to model prototype CSX phosphate cars anyway?  (boring)

Works out best for me, as my downtown Tampa Cigar indistry and Vero citrus cannot obviously be done on a layout (and heck, I don't even think El Producto has  railroad service, but I have some Model Power El Producto box cars that are too pretty to leave out, and the idea sounds cool)

Plus, my as yet to be named little railroad can have orange and green paint schemes (it's a Canes thing, you wouldn't understand)   ;)

Who makes up their own stuff?  Please tell me I am not alone.
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: NarrowMinded on January 29, 2012, 09:05:21 PM
All my rail lines are ficticious, The "Johnsonville RR is based out of Johnsonville which is a small mining town with a scenic service as well as hauling supplies along the route.

The best part of this is your not limited at all with what you want to add or leave out.

NM-Jeff
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: jward on January 30, 2012, 01:34:48 AM
i freelance because the railroads i like didn't run the locomotives i like through the area i like. so by creating a fictitious railway, i can create a revised history that nobody can say is wrong because there is no prototype to follow.
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: rogertra on January 30, 2012, 02:22:43 AM
I freelance because I like steam and there's no RTR Canadian steam available and few accurate diesels either.

Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: CNE Runner on January 30, 2012, 10:17:02 AM
The Monks' Island Railway is entirely fictitious. Frankly, Monks' Island itself is fictitious. I wanted a venue that allowed a great deal of switching, car ferry service, and small motive power. Monks' Island is a compilation of: Block Island, Martha's Vineyard, and Fisher's Island...all places I used to fly clients and still miss.

Monks' Island has two population centers (Molena Point & Sweet Haven) that are separated by a mixture of farmland, forest, vineyards and sand dunes. While the midsection of the island is not modelled...there is a great deal of activity at the various farms and Abbey.

The sounds of wind, surf and seagulls is only [occasionally] broken by the shrill horn of the little M.I.Ry. GE 45 Ton locomotive - bringing another cut of cars to Sweet Haven - whilst signaling one of the few road crossings...an idyllic place for sure.

Ray
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: jettrainfan on January 30, 2012, 11:41:10 AM
I model the Lakewood & Winterton railroad, which runs on the Ex. NKP, running from bellevue ohio to cleveland ohio. interchange is done with NS and the CV&WS, which just happens to be another fictional railroad, but is owned by the model railroad club I go to. NS meets up at a small interchange yard outside of the big yard they own. The yard in cleveland, right by the RTA's yard, rarely sees traffic stopping there these days, so the L&W got it. Power consists of steam engines, and older diesels. Rental engines from HLCX and LTEX are usually on the property. Trains consists of mixed freights, intermodals from NS, and coal trains.

When I get a bigger layout going, it will be really similar to the NKP (focusing on cleveland, lakewood, rocky river, vermillion and bellivue ohio) but some changes will be made. Mainly adding in bussinesses that I film along the chicago line and would like to add the flats industrial railroad in cleveland, sense that is accesible from the NKP. Right now I'm just mapping things out and going to paint the first engine for it by october. The loco is gonna be C&O 2707, it was stationed in cleveland ohio near the zoo, till around the 1980s when the illinois railroad museum got it. It has no lettering on the tender currently, so I'm gonna buy an undecorated bachmann 2-8-4 berkshire and go from there.
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: ebtnut on January 30, 2012, 01:07:22 PM
Free-lancing is an honored tradtion in model railroading.  It ranges from quasi- prototype (like modeling a line planned but never built by the railroad) to pure whimsey.  My Cumberland and Susquehanna RR is a narrow gauge pike that connects the WM with the EBT.  It looks and operates a lot like the EBT, hauling mostly coal to the WM interchange, but the motive power is a mixed of borrowed EBT locos and home road power.  Sort of in between are the folks who model a specific prototype, but don't necessarily model a specific portion of the railroad, tending instead to provide a "character sketch".   Remember, it's a hobby, and whatever floats your boat is just fine. 
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: GoCanes on January 30, 2012, 01:44:35 PM
Just thought of it,   let's see some pics of these homebrewed paint schemes and locos
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: az2rail on January 30, 2012, 07:34:02 PM
My railroad, the "Virginia & Rainy Lake Ry" did exist in the late 1800's. I was a standard gauge logging railroad. I turned it into a narrow gauge railroad, that hauls what ever I want.

Bruce
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: rogertra on January 30, 2012, 09:58:08 PM
Quote from: GoCanes on January 30, 2012, 01:44:35 PM
Just thought of it,   let's see some pics of these homebrewed paint schemes and locos

Mine are all in my sig.
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: Desertdweller on January 30, 2012, 11:54:19 PM
Bruce,

Sounds like it might be in Northern Minnesota.

Les
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: Johnson Bar Jeff on January 31, 2012, 10:04:05 AM
I call mine the Juniata & Southern as a way to incorporate my initials into the corporate name as well as give a Central Pennsylvania flavor.

I've sometimes said I'd like to call another line the Frostbite Falls & Anhedonia.  ;)
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: az2rail on January 31, 2012, 07:31:57 PM
Les. Yep, you got it. The railroad ran north of Virginia, MN.

Bruce
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: GoCanes on February 01, 2012, 08:04:44 AM
Quote from: rogertra on January 30, 2012, 09:58:08 PM
Quote from: GoCanes on January 30, 2012, 01:44:35 PM
Just thought of it,   let's see some pics of these homebrewed paint schemes and locos

Mine are all in my sig.

Very cool
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: PiedmontRR on February 04, 2012, 09:55:04 PM
my railroad is the Orange and ALEXANDRIA   It was a real railroad, but though it didn't survive much past the CIVIL WAR,  I model it as if it had made it to the 1960's
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: Jim Banner on February 05, 2012, 12:00:25 AM
I named my garden railway "The Saskatchewan Railway and Mining Co." after a railway that was created by an act of parliament in 1888 and renewed in 1891 but never built any track nor acquired any assets.  Not only is it part of local history but the initials, SRM, are also the initials of the group I model with, the Saskatoon Railroad Modellers.  Makes painting the rolling stock easy - the reporting marks are SRM either way.

Jim
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: GoCanes on February 05, 2012, 08:43:27 AM
Quote from: florynow on February 04, 2012, 10:29:31 PM
There's a few photos several years old of the Midland Western in the Yahoo LRMRG Group photo files under "Midland Western".

Here is a link to them.  The Arkansas, Texas and Southern is another short line that interchanges with the Midland Western in Midland.  Its engines sometimes go out on the MW.  PF

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LRMRG/photos/album/1962964877/pic/1529633843/view?picmode=&mode=tn&order=ordinal&start=1&count=20&dir=asc


Cool.   I thought about doing an Arkansas line at first (The Fayetteville and Tahlequah  Central or something)
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: uncbob on February 05, 2012, 11:07:01 PM
Mine is in my sig
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: rogertra on February 06, 2012, 12:33:15 AM
Quote from: uncbob on February 05, 2012, 11:07:01 PM
Mine is in my sig

Nice job on the scenery. :)
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: jward on February 06, 2012, 04:30:53 AM
Quote from: florynow on February 05, 2012, 09:11:04 AM

The MP North Little Rock shops and yards equalled Altoona in all respects but are not known well because so few railfans are in that part of the country.  The same reason makes the MP relatively unknown, although it was a nearly 10,000 mile Class I.  I've always thought its steam engines and equipment to be classic but the MP will always remain a bit player because of location, it appears.

PF

only somebody who never visited altoona or the pennsylvania railroad would say that. it is like comparing the bush in your front yard to the oak in the back. pennsy was such a massive railroad that out of necessity almost anything it did dwarfed other lines efforts. not a dig on the mopac to be sure. but altoona has built all 3 major types of locomotives, steam, diesel, and electric. and at least two battery powered locomotives to boot. the foundry there produced such things as handrail stanchions for bridges, grade crossing signs, whistle posts, etc.

remember, in the steam era, the pennsy rostered 7000 locomotives, roughly the equivalent of the entire modern day union pacific. only new york central came close to that grand scale.


like i said, i am not downing arkansas or mopac. i am partial to the frisco myself. and i have seen the locomotive shops on smaller roads do some amazing things (ever heard of pittsburg & shawmut?) but nobody did things on the scale of the pennsy, because nobody else needed to.
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: TheJJ on February 06, 2012, 09:01:18 PM
I know my layout isn't gunna be as big and fancy as most of you who love this...but
With my layout I have 2 main lines, a shed w/ turntable, and my layout is based off of strictly Pennsylvania engines.
I have my PA K4 (pre War), with 3 replica Strasburg Railroad passenger coaches.
A cheap dockside switcher with some generic Pa coaches.
And 3 PA diesels and multiple box cars, coal cars, etc.
I know most of you may say go back to T&F kid and stop with the short post but I'm just putting my word in.
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: GoCanes on February 07, 2012, 09:23:14 AM
Quote from: uncbob on February 05, 2012, 11:07:01 PM
Mine is in my sig


UNCBob, that is a neat site.  Love the (no offense) cheesy train musical score, and that is a pretty layout.

Duck under, eh?
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: uncbob on February 07, 2012, 12:08:12 PM
Yeah duck under and at 75 still no problem (:-)
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: Michigan Railfan on February 07, 2012, 04:03:40 PM
I believe some of you have 'paper railroads'. What are paper railroads? For those that dont know, they are your own railroad, just written down on paper (or the Internet). You create the scheme, and do all of the 'shopping'. You decide how many and what kind of locomotives and rolling stock your company owns. You also create train routes, trackage, etc. So, its really just owning your own railroad, without there actually being one. I'm going to create one soon... Just have alot of planning to do before I do start  ;D
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: uncbob on February 07, 2012, 04:58:49 PM
Quote from: Blink_182_Fan on February 07, 2012, 04:03:40 PM
I believe some of you have 'paper railroads'. What are paper railroads? For those that dont know, they are your own railroad, just written down on paper (or the Internet). You create the scheme, and do all of the 'shopping'. You decide how many and what kind of locomotives and rolling stock your company owns. You also create train routes, trackage, etc. So, its really just owning your own railroad, without there actually being one. I'm going to create one soon... Just have alot of planning to do before I do start  ;D
Plan well or you will do a lot of impulse buying--like I did
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: beampaul7 on February 07, 2012, 06:24:59 PM
Hi uncbob, I specificaly designed my Aimless Mountain RY with NO DUCKUNDERS for that very reason.  While I can still do it, the day when I can no longer is coming sooner rather than later.   :'( :D :o
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: rogertra on February 07, 2012, 08:47:07 PM
The new GER will have no duck-unders.  Entry in to the room will be via a swing or lift bridge.
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: BarneyJack on February 09, 2012, 03:33:25 PM
My large scale line is based on the Petaluma and Santa Rosa Railroad, which was a small interurban line that operated near where I live in Sonoma County, CA from 1903 to 1928.  At that time they were purchased by the Northwestern Pacific Railroad.  In my "alternate history", the P&SR absorbed the NWP to create the Petaluma Santa Rosa & Napa Valley Railway.  I borrowed the NWP logo "The Redwood Empire Route" and reworked it into the logo for the PSR&NV, or the "Redwood Empire Line". (look under my user name to the left) The "locals" affectionately refer to the line as the "Pisser and Envy".  It currently runs annually in our garage window as part of our Christmas display.  I have high hopes for future expansion, but that is still on the drawing boards! :D

Cheers,
John  
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: Ken G Price on February 09, 2012, 10:26:27 PM
John, how about a branch line coming up here to Lake County? :D
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: Rangerover1944 on February 10, 2012, 03:35:58 PM
LOL does it matter? I live in West Virginia and you can go from city to city town to town, some modern, some like being in a long ago space and time. A friend of mine has seen my layout and one of the sections is mostly done, with scenery and houses on top of a mountain, dirt road, "1/2 mile to blacktop", and he said he could take a picture of it and tell somebody it was taken on a mountain in West Virginia. I've seen just about every kind of loco and train cars modern and some wooden and three truck shays pull into the station here in Elkins. Even some of the old wooden tressel bridges still being used, built back in the 1800's. Just right over in Phillipi is still one of the oldest all wooden covered bridges in the country, built before the civil war, in fact one of the first civil war battles fought there, to think that horses, troops, casson, both north and south crossed that same bridge back then, that you use today to drive your car into the city. Old wooden tunnel entrances going into the mountains, with wooden wings to keep the dirt and boulders from falling on the tracks. The old commnunties of coal mines and timber mills are still here, people still live there, though some of the mines are now closed, union halls are now community centers, timber community's are timbered out, but it's still all in tact with people. On one corner it's 2012, turn a corner or just down the road over that way it's the 1950's. So my layout is just like that, LOL I even got a NYC subway, so I don't model any particular era, it's a mix of everthing and I love it! Happier than a June Bug on a tommater plant. Jim
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: jward on February 11, 2012, 03:04:12 AM
i agree. west virginia makes a wonderful theme for a layout. i spent alot of time with my dad on the old western maryland out of elkins. he loosely based his layout on those lines, and took the name of the company that built them for his railroad name.

another theme that would make a good layout is the south penn railroad. urban legend has it that the pennsylvania turnpike was built on its right of way, but except for the tunnels this is mostly untrue. the actual south penn  would have been far more spectacular than the turnpike is. there were many more tunnels than the patp used, and several horseshoe curves which would have rivalled pennsy's. the roadbed was abandoned in mid construction, and you can see much of it from the highway if you know where to look.
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: jward on February 12, 2012, 11:51:05 PM
flory,
i syand by my comments. comparing route miles between a railroad with a single or double track mainline with one whose mainline had 4 tracks doesn't give the true picture. actual track miles would be a much better comparison, as even the support infrastructure like yards and shop facilities are so much larger. nother good comparison would be the size of the locomotive and car fleets needed to handle the traffic. in those cases it isn't just the pennsy, but all the northeastern roads which are much larger than route miles would suggest. for example a relatively small carrier such as the c&o would have have fleets as large or larger than much longer western or midwestern roads such as the mpoac or rock island. with the tide of coal moving out of the mountains, they needed them. norfolk and western's locomotive fleet BEFORE they merged with nickle plate and wabash and became a huge railroad, was similar in size to the frisco. this on a line which only ran from norfolk to cincinatti. when you have heavy traffic, you need the equipment and facilities to handle it. when your traffic is lighter, your infrastructure is smaller. and no amount of wishful thinking will change that. 

it is what it is.
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: glennk28 on February 13, 2012, 03:22:10 AM
check out your local historical society/museum --you may find info on lines that were proposed but never built--there was a lot of financial finagling back in the early days.

learn to recognize the traces of a railroad having  been there--buildings shaped to fit along a track--loading docks that might have been at track side--

if you are still in school--this research might also be an enjoyable way of getting a paper or two out of the way.

gj
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: phillyreading on February 13, 2012, 09:40:46 AM
While the Pennsy RR was the largest traded company for a while, don't forget about the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad and Mining Company near 1874, was the largest company in the world and the fed's and J.D. Rockafeller broke it up a few years later under some kind of anti-trust laws. Had coal mining and shipping rights for at least three states; Pennsy, New York, New Jersey and the Jersey seashore. Also sold coal to other countries.
The Reading RR started out as the Philadelphia and Reading railroad near 1832 and then as it grew it bought out the smaller lines in PA. The Philly & Reading RR replaced tug-boat travel along the Schukill River between Philadelphia and Reading PA.
The shops in Reading PA built and rebuilt some large steam locomotives, the Reading T1, 30 of the 4-8-4's was their biggest rebuild project.

Lee F.
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: jward on February 14, 2012, 01:58:32 AM
the reading was another of those lines small in route miles but large in physical plant. their locomotive fleet was larger than that of the mkt, kansas city southern or soo line. on a line where the farthest reaches were within 200 miles of each other.
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: phillyreading on February 14, 2012, 08:13:16 AM
The Reading Railroad had some impressive freight hauling figuires for the 1950's, as it was the fifth largest freight hauling RR during that time.
Also ran down to Washington D.C. area for freight traffic. Reading RR owned close 51% of stock in the Central of New Jersey RR, and had track rights over the CNJ.
The Reading RR was broken up into two catagories; 1) freight, Reading Lines, 2) passenger Reading Company.

Lee F.
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: phillyreading on February 14, 2012, 12:38:33 PM
Quote from: jward on February 14, 2012, 01:58:32 AM
the reading was another of those lines small in route miles but large in physical plant. their locomotive fleet was larger than that of the mkt, kansas city southern or soo line. on a line where the farthest reaches were within 200 miles of each other.

I think that you must be thinking of Reading & Northern RR, a regional RR in eastern PA. Who has 300 miles of track and track rights for a few more miles in PA. And currently is the third largest privately owned railroad in PA. www.readingnorthern.com

The Reading Company and Reading Lines were sold into Conrail in 1976. However not all of the Reading roster of engines and rolling stock went to Conrail. Some of the rolling stock became property of Andy Mueller, an individual who started Blue Mountain & Reading RR in either Hamburg or Jim Thorpe, PA.

Lee F.
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: jward on February 18, 2012, 03:11:03 AM
lee,

no i am thinking of the original reading. the rbmn can never be but a shadow of the original reading. having had a ringside seat for the creation of conrail, i am well aware that they were absorbed in 1976. i also remember the runthroughs they had with western maryland and b&o in the early 1970s. were you aware their diesels were numbered so as to not conflict with those of the b&o/ chessie system?

Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: GoCanes on February 18, 2012, 08:35:25 AM
I once bought the Reading RR for $200. (ended up taking a mortgage on it and never paid it off)


:D

Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: Ken on February 18, 2012, 10:22:25 AM


    Having access to the 1945 Edition of MOODY'S  Steam Railroads which has 20 pages listed for Railroads  covered and 5 pages of Railroads listed but not in the book, will  never run out of names to put on rolling stock. Some RR have names longer then their total trackage  <G>,

  Ken
    GWN
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: phillyreading on February 18, 2012, 04:56:38 PM
Quote from: florynow on February 17, 2012, 11:35:57 PM
I can't stand the butcher job that the Reading and Northern did on a historically intact GM&N 4-6-2.  That engine never was a Reading engine and never will be one, no matter how bad they want it to be one.

What if someone took one of the K-4's and did the same thing?

PF

Are you referring to the # 425 and given roadname Blue Mountain & Reading?

An engine that got butchered a lot was the old Reading T-1 # 2101, was repainted for the Chessie System and one or two other railroads as one of their engines was too large, too high for the tunnels, to run in the Northeast Corridore.

Lee F.
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: ryeguyisme on February 21, 2012, 12:24:47 AM
Well look at New Haven 3025, it's a chinese SY locomotive rebuilt and americanized to look more like a new haven engine
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: Desertdweller on February 21, 2012, 12:43:45 AM
florynow,

I can generally agree with that.  But the 2101 itself was "kitbashed".  Reading built that whole class of Northerns out of 2-8-2's.

So, it is not like she had never been "messed with".

Les
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: jward on February 21, 2012, 04:13:30 AM
Quote from: florynow on February 17, 2012, 11:35:57 PM
I can't stand the butcher job that the Reading and Northern did on a historically intact GM&N 4-6-2.  That engine never was a Reading engine and never will be one, no matter how bad they want it to be one.

What if someone took one of the K-4's and did the same thing?

PF

actually, the only operable pennsy steamer, an 0-6-0, has had its bellpaire boiler replaces with a normal one. what an odd looking duck......

to be honest. i think we need to be grateful that these locomotives still exist in some form. they could be razor blades. now THAT'S a butcher job......
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: uncbob on February 21, 2012, 07:53:37 AM
What is just as sad is what happened at the RR Museum of PA in Strasburg
They had a K4--M1  -- L1 and H8

The EPA made them take the asbestos  covers off exposing all the rivets and instead of being inside they are out in the weather to deteriorate and act as a magnet for bird droppings
Whether the decision to put them outside was the EPA edict or the Museum's I don't know  but there is space inside if they get rid of the passenger cars in there
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: phillyreading on February 21, 2012, 08:12:43 AM
Speaking about the EPA, they might make the RR museums close down the Pennsy GG-1's because of cancer causing oils used in cooling the electrical transformers inside the GG-1.

Lee F.
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: uncbob on February 21, 2012, 08:22:32 AM
They have one outside rusting away and one inside in great condition
How are those oils doing anything to anybody the same as the asbestos shields which I can't see how they were a problem
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: Desertdweller on February 21, 2012, 11:16:30 AM
The EPA has the authority to do things like that without due process, in the name of preserving public safety.
Apparently, someone in a position of authority thought there was an imminent threat to public health posed by asbestos insulation sandwiched between boilers and steel boiler jackets, or PCB's in oil sealed inside of transformers inside of GG-1's.

In my opinion, this is a political problem, not a health problem.

Les
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: Johnson Bar Jeff on February 21, 2012, 12:24:15 PM
Quote from: Desertdweller on February 21, 2012, 11:16:30 AM
In my opinion, this is a political problem, not a health problem.

Les

I agree. And a problem of bureaucrats who know how to apply rules but not how to think.
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: ryeguyisme on February 21, 2012, 12:48:08 PM
Quote from: Desertdweller on February 21, 2012, 12:43:45 AM
florynow,

I can generally agree with that.  But the 2101 itself was "kitbashed".  Reading built that whole class of Northerns out of 2-8-2's.

So, it is not like she had never been "messed with".

Les

***2-10-2's you mean right?
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: Desertdweller on February 21, 2012, 03:20:53 PM
We are both wrong.  The Reading built the T-1's out of 2-8-0's.

The boilers were extended, and they got new frames.

See "Classic Trains Special Edition no.10".

Les
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: phillyreading on February 22, 2012, 03:12:38 PM
Quote from: Desertdweller on February 21, 2012, 03:20:53 PM
We are both wrong.  The Reading built the T-1's out of 2-8-0's.

The boilers were extended, and they got new frames.

See "Classic Trains Special Edition no.10".

Les

The Reading T-1's were rebuilt from left over 2-8-0's at the Reading PA shops, on north 6th street, with parts help(driver wheels) from Baldwin Locomotive Works, Philadelphia shop. There was 30 of them built between 1940 & 46, roadnumbers 2100 to 2129. Another thing about the Reading T-1's is that they were made for use in the northeast and can go thru some areas where other 4-8-4's won't navigate due to excessive height or length.

Lee F.
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: GoCanes on February 27, 2012, 07:05:12 PM
I wonder if their are any tunnels, or hills/grades or train trestle overpasses in Florida, besides bridges over water?
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: Terry Toenges on February 28, 2012, 12:45:14 AM
Here's a cool site to get lost in for a while. It is a list of Florida bridges, some with pics. This is just Florida. There are others. I didn't see any hills.
http://bridgehunter.com/category/location/fl/ (http://bridgehunter.com/category/location/fl/)
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: GoCanes on February 28, 2012, 04:15:45 PM
Quote from: Terry Toenges on February 28, 2012, 12:45:14 AM
Here's a cool site to get lost in for a while. It is a list of Florida bridges, some with pics. This is just Florida. There are others. I didn't see any hills.
http://bridgehunter.com/category/location/fl/ (http://bridgehunter.com/category/location/fl/)


Thanks, I'll check it out.  We have hills and mountains in FL, but I think it's easy for the trains to avoid them and thus have to make tunnels
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: bussy65 on April 01, 2012, 05:48:37 PM
Our layout is based loosely (ever so loosely) on the London, Bristol & Southcoast RR. This line

existed in the early to mid 1850's before mergers, buyouts etc. We use this to accommodate my

wife's Dickens Village collection. More fun than old people deserve.

Jack
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: Desertdweller on April 01, 2012, 07:44:56 PM
Back when I was in college, I read an article in "National Lampoon" magazine titled "Worlds in Collusion".
It theorized that railroad companies used tunnels to turn the trains unbeknownst to passengers, in order to run them in loops and run up the mileage.

Might explain any Florida tunnels.

I rode a train down the east coast of Florida, and it looked pretty flat to me.

Les
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: M1FredQ on April 01, 2012, 09:31:22 PM
What I try to do is see what Williams or Lionel have available in lines that interest my son and I.
We try to concentrate on the midwest. But we have New york Central, Southern Pacific, I have a real liking for
Atlantic Coast Lines and Rio Grande. It makes this hobby a lot of fun!!!!!!!
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: phillyreading on April 06, 2012, 03:58:54 PM
I have bought some interesting trains at train shows or at local hobby shops. Bought a set of Reading Company King Coal passenger cars, have seen two variations on the passenger cars due to different years of production by Williams. The trucks have the differance in them, one has fixed couplers and the other has opening couplers.
Also have some MTH freight cars, as some things I wanted were made by MTH and not Williams or Lionel.

As for Florida tunnels, I have yet to see any other than a short span of a bridge that you go under.

Lee F.
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: rogertra on April 06, 2012, 08:30:26 PM
Quote from: bussy65 on April 01, 2012, 05:48:37 PM
Our layout is based loosely (ever so loosely) on the London, Bristol & Southcoast RR. This line

existed in the early to mid 1850's before mergers, buyouts etc. We use this to accommodate my

wife's Dickens Village collection. More fun than old people deserve.

Jack

Don't you mean the "London, Brighton and South Coast Railway"?  No such railway with your name.   :)
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: bussy65 on April 17, 2012, 03:47:55 PM
Oops! You're right, that redefines "ever so loosely"

Thanks

Jack
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: Pops on April 17, 2012, 05:25:01 PM

[/quote]
We have hills and mountains in FL,
[/quote]

I thought the highest elevation in Florida was about 200 feet.  Can you name and locate a mountain for me? 

??? ??? ;)
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: Desertdweller on April 17, 2012, 06:33:41 PM
The mountains are off the coast, underwater.  You can't see 'em, but be careful you don't run your boat into them.

Les
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: phillyreading on April 19, 2012, 04:03:14 PM
The highest mountain in Florida is manmade and usually called mount trashmore.

Lee F.
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: James in FL on April 20, 2012, 07:55:03 PM
If you lived in Miami...you'd swear there's a tunnel.
This is tallest point round these parts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunshine_Skyway_Bridge

CSX serves port Tampa.
No more railfanning around the port (very strict) but some good places still around the yard.

Big show over there this weekend.

http://www.greattrainexpo.com/

Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: jward on April 21, 2012, 01:47:16 AM
Quote from: florynow on April 20, 2012, 04:58:50 PM
Louisiana has a mountain, "Driskill Mountain", the highest point in the state, 525' above sea level.  No tunnels that I know of, though.

PF

525' is not a mountain. we have hills here taller than that.
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: Pops on April 21, 2012, 11:19:30 AM
 . . .   and buildings taller than that.

::) ::)
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: jward on April 21, 2012, 12:31:40 PM
that too. and in west virginia, bridges almost twice as high.
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: Doneldon on April 21, 2012, 02:12:34 PM
LOTS of ...
Quote from: Pops on April 21, 2012, 11:19:30 AM
. . .  buildings taller than that.
-- D
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: Jerrys HO on April 21, 2012, 07:59:38 PM
Paul
Loosen up those depends. Such negativity on Northerners.
I would have cut off my right leg to live in the north. All those mountains and creeks and railroads. I must say it sure beats watching the trains pass down in flat country.

Probably who ever named Driskill Mountain had never seen real mountains. I have passed thru that area many times and never seen anything but rolling hills.

Jerry
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: jward on April 22, 2012, 11:04:40 AM
from a modeller's perspective, mountains are a good thing. they give your railroad an excuse to twist and turn, and can act as view blocks to make your railroad seem larger than it is. can't do that with flatlands railroading, unless you are modelling the big city.

personally, other than a small switching layout i built on a plank, i've never built a line without elevated tracks and grades, and i never will. mountain railroading is so much more interesting.

Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: Jerrys HO on April 22, 2012, 11:38:33 AM
jward

I agree mountains are more interesting in railroading. I am found of my elevated track going thru my mountains and the lower tracking around the edge.
I know I have been promising pics and do plan to start a new thread with that in mind. Right now I am waiting for my new card reader to come in that my kids broke after borrowing my camera and reader. Should be in this week.

Paul

No one fired at shot at you, you jumped in front of it. Bachmann has done an excellent job trying to meet the demands of everyone. You have your Spectrums from the past and sounds like there will be more coming in the future. For now let us enjoy our sound value engine's and mountain's without all the negativity.
I live in your area and appreciate what we have but I also love the northern scenery as well. I did not have the great fortune as most of you did growing up in the steam era and being able to enjoy them as much as other's. I was born in 1962 when most steam was gone by the wayside. I was visiting an aunt in Napoleonville,La. and she recalled me sitting in her backyard for hours waiting for a train to pass. I guess that's where I started loving trains.

Jerry
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: Ron Zee on April 23, 2012, 05:26:54 PM
I used to live about 200 yds away from the tracks here in Goldsboro. The only thing you'd hear was LONG freight trains rolling by every few hours. But sometimes, very rarely, you'd hear something that wasn't quite right. It was the steam whistle in the distance, and sure enough thats what was comeing down the tracks. A couple of times during the summer, they take out an old steam engine and run it down the tracks with a few passenger cars on it. I never did find out why but I sure as heck ran through the woods to see it go by. I've always liked trains and for the first time, I've started building my own layout. The steamers will always be my favorites. I looked for layout plans and when I couldn't find any I liked, I thought "why not make one up?" So what if it's not "real"? As long as you enjoy what your doing, go have fun. As far as hills or mountains go, if you want them, use them. Around here, if your going up any kind of hill and your car downshifts, it's a mountain!
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: Doneldon on May 04, 2012, 11:19:39 PM
Quote from: florynow on May 04, 2012, 06:27:18 PM
Something that is even harder to capture is the mid skies and nearly overhead mid-day sun at mid summer in the south with sharp shadows only and inch long or so.

Paul-

I think the trick is to use either unfrosted incandescent bulbs or daylight
flourescents, and a lot more than is generally recommended.
                                                                                                   -- D
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: jward on May 05, 2012, 12:38:43 PM
the way i see it the biggest problem in recreating flatlands railroading is that most of us just don't have enough space to capture the wide open look. even in n scale you can't model a 5 mile straight convincingly. hills on the other hand, provide natural excuses for curves, act as view blocks, and in general make the layout look larger rather than smaller.\

Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: Dusten Barefoot on May 05, 2012, 03:10:38 PM
My railroad is known as the Barefoot & Southern, based in 1880 in the winter. It's an On30 layout that serves the swamps of NC doing logging and such. It will run a few 8-18c 4-4-0s. It's not your typical logging line though, it also handles mainline freights and passenger service, due to the popularity of game hunting. The locals are a bunch of fish trappers and loggers, and they're not big a fan of the new people coming in to develop on their fishing grounds. The however enjoy the rail service to the outside world to get supplies and logging equipment.

Rock On!
Dusten
Title: Re: Make up your own Railroad?
Post by: phillyreading on May 08, 2012, 09:05:15 AM
Quote from: James in FL on April 20, 2012, 07:55:03 PM
If you lived in Miami…you’d swear there’s a tunnel.
This is tallest point round these parts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunshine_Skyway_Bridge

CSX serves port Tampa.
No more railfanning around the port (very strict) but some good places still around the yard.

Big show over there this weekend.

http://www.greattrainexpo.com/


Since CSX serves port Tampa, how come there is no Amtrak to Tampa?
Ever wonder, as there is existing CSX railroad tracks to Tampa, and Amtrak runs over CSX tracks in Florida.

Lee F.