Advice for someone thinking of starting modelling American

[Chris M]

Back in 2006 I was at White River Junction in Vermont. I managed to sneak a few photos of trains.

 

I think this loco is owned by Vermont Railway. The livery should be a rather nice red but this one is in the livery as bought secondhand. The previous owner name has been painted over in a different shade of black and the panel with the loco number has been repainted.

 

There was a Boston & Maine steamer on display at the station

 

The main railway seemed to be New England Central. The second and third locos carry the correct livery. The lead loco is getting there - the front cab door is in the correct livery even if the rest of the loco isn't.

 

I think this sums up the atmosphere on the lines of secondary railroads.

Edited March 20, 2018 by Chris M

[Chris M]

It's what Chris does :-

 

 

Fantastic stuff!! & a good reminder not to take it all too seriously

 

I do like to enjoy myself but I hope I also do some reasonably serious modelling even if this particular loco is in a fictitious livery. This was quite an interesting shunting layout which was most enjoyable to operate mainly because it wasn't a very convenient yard to shunt. It has been rebuilt twice by different owners since these photos were taken.

 

 

 

Edited March 20, 2018 by Chris M

[Chris M]

Found a classic example of a current loco in a heritage livery

 

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/locomotive/images/6/65/Pan_Am_Railways_-_Steam_Excursions_Boston_%26_Maine_No._3713_%28Boston_%26_Maine_GP9_77_2.PNG/revision/latest?cb=20120711191632&format=original

[davknigh]

Thanks again everyone for your replies.

I agree that the layout should at least have the look and feel of being American, I'm taken by the short lines at the moment and would possibly build something like this.

I also agree with " it's my layout so I will run what I like ", personally I like to make layouts as realistic as I can within my capabilities but I'm no rivet counter and after all it's a fun hobby and for me that's what it's all about.

I got an issue of railroad modelling magazine and I'm trying to resist all those lovely models in the classifieds section.

Kadee couplings are the ones I'd be using as these seem to be fitted to most if not all rolling stock I've seen.

I'm doing this on a tight budget ( until I can sell off a few things I no longer want ) so will be looking at second hand locomotives, should there be anything I should be looking out for, be aware of?

One question, is it common for different companies to have each others rolling stock in a train or would they use their own locomotives etc to pull it, I guessing the former.

Thanks to you all.

Jerry.

If the locomotive has traction tyres reject it instantly.

Class one roads will usually have maybe 50% of their own cars behind a locomotive, but not always. Modern short lines generally don’t own rolling stock.

 

Cheers,

 

David

[pH]

After all a railroad in Vancouver used to run a passenger service using something built from a speeder in a back yard somewhere in California.

 

More information, please! I can't think what this was.

[Chris M]

See

http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20140717-canadas-greatest-hidden-rail-trip

 

And

 

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/Locopicture.aspx?id=217156

[pH]

See

http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20140717-canadas-greatest-hidden-rail-trip

And

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/Locopicture.aspx?id=217156

The Budd Lite! I did wonder if that was it. Lillooet is about 150 miles north of Vancouver.

[Patrick SPF]

Jerry,

 

In terms of locomotives and even more cabooses North  American railroads tended to use their own power, though from the late 50's (I believe) you began to get run through diesel power.
The other thing that does happen is that locos can be leased by another road such as the Bangor & Aroostook Railroad GP7's which were leased to the Pennsylvania Railroad every summer when the BAR did not need them and the PRR did.

In terms of freight cars, they are all effectively in a common user pool, so can turn up almost anywhere, but would be most common on the owning railroad and direct connections. 
If you can get hold of a copy there is a NMRA book called "The Postwar Freight Car Fleet" it has a good sample of what was going through the Harrisburg Pennsylvania area in 1946/47, of interest is that there were still a lot of 36' cars in service at the time and some lasted for some time (Canadian Fowler box cars were in revenue service in Canada until the 1980;s).

Patrick

[steve1]

See

http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20140717-canadas-greatest-hidden-rail-trip

 

And

 

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/Locopicture.aspx?id=217156

 

Are you watching Rapido???

 

Apologies to Jerry for hijacking the thread. Sorry.

 

steve

[Regularity]

Beware of generalisations!

In terms of freight cars, they are all effectively in a common user pool, so can turn up almost anywhere, but would be most common on the owning railroad and direct connections. 

 

Patrick is quite right, and this is far and a away the most common situation, but some cars were reserved for particular traffic, for example paper, and this is more likely to be the case for short lines, which may exist solely to carry a single traffic serving a single industry.

Indeed, they may be owned by it!

[TheGunslinger]

Beware of generalisations!

Patrick is quite right, and this is far and a away the most common situation, but some cars were reserved for particular traffic, for example paper, and this is more likely to be the case for short lines, which may exist solely to carry a single traffic serving a single industry.

Indeed, they may be owned by it!

Coal is another good example of this. On coal branch lines especially the stock will be 99% the owning railroad, with the occasional outside hopper perhaps on lease to cover shortages or a handful of cars may be regularly sent off abroad and thus cars from the destination railroad are preferred, rather than sending your own stock away and potentially never seeing it again!

[TheGunslinger]

loco's, keep away from AHM, Model power, Tyco, early Bachmann early lifelike, ok one's for some one on  a budget, Athearn blue box, later Bachmann, later lifelike,proto1000, good ones, Altas, proto 2000, Kato Athearn RTR ,Genesis, Walthers etc

 

same applies to rolling stock 

 

Ray

I'm going to play devil's advocate and say that Bachmann white box locos are OK. Nothing stellar but compared to contemporary offerings from Hornby and Lima they are decent. Their Achilles heel were the nylon gears in the drive train, which were prone to cracking/splitting and causing no end of headaches, much like the early Branchline stuff. Support on the US side of things is much stronger though, and depending on the locomotive Bachmann offer replacement gears made from a higher quality nylon, and in some cases metal gearsets.

 

Spectrum locomotives are personal favourites of mine, they have excellent levels of detail and great running properties. The older 'black box' Spectrum locos have the same weakness of splitting gears. I still adore them.

[Jerry1975]

Hi Everyone.

 

Thanks again to you all for your help and advice etc.

 

I am definitely going for HO gauge, my wife is going to get me goodies for my birthday and I have been dropping hints.

 

For my first layout I'm thinking of a warehouse with two or three bays for loading / unloading, perhaps another siding for fuel /oil unloading or leave it for storage / shunting wagons and a diner next to a railroad crossing with a Harley Davidson waiting for trains to pass.

 

I would really like to capture the American feeling/look/atmosphere but I have a lot to learn first.

 

I'm trying to get to grips with what each wagon / freight car is, loco types etc.

 

I have also been reading a small bit on short lines.

 

There is so much to learn but with the great help on here etc I'm slowly getting there.

 

No Worries Steve, your not hijacking anything lol.

 

I'm currently looking in local bookshops for anything American railroad related, their is a good second hand bookshop opposite the station in Pickering that has a very good selection of British railway books, not sure about American though so I will call them.

 

Thanks again everyone.

 

Jerry.

[Chris M]

Hi Everyone.

 

For my first layout I'm thinking of a warehouse with two or three bays for loading / unloading, perhaps another siding for fuel /oil unloading or leave it for storage / shunting wagons and a diner next to a railroad crossing with a Harley Davidson waiting for trains to pass.

 

Jerry.

Sometimes people don’t wait for the train to pass...

 

https://youtu.be/nYF5TDUJvLE

 

Whoops there goes my credibility as a serious Modeller again.

Edited March 21, 2018 by Chris M

[F-UnitMad]

Sometimes people don’t wait for the train to pass...https://youtu.be/nYF5TDUJvLE

Whoops there goes my credibility as a serious Modeller again.

A grade crossing is a good thing to have on a switching layout, though. Not so that you can trash your toy cars when you're bored one day but because of the operational requirements imposed on the railroad because of them.

 

Jerry have you come across the blog of Lance Mindheim yet? http://lancemindheim.com/contact/

 

A leading light on Switching layouts & how to make a success of them.

[Jerry1975]

Thanks for your replies.

 

Chris, lighting reactions of the loco driver the first time but I did feel sorry for the poor people in the camper van the other times, his insurance will surely go up now.

 

I had a quick look at Lance Mindheim's site, some very useful stuff there so thanks for that.

 

Jerry.

[shortliner]

Gerry - Sorry - I have only just found this thread. There is lots of great advice on here - welcome by the way - the one piece of advice from a serial layout builder, since you are a modeller of micro-layouts, is to visit http://www.carendt.com/ . This site was started by a friend , Carl Arendt (now sadly departed) and has around 1500 small layout designs ((worldwide) but should give you lots and lots of inspiration. If you want to go a little larger look at https://www.facebook.com/groups/728920213839816/ and see some of Rob Chants designs which go up to about 9 feet long ( he is Canadian BTW) He also does room-sized designs, but we'll ignore those for the time being. Start small and work up - the chances of you sticking with the first layout you build are miniscule - you have just stepped into a very, very dark place that will suck you in, just like a black hole - I've been thrashing, and splashing, around in here for around 35 years - Welcome to the Dark Side, it is great fun when you get used to it!

 

EDIT

Another site that is well worth looking at is Model Railroad Hobbyist - there is an thread here http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/5109 which - while the track plan is a little ambitious (to say the least) for you at this time, will give you some ideas about industries and what various cars are used for. If nothing else these forums (fora?) will give you some reading on cold, dark, nights!

Edited March 21, 2018 by shortliner

[Regularity]

Although it has long been dormant, you can learn a lot from this:

http://oscalewcor.blogspot.co.uk/

[shortliner]

Although it has long been dormant, you can learn a lot from this:

http://oscalewcor.blogspot.co.uk/

Yes - well worth a read - if you have the space, well worth building too! Operating at scale speeds will keep you busy for an hour+ at a time.

[Regularity]

Ignore the tile plant, and it gets smaller. Do it in H0, and smaller still, although I wouldn’t suggest reducing it below 10’.

Only 3 turnouts, if you take out the plant.

[Joseph_Pestell]

Hi Everyone.

 

Thanks again to you all for your help and advice etc.

 

I am definitely going for HO gauge, my wife is going to get me goodies for my birthday and I have been dropping hints.

 

For my first layout I'm thinking of a warehouse with two or three bays for loading / unloading, perhaps another siding for fuel /oil unloading or leave it for storage / shunting wagons and a diner next to a railroad crossing with a Harley Davidson waiting for trains to pass.

 

I would really like to capture the American feeling/look/atmosphere but I have a lot to learn first.

 

I'm trying to get to grips with what each wagon / freight car is, loco types etc.

 

I have also been reading a small bit on short lines.

 

There is so much to learn but with the great help on here etc I'm slowly getting there.

 

No Worries Steve, your not hijacking anything lol.

 

I'm currently looking in local bookshops for anything American railroad related, their is a good second hand bookshop opposite the station in Pickering that has a very good selection of British railway books, not sure about American though so I will call them.

 

Thanks again everyone.

 

Jerry.

 

Where railway stuff is concerned, hints usually lead to disappointment. Better to give firm guidance about what you want.

 

As to your basic plan - ideal. A decent sized warehouse can be used at the front of the layout to conceal the entry onto scene in such a way that you only ever see part of the train and it is not obvious how short it really is. And that arrangement also makes it easy to extend later on.

 

You might even want to consider building it to the modular standards so that you could join to others at meets.

[Milano]

Following this posting with interest as I am considering something similar.

 

Are cardboard or paper kits available for USA structures?

 

Thanks

Milano

[long island jack]

Following this posting with interest as I am considering something similar.

 

Are cardboard or paper kits available for USA structures?

 

Thanks

Milano

yep, there's one or two makers similar to Scalescenes, or you can scratchbuild your own

 

 

Ray

[Jerry1975]

Hi Everyone.

 

First off I would like to thank everyone for your kindness, help/advice etc and for making me feel welcome.

 

Regarding buildings I'm going to have a go at making my own, well the simpler ones anyway.

 

One question, what track do you use, Steve mentioned peco just wondering what track looks good / authentic, what code track etc, also what angle points / turnouts are ( I'm to used to British lol, short,medium,large radius ).

 

I bought the latest continental modeller just to get an idea of US modelling and my local Smiths didn't have anything else.

 

I'm slowly getting an idea of some things I will need for a small trail layout just to get an idea for things.

 

Shortliner:

 

I have been following Carls site since it started and was deeply saddened by his passing, I admired his enthusiasm and love of the subject.

His site has been a source of inspiration to me and also your layouts, Shortover yard was a favorite and another you did with a yellow warehouse ( forgive me, I forget it's name )

 

Thanks again everyone.

 

Jerry.

[Zomboid]

The track I use (and I suspect most of us) is Peco code 83. The turnouts are in terms of the crossing angle - #5 is a 1 in 5 etc. They do 5, 6 and 8, though I don't know how they relate to the British stuff.

 

It's good stuff just like the British version.