Allegheny1600 Posted December 3, 2013 Share Posted December 3, 2013 Hi fellow North American outline modellers, After a fairly quiet few years or so during which time I've been following various European (mainly German) railways, I've grown rather tired to trying to learn the lingo and needed a break! So, I started watching some Brit railways films, then went on to the good ole Espee & found that very interesting all over again and finally have dug out my old C&NW films, mainly on DVD now and WOW! Do I feel inspired once again! My mojo is back! Just in time as I had traded in almost all of my C&O, New Haven and KCS models but was determined to keep my north-western stuff as I had been collecting that for nigh on twenty years. It's all tinged with some sadness as it's over 18 years since the north-western ended up within the UP fold, quickly followed by the Espee of course. However I think I've got over the post merger blues and can now actually bear to model the C&NW again. Anyone else ever suffered a protracted spell away from a former favourite only to come back later? Cheers, John E. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted December 3, 2013 Share Posted December 3, 2013 Yes, for about 20 years! Glad that you are enthused once more. Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium cnw6847 Posted December 3, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 3, 2013 Hello John, I have been modeling the C&NW since 1994, I also have some BR GWR steam, early 90's Scottish Diesels and a 009 project so have a change when I feel like it. If you are not already I highly recommend joining the Chicago & North Western Historical Society http://www.cnwhs.org/ Their quarterly magazine is like a small book. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted December 3, 2013 Share Posted December 3, 2013 Anyone else ever suffered a protracted spell away from a former favourite only to come back later?No, but I know the feeling when one's favourite Railroad gets taken over.... See you at TVNAM in 2014, perchance? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allegheny1600 Posted January 31, 2014 Author Share Posted January 31, 2014 Brief update! Although I do still love the C&NW, I've got a hankering to go all US steam! Now, the north western had some simply gorgeous locos, streamlined too (4000 class 4-6-4's), as well as a wonderful chunky modern freight engine BUT they're only really available in brass! Which gets rather pricey! Then I want all the bells & whistles, sound, lights etc. Not bothered about smoke as I've never seen model smoke that looks all that good! I've still got a few C&O steamers including my first ever sound fitted loco, a Broadway 'Texas' type T-1 2-10-4 which still sounds & looks good. But I've been there, done that! So, strangely, I've been drawn towards to Pennsylvania Railroad - the "Standard Railroad of the World"! And, I've found that all sorts of locos are available, upto and including a Mallet type (ex N&W!) as well as Duplexii - Gawd, they're amazing machines! This is in plastic, too! Prices seem fairly reasonable, especially coming from a European background - they're about £100 per loco cheaper!!! Anyone know if Broadway's "Paragon 2" is much better than the original version, please? All H0 btw! I'm currently in the process of enlarging my "plywood central" which is only a test track with sidings into something slightly larger and roundy-roundy, whilst also working on the British layout in my signature, mad eh? Cheers, John E. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Wintle Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 So, strangely, I've been drawn towards to Pennsylvania Railroad - the "Standard Railroad of the World"! And, I've found that all sorts of locos are available, upto and including a Mallet type (ex N&W!) as well as Duplexii - Gawd, they're amazing machines! This is in plastic, too! Welcome to the madness that is PRR - one of the most non-standard railroads that you could model. For steam they mostly had their own designs and for diesels they added the signature Trainphone antennas to most of the early ones. And then there are the electrics... The 5 ex-N&W 2-8-8-2s (N&W Y3/PRR HH1) were bought in 1943 to help with moving wartime freight and were disposed of in 1948. Fortunately in HO there is enough of a market that there are PRR-specific models (you also need a Baldwin Centipede diesel ). In N we mostly have to make do with repaints of generic items (the only PRR-specific RTR models I have are the ancient Minitrix B6 0-6-0 and K4 4-6-2, and the PCM E7A). Adrian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVSNE Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Glad you've reconnected with your NorthWestern prototype. I know plenty of CNW fans and modelers, but frankly never "got" the railroad myself. Of course maybe that's because if (and that's a big "if") I was going to model a Midwestern road it would be the Soo Line! I know a few modelers who came back to a favorite prototype after spending time away. I never understood why my friend Paul Dolkos chose to model the Boston and Maine - and his layout was world class - when Paul was always, at heart, a B&O fan. Now of course the B&M layout is gone and Paul is happily modeling the B&O in its hometown. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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