Suggestions for Locomotives? - Printable Version +- (https://bigbluetrains.com) +-- Forum: The Depot (https://bigbluetrains.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=3) +--- Forum: Upper Berth (https://bigbluetrains.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=7) +--- Thread: Suggestions for Locomotives? (/showthread.php?tid=8590) |
Re: Suggestions for Locomotives? - Amalynn - 01-13-2018 Brakie Wrote:exohead Wrote:I'll be honest, I tend to like how the majority of 527-engined locos that you just named. And naturally, if you're gonna model something, you should like the something, right? So, I've been looking at short lines and regionals a lot as I grew up and now as an adult, and the majority that I saw did use SW-units like you mentioned. The one local to me has access to pool power from the holding company that owns it, so you occasionally do see more than that from the others locally. I believe the one here in town uses an SW1500 as its regular motive power. I've always liked the image of the little switcher puttering along with 10 cars or so in tow. My short line would handle an average of about 10-15 cars per day, most of them beer-related, and a few cars go out to a large bakery. Average grade is about 2%. My first good quality models were a GP30 and GP40, so I have always had a fondness for them, which is probably the biggest reason I am looking at them over SW-type units. I like the SWs as well, just a personal thing for the Geeps, honestly. Mike Kieran Wrote:I would go the switcher route, but he is modeling a 40 mile short line, so I can understand why road switchers would be preferred. Speed, curve radii, money in the coffers (both prototype and modeler), and plain preference. I remember reading on another thread about transition era being a wide variety of locomotives, but to me, late 70s to present are also a plethora of varieties in diesels from 1st generation to new and including rebuilds. It is worth noting, I am a she. My name is Amanda. lol Perhaps the solution is fewer locomotives in general. I don't know. I just want something realistic to handle what I have in mind. I'm doing more than just a normal freelance road. It's based on a few specific prototypes but is not a strict copy of a prototype. It ties into a real place, but there are elements that are freelance and strictly grounded in reality. It's a proto-freelance road. I wouldn't say there are no rules, but there are only the rules that I define. I have a roughed out track plan already, just waiting until when I have space to build a railroad. It will be a while, so for now I am just doing other stuff that I will need to get for it anyways and doing projects now that I will need to do anyways. Re: Suggestions for Locomotives? - Brakie - 01-14-2018 You can use your GP30 and GP40 since they are second generation diesels in fact I can see where your short line could MU them and use them on your stone train and a SW1500 or any EMD end cab switcher could work your industry job.. The beer trains can be handled by your GP30 and GP40 before their run to the quarry and bakery-another crew would handle this run. As far as a yard crew most short line crews make up their own train before leaving the yard. As any short line manager will tell you it's always good to have a backup plan in case your connecting road doesn't have any "spare" six axle locomotives for the stone train since they will cover their motive power needs first. I should have remembered that but, old age slipped in and cause my memory to go south-well that's my excuse. :o Re: Suggestions for Locomotives? - Mike Kieran - 01-14-2018 Don't worry Larry, at least you still have your youthful looks. Amanda, I keep meaning to ask you, what year are you modeling? If you go to one of my layout threads, you'll notice that I do what I call a carload chart. The reason for this is to narrow down locomotive choices and figure out how long I want for my longer sidings. I agree with Larry/Brakie, a GP 30 & GP40 would work well. You can use either locomotive individually for whatever local/switcher job, bring them back to the yard, and MU them together for the quarry run. Of course, if you are only running a few cars per week from the quarry, I would just have one of your locals/switchers also handle the quarry. I also try to run things from the payroll perspective, would a railroad run a train if it didn't cover the crew's salary + benefits. Re: Suggestions for Locomotives? - Mike Kieran - 01-14-2018 BTW, sorry for using he and not she. Trains are also girls toys too, as my daughter reminds us. My wife tough that the Kieran Recessive Train Gene was only with the boys. Hahahahaha. Re: Suggestions for Locomotives? - BR60103 - 01-14-2018 Another look through the Trackside Guide shows a lot of SW1500 and some SW1200. Most of them are industrial, restricted to plant use, but a lot of the short lines have a single SW mixed in with the GP and SD. (Ontario listings only) Re: Suggestions for Locomotives? - Brakie - 01-15-2018 BR60103 Wrote:Another look through the Trackside Guide shows a lot of SW1500 and some SW1200. Most of them are industrial, restricted to plant use, but a lot of the short lines have a single SW mixed in with the GP and SD. (Ontario listings only) Then you have urban industrial switching roads that uses end cab switchers from EMD and yes, some Alco end cab switchers. By far various types of Geeps is favored by short lines while some regionals favors GP38s/38-2s/40 and 40-2s with 6 axle SD units. Some terminal switching roads uses EMD end cab switchers, Geeps and SD units. Re: Suggestions for Locomotives? - Mike Kieran - 01-15-2018 I love end cab switchers because I like to run at slow speeds and you don't need large radius curves to operate them (18 inch radii suffice). Amanda, I forgot to mention, the GP30 is an EMD 567 prime mover while the GP40 is a 645 prime mover. While both engines have different parts inventories, it's not at all uncommon to have rosters with such variations. Sometimes railroads didn't even have rosters from the same builders. The New York Dock Railway had GE, ALCO, and EMD locomotives. Railroads would often buy locomotives based on what was available for the right price (though they weren't always a good fit). The New York Dock bought a pair of RS-3s that constantly derailed because they ran on curves that were too sharp. The same thing happened when the Stocton Terminal & Eastern ran NW2s which couldn't handle the sharp curvrs that the ALCO switchers could. Re: Suggestions for Locomotives? - cn nutbar - 01-15-2018 Exohead---maybe a few pictures may help you to choose a locomotive---or maybe not a Proto 2000 GM SW800 or maybe an Athearn GM SW1200 Proto 2000 also has a SW1200 How about an Alco---here's an Atlas S4 If you don't want a switcher why not consider a GP9 Hope this helps Re: Suggestions for Locomotives? - Amalynn - 01-16-2018 If anything, I think you made it harder, nutbar lol Re: Suggestions for Locomotives? - Brakie - 01-16-2018 exohead Wrote:If anything, I think you made it harder, nutbar lol I believe you have a good start with your GP30 and GP40..I would be tempted to add another GP30 for the stone train.. Here's the truth. :o <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnEprIUC0TQ">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnEprIUC0TQ</a><!-- m --> a brace of GP30s still looks great. As far as your SW1500 I would give her a good cleaning and remove the metal contact strip and solder wire for the pick up from the trucks. Re: Suggestions for Locomotives? - Amalynn - 01-18-2018 Brakie Wrote:exohead Wrote:If anything, I think you made it harder, nutbar lol I don't actually at present have most anything that's been listed here. I unfortunately sold a large number of my models when I got out of the hobby years ago, so I will be getting new models. I do think that a pair of GPs on their own would probably cover like 90% of my motive power needs, since the quarry would be switched by locos from the NS. Re: Suggestions for Locomotives? - Amalynn - 01-18-2018 I am in the process of un-burying the box that has what's left of my models in it from my storage unit. I am not even sure what I still have in it. Re: Suggestions for Locomotives? - MountainMan - 01-18-2018 The correct answer in every single instance is the cheapest unit to operate that will handle the existing traffic on the existing line, to include grades. In many cases, a switcher is more than adequate. Re: Suggestions for Locomotives? - Amalynn - 01-18-2018 Erm, to exclude the two old locos I have on display, I misread SW1500 as SW1200 because of nutbar lol Re: Suggestions for Locomotives? - Amalynn - 01-18-2018 MountainMan Wrote:The correct answer in every single instance is the cheapest unit to operate that will handle the existing traffic on the existing line, to include grades. That makes perfect sense. To be honest the main reason I am looking at Geeps is because I like them and they were my first "big kid" models after my first train set, and I know I can generate the traffic and a good enough story to warrant them. |