Suggestions for Locomotives?

[Amalynn]

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?

If I may pass on some of my thoughts? I been modeling short lines and switching roads since the 60s and have studied and visited those I could and when I plan a new short line or switching road I based my locomotive needs on the expected tonnage and grades-if any.
As a example my Slate Creek Rail handles 960 cars a year or around four cars a day 5 days a week. A EMD SW8 does the job and parts are readily available. A SW7 is a backup locomotive.

Summerset Ry handles 1600 cars a year which is around 33 cars per week or 6-7 cars per day. A SW1500 handles the work while a Alco S-4 is the back up locomotive. The S-4 was Summersets first locomotive and remains in excellent mechanical condition .

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.

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.

A railroad also has to decide on price and availability. In some cases, a road switcher was cheaper than the end cab switcher.

As far as gravel trains, yes the connecting railroad would often supply the locomotive for the gravel shuttle, but there are also short lines would use their own power to bring some gravel hoppers to the interchange OR, BETTER YET, transfer them to a barge (I.e. whatever short line is running the old Maine Central Rockland Branch).

The bottom line is, there are no rules. it's your railroad and you make up the rules. As a freelancer, I think the idea is to have an explanation as to WHY the railroad does why it does to give it plausibility. The beauty of this is that there is often a multitude of reasons why it was done all being of different methods.

Now, as a modeler, coming up with the cash and building the layout from scratch is another story. I always recommend an expandable switching layout, domino or TOMA style, and Bachmann 70 tonners for expense (not putting in too much of an investment to end up with a pile of wood, track, and partial scenery). George Sellios' layout started out as a 4x8 layout.

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.