Justinmiller171 Wrote:This is probably a stupid question :oops:, but how do I find out what I want to model?

Not a stupid question at all - but hard to answer, because we all decide in different ways what we want to do.

But if you forgive me for playing an unlicensed amateur psychologist, it sounds to me from your discussion of pros and cons above that what you want to do is not the shortline, but to run class 1 engines and the cars you like. If what you most want to do is to run the cars you like, then you probably should do a freelanced design that allows you to do that, instead of feeling that you "should" do a strictly prototype design and operations.

Well, back to looking for the caulking gun for me - where the heck have I put it?

Smile,
Stein

Stein has a excellent point and I will take it to the next step.

When I originally designed Slate Creek Industrial lead I designed it for C&HV,N&W, NS and CSX on a rotating operation plan but,there was another road in the shadows I been wanting to model for years-Southern Ry and I decided to add Southern to my 78-80 opration and decided that will be my primary road for that era with a C&HV and N&W operation when the mood hits..I am happy with this rotation plan since it gives me the roads I like-the Southern, N&W,NS and CSX with my C&HV has the odd man out.I can move into the 80s and use Southern,N&W and NS power as early post merger power.

Another idea I been toying with is back dating C&HV to 65/66 and have a 60 era operation ..However,that remains to be seen since I have 2 Santa Fe engines to cover that era and I will decide if I really want to go this route after Slate Creek is built.

The route that I would also consider is would it be feasible for a railroad to station an engine there for an eight hour shift? Is there enough traffic to warrant assign an engine for the industrial track. This is why I'm using a shortline for my layout. To me, a two man crew with an old, but functioning, switcher permanently stationed at the industry spur.

Remember, railroading is a business. If the operation doesn't make money, it doesn't last long.

I also like to have alot of in and out traffic. Instead of a distributor, I like a warehouse because traffic flows out as well as in at different variable rates. I like maufacturing companies for the same reason.

Justinmiller171 Wrote:Okay, that makes sense

This is probably a stupid question :oops:, but how do I find out what I want to model?

1.)What do you think about when you think of railroads? What fills you with excitement to see? What exactly appeals to you? This is the first step.

For example I grew up with the Northeast Corridor, and though I model a time period before my time, the pace is very much the same.

2.)Look it up! You don't need to do scholarly research or read endless texts. Go on Youtube, look for pictures in books and magazines of the subject. Buy DVDs by Herron Rail, or Green Frog, or whoever makes media on your interests. It will help you narrow your interests to something Particularly Interesting about your interests

For example, I picked up the DVD "Pennsy's Racetrack: 1940-1980", which actually spanned from the 1920s to the late early 80s, giving me views of trains in a time long gone. I'd never seen Metroliner MUs moving at 160MPH, only photos of them. It showed views of less famous but equally exciting parts of PRR electrification.

The bottom line is, you probably won't come up with anything you're 100% satisified with immeadiately. It took me until just about a two or three years ago to finally decide on a time period that i could say with certainty. You'll pretty much only be able to determine this by building and playing with the trains, and reading about them. Follow your feelings on it, and the research it until you get what you want.

Justinmiller171 Wrote:So here are the two track-plans I am deciding between for the Rahway Valley Industrial Railroad(RVI)

1.
Pros:
It is an entire short-line
Lots of room for scenery
interesting operation
Cons:
Stuck with modeling a short-line
Doesn't use some of my favorite rolling stock


2.
Pros:
Uses all of my rolling stock
Includes some of my favorite industries
Able to model almost any railroad I want(Including a shortline)
Includes staging area
Cons:
Compressed
No interchange
Not as much room for scenery

Jason, maybe some of theses suggestions will help with your decision process.

Since the first one is a short line and you want a class 1 and you can't run your favorite equipment, that one might be eliminated.

Looking at the cons for the second one, Compressed-most of your modeling will require compression somewhere. The La Mesa Club layout at the San Diego Model Railroad Museum is HUGE. The operators aisle is 260 feet long, but they are trying to model Tehachapi, and had to compress everything to 1/3 of the scale space! Even with that compression, they had to invent some novel ways to make scenery and trackage accessible for maintenance. The San Diego Model Railroad Club in the same building is modeling Carriso Gorge. I don't know the details, but I'm sure that they compressed that layout as well to fit the space, and it is so big that the visitor's view of the Carriso Gorge and trestle is looking up at the trestle over head and there isn't room in the building to actually view the trestle from the very bottom of the gorge!

2. No interchange-Not a problem, your interchange is off the modeled portion of the layout. In effect your interchange is in the boxes, drawers, or where ever you store your trains when they are not on the layout. Even if you had an interchange on a plan, 99% or whatever class 1 you were modeling would be off of the modeled portion of the layout.

3. Lack of room for scenery-Not a big deal on a layout designed to be used in a small dorm room. You will graduate from college one day and embark on a career, get a house, and hopefully have room for the "dream layout." At that time, you can salvage parts of this layout, and build the new layout with space for scenery, interchange tracks, less compression, and whatever else you want. You can't fit a layout like Gary has built in Texas in a dorm room, so don't try. Just build what you have room for, and enjoy it until you are in a position to build something bigger.

Justin - the only way you will find what you want to model, is to pick a trackplan, put it together, and operate it for a week with boxes for mock-up buildings. If you aren't happy, take it apart and try another trackplan - if you are going to be in a dorm room - you will have VERY little room, and your room-mates are unlikely to be particularly carefull with your layout if you leave it out - this is what I have just shown last weekend at the Inverness Exhibition - yes it is small, simple, and collapses into its own box - which could have a lockable catch and live under your bed, or in the wardrobe - 5 minutes to erect, 5 minutes to take down - the rollingstock doesn't fit inside, but if you made it a little bigger yours could, together with a light, and the controller, and wall-wart power supply. It was designed to show parents that a model railway doesn't HAVE to take up a lot of room in a small house, apartment or dorm-room, and attracted far more attention than I expected.


<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/44026-the-fiddlestick-switch-job/">http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index. ... witch-job/</a><!-- m -->

I believe these last few posts have brought up the crucial point of your seemingly endless search for the "perfect" railroad...
You don't really know what you want to do.

I'll offer my 2 bits....Pick anyone of the last 12 variations and build it....How to do this..?? Label them 1-12, get a pair of dice, throw them, and the number that comes up is the one you build...

If after operating it for some time you don't like it...You'll have moved from not knowing, to knowing what you DON'T like....
With that under your belt, make the modifications of what you don't like, to something closer to your expectations....

As the saying goes....Live and learn....

JUST DO IT...!!!

Justin,
I also forgot that you can run class 1 railroad engines on a shortline because they also leased engines from the big boys when the engine need maintenance or repair.

Mike Kieran Wrote:The route that I would also consider is would it be feasible for a railroad to station an engine there for an eight hour shift? Is there enough traffic to warrant assign an engine for the industrial track. This is why I'm using a shortline for my layout. To me, a two man crew with an old, but functioning, switcher permanently stationed at the industry spur.

If the answer to this question was yes, then it would solve all of my problems

I came to realise this: I like track plan number 1, but I don't like it's theme. I would really like to build plan 1 with a class 1 engine stationed there.

Perhaps a class 1 bought a short-line and continued to use the same ops plan, the switcher could run light from the yard and switch the spur as if it were isolated(Meaning the switcher would always arrive and leave running light)

I don't know if any of these would be plausible, I'm just throwing ideas out there :?

Nothing wrong with throwing out ideas. They're less inexpensive than building a layout that you end up not liking.

Justinmiller171 Wrote:I came to realise this: I like track plan number 1, but I don't like it's theme. I would really like to build plan 1 with a class 1 engine stationed there.

Perhaps a class 1 bought a short-line and continued to use the same ops plan, the switcher could run light from the yard and switch the spur as if it were isolated(Meaning the switcher would always arrive and leave running light)

I don't know if any of these would be plausible, I'm just throwing ideas out there :?

Justin;
No reason that your layout couldn't represent a short spur off a class I road, that still has an interchange connection with another road. In other words, a portion of a former main line that has been abandoned except for the section to the interchange and to serve the industries on it. The concept that a yard crew runs light to the spur once a day to work the interchange and industries could be feasible in that theme.

If that section of the line were busy enough, then it would also be feasible to have an engine and crew stationed there. But keep in mind, in either case there would be interchange traffic moving to and from the yard and not just for the industries on that spur.

It could also be operated as a separate company, using power from the former class I owner. When the Illinois Central sold off all it's unwanted lines, IC GP-8's/10's usually went with the sale of the line and in many cases, the power remained in IC paint for years. Power could also be leased from the class I, which is quite prototypical for some small operations. If the theme you have in mind is that all traffic comes on and goes off the layout at your interchange in Plan 1, then to me it would be a better fit to treat it as a separate company.

One suggestion regarding Plan 1. I would add the second track at Consolidated Container where the scrap paper is shipped out and where they unload the occasional tank car of caustic soda. Would add more operation to working that one industry.

[/quote] This is probably a stupid question :oops:, but how do I find out what I want to model?[/quote]


OK a little late to the game but this still applies <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://layoutvision.com/id51.html">http://layoutvision.com/id51.html</a><!-- m -->
ratled

Okay, I have settled with track-plan 1, I realised I could run it as a class 1 by staging the train on the interchange track.

I will be getting the track very soon, although I won't be able to actually lay track until I get the foam, since the hollow-core doors are to hard for tacs or track-nails to pierce.

Justin:

Use double sided tape to hold track to the hollowcore doors untill you find the trackplan you like.

Howard

This is probably a stupid question , but how do I find out what I want to model?[/quote]

Here's another way..I like NS and CSX so,at one time I decided Slate Creek could be a jointly own paper railroad and NS and CSX would rotate motive power on a "monthly" bases..