GEC's Layout Progress

[Green_Elite_Cab]

It's a good feeling to see someone so focused and attentive to modeling a particular region & time period(s). Nothing against a bit of everything, but your passion for these particular trains comes through in your modeling.

Nice work on the Conrail unit, and happy birthday.

Galen

thanks!

Yeah, i recently decided I'm going to try and stick to the time from 1976-1981, (so i can get my Conrail electrics running), though i might zero in closer to 1979 since that was the year Conrail retired its GG1s, and i also have a book that covers ALL Amtrak trains from 1978-1979 (what locomotives, what consists on what days on specific trains).

I'll probably still do some modern trains (I still after all love to cover the trains i grew up with), but I'm going to try an focus on this earlier time period. I'm banking on Arrow II MUs being available soon from IHP. The Arrow IIs ran ALL over the place, from New York to Harrisburg, Philly, and Delaware, all with their NJ DOT logos, which would allow them to match my modeling time period, but they are a long way off.

In fact, it seems the hardest part about this time period is finding the commuter stuff. My U34CHs wouldn't run on the corridor, and other than one IHC GG1, those were my only NJ DOT engines. While i think i could build a GP7-P (had little boxes on the ends for HEP, i think), the much more common GP40Ps will be tough. The Arrow IIs are not yet available, and the Arrow IIIs will not be run again until much later (not to mention these kits are expensive).

There are also so many passenger cars used in this period that its hard to keep track. half of them were former Great Northern cars, others were odd-balls from the Southern, CNJ and other local commuter lines that folded into conrail. It was a colorful time period in the New Jersey to say the least. Hopefully i can find more books on the subject.

I have been otherwise lucky, building a good rectifier fleet and i have most Amtrak Electrics and Metroliner MUs that would run during that time period, so i suppose this is the last bit left to find.