Freelance 2011

[faraway]

... If you model downtown Los Angeles in the area that used to be the "Patch" or Vernon, you can use mostly brick, sheet metal, and generally old style buildings well into the 1990's

Russ, thank you. That information is very helpful as it relaxes the time window I have to match. I can take all the 198x up into the very early 199x (that enables SP MP15AC with speed lettering!).That will also match the north yard with the modern harbor backdrop (container terminals etc.).

Jens, the layout is to small to run with different eras but Russ information makes it much easier. Most switching moves must use the other yard as a lead track hock:

Harry, thanks for the kind words

However, if I use the background paper building as base for my structures I can not model a specific building in a specific area. I can only model free lance with a more or less "typical" kind and mix of structures. At the moment I am mixing the older paper buildings in the background with the white shoe boxes in the foreground. That is not following a specific prototype but it looks sound for an area with older industry that is replaced lot by lot with newer buildings (like in the Vernon/LA area). It is also so flexible I can put Conrail GP15s on the layout and everything is in the North East for the next hours

I think it is a good idea to take the LA/Vernon area as a rough guide line for a freelance layout to ensure not to drift from freelance to fantasy. It is also a well documented area with lots of good information required to understand the operation taking place. That helps to build a layout that serves a purpose other than running a train on a loop.