What Era, Railroads, & Locomotives are you set on?

[Green_Elite_Cab]

I think so, there may actually be two of them if i'm not mixing some things up. I was under the Impression that UP itself was working on another Big Boy. I have a DVD somewhere that was on the Challenger that UP maintains and operates, and while they were touring the restoration area, you could not only see a Big Boy back there, but i think the guy being interviewed mentioned they were working on it as well. I'm not sure of the age of footage of the DVD, and it may be the same one. I'll have to dig it up.

[riverman]

ALL of 'em, Arghhhhh...

[doctorwayne]

Hi riverman, and to Big Blue.

ALL of 'em, Arghhhhh...

That sounds pretty ambitious: how about a few photos?

Wayne

[Charlie B]

Any of them would have to have a retubing, obviously their 15 year time is up.
A few years ago some studio was going to make a movie about a challenge to a guy to
get a steam locomotive running, and the object of the story was to be a Big Boy. It is a shame but the deal fell through.
Charlie

[Sumpter250]

Any of them would have to have a retubing, obviously their 15 year time is up.
A few years ago some studio was going to make a movie about a challenge to a guy to
get a steam locomotive running, and the object of the story was to be a Big Boy. It is a shame but the deal fell through.
Charlie

I believe the locomotive that was chosen for restoration for the movie was the one on display in Dallas. It, and all the others I've seen, so far, have their piston rods "removed" between the crosshead guide, and the rear wall of the cylinder.
The rebuild was determine to be too expensive, and the rumor was, that the UP balked at the idea of having one running again. I suspect it is/was, a company image thing, as they were the only road to have and use that wheel arrangement.......almost a "Company logo" thing. Remember that the UP was once considering charging model manufacturers a fee for using their logo on model trains.

[Sumpter250]

That sounds pretty ambitious: how about a few photos? Wayne

Wayne,
I've seen the one that was in Bellows Falls, Vt. (Steamtown), the one in St.Louis, and the one in Dallas. I didn't take pictures, because I have never really been "taken" by the size, and wheel arrangement of the Big Boy. The Challenger ??
Now that's a different story. I see the 4-6-6-4 as a much more attractive wheel arrangement. My true personal favorite "big steam locomotive", is still the C&O H-8 Allegheny 2-6-6-6. Although, there is something about the "Yellowstones".
The freights that the Big Boys hauled up the mountains, were handed of to the Challengers for the long, "level" haul.

UP 3985 northbound on the C&NW "new line", with an excursion train, just south of Illinois route 176, in Lake Bluff.
   

[doctorwayne]

Actually, Pete, my post was in response to riverman, whose comment

ALL of 'em, Arghhhhh...

I took to be in answer the the question posed by the thread title: " What Era, Railroads, & Locomotives are you set on?"



I agree with you somewhat about Big Boy's appeal, as there are lots of "big" locos worthy of note. U.P.' s Challengers are better looking, in my opinion, as were many Northerns. The best looking Berks were, in my estimation, the 1900s of the Mopac and they re-built them into equally handsome Northerns. I've seen the Big Boy at Steamtown, and, while it is impressive even as a static display, the Reading's T-1 on the other side of the parking lot loomed larger to my eye. I wouldn't call the latter especially good-looking, though, but she started life as a Consolidation and we've all seen plastic surgery that didn't quite come out right. Performance-wise, though, the Reading nailed it.

For good-looking locos, my favourites by far are NYC's Hudsons: J-1, original J-2, and J-3. I can see something attractive in almost any steam loco, though.

[riverman]

Hi doc Wayne, I am in fact in the process of sliming down my choices (ebay). My American modelling focuses on the Florida East coast. At present I do not have an American layout, the last few years have been used to build a contempory British layout. I am now looking at building a switching layout for my FEC and CSX equipment. As stated in first post I have over the years collected a ridiculous variety of time and place relevent equipment. To make use of all of it I would have needed the following layouts:
Scottish 1960s
South West England 1960s
South West England 1980s
Southern England 2011
South African 1980s
Florida 1950s
Florida 1990s
Yep seven layouts, unfortunately I don't own a barn! I am now concentrating on Southern England 2011 and Florida 1990s. However I am not selling my 1950s Florida equipment, it is far too nice. Red and yellow FEC, Citrus coloured SAL and Purple and Silver ACL. I don't have room to run ten coaches and two E units, but one day I WILL!!!
All I need is for the blokes at the lottery to get the six numbers right. How difficult can this be? <!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.the-gauge.net/forum/posting.php?mode=reply&f=3&t=3317#">posting.php?mode=reply&f=3&t=3317#</a><!-- l -->
Y'all have nice day now.

[doctorwayne]

......As stated in first post I have over the years collected a ridiculous variety of time and place relevent equipment. To make use of all of it I would have needed the following layouts:
Scottish 1960s
South West England 1960s
South West England 1980s
Southern England 2011
South African 1980s
Florida 1950s
Florida 1990s
Yep seven layouts, unfortunately I don't own a barn! I am now concentrating on Southern England 2011 and Florida 1990s. However I am not selling my 1950s Florida equipment, it is far too nice. Red and yellow FEC, Citrus coloured SAL and Purple and Silver ACL. I don't have room to run ten coaches and two E units, but one day I WILL!!!

Actually, you could probably combine your first two choices (and possibly the third) and also combine the last two. This would depend on the particular locale(s) you wish to model, of course, but if you could change out key structures to suit the various eras, along with vehicles, you might be able to enjoy more than one of your favourites within a limited space.

I had originally planned to model transition era and the mid-'70s, although I had more locos for the latter at that time. To shift the time frame, passenger stations would have been replaced with duplicates painted in MoW boxcar red, with most of the windows boarded-over, or eliminated completely, with only their foundations remaining. The footings for water towers would be evidence of an earlier era, and duplicates of many structures could be built, either as modernised versions of the original or as completely different structures but with footprints matching those of the earlier ones.
Bachmann's release of their ground-breaking 2-8-0 helped to put an end to that plan, as did Accurail's wide selection of steam-era rolling stock, and my layout's now firmly rooted in the late-'30s (with occasional forays into the '40s and '50s when a particular piece of rolling stock takes my fancy). I'm occasionally tempted by Stewart F-units and Century-series diesels, but the thought of having to acquire rolling stock to go with it quickly dampens that enthusiasm. I almost look forward to being forced to downsize what I have, although I'd be hard-pressed to make some of the decisions which that would entail.

Wayne

[Sumpter250]

The Sagaponack Montauk and Cindys Harbor RR, being a wholly owned subsidiary of the Sag Harbor Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, and also a modern - "working" - Museum and Railroad, in the U.S. Northeast, can get away with operating just about anything that rides on 4' 8-1/2" gauge.
It's a " I don't paint Rembrandt's, I paint originals " thing.
Then, there's the modules, where anything goes... C&O, B&O, D&H, Clinchfield, Long Island, SP&S, WP, N&W, -- steam and diesel, mostly freight.

Quote doctorwayne: " For good-looking locos, my favourites by far are NYC's Hudsons: J-1, original J-2, and J-3. I can see something attractive in almost any steam loco, though. "

I have to agree on the "Hudsons", and almost any steam loco. Personally, it's the articulated locos that I like best. ( right up to, but not including the 4-8-8-4 ) ... someday I'll figure out why I can't seem to find that one "attractive".

[nkp_174]

I have to agree on the "Hudsons", and almost any steam loco. Personally, it's the articulated locos that I like best. ( right up to, but not including the 4-8-8-4 ) ... someday I'll figure out why I can't seem to find that one "attractive".[/quote]

I've never understood it, but I'm no fan of either the SP's 4-8-8-2 cab forwards or the UPs articulateds. Yet, I love all other SP and CP locomotives (especially those AC-9s...Lima built 2-8-8-4s). Similarly, I enjoy most of the pre-Super Power UP steam while with most roads, the Super Power is my favorite part of the roster.

Riverman, your selection of locals is good...but my personal bias would be towards the earlier times you've listed. BR steam in the '60s beat any 1960's US diesels...although I'm partially towards Pre-Nationalization and especially Pre-Grouping British railroading (ah...the LBSC)!

Michael

[MountainMan]

Any of them would have to have a retubing, obviously their 15 year time is up.
A few years ago some studio was going to make a movie about a challenge to a guy to
get a steam locomotive running, and the object of the story was to be a Big Boy. It is a shame but the deal fell through.
Charlie

I believe the locomotive that was chosen for restoration for the movie was the one on display in Dallas. It, and all the others I've seen, so far, have their piston rods "removed" between the crosshead guide, and the rear wall of the cylinder.
The rebuild was determine to be too expensive, and the rumor was, that the UP balked at the idea of having one running again. I suspect it is/was, a company image thing, as they were the only road to have and use that wheel arrangement.......almost a "Company logo" thing. Remember that the UP was once considering charging model manufacturers a fee for using their logo on model trains.

UP's current pride and joy isn't that large - it's a 4-8-4.

[Sumpter250]

UP's current pride and joy isn't that large - it's a 4-8-4.

PANIC please... say not that 3985, the "challenger" 4-6-6-4, is no longer running !

[Justinmiller171]

PANIC please... say not that 3985, the "challenger" 4-6-6-4, is no longer running !

Nope, It still runs :http://www.up.com/aboutup/special_trains...3985.shtml

[steinjr]

PANIC please... say not that 3985, the "challenger" 4-6-6-4, is no longer running !

Nope, It still runs :http://www.up.com/aboutup/special_trains...3985.shtml

Or to be more precise : it does not currently run, since it is down for a larger periodic maintenance, but it is expected to return to running again eventually.

Smile,
Stein