Anyone Model in Extinct/Defunct or Obscure Lines?

I model DL&W, L&NE, MA&PA.

@DylTrains posted:

So I wanted to ask if anyone in O scale models lines or railways that have long since ceased to exist or operate? I know a lot of folks model with the big current/past names (or their mainlines) of like PRR, Canadian National, Milwaukee Road, or Union Pacific, but I mean the small guys or extensions long lost to history or amalgamation.

I don't imagine the list is too long as the vast majority of these road names wouldn't be produced by anyone (and might have had to have been custom paint/decal jobs), but wanted to see if anyone has gone this route, or had/planning a train detailed in a scheme that hasn't graced the rails in (mostly) living memory?

Random examples I can think off the top of my head would be the colossal bridges of the Overseas Railroad (extension of FEC), the winding rails of the Prince Edward Island Railway, or even the Pontchartrain Railroad with the early days of New Orleans.

Actually the list of "gone" railroads is quite extensive. I think I read somewhere that just the BNSF has its roots in over 350 railroads. This website pretty well documents the history of the BNSF: http://laurent.aublette.free.fr/en/intro_en.html. But you are right that most manufacturers don't model these "gone" railroads.

NYO&W and L&NE have trackage rights on my RR.......if fact, in my world, the New York Central and New Haven never died!

How do I explain all my Conrail and PennCentral.....I guess I can’t .......

Peter

Most lines modeled are defunct. Here is my fictional Central Niagara ,  a division of the Canadian National .  JohnA

Along with Peter’s ideas, ( I share the same philosophy) the Lehigh & Hudson River R.R. runs along side my little slice of the NYC ....and actually jumps over the NYC towards Poughkeepsie......meh....if it ain’t 100% accurate trackage, ....so be it...I got intrigued with the L&HR, so that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it....here’s L&HR’s R1 #12 pausing for moment on trackage rights just north of Harmon ( Croton NY)

Pat

I could never decide on a name for my railroad and struggle with decaling locos and rolling stock until I stumbled across the April 1977 issue of Model Railroader Magazine with the article on the Undecorated RR by H.O. Frothmouth.  A paradox among railroads -- in that it is neglected not by kit manufacturers but by modelers -- is the Undecorated RR.  The article contains great examples of the prototype...steam, diesel, freight, passenger...plus easy to model.  A game changer for me!

Old Goat

@Old Goat posted:

I could never decide on a name for my railroad and struggle with decaling locos and rolling stock until I stumbled across the April 1977 issue of Model Railroader Magazine with the article on the Undecorated RR by H.O. Frothmouth.  A paradox among railroads -- in that it is neglected not by kit manufacturers but by modelers -- is the Undecorated RR. The article contains great examples of the prototype...steam, diesel, freight, passenger...plus easy to model.  A game changer for me!

Old Goat

The April issue - of course!

MR always slips a few of those into that issue.

I guess, I'm one of the few to purchase un-decorated models.   The first step to "Obscure".

"Ghost RR" @

I believe this one qualifies under obscure railroads. I have lived in Western New York most of my life and was not aware of this road until Lionel offered this RS11 a few years ago. One of its tracks even ends a few miles from me but I guess it would be extreme luck to see one of their trains since it only runs maybe once a week. They service a few industries in the area and haul their goods to the CSX and NS mainlines which are the Class 1 lines here.

Pete

We got our first computer around 04 or 05, and after I familiarized myself with rudimentary operation, I began searching for music sites, and then train related sites. I came across the TCA's  TTML site, and then the TCA_MG forum and OGR. I was very involved in the TCA_MG, which formed early in 06. I found it a few months after its inception, and talk quickly turned to offering a club car for sale. A committee was formed, and group discussions led to the first car, a DT&I ACF covered hopper. It was determined early on, that a "fallen flag would be the first in what became an annual project lasting for several years. Each club car was a fallen flag, and group participation was essential in each year's selection. Other cars included Rock Island, Boston and Albany, Cnetury Brewing featuring PH Schnieder beer, Reading RR, Birmingham Southern, Mikwaukee Road, and a Shell Oils tank car. Shell owned its own fleet, which was the largest in the nation. Extensive research was done to produce the most accurate cars possible, including road numbers and pertinent text. Club specific humor and the club logo were also incorporated into each year's offering. The cars were made by Weaver Models in Nothrumberland PA. For several years, members could pick up their cars at the Weaver booth at York, with member volunteers each taking a turn to help distribute the cars. Unfortunately, Weaver closed in 2014, and forced us to shelve our Nickel Plate Road double door box car. We were negotiating with Lionel to continue the series through it acquisition of the Weaver tooling, producing rolling stock from that tooling under the new Lionscale line produced in the USA. Unfortunately, the project derailed, and the club car program ended. I still look for other fallen flag stock, which makes up the bulk of my modest collection.

I call my model railroad the Little Boston & Maine Railroad with the locomotives, passenger cars, maintenance-of-way cars identified as B&M and the freight cars identified as any railroad or business that is located in New England.

Most, if not all, trolley modellers do.

Not intending to derail this thread, but wasn't it Walthers or Champ, who advertised Penn Central steam locomotive decals in one of their period catalogs?

Mine is quite obvious but every now and then the B&O and the Ma&Pa can be seen sharing trackage.

I have a dozen or so Rutland pieces, and, an Addison Branch (scratch built) that's pretty rough.  I grew up in Rutland county about 200' from the Addison county line.  I think the Rutland was Jay Gould's first RR purchase. 

Here is an entertaining article... Phineas P. Gage (1823–1860) was an American railroad construction foreman remembered for his improbable survival of an accident in which a large iron rod was driven completely through his head while working in Cavendish, Vermont for the Rutland/Burlington.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phineas_Gage#Accident

Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines (a joint venture from Philadelphia to the south Jersey shore)!  A fair amount of PRSL equipment is available from the O gauge manufacturers.  In the mid 1950's, all of the PRSL owned steam was gone, and some great old PRR K-4's, E6 Atlantics, and G-5's and the occasional Reading 4-6-2 would appear.  You can pretty much build the entire PRSL roster, with the correct road numbers, with "off the shelf" products.  I am hoping to have the Ocean City branch up and running in a couple of years.

I have a fictional theme and name of my temporary now , but future permanent layout called  the “ Eastern Kentucky & Ohio R.R.”.

It is based off of  the “ Eastern Kentucky Railway” and the “ Scioto Valley Railway “  .

The EK fell to the depression and the SV was bought by the N&W .

Maryland Midland Railway. The little railroad operates on part of the former Western Maryland West Sub. They also oporate a line of former PRR Frederick Secondary. They are now owned by G&W but I mostly have the pre-G&W locomotives and cars. Based in Union Bridge Maryland, their largest commodity (nearly 90 percent) is Lehigh Cement. They interchange with CSX at Highfield Maryland. Literally sitting on the Pennsylvania/Maryland border.

At Highfield dropping off cars.

The new Corporate orange colors.

Climbing the 2% grade through the Catoctin mountains.

My MTH models.

The Midwest Mainline represents the heart of the country.  Hence the broken heart symbol.  Why broken?  The slogan is "The Creve Coeur Route "  Creve Coeur is is a local site where the legend of an Osage Princess threw herself from a cliff because her warrior Prince did not return.  The double "entende" is the sadness of the railroad glory days have gone.

Of the original 114 miles of track the only remaining track for this railroad is a short span between Quanah and Acme, TX.   

Atlas models actually produced QA&P lease cars (with the GARX reporting marks) in HO gauge, and K4 Decals prints locomotive and boxcar decals for QA&P in O gauge.  About 10% of what I repaint and letter is based on real cars or locomotives like the GP7 above.  The remaining 90% is "proto-lance" cars like the tank car and cushion cars pictured here.  In those instances I design and print my own decals.

To echo what several people have already posted, "my favorite railroad never died".  We get great enjoyment recreating the roads from the days of our youth.

My railroad is the Lionel Lines Railway Co. This explains the "Lionel Lines" on some of the tenders and rolling stock, but much of the equipment is leased from other railroads. Several of those railroads went defunct, but the equipment never left.

Hello Ahitpy. In the elevated portion of your photo with the GM&O boxcar there is a flat black metal looking crosspiece for support. Is that a shelving bracket? Info?

I also liked the coeur route insignia for Midwestern mainline.

thanks.

We have a relatively (4-5 years) new RR here that runs west of Asheville NC to several small towns served by a paper mill in Canton NC called the Blue Ridge Southern. I was fortunate to meet one of their engineers back then who gave me a couple of their new decals, one of which I affixed to one of Doug's excellent RR boxes. I don't have any models of the locomotives yet but may try to create one someday. They have mostly old GP 38s.

I guess the most 'obscure' RR I have in my roster would be the GM&O which hardly was obscure in its day!  Until recently there have been very few models of their beautiful diesels available and when I acquired this Atlas F3, the only ones I had seen previously were custom paints. Back in the early 90's when I had my shop, I bought a pair of Lionel 2343s that had been custom painted by Richard Sherry that were quite striking. Now I believe that 3Rd Rail has produced some PA's and E7 perhaps?  Williams some years ago had some PA's too.

c.sam,

I stumbled over the BRS several years ago traveling between Charlotte and Gatlinburg. I'll have to dig out the pictures. I think I remember seeing a rebuilt SD45.

Chris

LVHR

Yes. Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe, and Chicago and NorthWestern. Until last year (thanks to an SD70ACe addiction), I was the self-appointed Information Minister of the Isle of Denial.

@Stinky1 posted:

Maryland Midland Railway. The little railroad operates on part of the former Western Maryland West Sub. They also oporate a line of former PRR Frederick Secondary. They are now owned by G&W but I mostly have the pre-G&W locomotives and cars. Based in Union Bridge Maryland, their largest commodity (nearly 90 percent) is Lehigh Cement. They interchange with CSX at Highfield Maryland. Literally sitting on the Pennsylvania/Maryland border.

The new Corporate orange colors.

My MTH models.

So They have been  assimilated by "the Borg!"

I model 8 different railroads.  The name of my railroad is The Free State Junction Railway which is a conduit route for the 4 major and 4 short line railroad of post WW2 Maryland.  Those roads being: The B&O, Western Maryland, Pennsy, Norfolk & Western, Maryland & Pennsylvania, Baltimore & Annapolis, Patapsco and Back Rivers, and Canton.  Only the Canton is still in existence today.

Pennsy MU cars.

Noses of Major 4 carriers ... Pennsy, B&O, Western Maryland, Norfolk & Western

B&O SW9

Bollman Truss Bridge exclusive to the B&O.  First patented by Wendall Bollman and is the first railroad iron truss bridge in US.  Only one still survives and it's located 2 blocks from my house!

WM BL-2 .  The WM owed two of these unusual  but cool looking locomotives.  

The famous N&W class J number 611.

B&O F3

Baltimore and Annapolis SW9

Ma & Pa SW 1

P&BR Baldwin VO1000.

WM Consolidation

Pennsy A5 and P5A modified.

@Mallard4468 posted:

The April issue - of course!

MR always slips a few of those into that issue.

SP diesels got so much soot and grime coming through Donner tunnels and snowsheds they looked undercoated.

And the NKP 765 had a like experience  It is in Rick's book......!

https://ogrforum.com/...5#152336474727706115

The metal pieces are 8 foot pieces of L shaped steel from the hardware store.  I really wanted prototypical elevated but the cost was prohibitive for me.  So I scrounged around to find something close.  The piers underneath are cut from scrap 1x3 then painted.   I wanted to recreate the riverfront look from St. Louis....there is an iron elevated line from the arch to the northern bridges.

I typically collect and run the Older Southern lines. I do go to the Union Pacific as well. So many steamers that I have come from that line. Both O and One gauge.

But, the real chase for me is the old Clinchfield Rail Road line .

I'm actually waiting with optimistic enthusiasm for my MTH One Gauge Clinchfield Challenger to come in that's on order supposedly December delivery.

A lot of the feed back I'm reading here is showing our age a lot.

But it's fun reading it.

I guess my problem is I like all the train lines. Old , new it's all good.

Larry

Our railroad, the Great Northeastern Railway, is a fictitious railroad that, in addition to lately acquiring its own motive power and rolling stock, also leases trackage rights to the now "fallen flags" Pennsylvania Railroad, Baltimore and Ohio, New York Central, Norfolk & Western, Central Railroad of New Jersey and the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines.

I model Central Railroad of New Jersey  (Jersey Central Lines) with some Pennsylvania Reading Seashore Lines thrown in.

@c.sam posted:

I guess the most 'obscure' RR I have in my roster would be the GM&O which hardly was obscure in its day!  Until recently there have been very few models of their beautiful diesels available and when I acquired this Atlas F3, the only ones I had seen previously were custom paints. Back in the early 90's when I had my shop, I bought a pair of Lionel 2343s that had been custom painted by Richard Sherry that were quite striking. Now I believe that 3Rd Rail has produced some PA's and E7 perhaps?  Williams some years ago had some PA's too.

Years ago Trains Magazine featured an article about GM&O engineers and their train handling expertise.  It was a great read and would make the reader an instant GM&O fan.

Seaboard Air Line and Atlantic Coast Line are my main RRs:

Wouldn't mind having a model of this Virginia Electric & Power Company engine:

In response to c.sam's post about the Blue Ridge Southern, here are a few pictures I took in the summer of 2017. I don't remember the location, other than western North Carolina. Pictured are a GP39-2 and a SD45 rebuilt and de-rated to 3000hp, making it an SD40-3. The hopper car is interesting, as it displays it's Lehigh Valley Railroad heritage.

Chris

LVHR