I know there are "N" and "HO" that model pre 1900 and/or early 1900s. Are there any modelers that do these eras only? Thinking of building a small 1880s layout in garage.
Original Post
Replies sorted oldest to newest
When you start your lay out please remember us for your decal requirements, CUSTOM or STOCK decals. OK?
Dave, LBR
Originally Posted by josef:
I know there are "N" and "HO" that model pre 1900 and/or early 1900s. Are there any modelers that do these eras only? Thinking of building a small 1880s layout in garage.
There is an early US railroad modelling group on Yahoo forums and I'm sure you will get a lot of inspiration from this gent's HO layout:
I have an AHM Casey Jones and Genoa 4-4-0 stashed for a future project (including new motors), but haven't considered it in 3-rail. Best of luck.
The bulk of my locos and rolling stock focus on the later 1940s and early 1950s, but I have a subset of 19th century/turn of the century locos and i sometimes set up only 19th/early 20th century trains (and ignore the fact they are running past mid-20th century buildings)
The train below is my oldest - 1880ish, and headed up by the lovely MTH PS3 Premier 2-8-0. The photo shows four cars: they are bashed/repainted Lionel Lincoln funeral car add-on cars, modified to normal passenger service. I actually have two more not in the photo, and a number of 19th-century size/style freight and flats, etc.
I also have the MTH PS3 Premier 4-4-0 "999" (1893) and two locos that are bashed LC+ steamers made into scale models of early UP Prairies (1897 - 1903).
I would love to find a few more scale steamers from this period, along with passenger cars to make 999 into the empire State Express, but so far no luck.
Attachments
Images (1)
Not exclusively but I do dabble. If I was to start from scratch today I might do a Civil War era layout.......save me money any way!!!
I have one loco.......looking to build a CNW Pioneer if I can find enough info.
Built a number of cars from plans. Truck are the limiting factor....I just use Archbar and hope no one notices.
Attachments
Images (1)
Don't know if you've seen this modeler's work. 1860's Civil War era, not 1880's, but inspirational...
Keep in mind Dave Snyder at S.M.R. Trains. He imports magnificent models of trains, all of which are pre-1900. The trains are small, of course, but they're like fine jewelry or watches. Lot's of detail and very accurate.
Paul Fischer
Originally Posted by fisch330:
Keep in mind Dave Snyder at S.M.R. Trains. He imports magnificent models of trains, all of which are pre-1900. The trains are small, of course, but they're like fine jewelry or watches. Lot's of detail and very accurate.
Paul Fischer
The loco above was announced as a SMR item......but for some reason I am not privy to it was sold by a FLA company as a close out. Dave/SMR makes FANTASTIC models that are museum quality. But as I only model this as a side to my 1950's era layout.....can't justify the cost for what will be shelf models 99.999% of the time. $50 for a pair of trucks, as nice as they are, is more than I have spent scratch building 5 1890 era hoppers!
S.M.R locos are works of art, and they are small, but scale: they were small locos back then.
So far, the combination of price (they aren't cheap), time period - they are about a decade or two before the period I really want, and what I expect is some delicacy in their assembly and detail, has kept me from buying, but I expect in time I'll go there.
Originally Posted by Lee Willis:
S.M.R locos are works of art, and they are small, but scale: they were small locos back then.
So far, the combination of price (they aren't cheap), time period - they are about a decade or two before the period I really want, and what I expect is some delicacy in their assembly and detail, has kept me from buying, but I expect in time I'll go there.
Agreed they do nice work. I'd like to know the story of my loco.....why SMR advertised it then cancelled it and then it came on the market elsewhere. The one I have runs nice and is beautiful but as you say VERY delicate!!!
I see SMR is making a B&O Grasshopper loco if anyone wants to go REAL early!!!!
And it's being made in the USA!!!
For a neat early RR layout-do the oil fields in NW Pa. Wooden buildings, oil derricks, and rail cars that were very basic. Flat cars, with sides a gondola and the early tank cars were wooden barrels on flat cars and some basic box cars. Most of the hill sides were cleared of timber so very little tree making. I have my Lionel 1872 General with the three passenger cars and have thought of adding to that set. Scratch building the cars would be pretty easy but you would have to buy the trucks or make them too. The early trucks were pretty basic, also. Mostly wood. Lots of pictures of these are available. Early East Broad Top RR would b cool with coal, iron, clay and timber.
