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I know a lot of people in the hobby who are operators tend to gravitate towards one railroad or maybe a few different railroads that are near each other.  It seems from many of the layouts people have that most people like to model their layout around a geographical area and tend to run trains related to that area.  I know there are some outliers and not everyone in the hobby collects this way (and I use collect as a term for the collection of trains they have to operate on their layout rather than in the collector versus operator way).

 

I myself am focusing my layout on the Boston & Maine, New Haven, New York Central, Southern, Norfolk & Western, and Louisville & Nashville. I know that is quite a few and they span the Eastern US.  I grew up in New England, went to college in Virginia, and now live in Tennessee.  So I like the idea of modeling part of my layout on the Southeast (Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, the Carolinas) and part on the Northeast.  Plus I like many of the color schemes and designs used by these railroads.

 

My question, though, is if any of you ever run random locomotives on your layout?  Say for instance you model the Pennsylvania RR (a popular one it seems), but maybe you run a Union Pacific Big Boy on occasion.  This is really just for conversation as I am curious as to what others do.  I myself have thought a lot about this and decided that I will sometimes run other railroads just because it is fun and you can get some unique locomotives that other railroads don’t have.  For instance, I really want to get a Southern Pacific Cab Forward at some point just because I think it is a great looking unique locomotive.  The Southern Pacific doesn’t fit with my RR theme, but the Cab Forward is unique to that RR.  So anyways just curious as to whether others do this sometimes and if so what unique locomotives do you have that don’t match the main railroads you model?

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NOPE. I model a real-life, landlocked, 3-footer RR. Having anything from another railroad simply wouldn't make any sense at all. The RR I model did have a 'subsidiary' as such, another RR name showed up on some freight cars but all the locomotives were lettered for the one RR name long before my layout's timeframe.

There are times when I think people modeling standard gauge have it made over narrow gauge folks, in that they can have other RR's rolling stock, especially freight cars.

But simply put, I didn't decide I wanted a layout, then looked for a concept. The concept I now have really was the only thing I ever wanted a layout for at all.

I run a Chessie System theme so I'm inclined to buy rolling stock that was a common sight in the '70s and '80s. I have a lot of 70 ton open hoppers, PS-2 covered hoppers and cylindrical hoppers to name a few. Of course I have cabooses, too, like bay windows, I-12s, extended visions and Northeast cabooses.

 

But, I like some of the contemporary items like the Atlas O 25,500 gallon tank cars and the Trinity 5161 covered hoppers that wouldn't fit into a Chessie System layout. So, I have a "mistress" railroad...CP Rail System/Soo Line where I can run these types of newer rolling stock on occasion and they would look period correct.

I have locomotives in NYC, PARR, Strasburg, Santa Fe, C&NW, Reading and Chessie, which I run separate and in tandem in mixed steam and diesel. I have rolling stock from many different roads which I mix as well. Unfortunately, my only layout is a Christmas Carpet Central. I have a suspended layout around the ceiling of a covered patio attached to my workshop, but haven't had any trains running on it for quite some time.

I have no allegience to any one road, or era. I like them all, and run them all. 

Don

Not I. I live in Maryland and the Western Maryland is my favorite railroad, so that is what I model (steam-era). I have a couple of B&O steam locomotives, since that was a nearby railroad and in some instances their mainlines ran parallel or in close proximity to each other. Big Boy's, N&W J's, and other great engines will never be on my layout. 

Originally Posted by rshawyer36:

Not I. I live in Maryland and the Western Maryland is my favorite railroad, so that is what I model (steam-era). I have a couple of B&O steam locomotives, since that was a nearby railroad and in some instances their mainlines ran parallel or in close proximity to each other. Big Boy's, N&W J's, and other great engines will never be on my layout. 

You could run some Reading CO as well and it would fit right in!

Up until last year all my motive power was Seaboard Air Line.

 

Now I have an ACL Pacific and a N&W 611 J.  I'm in the process of painting/lettering a PRR 2-8-0 for Norfolk & Portsmouth Belt Line.  MTH makes one that matches the prototype plus a caboose.

 

If I can get these 2 pieces done I may change may layout from a SAL-based layout to a NPBL layout serving the eight RRs that NPBL originally served.  Maybe an engine form each RR and some more rolling stock.  I'd also need to build a wharf/pier or even redo the entire layout to represent more closely the track plan of NPBL.

I model a fictitious railroad, so I will reletter all its, generally shortline, power for it.

However, it connects with the Joint Line, so a couple of large D&RGW helpers will sit

on sidings at the junction.  Both can be presumed too large to handle the curves and

bridges on the short line, however, smaller steam power from MoPac, C&S, Burlington, or Rock Island, if any become available, might make it on the line as borrowed power,

as could Santa Fe.  I think Third Rail has made some small Santa Fe freight power?

I don't think the U.P. used the Joint LIne...but ??

I now try to stay with one road name, BNSF and all modern diesels. I ruled out steam early on when getting back in the hobby a few years ago, just didn't want to spend that much on one engine and decided I really liked the engines seen around here everyday in my area. We live near a couple different sets of BNSF tracks. 

 

I now have about 15-16 engines, most are BNSF and most are MTH. Only have one Lionel Dash-8, they haven't had many since I returned to the hobby. I wanted an RS-3, BNSF has none, so I got an Interstate. Really liked the color scheme on that one. I have one UP SD70ACe from the first set I bought when re-entering the hobby, before I decided to try and stick with just one road name. Then there is the GE Evolution diesel and the purple MTHRRC version of it, those were just for fun and also purchased before deciding to try and stick with just one road name.

 

I have a few pieces of non BNSF rolling stock, probably 90% of it is BNSF. I have a few odd pieces from different roads and also several operating cars from different road names that my grandson and I play with when he comes over to visit.

 

 

The Chicago, Milwaukee and Southwestern is a joint venture of the Milwaukee Road and the Southern Pacific, but several other railroads operate on its track. These include the UP, Rio Grande, Santa Fe, Kansas City Southern, Green Bay & Western, and the Gadsden Pacific Lines (house railroad of the Gadsden Pacific Toy Train Museum in Tucson). I also occasionally run the Lehigh Valley's John Wilkes and a semi-scale GG-I with Fleet of Modernism cars, just for fun. And speaking of just for fun, there's an RMT Beef ABA set with passenger cars painted for the B&O. And, of course, Lionel Lines operates everywhere. 

 

Sometimes the layout moves from Milwaukee Road/SP territory to Europe to run the Orient Express, a couple of Swiss Crocodiles (MTH and ETS), and an assortment of ETS tinplate. I change the setting by swapping out all the die-cast cars on the layout for 1930's European models. 

Last edited by Southwest Hiawatha

Well...sort of. I basically run Nickel Plate Road for the most part, modeling Northeast Ohio where I'm from. However, I did add a Chesapeake and Ohio GP-7 (love the paint scheme) after reading in a Nickel Plate book about how the NKP leased some C&O Geeps while waiting for their order of Geeps to come in from EMD in the 50's. I could justify it for my layout so I did it. 

 

The one locomotive that completely doesn't fit, but hope to add some day is a C&O yellow belly Hudson. Probably my favorite steam streamliner. 

I have effectively three layouts.  First is my modular 8x16 layout in three rail in my train room that was given to me by a friend who was going to throw it away if I didn't take it.  I run mostly 80's era east coast trains on that layout like NJT, Conrail and Amtrak, but really anything goes.  I am ready to significantly thin the herd on my 3 rail equipment fairly soon though.

 

My second layout is in progress and is two rail.  It is solely PRR and CNJ on the NY&LB circa 1953-1957.  My only exception was a gorgeous 3rd Rail J1 Texas that I couldn't pass up at a swap meet.  Not at all prototype for the Jersey Shore, but I made an exception.  Ironically, my New Haven FL9 in two rail is prototypical as they were tested for possible use to eliminate the engine change at South Amboy.

 

My third layout is my club layout at the Paradise and Pacific Railroad in Scottsdale, AZ.  At 1300 s.f. I can run long trains to my hearts content.  I have been recently skewing Santa Fe having received 3rd Rail FTs and MTH FP45s in preparation for the El Capitan's release.  I also enjoy running any shiny long passenger set wether it be the K-Line Empire State Express, my Amtrak long distance train of mostly GGD cars or my GGD Canadian in VIA rail. 

Originally Posted by PAUL ROMANO:

They call it "pool power" when todays railroads share their locomotives. If you model modern railroads any engine combination is possible. 

This is pretty much the way I buy engines. I run what I see locally (Twin Cities, MN) BNSF, CP, UP, CN, TC&W, Minnesota Commercial and Amtrak. This includes any of the roads in their family trees. Thanks to pool power, I can run NS, CSX and the occasional Conrail and still stay true.

 

I also have UP 3985 and Milwaukee Road 261 which will be available for "fan trips" on my layout.

 

3985a

hastings

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Last edited by Big_Boy_4005

I don't have a layout at home. My club runs anything and everything since the member's tastes vary. I specialize in Pennsylvania Railroad. I love the railroad and I love steam engines which The Pennsy had a lot of. Specializing allows me to mix and match engines and rolling stock. It hasn't been the cost saver I originally imagined since the Pennsy had so many different types of engines and cars.  Regardless, I also have a N&W J and passenger set as well as a challenger and a Shay. I have a number of passenger sets from different railroads since these tend to stand alone as a set and I don't feel tempted to add to it like I would a freight. Also, how can you not like the beauty of vintage passenger service.  I also run a Rutland milk train and I am looking for a small B&M steam. Bottom line is, it's your trains. Run what brings you enjoyment. It's the variety of this hobby that keeps so many interested. 

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