There are some Penn Central fans around here. Penn Central was in trouble right from the beginning of the merger and didn't last long (1968 - 1976). In 1970 Penn Central filed for bankruptcy, the largest in USA history at that time.

I grew up next to the New York Central and I prefer to remember the PC predecessor railroads in more successful times.

NYO&W was a financially troubled railroad for practically its entire history, but it has its share of railfans regardless.

I think most of us hobbyists prefer to think of our model railroads as successful ongoing businesses. Some modelers develop scenarios to represent a vanished railroad as still operating past the time in history when it actually folded. 

I tried modelling labor unrest but the strikebreakers and pickets kept fighting and damaged my layout.

So, was there ever such a thing as railroad pirates?  Independent locomotive operators who salvaged (or took by force) unattended rolling stock? 

NH was broke at the time of its merger with the mating worms!

B&O was broke when it came under C&O control.  Question:  Was there a reason the C&O was not allowed to merge the B&O outright?

Garrett76 posted:

So, was there ever such a thing as railroad pirates?  Independent locomotive operators who salvaged (or took by force) unattended rolling stock? 

A major act of "railroad piracy" occurred during the Civil War:

Jackson's operations against the B&O Railroad (1861)

Probably not what you had in mind, but...

Several years ago Model Railroader magazine published their April issue with a diorama featuring a defunct railroad.  Their April issue traditionally has had buried inside an article/photo/essay/advertisement that is 100% spoof....for April Fools' Day.

This particular issue featured a 'Rails-To-Trails' diorama....billed as, in effect, a train-less train layout.  It showed a nicely done stretch of roadbed...no rails, no ties...with (as I recall) cyclists, joggers, walkers...enjoying the abundant scenery and tranquility.

Well, why not?.....unless you count my own O3R layout as 'bankrupt' by virtue of there being absolutely nothing moving on it for several weeks now!!!

I tend to favor Northeastern railroads on my layout with representation from PRR, NYC, NH, RDG, LV, DL&W and Erie.  

I believe I have the bankruptcy part of your question pretty well covered.

Curt

I've seen layouts with striking figures on picket lines before. One op session I went to on a FEC-RR-themed layout depicted the Florida East Coast RR's strikes in the 60s. The owner actually 'derailed' a train due to sabotage (which happened in real life on that line, then) and stopped a train on the main by saying the crew had abandoned it on the main in protest. He required a big hook to the site of any derailment and a loco with hack to the site of any crew change.

While I applauded the originality of it, none of the other guys thought it was all that funny, and I understand it, the owner never did that again.

Technically, my layout's concept is for a 3-footer(ish, as I model On30) line that went belly up and bought out by a well-known NG line nearby. This other forum posting explains it in more detail.

I have a swamp area on my layout where monsters and a old PC GP 38 are half buried. The scrap yard would not take it.

I have at least one locomotive in the Rock Island "Bankruptcy Blue" scheme, but, in my world, they haven't gone bankrupt yet.

Modeling the Pullman Strike would be an interesting challenge, but the time period is about half a century too early for my railroad.

I try to get the feel of the Penn Central by weathering my locomotives and rolling stock.  Some pieces get more weathering than others.  I also have some sections of track that undulate giving the train the "Rock-N-Roll" effect so prevalent  on the PC.  I have no problems with derailments on these sections.  However, a locomotive or car will derail for no apparent reason on the good sections of track.  There is also a wreck train that sees quite a bit of track time.  I have several crossing gates that will stay down with no train present.

I guess I don't model the bankrupt Penn Central, but I do model a railroad in very poor health.

Tom

Ace posted:

There are some Penn Central fans around here. Penn Central was in trouble right from the beginning of the merger and didn't last long (1968 - 1976). In 1970 Penn Central filed for bankruptcy, the largest in USA history at that time.

I grew up next to the New York Central and I prefer to remember the PC predecessor railroads in more successful times.

NYO&W was a financially troubled railroad for practically its entire history, but it has its share of railfans regardless.

I think most of us hobbyists prefer to think of our model railroads as successful ongoing businesses. Some modelers develop scenarios to represent a vanished railroad as still operating past the time in history when it actually folded. 

Penn Central, the parent company, was a conglomerate and into many businesses, of which only one was the transportation company. The railroad went bankrupt, but the Penn Central parent company continued operate; operations continued mainly in the businesses of insurance and real estate. The parent company continued to operate under the "Penn Central" name until they changed the name to "American Premier Underwriters"  in the mid 1990's. American Premier Underwriters continues to operate under the ownership of American Financial Group. 

I model a short line in 1940, and a number of short lines managed to survive after the Depression and into the 1940's due to WWII.....after which many if not most, folded.  So my road may not have a bright future.  It, serving coal and timber, may have a brief wartime boom in its immediate future, before selling off the rails for scrap.

Being a mariner, that is an awful situation for the crews to be in. While I've never been onboard a ship after a company has gone under, I have a few run ins on being short of food/water/supplies from schedule changes/storms.

When I finally get around to it, it is my intention to model a roughly 1948 (transition years for the O&W) NYO&W Northern Division, which, while I'll be sporting plenty of "new" looking diesel power, there will be plenty of run down looking railroad infrastructure and old steamers. While an unfortunate part of many of our favorite lines, it's still a part of their history and deserves modeling attention.

colorado hirailer posted:

I model a short line in 1940, and a number of short lines managed to survive after the Depression and into the 1940's due to WWII.....after which many if not most, folded.  

Yep, the 3-foot portion of the road I model, the ET&WNC, got a substantial boost in commuter traffic to the rayon mills as the highways weren't yet completed. But after the war, the line limped on for only a few years and was done by 1950. Had the war not happen, I'm convinced that the RR would have been done by 1943 or 44 at the latest...

Most of us are working hard to cut down on derailments, out of service engines and rolling stock, and maintaining right of way. That, and creatively hiding expenditures for more trains. 

"B&O was broke when it came under C&O control.  Question:  Was there a reason the C&O was not allowed to merge the B&O outright?"

The B&O had a charter that contained a number of attractive tax breaks.  Once the cost of maintaining the separate corporate structure exceeded the benefit of those tax breaks, the B&O was merged into its parent.

The Rock Island Line was a mighty sad line
The Rock Island Line that fell from glory
The ICC put the merger on hold
13 years later it couldn't be sold

photos by Ace 1980 - Kansas City Armourdale Yard

I have some Rock Island model railroad items.