Theme Modeling: What's yours?

Nothing specific here although I try to keep road names down to local railroads - B&O, C&O, Western Maryland, Chessie, Pennsylvania, etc. I do have 1 NY Subway set, 1 BNSF SD70, and more local than BNSF or MTA, an N&W Y6B. 

My theme is Toy Train Layout of The Fifties. For roadnames and rolling stock anything goes. It's all in fun, realism need not apply. Although I am partial to passenger trains I have some freight equipment to justify the use of action accessories.

 

Pete

The theme is postwar lithographed tin and steel, predominately Marx and Prewar AF with basic scenic elements with emphasis on the more toy-like quality of both classic display layouts and the 1950's in general. Traded realism for charm. Original and no reproductions of O. Postwar and modern stuff runs in cycles, depending on my mood, equipment goes on and off the display shelves to the rails. Summer is the setting in a atypical, but non specific mid sized city.

1950's toy train layout representing a 1940 - 1955 belt line.

Ozark Mountain/White River RRing in the steam era:  hills, bridges, rivers.  Mining, Agriculture, with through and local passenger runs.  Frisco, MoPac/T&P + a narrow gauge feeder.  Two actual towns (Notch, Marmaros) although everything is somewhat rearranged from history to concentrate it geographically/economically.  (Diseasels only allowed by special permit on holidays; occasional back-dating to the 1860s for other special occasions).

In order to make my RR not look too small I switched to Southwestern branchline operation early 50's.  ESPEE, UP, ATSF.  I prefer big wide open scenery over big trains.  I do not like big dirty towns at all.

 

Even with my good sized basement, running large engines and a believeable length passenger train can overpower the scene for me.

 

IMO, it is easier to condense a peddler freight to ten cars then to try to condense a normal full size passenger train with 82' cars to a 4 or 5 car consist.

 

 

When I got back into O gauge trains 23 years ago, my initial "theme" was that locomotives had to represent railroads that did operate in Pennsylvania.  Since then, I've expanded the theme to be locomotives from the railroad may have operated in Pennsylvania, even if only while being delivered from the builder or as part of a run through power pool. 

 

This current theme can pretty much be summed up by saying "if I like it, want it and can afford it; I buy it". 

 

I see folks who have posted after me are pretty much all mentioning era, so I'll edit this to add that mine is loosely based in the late '40's to late '50's.  (Most of the time anyhow.)

 

Curt

I think I set this out under another subject, but will repeat some of it...someone

commented about long passenger cars in short trains...they ran, my theme area is the Front Range of Colorado and the Yampa Valley Mail was a short train of two or more

cars, often long lightweights, but even heavy weights, the D&RGW ran up the Yampa Valley (where else?) in north central Colorado.  This short named passenger train was, in the diesel era, often headed by an Alco PA (I'd like to know what it ran with in the steam era, probably with a different train name, since I only want to run steam), however I have assembled assorted consists for it (even though I don't model that route).  Luckily it was pretty well photographed...(wish I had had sense enough to ride it back when it ran and on a real railroad).

My theme is a mythical short line, that takes some of its characteristics from the

Great Western RR (sugar beets) and the Colorado Midland...although USRA killed off

the Midland during WWI, prior to the September, 1940 date of my theme.  My theme, in my imagination, takes off toward the SW from the "Joint Line" parallel north and south tracks shared by the ATSF and D&RGW from Pueblo to Denver, at a point just south of Colorado Springs (the Midland went west from the Springs).

The date is chosen because Colorado in the fall, with aspens turned, is beautiful.

And 1940, just before WWII, was a time when there were a lot of railroads, a lot of

still surviving short and branch lines, and many brands and varieties of American made automobiles to travel my layout's streets and roads, although both of these last had been heavily impacted and many killed off, by the Great Depression.  Also, mining, logging,  and grain elevators were still viable industries, and all will be heavily represented, along with livestock handling, on my layout.  And, of course, then, steam was KING.

The rolling stock, of which there is a severe dearth in three rail, of branch and short lines during and prior to that period, was SO interesting...side door, combine and drover's cabooses, Brill, Edwards, McKeen..you name it...gas electrics, Mack, Sykes, again, you name it...rail buses..., and steam dummies and other types of tea kettle steamers long vanished from Class 1's, chugged on...luckily, I have kitbashed and scratch built some of it...

I'm with Tom on this one. Too much train makes for a toy like layout. I of course model The Milwaukee Road. 1953 to be exact. I think Allan used one of my pictures as an example of a theme layout. Don

I favor the Clinchfield, My Grandfather retired from the Clinchfield and Dad worked on it as a brakeman for 10 years. I also use Southern, Seaboard, Florida East Coast and CSX line, with coal, sawmills, logging ect.  However Military is my largest area. I seem to be working in that area a lot in the past couple of years.

 

Larry W. Peterson

Erwin TN.

The year 1960, approximately, in the northeast is my theme.  As far as equipment I run anything I like.

My "theme" is:

There's more to see than just trains.

 

(I mean, seriously, how many times can a grown man watch a train go in a circle?)

 

If we are going to share our layouts/trains with others, I feel, we have to give 'em a symphony to experience, conducted by the trains themselves, which provide the action, charm, and nostalgia that make the whole presentation sing.

 

 

My theme.  Well actually I have two, Pennsylvania RR and only Lionel, 1946 to the present.  I do believe within the definition of a theme would/could be manufacturer.

 

Allan and I go way back to the AOL board days and have had this discussion before.  The rebuttal I got was that by selecting only one manufacturer I was limiting myself.  Well, isn't that kinda what themeing, exclusivity, having a focus, or being selective is all about?  Just about 99% of all my trains are compatible, from the earliest 2332 GG1 to the latest Ver 1.4 Legacy, and that's a good thing.

 

One selects an era, activity, roadname, diesel/steam, region and so on.  But it seems that selecting a single manufacturer is too much of a hot potato to mention.  Allan left it alone, and maybe that's a good thing, given the history of the boards.

 

I did have an inside chuckle when I read his editorial though.

  Since the trains came out of the boxes in November, the only theme has been to have fun with (and without) my grandson.  At any given time a 1938 1688 could be pulling a giraffe car followed by a alien transport, going past an Irish castle next to a lionel pump station with Lightening McQueen parked next to it.  Around the corner cookie monster might be peeking out from behind a plasticville windmill.  And a 1958 Pennsy 249 will probably be pulling a tinplate consist from the 1938 set of my fathers.  And we sure do blow the horn in the diesel horn station a lot (just ask my wife)!  and we laugh!

 

Kevin

I think this is what what TOY trains is all about. My concern is that the manufacturers seem to be drifting further and further away from this by reducing the options for the folks that what to just "play". All my granddaughter wants to do is watch the choo choos. If that is what makes her happy then I have done my job and made my day. Guess my theme is "let's paly with the choo choos!"

Theme:  Steam and transition era up to 1953 and 1960 respectively for only Southern Railway and 4-8-4 and 4-8-2 *N&W engines/trains.  Small 9x16 round-the-wall attic layout to reflect the rolling Piedmont section of North Carolina. Along with buildings already in inventory; I am currently building, and having built structures, to reflect the Cotton Mills, Sawmills and Lumber business, Pulpwood and Poplar Block Loading sites, Feed Milling[folks & livestock], Small Village, Engine Service Yard and Carolina Trailways Bus Station to reflect the competition that eventually put the Hometown A&Y Railway's passenger and mail service out of business. [A&Y was a Southern subsidiary].

 

My retreat is down to a small Senior citizen's layout, one too small to effectively handle the Ys and As of the N&W. However they remain in place to oversee the realm.

Scenery, especially trees and folks to populate the town and workplaces are down the road.

Having a good time in my old age!

 

*

N&W Ys and As and CC&O 4-6-6-4 are too large to effectively or atractively operate with little bitty consists on my 9x16 but shall remain in position to oversee the realm.

 

The 4-8-2 N&W "Water Buffalo" will have to handle the coal deliver while the "J" preens.

I have finally begun building my 8 x 9.5 L-shaped urban-themed layout. The idea was suggested by the St. Louis, MO waterfront: a small yard near downtown stables the helpers which boost trains up the steep approaches of a Mississippi River bridge. Some trains receive new power at the yard before continuing on; some terminate there; some leave a car or two to set out on the team track or another local industry. Trains can appear from the "Illinois" side (i.e., crossing the bridge) or from the "Missouri" side.

 

The bridge will be modeled about 2/3 actual size, and will dominate the layout, even though there will only be one-half of one span, terminating at the backdrop, plus the west approach (that 1/2 span is going to be 50" long!). Trains on the bridge will go through a hole in the backdrop and then to hidden storage (a.k.a. Illinois).

 

Happily, the steep grades needed to cram hidden storage into this layout are the very same steep grades needed to justify helper service on the 8-car through trains I am going to run! I am going to "high-rail" this as much as possible, but the equipment will all be traditional Lionel, mostly 1945-1996 vintage. The bowl-of-spaghetti track plan and the tight curves help advance the urban theme.

Mid '50s, western mountain small town America.

Union Pacific and Santa Fe.

Ah, yes, John...we do go way back, don't we!   Those were different times, to be sure, although the more things change, the more they stay the same.

 

But I will admit that my views continue to evolve, and I certainly wouldn't exclude focusing on a single manufacturer's wares if that maker is providing what you want and enjoy.  Almost by default my own interests tend to be heavily (but not exclusively) oriented toward the very few manufacturers that are supplying select products that match my own road name interests.

 

I do try to develop many of my editorials so they will provide "food for thought" and even evoke some reaction among the readers.  I never look for agreement (nice as that is), but do hope that some of my perspectives are accepted as being reasonable and worthy of consideration.

Mid-Atlantic, 1948, mostly PRR with some connecting roads (SRR, etc).

 

Ron

I loosely base my layout on the Seaboard Air Line from 1941-1967.  That's over a 25 year span and covers a lot of changes.  I want to eventually cover just the Portsmouth Sub-Division from Portsmouth to Norlina.  It was a single main, "dark" territory.  As far as I know, this now CSX line is still single track from Portsmouth to Weldon.

 

I enjoy the switching cars, but every time I run my passenger train THE TIDEWATER I wish I had a bit more space to let it really air out!

 

I find it's kind of hard to model a line of almost 100 miles of more or less straight, single track, when all you have is a 11.5x12 room.  The Suffolk connections with all the other RRs would probably take up more room than I have.

No themes. I run whatever I feel like.

The layout I am building dates from the mid fifties to the early seventies. Years ago, I worked as a railway police officer for the Erie-Lackawanna Railway and spent most of my time in and around Buffalo, particularly at EL's Bison Yard. We had EL, N&W, PC, Lehigh Valley, Nickel Plate, D&H,  CN and various foreign power in the yard.  When I was stationed in Texas with the Border Patrol in the early seventies, I had a lot of contact with the Southern Pacific and the Ferrocarrils de Mexico. Where I now live in very northern New York State, I am about a half mile from the Rutland right-of-way. I can justify most of these units on my layout, because, after all, it is my railroad and I am the Chairman of the Board. The theme should be whatever anyone wants and pleases them.

My layout is loosely based on a typical 1950's style toy train layout. I run whatever I want.

My theme is the steam era mostly New York Central

and Pennsylvania .

 

THANKS, ALEX

What mine "will be" is a Civil War era railroad. Probably the USMRR on the railline to Petersburg, VA. I've been collecting cars, buildings and figures for it. Spread the cost out some. I'll have 2 4-4-0s and a Camel engine.

Great "theme layouts" mentioned.  Mine is 1950 or earlier; Milwaukee Road or a few other roads that made contact with the Milwaukee.  It's been a fun project and somewhat of a discipline to pick out automobiles that were made before 1950, the last years of steam and some pretty well weathered examples, the first generation of diesels, types and styles of buildings, signage on buildings and elsewhere, clothing and styles of people on the layout.  It's been a fun project and a real learning experience for me.

 

It also tends to limit your purchases because you have no interest in these new diesels, modern cars no matter how "cool" they are, etc.   Thus, you don't have a roster of every engine that might otherwise tempt you.  The automobile purchases, however, tend to be a bit more costly.  Most die-cast manufacturers like to make models of the most popular cars around, typically the "muscle cars".  So, in order to broaden my parking lots and thoroughfares, I have had to pick up some Brooklyn, Franklin Mint, Solido and a few other more expensive cars, so I   probably have more invested in autos than I would have liked to spend.  You also have to purchase every engine or rolling stock piece as soon as it becomes available.  Many of these vintage pieces were of limited production runs and won't be available for long.

 

 

Paul Fischer

 

My theme is mid '50s small rail road on the coast of Lake Michigan.  The Michigan and Great Lakes Rail Road.  It is a small RR with only a few miles of track of their own and (2) 0-8-0 switchers.  Steam is still king here and they are serviced by several Class 1's, the Pere Marquette (C&O) and the Ann Arbor rail roads.  The Class ones mostly deliver freight cars to the industries that reside on the M&GL's tracks.  They also service a great lakes car ferry dock.

 

Vacation travel is also a big focus on my RR, the small station is served by both the Class 1 rail roads and the M&GL with commuter trains daily.  The biggest train to come trough the RR is a Pere Marquette train called the "Cherry Blossom" that goes from Grand Rapids, MI up the coast of Lake Michigan to Travers City, MI.  It uses the PM's famous E7s and her stream lined cars when traffic is really heavy durning peak summer vacation season and a C&O BL2 with some heavyweights/streamliners mix during the off peak days.  The Cherry Blossom makes stops at all the famous vacationing spots up the coast, including my small town of Little Rapids MI that is just south of Ludington, MI.

 

I have a few industries, a bean and grain elevator and a small factory.  I hope to one day have someone build a scale great lakes car ferry that I can load and unload cars too.  That wont be till the kids are much older and I can take over more of the basement.  

My small 5x8 layout is basically a diorama of 1950s urban life. I have some trains on it for added interest. This layout affords me a great setting to display some of my 1:43 car collection. I like creating scenics more than running trains.

The time period of the trains is pre-1948 (the last year for the PRR Fleet of Modernism passenger cars). The time period for the rest is pre-1960 ( the year life in America became "less fun").

That sounds like a very cool theme!  Also sounds like a layout that might make a fine feature for the magazine if you ever have the urge.  I'm as near as your closest keyboard.

 

Actually, other here have also posted some neat themes that they are working on.  Please keep our magazine readers in mind if you would like to share your approaches.

My 19x28 layout is a compressed NYC to Berkeley California modern day theme. I have the L shape  layout in 3 rooms and thru a wall in two spots. One side is city scape and the other side of the wall is mountain  scenic. Love to run Amtrak. 

One can say the theme is cities of America.

Theme? I'm slightly envious of yinz with the self discipline to focus on an era....railroad... time line...manufacturer...geographic locale....etc.

 

My "focus" is almost like an autobiography. I have custom painted 44 tonners with passenger and freight rolling stock from the Coudersport & Port Allegany, the road that ran behind our home. Then on to college in Lock Haven where the Penn Central ran their freight and passenger consists to Renovo and then up the Keating Summit grade to Buffalo or Erie. I have equipment ...stock and custom run of the PC. Grandfathers on both sides worked their whole lives on the PRR, so lots of Pennsy stuff, but no electrics as we stayed west of Altoona.

 

My first professional job and grad school at Penn State put me in Bellefonte, Pa. where the Bellefonte Central and PC met up. I had Jeff Sohn paint a switcher and cabin for the Bellefonte Central...I lettered a consolidation as well to remember the steam era in Centre County.

 

A move to Clarion County led me to model The LEF&C,a coal line out of Clarion. I also saw lots of the Shawmut...Conrail...Cambria & Indiana...so models of these lines followed. 

 

Another job, another move and I'm modeling the Union RR, the Bessemer...Norfolk Southern....and about anything else I can think of. I like 'em all! P &LE....anything....if it ran near PGH, I had model something it had!

 

Before Mike at MTH did any Buffalo & Pittsburgh stuff, I had my pal Gary Mittner paint a set of Williams SD-45s in the black, yellow & orange scheme.

 

I guess that's what makes this hobby so diverse and fun for me....lots of variety.

 

Tom in PGH

Guess,

 

 

Backdrop is 75% complete.  Needs masonite fascia on the front.  So much to do and so little scratch to finish it! 

 

Chris

 

"I Got the B&M BLUES!"

Commonly known as "Fischer Price Roundy Round."

 

Some people enjoy having trains go around in a simple pattern, or only have so much space, or a variety of other limiting factors. You make the most of what you have and enjoy it for what it is.

 

Harry,

I agree that was uncalled for as a seemingly condescending air of superiority that I found amusing.

As far as myself the answer to the question of how many times can a grown man watch a train go around a circle depends on how much time I have. Seriously. I have three loops and plenty of trains for variety. A 'grown man" doesn't need armchair critics to decide for him what is correct  or infer this is childish when, after all, these are toys. A more than slightly ironic editorial comment worthy of brushing past at best, and at worst, not really understanding variety is the spice of life as well as in the hobby of toy trains.

I don't really have a theme, or a layout for that matter.  I really just buy whatever catches my eye, usually at shows, and run it all.  From postwar to modern, PRR to Conrail, anything goes.  I seem to be sticking more towards PRR and NYC though when it comes to roadnames, but there are also a few more sprinkled in for fun.

 

One of the coolest setups I've seen consisted of tinplate track and switches screwed to varnished plywood, nothing else. The trains were the whole show and it worked!

 

As to watching trains going in circles, not sure if I'm grown (although I am oldish), I must be somewhere in the tens of thousands of circuits by now and I never tire of it. Seriously. To me it's a zen thang, hypnotic almost, and very relaxing.

 

Pete

 

I don't think Frank meant anything by it, probably more of an example to support the view that there can be more to it than just running trains. 

 

You make a point though, if there is one thing this hobby does have its share of, it is the "my way is better than your way" line of thinking sometimes put forth as "your way is stupid."