Now to start me off I simply purchased a starter kit simply for the loco and rolling stock.

It the LIFE LIKE Little Joe kit contaning the loco: 0-6-0 Saddle Tank Locomotive - ATSF

Now my problem is this is the only infomation I have abou this loco. I live in New Zealand so there aren't a greta deal of book that specify locos. I have also surfed the net but have only managed to find info on other AT&SF loco but not this one. I really want to have a clear date when this loco ran, I've narrowed the date to the early 1900's I believe. But if there is anyoen out there who can help me and lecture me on the early Santa Fe days this would be extremely helpful.

Hope to read your replys soon.

BTW, I have this little 0-4-0 and it has quite a bit of power for a little thing.

------------------
Trust God, love your neighbor, and never mistake opinion for truth.
-Mr. Toy

The Del Monte Club Car

This is all the information I can tell you about these locos from memory at this time. If you go to www.trains.com and look up the train magazine index. I am sure you can pull up some more info on the Santa Fe port steamers. That index catalogs the articles of nearly every railroad publication going back to the first issiue in many cases.

I hope I have been of assistance.

Sincerely,

I am modelling in N Scale, I would have loved to have chosen HO Scale but I'm under space restraints so I plan to build a modular system, however one step at a time. I basically would like to model a small American Town early 20th Century for my first module. This would be set against the Rockies most likely with the large rock formation typical of the Wild West, I have been researchign on Colorado, Utah and have found some very images but this is still a challenge being a Kiwi from down under. all my knowledge is based on movies, books, photos etc but unfortunately not a real life experience to get the feel of the area I'm modeling. My town and landscape will be fictional but based on what you may find in the USA arouns my chosen area. of what infomation I have gathered so far the railways of this town will most likely be a jucntion or/and a refueling, ice, water etc stop on-route to its destination. EventuallY I would like a coal mining area which will pass through my small town on-route to the Coke Ovens or where ever I decide its being delivered to. Another module in the future will be the ultimate end of the modular system and be a large urban town/city with a large station, roundhouse all the other stuff that goes with it. Passenger services etc. My small town will be based on soem resorces I found in Train Modeling book featuring the rail yard at Basalt, Colorado.
Now hopefully this information helps paints the picture I'm trying to paint.

Would a 0-6-0 saddle tank be found in the setting I described above?

In response to Mr. Toy:
My train is N scale AT&SF 0-6-0 Saddle tank Locomotive. I will post some images.

In response to James:
I tryed to search the train magazine index but had no luck, I will try to search using different terms at a later stage though.

In response to Russ:
what you described fit the description of my loco, I will post images so you can all see (that is when I figured out how to post images on this forum, if I don't figure that out can someone help).

Would you find these steam loco working alongside the Baldwin and Fairbanks Morse Switcher Diesles. Oh and what is a Switcher, I was reading about it somewhere.

I emailed Life Like Models and they responded saying:

www.atsfrr.net (Santa Fe Historical & modeling Soc.)>

Well it sounds like the person who answered my email wasn't too sure themselves as they didn't confirm that the loco wasn't based on prototype. I've been serching all over the Santa Fe Historical site, btu you guys here in the forum have been more helpful. I want to thank you all again for helping me out. I reckon the only way to get another person hooked on modeling is buy giving advise and help where its needed. Hopefully one day all this knowlege I'm slowly building up i'll be able to help someone else.

So anyway i still have hundred of questions. The more I find out the more it will help me.

Now lets see how I can add an image... hmmm... Nope can't see any options, any ideas people?

Another question, was it common for serveral Rail companies to travel on the same lines with different services, I have read about caes where Santa Fe built alongside others lines, but eventually one set of tracks were removed and they were shared. So would you also see serveal Rail companies Locos in the same rail yards being services by the same buildings etc, or was it most often separate companies?

Glad this forum is being of help to you, Here are some answeres to more of your questions,

Would a 0-6-0 saddle tank be found in the setting I described above?

The answer is yes it could be. The 0-6-0T was a popular type with logging and industrial lines as Mr. Bellins notes. In your situation, the 0-6-0T would be most likely found as the "plant Switcher" at your coal mine or coke oven facility, taking cars from the delivery track where cars are switched off the main line, and spotted at areas within the "plant" as where needed.

What is a switcher?

In US Railroading a switcher is any locomotive built for the sole purpose of switching cars in a yard or industrial branch. I think you guys use British railroad terms in New Zealand. This in those terms the 0-6-0T would be a Shunting Locomotive, and I think you can infer the rest

Would you find these steam loco working alongside the Baldwin and Fairbanks Morse Switcher Diesles?

That answer is complicated. While both the O-6-0T and the Baldwin and Fairbanks Morse Switchers operated during the same period for a brief time, The steam would be demoted power from the big railraod. And in the situation you give for your modeling purpose, the 0-6-0T would most likely show up with early EMD and Alco Road Switcher Diesles (GP7s and RS3s) that work the local freight that delivers and picks up cars from your mine and coke plant.

Another question, was it common for serveral Rail companies to travel on the same lines with different services, I have read about caes where Santa Fe built alongside others lines, but eventually one set of tracks were removed and they were shared. So would you also see serveal Rail companies Locos in the same rail yards being services by the same buildings etc, or was it most often separate companies?

That case you read about was what became known as the "Joint Line" in South Eastern Colorado. The situation was that the Santa Fe and the Denver and Rio Grande railroads were in stiff compition to make it over the Raton Pass into New Mexico. Santa Fe ended up winning that race but due to the stiff competition Both railroads had nearly 200 miles of nearly parralell track between Denver and Pueblo Colorado. This was about the same time Railraods in the United States were placed under regulation of the Interstate Commerce commission (The ICC). THe ICC ruled that since both parties spent the money to build their respective trackages, but with the unique situation of having them so close together, that the two lines would be operated as a single railroad "Jointly Operated" by the Santa Fe and the Rio Grande. This was one of the earliest segments of Double Track Main Line in this country. Depots, Engine Facilites, and car maintainece facilites were shared jointly, though the railroads took turns as to who built what stations. On the Depots, the Heralds of the Santa Fe, The Rio Grande, and the Colorado and Southern were displayed. (Colorado and Southern was granted equal access so as it could reach partner railroad Fort Worth and Denver in Pueblo.)Also at Colorodo Springs the Station Sign also sported the Rock Island Herald as well as the "Rock's" Tracks terminated in Colorado Springs as well, with the Colorodo Springs Section of the Rocky Mountain Rocket terminating at the ATSF/D&RGW Station. This had the effect that many locals in the Colorado Springs area called the depot "Union Depot" after the four lines using it. "Union Depot also avoided confusion with "Union Station" in Denver. Service between the carries was splt on a 40-40-20 Percent basis with Santa Fe and Rio Grande getting 40% a piece of all online originating traffic (Due to since those two companies built the line) with C&S picking up the remaining 20% (Since they were merely tenat.) This situation was unique in the United States as I can not think of any place else except for maybe in Californias San Juaqin Valley (SP and ATSF) where any similar event has occured.

One more thing I would like to say is I live in the State of Wyoming, which is a few hundred miles north of what you are trying to model it sounds like, I can obtain all kinds of rail information on that area for you if you would like, I could even supply pictures as I have quite a lot from that area in my collection.

Again, I hope I have been helpful,

Sincerely

Anyway down to business, thank you for all your help. I don't want to seem like a pesty amature who can't figure anything out. Well the first part may be true but I'm a wee bit deprived on resources here in NZ. Hmm maybe I should model Middle Earth. Anyway I've been pondering about all sorts of railroading stuff, I just now have to remember all my questions.

First of all expanded on my question about multipul rail companies I wasn't too sure on the sharing rail yards. Did this just happen in special situations or is/was it common. For example two companies on different lines arriving at the same town to the same rail yard and station. Does that occur, here in NZ we only have one rail company although it is currently goigng under major changes since the company that bought the New Zealand Railway 10 years or so ago let the rails deteriate and now they have been getting out of Passenger services which are beig sold off and the Government has been buying some of the city rails services. So it will be interesting to see what shape rail in NZ will take in the future. Anyway thats kinda off my question. I basically want to know if I can have a SF for example, arriving at my rail yard, while a BN arrives to use the same yard from a different route. Also would a Private company be seeb sharing the rail yard?

My plans for my layout is to firstly model my small town and rail yard with the serveral main lines heading off from it, so it would be sort of like a junction for freight, passenger etc. My main influence is the plans I found for the Basalt rail system in Colorado in Robert Schleicher HO Model Railroading First Edition. It in only based on this as it is the best example I've had so far of a prototype.
So could I have my private Coal company arriving in my town to refuel etc unload some coal for the station and then head off to the coke factory while my SF passenger train arrives in my town from a large city to unload etc and head back to the city or continue onto another town?

I know I've repeated myself but I'm just trying to explain my ideas.

My Private Coal line may even have to share part of the main line until it branches off towards the coal mine. Is that possible. I know I have create licence to do what ever btu I just want it to be reasonably realistic just in a fictional American setting.

Hmm what else, I know there is plenty of questions locked away, but I can always bombard you guys later with those.

I'm actually going to be drawing up a draft plan of my layout this week and then take it to a guy on the weekend to check it out. He model Swiss prototype routes though, so he doesn't have much knowledge on U.S. rail but he does have a huge knowledge on railroading in general.

Do passegner and freight services share the same line?

Oh and can anyone tell me why a small American town would be set up in the model of no-where it wouldn't it. Colorado Springs for example which I remember from its Doctor Quin Medecine Woman version why did it exist? What was it main attration? Gold, coal, fertile land???

So in my case if I went with the coal, the mine wouldn't be right next to the town would it? The mine would be down the track a bit, while the town might be situated be a near by river, obviouslly for fresh water access.

Challenger/James its seems you may have the resouces I need. FANTASTIC! Any information and images (rail or just landscape related) would be fantastic and extremely helpful.

Would it be common fot the local town to have serveral main industries, wood and coal. I'm not even too sure about coke so far. I had never heard of coke until I read it in a rail book. I do need to do more research on Coal mining in the USA, but any information anyone may have would be helpful.

I'm curious what you guys model as well. Era, scale, location and function of layouts.

Oh would it seem sily to create a complete original Rail company running mulitpul serives. I saw an example on the RailroadingForum.com of a guy modeling in N scale with his own company, Apline Rail.

I must say that I do like the real rail companies about.

Oh and can you post images on this forum??

If you guys are intersted I'll post my layout plan up here or email it when it done.

Oh yeah I finally got to travel on a steam train, The Weka Pass Railway here in the Cnaterbury region. It was amazing, it was incredible and so authentic. The only problem was I didn't have a camera! But when we got to the end of the line for a 20 minute breake there was a shop on the main highway, so I got myself a film, but it didn't seem to last long! I snapped up the amazing loco! I can't recall it wheel arrangements off hand but it was a breat takign experience.

Well i think I'll leave it here, I reckon I've given you all plenty to reply to.

Cheers!
Jason Lennie

Here is the link if you're interested: http://hometown.aol.com/snbnlcrr/pg4.html

Its says that this line was part of the Southern Pacific, but I'm sure you guys somehow have a better knowledge. Anyway I just wanted to correct the statement I made, to be honest I have know idea wheather this rail company is real or fictional.

Goodnight from the land of New Zealand....

Well lets start answering your questions.

"First of all expanded on my question about multipul rail companies I wasn't too sure on the sharing rail yards. Did this just happen in special situations or was it common. For example two companies on different lines arriving at the same town to the same rail yard and station. Does that occur?***I basically want to know if I can have a SF for example, arriving at my rail yard, while a BN arrives to use the same yard from a different route. Also would a Private company be seen sharing the rail yard?"

One of the first things you find out in model railroading is that if you look hard eneugh, you can find a prototype for everthing. In your case of sharing railyards. It was not very common for two carriers to share a yard. Even in the same town. What would often happen of two railroads needed to tranfer cars, is that a train on the first railraod ,SF in your question, would stop off in the SF yard and drop off all the cars destined for this town. Including cars Destined for the other road. BN in your example. Then the cars destined for the other road, BN, would be made into a special train and sent to the other railroads yard. It would drop off the cars and the locomotive and Caboose would return without train to its yard. BN Would later do this on its side of the equation. This is known as a Transfer Run. As for Sharing Passenger Stations, It was much more common. While it was Standard Proceedure for most railroads to build its own Station in a Town. Once there bacame more than three railroads in a town, It was often much more efficient for all the railroads to use a common passenger station. These Stations are known as "Union Stations" These often saved on costs as each railroad helped contribute to the buildings upkeep and operation rather than each railroad building and staffing a fully functional train station. Locomotives for a private company (Like A steel Mill) could be found in a Railraods company yard on a regular basis provided that the private company fufilled two requirements. First, That acess to the company's plant was soley by that railroad. Second. That the traffic to and from that plant was sufficient eneugh to warrent its own train. This practice is common at steel mills where there is often 4 tons of freight for each ton of Finished producuct. (Broken down as a Ton of Coal, Ton of Iron, Ton of Scrap metal, Ton of Finished product)

"My plans for my layout is to firstly model my small town and rail yard with the serveral main lines heading off from it, so it would be sort of like a junction for freight, passenger etc. My main influence is the plans I found for the Basalt rail system in Colorado in Robert Schleicher HO Model Railroading First Edition. It in only based on this as it is the best example I've had so far of a prototype. So could I have my private Coal company arriving in my town to refuel etc unload some coal for the station and then head off to the coke factory while my SF passenger train arrives in my town from a large city to unload etc and head back to the city or continue onto another town?"

Long question, but it has short and simple answer. Yes you can. There are many examples where situations like that occured.

"My Private Coal line may even have to share part of the main line until it branches off towards the coal mine. Is that possible?"

Yes. There are numborous prototype examples in this country where that very thing has happened.

As for posting pictures. You can. But you really need your own website as the pictures need to be out on the internet somwhere to show up on this forum. If you have that requirement met. I will show you how.

I hope I have been helpful once again.