RAILforum: Model railroad Era

This is topic Model railroad Era in forum Model Railroading at RAILforum.

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Posted by Shaun CN (Member # 2366) on :

I have a few questions abouth model railroading era.

1. what is the best era to model.

2. when were cabosses taken off the railroads.

3. when were F-units locamotives taken of the railroads.

ANY HELP IS APPRECIATED!!!!!!

Posted by Russ Bellinis (Member # 2377) on :

Question 1. Whatever era you like best. There are models out there to model virtually any era since the Civil War.
2. I don't remember exactly, but I think it was sometime in the '80s.
3. Santa Fe sent their f units to be rebuilt into CF7s in the early 70s. NdeM might still be running f units if they ever had any.

Posted by kokkos (Member # 2373) on :

The only think i can give you an answer is for the ERA which is something up to you. What you like best what period? I think the best period is the V or IV, if you want to represent the train railroad with which you grow.

Posted by Ketel97 (Member # 2410) on :

Shuan:I like the transition era between steam and deisel. that way you can do either or both. also I like the style of buildings from that era.

roger

Posted by Roger Hensley (Member # 1374) on :

>1. what is the best era to model.

The era that you like best or that gives the most pleasant memories. In my case, I have stopped trying to keep my railroad ‘up-to-date’ and have begun moving it back in time into the late 70s where I can run some of the cars from roadnames that I like. That way, I can maintain cabin cars and have work for my Locals to do rather than just have run-throughs and can keep the roof walks on many of my rolling stock..

>2. when were cabosses taken off the railroads.

Late 70s and early 80s although some yard and switching assignments kept cabin cars right up to the late 90s with a few still working today. That said, the caboose on main line railroading was replaced by the EOT (End Of Train) device by the 80s.

>3. when were F-units locamotives taken of the railroads.

I’m sure that there are still a few operating, but Class One railroads had retired or rebuilt them (Santa Fe) by the 70s.

Roger

Roger Hensley - madisonrails@railfan.net
== http://cid.railfan.net/eci_new.html ==
== East Central Indiana HO Scale Railroad ==

Posted by PullmanCo (Member # 1138) on :

Shaun,

1. what is the best era to model.
The current iteration of my dream pike has trains on it that would never have seen each other in reality. German TEE from the 1950s together with the City of Salina (M-10000) of UP together with 1960s era UP domeliner.

Have fun with what you choose to model.

2. when were cabosses taken off the railroads.

I commute to work along the old CB&Q mainline running the Missouri River northwest from Kansas City. Cabooses were in use until 1994 or so. BNSF still uses cabooses on local push-pull runs here in KC, as well as on some of the track and roadbed trains that operate around here.

3. when were F-units locamotives taken of the railroads.

FTs were retired in the early 60s. F7s and 9s were retired in the late 60s to mid-70s, although, as noted, Santa Fe (which had a HUGE fleet) did a fleet rebuild of hundreds of units, A and B, from carbody to hood.

John

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The City of Saint Louis (UP, 1967) is still my standard for passenger operations

Posted by foamer13 (Member # 2024) on :

The best era? Monday, June 24,1957, at 11:00 a.m. I thought everyone knew that!

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Posted by Suburban90 (Member # 2450) on :

Foamer13 what is special about "Monday, June 24,1957"?

Posted by Mike Smith (Member # 447) on :

I'm gonna take a wild guess here, but I'd say 6-24-57 was someone's birthday......

Posted by foamer13 (Member # 2024) on :

No, it's actually the day I went off to Navy boot camp. Took the B & O to Baltimore with a high school buddy.

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Posted by alk-milw (Member # 2459) on :

I also like the steam - diesel transition era. You seem to have a little more leeway when you model structures and rolling stock!

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Andy Kramer- Milwaukee Road model railroader

Posted by Konstantin (Member # 18) on :

You may also build a railroad like I do, without an era. I typically run 1950's freight trains along with Amtrak Superliners. I don't pay attention to what year it is.

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Elias Valley Railroad (N-scale)
www.geocities.com/evrr

Posted by Challenger (Member # 1298) on :

I see you model the same railroad I do. The Bermuda Triangle & Time Warp.

[This message has been edited by Challenger (edited 05-02-2003).]