What would get you to change eras?

[lock4244]

Do restenciled cars count as a paint scheme? I'm specifically refering to the QGRY (ex CP) 50'-6" boxcars... I can think of at least 3 types (green ex CP miltimark, green ex CP no multimark, brown ex CP script). I'm sure there are many others out there.

[wm3798]

I'll blast modern railroading for you...

Pro's - Big power is impressive.
Con's - The Big Power looks like it should be able to "Transform" into a robot.  The same two road names everywhere you go, the same types of trains (Coal drags, container trains, repeat).  Many of the best railfanning venues are no longer railroads.  (Yes, my beloved WM, but also Tennessee Pass, large chunks of the B&O, ditto the EL etc. etc. etc.)

As for modeling, since most of the class 1 service is terminal to terminal unit trains, modeling roundy roundy is the most accurate type of layout.  (See Pelle Soeberg)  There are lots of interesting regionals that still do the hard work of railroading, which can be a good subject for the scale railroader.  The best modern era layouts I've seen are classic settings (Horseshoe Curve, Thomas Viaduct, Pocahontas Sub, etc.) just with modern equipment.  The interesting part is usually the setting, not the trains or operations.

There.  I've run circles round you logically.

Lee

[Mark5]

Do restenciled cars count as a paint scheme? I'm specifically refering to the QGRY (ex CP) 50'-6" boxcars... I can think of at least 3 types (green ex CP miltimark, green ex CP no multimark, brown ex CP script). I'm sure there are many others out there.

Sure!  ;D

How about non-restencils? For example I could see at least a half dozen different GN schemes alone in the early 1970s (red, blue, etc). I was a real nerd (or I was bored out of my mind) at 12 years old - I'd keep logs of all the reporting marks and schemes on the trains that rolled (seen from the front porch.)

[Denver Road Doug]

There.  I've run circles round you logically.

Um, yeah...you SURE did that!   ???

I'm not arguing that the railroading landscape is totally 100% changed from ten, twenty, forty years ago.  The strong survive, others get lucky enough to hang around.  (my beloved Fort Worth & Denver was a "coal pipeline" away from being yanked up in the 70's.)

I also agree the point about other car types and paint schemes going away.  That's one reason I said year 2000 vs. 2007.  There were still plenty of the "80's Boxcar Craze" boxcars running around but they were drastically being reduced in the late 90's/early 2000's.  In 2000 you still had virtually all merged roads dating back 40 years still sporting some reporting mark entries in the ORER.  (original cars, that is...not recycled reporting marks.)  Even the newly merged roads predecessor roads were still not highly unusual.  (i.e. Frisco, MoPac, GN, etc.)  So in 2007 we have less fallen flags, but yet again more new car types, new containers/trailers, and new paint schemes.  Heck, I model 1998 and I find 2007 infinitely more "model-genic" because of all the retro-schemes, the SD70ACe's, the proliferation of 53-foot containers, the greater number of prosperous regionals, the commuter lines, etc.

Like I said, when you can no longer see a Frisco covered hopper (last week) and a Southern boxcar (two weeks ago) and a CB&Q ballast hopper (6mos) or worse yet a BN or SP car of some kind, then maybe I'll lament the "modern" times.  But it's progress.  Change.  Different, but not necessarily worse or better.  It's still trains.

[lock4244]

What about the UP's Rochelle Sub by Daryl Kruse? It's a modern layout and it doesn't really traverse spectacular scenery like Horseshoe Curve or Tehachapi, but it's a pretty nice layout. Not representing a gazillion different roads, but there are run through units and leasers to spice up the power consists.

And there is still a ton of variety in modern rolling stock (reporting marks) what with shortlines providing marks for fleets of for hires (AOK, NOKL, COE for example).

But what's the point in arguing, we are all correct in our opinions since thay are our opinions.

IMHO, railroading attained a type of perfection with the introduction of the cylindrical covered hopper, and this type of perfection will endure until the last cylindrical is retired from service.

EDIT: FWIW, I often see SOU boxcars setout in Ajax, Ontario on CN's Kingston Sub for a local customer. I have bought three of the atlas cars for this reason.

[wm3798]

Please, stop coming up with good examples that prove me wrong!  I'm trying to paint with a broad brush here! ;D

Yes, Daryl's layout is indeed the bomb.  But if you consider that one of the focal points is the railfan's park at Rochelle, you could argue that that has become one of the classic fanning locations... not necessarily spectacular in terms of scenery, but certainly widely familiar to railfans.

But alas you're right, what suits me may not suit you, and it is largely a matter of experience (or the frustration of missed opportunities to see the real thing in its prime) that drives most of our modeling.

Given the right circumstances and product availability, I would more likely change to an earlier time though, rather than a more modern one.

Lee

[lock4244]

The rise of grafitti adds another element. I don't think it's new, but certainly more of a widespread PITA than it has ever been.

Another consideration are private owners. Boxcars were the workhorse of RR's for decades, but the advent of the covered hopper has turned carfleets on their ears. Shippers/leasers have owned tankcars in the past, but I don't thik there were ever too many shipper/leaser boxcars out there. There are HUGE fleets of shipper and/or leaser owned covered hopper cars out there now, and though they are mostly BORING, uninspired gray/white cars, there is some interesting variety. The Sclair cars come to mind.

If I had to backdate, the 1970/80's, CN and CP, southern Ontario. Ideally, I'd like to have a layout that could be quickly altered for a different era. Not an easy task on a layout that fills a basement!

[3rdrail]

To wander a bit afield here, but the ratio of private to railroad marks by car type is almost entirely controlled by the railroads though reimbursement for private cars. If the railroads want the shippers to buy or lease cars, they will pay mileage reimbursements high enough for the shipper to make a profit on the cars. For this reason, shippers have always provided tank cars. OTOH, if the railroads want to supply cars, they will pay next to nothing in mileage reimbursements, which is the case with boxcars.

The railroads have been leaning more and more to private marked cars, forcing the shipper to provide cars makes the shipper feel obligated to use its asset. Shippers feel no compunction about idling whole fleets of railroad marked cars.

When railroads were much more regulated, the regulators tried to get the railroads to provide all the cars, but were never entirely successful.

[brokemoto]

I am building a nineteenth century pike so that I can continue to run trains when I tear down my apartment pike and start to build a house pike.  I chose the nineteenth century because the small equipment will go around sharp curves.  Enough decent nineteenth century equipment, especially power, has shown up to make it worth my trouble.  I am going more for the effect of the nineteenth century on this one that for accuracy:  there will be 1870s equipment and schemes running with 1890s equipment and schemes. 

A decently running 1880s/1870s ten-wheeler, twelve wheeler, eight-wheeler, and some lower drivered moguls would make me serious 1880s modeller out of me.  That, and some more wood commercial structure kits and a wood church, or two.  I could easily build or bash the rolling stock.

I barely remember steam, I was not even thought-of in the nineteenth century, but that is what really interests me.  I learned this hobby from my father, who is a major steam nut, he remembers riding behind steam daily. 

The only quarrel that I have with modern modellers is that they get much more product than we smokeheads get.  Other than that, if the modern period is what they like, they are the ones spending the money for the equipment.  Just because many people are buying SD-103BigMaCatTacKs, WGRQ-932s, GP-47s and Dash-16s, ninety-six foot rolling stock, articulated freight cars and trash trains does not mean that I must. 

Also, even I must admit that the variety of periods makes an N-TRAK layout interesting.  The modern stuff generally does not do much for me, and NOTHING would make me model it, but whatever works for you.......................

Oh, and I would go to the 1920s if some decent electric equipment became available, but, MOST importantly, if sectional street trackage became available.  I can do the straight and the curves, but, I have always been less than satisfied with the results of my street turnout projects.  I even have an idea to make a decent trolley out of a LL FA-1 chassis and two Bachpersonn trolley shells.  I suppose that a boxcab electric could be made from a LL FA-1 chassis and some styrene or the cab ends of two B-mann doodlebug shells.  The Kato steeplcab can be bashed into a decent North American appearing electric switcher, but it would require something to boost the electrical contact:  a cheater boxcar, running two MU or being hardwired to a live car/caboose.