Why no FreeLance N scale models?

[brill27mcb]

I have not seen any mention here yet of the series of multi-scale "famous model railroad" freight cars that the NMRA offered years ago. Don't they count?

Rich K.

[Tad_T]

I have not seen any mention here yet of the series of multi-scale "famous model railroad" freight cars that the NMRA offered years ago. Don't they count?

Rich K.

Share with the class, please.

[bbussey]

This is my Virginian & Ohio representative trailing my Allegheny Midland representative. I painted and decaled them based on famous HO limited-run models that both layout creators had commissioned in years past - peaked-end twin-bay offset hopper for V&O, triple-bay offset hopper for AM.

[nkalanaga]

The Oregon Short Line (OSL) was a real railroad, but I doubt that any N scalers model it.  It was merged into the UP in the late 1890s.  I'm not surprised that someone would resurrect the name as a freelance line.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_Short_Line_Railroad

[bman]

My club has resurrected the last narrow gauge railroad's name the Ohio River and Western. I myself have done the same with the Zanesville and Western(thanks to K4 Decals they make the decal for an early 1900's coal gondola for the Z&W a car made right here in Columbus by the Ralston Car Shops) an early steam railroad in here in Ohio. It wound up as part of the Toledo and Ohio Central, which then wound up  in the New York Central. Of course then into Penn Central. Passed into Conrail making up parts of the West Virginia Secondary. NS got it in the split. Now it's leased to the Kanawha River Railroad. Here's examples of them on our club layout.

[delamaize]

The Oregon Short Line (OSL) was a real railroad, but I doubt that any N scalers model it.  It was merged into the UP in the late 1890s.  I'm not surprised that someone would resurrect the name as a freelance line.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_Short_Line_Railroad

Thanks, I don't remember where I picked up the box car. I wanna say the person I picked it up from said it was freelanced. It doesn't matter to me really, still like the boxcar.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Phil Brooks Clinch River Railroad.

That was beautiful. Is Phil still around?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

That reminds me, I haven't really followed Model Railroader magazine much in years but it doesn't seem like they have a current "anointed one" these days. Seriously though, it seems like the magazines are no longer really the kingmakers and trendsetters they used to be in the hobby, and the real waves are being made on either podcasts or videos on social media. I think that's where the next superstar model railroader is gonna come from and it ain't gonna be somebody who fits Model Railroader's mold. 

Magazines don't have "anointed ones". They have "reliable authors".

I think people confuse the two.

Why is Tony K so prolific? Because he is a machine when it comes to producing content.

He knows what MR wants and how to give it to them.

The only real barrier to entry in the hobby press is their backlog. RMC, for example, is actually doing really well on that front. But that backlog requires pipeline, so people who are interested in being "anointed" need to step up and produce.

[Tom L]

Freelance on a freelance.   A G&D boxcar getting a move on my (in progress) Central Terminal Railway mini switching layout.  It’s an Intermountain 1937 boxcar with K4 decals.   

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

Tom L
Wellington CO

[John]

Magazines don't have "anointed ones". They have "reliable authors".

I think people confuse the two.

Why is Tony K so prolific? Because he is a machine when it comes to producing content.

He knows what MR wants and how to give it to them.

The only real barrier to entry in the hobby press is their backlog. RMC, for example, is actually doing really well on that front. But that backlog requires pipeline, so people who are interested in being "anointed" need to step up and produce.

I think there is a trend to other media as well -- heck, everyone publishes on youtube now .. there must be hundreds of clips on how to make trees ..

[brill27mcb]

I have not seen any mention here yet of the series of multi-scale "famous model railroad" freight cars that the NMRA offered years ago. Don't they count?

Rich K.

Share with the class, please.

Well, it's not my realm of deep knowledge or interest, but since you asked so kindly, I've researched the NMRA "Heritage Collection" series and pulled this together:

Issue No.   Railroad   Type of Car   N Scale Manufacturer   
01   Gorre & Daphetid (John Allen)   40' Steel Sgl. Door Boxcar    MTL Special NSC 92-10
02   Sunset Railway & Navigation (Lynn Westcott)   40' Steel Dbl. Dr. Boxcar   MTL Special NSC 93-37
03   Delta Lines (Frank Ellison)   40' Steel Sgl. Dr. Boxcar   MTL Special NSC 93-43
04   Prospect & Upper Ridge (A. E. “Bud” Sima)   40' Wood Sided Reefer   MTL Special NSC 94-36
05   Milwaukee Union Terminal (model railroad club)   33’ 2 Bay Rib Side Hopper   MTL Special NSC 96-01
06   Great Gulch, Yahoo Valley & Northern (Al Kalmbach)   40' Outside Braced Boxcar   MTL Special NSC 96-27
07   Texas & Rio Grande Western Lines (Bill McClanahan)   40' Steel Dbl. Dr. Boxcar   MTL Special NSC 96-57
08   Firewater & Kicking Horse (Billings McArthur)   40' Steel Sgl. Dr. Boxcar   MTL Special NSC 97-40
09   Hollywood & Western (Jim Trout)   40’ Wood Reefer   MTL Special NSC 98-05
10   Glencoe & Skokie Valley (Ed Ravenscroft)   40’ Outside Braced Boxcar   MTL Special NSC 99-50
11   Alturas & Lone Pine (Whit Towers)   40' Plug Door Boxcar   MTL Special NSC 00-74
12   Bent Spaghetti Lines (Jerry Drake)   50' Steel Dbl. Dr. Boxcar   MTL Special NSC 02-08
13   Platteville & Calamine (Gordon Odegard)   40' Box Car   MTL Special NSC 03-43
14   Crooked Mountain Lines (Bob Hegge)   40' Wood Boxcar   MTL Special NSC 04-19
15   Hardscrabble & Great Divide (Cliff Grandt)   40’ Wood Reefer   MTL Special NSC 05-41
16   Moonlight & Violins (Bill Schopp)   40' Wood Boxcar   MTL Special NSC 06-45
17   Saint Clair Northern Railway (Irv Schulz)   40’ Wood Reefer   MTL Special NSC 07-62
18   East Penn Lines (Lone Eagle Payne)   40' Wood Boxcar   Athearn 99323

Most of these salute early model railroading pioneers, many being also NMRA-related people. All were well ahead of the introduction of N scale, but you should recognize many of the names. The NMRA used different manufacturers to make special runs in the various scales for each issue, with the N scale offerings being dominated by MTL. (The first 2 digits of the NSC number are the year of manufacture.)

As a member of the East Penn Traction Club, I couldn't resist getting the East Penn Lines boxcar. That's why I remembered them.

Rich K.

[Olivani]

That was beautiful. Is Phil still around?

I don't know Ed, I just remembered the nice, red locomotives   

[Tad_T]

Well, it's not my realm of deep knowledge or interest, but since you asked so kindly, I've researched the NMRA "Heritage Collection" series and pulled this together:

Issue No.   Railroad   Type of Car   N Scale Manufacturer   
01   Gorre & Daphetid (John Allen)   40' Steel Sgl. Door Boxcar    MTL Special NSC 92-10
02   Sunset Railway & Navigation (Lynn Westcott)   40' Steel Dbl. Dr. Boxcar   MTL Special NSC 93-37
03   Delta Lines (Frank Ellison)   40' Steel Sgl. Dr. Boxcar   MTL Special NSC 93-43
04   Prospect & Upper Ridge (A. E. “Bud” Sima)   40' Wood Sided Reefer   MTL Special NSC 94-36
05   Milwaukee Union Terminal (model railroad club)   33’ 2 Bay Rib Side Hopper   MTL Special NSC 96-01
06   Great Gulch, Yahoo Valley & Northern (Al Kalmbach)   40' Outside Braced Boxcar   MTL Special NSC 96-27
07   Texas & Rio Grande Western Lines (Bill McClanahan)   40' Steel Dbl. Dr. Boxcar   MTL Special NSC 96-57
08   Firewater & Kicking Horse (Billings McArthur)   40' Steel Sgl. Dr. Boxcar   MTL Special NSC 97-40
09   Hollywood & Western (Jim Trout)   40’ Wood Reefer   MTL Special NSC 98-05
10   Glencoe & Skokie Valley (Ed Ravenscroft)   40’ Outside Braced Boxcar   MTL Special NSC 99-50
11   Alturas & Lone Pine (Whit Towers)   40' Plug Door Boxcar   MTL Special NSC 00-74
12   Bent Spaghetti Lines (Jerry Drake)   50' Steel Dbl. Dr. Boxcar   MTL Special NSC 02-08
13   Platteville & Calamine (Gordon Odegard)   40' Box Car   MTL Special NSC 03-43
14   Crooked Mountain Lines (Bob Hegge)   40' Wood Boxcar   MTL Special NSC 04-19
15   Hardscrabble & Great Divide (Cliff Grandt)   40’ Wood Reefer   MTL Special NSC 05-41
16   Moonlight & Violins (Bill Schopp)   40' Wood Boxcar   MTL Special NSC 06-45
17   Saint Clair Northern Railway (Irv Schulz)   40’ Wood Reefer   MTL Special NSC 07-62
18   East Penn Lines (Lone Eagle Payne)   40' Wood Boxcar   Athearn 99323

Most of these salute early model railroading pioneers, many being also NMRA-related people. All were well ahead of the introduction of N scale, but you should recognize many of the names. The NMRA used different manufacturers to make special runs in the various scales for each issue, with the N scale offerings being dominated by MTL. (The first 2 digits of the NSC number are the year of manufacture.)

As a member of the East Penn Traction Club, I couldn't resist getting the East Penn Lines boxcar. That's why I remembered them.

Rich K.

Thank you, very much.

I was unaware of this series.

[Westcoast_Trains]

And are there any super famous N scale freelance railroads? I can't think of any.

Tenino Western i believe its called has been featured in RMC for at least a few years now to name at least one, there was also the oregon joint line which was more a proto freelance for another example. I have a few friends with freelance N scale but they are not published. Attached is a photo of the tenino western, not my photo.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

The TWRR is fantastic!

It's one of the best model railroads out there and I think very much follows in the footsteps of the greats like the V&O and AM.

It does everything I would consider top shelf: it operates realistically, it runs well and it looks gorgeous. What else can you ask for?