Why model 1972?

[nkalanaga]

I read someplace, years ago, that most model railroaders they surveyed modeled their early to mid teenage years.  Of course, that was the prototype or proto-freelance modelers, who had set year(s) for their modeling.

[C855B]

I read someplace, years ago, that most model railroaders they surveyed modeled their early to mid teenage years.  Of course, that was the prototype or proto-freelance modelers, who had set year(s) for their modeling.

It may well have been my survey/analysis. Can't recall if it was here or back on the Atlas forum. I had 80 responses, IIRC, which was in the realm of statistically significant. Most were as you recall, but a fairly large proportion were "modern era" modelers. Never did determine if that was a case of looking out their window or availability of suitable models.

I have or had a spreadsheet tallying the responses, but heaven help me find it!

[lock4244]

I read someplace, years ago, that most model railroaders they surveyed modeled their early to mid teenage years.  Of course, that was the prototype or proto-freelance modelers, who had set year(s) for their modeling.

My interest is the late 80's in southern Ontario, basically what I saw around home (Toronto) and environs when I was 12-14. While it may have lacked a measure of the variety of the 1970's, thankfully the MLW's fleets were still relatively intact at the time and were still frontline power. I was lucky enough to have witnessed it, and going trackside when I visit is depressing... 1+1 Gevo powered trains do not inspire.

And the graffiti is sickening to me... not an issue in 1987-89.

1977-1979 and 1997-1999 are also eras of interest in southern Ontario, and though I'll likely never 'model' either era, I have a ton of equipment to do so if I chose (freight and passenger rollingstock that is; motive power scene is sorely lacking).

[Ike the BN Freak]

I read someplace, years ago, that most model railroaders they surveyed modeled their early to mid teenage years.  Of course, that was the prototype or proto-freelance modelers, who had set year(s) for their modeling.

Makes sense, I model 92-94 BN, but at the time I was 8-10 and living on Ellsworth AFB, so close to the BN coal lines. Then we moved to Hawaii where RRs are lacking, early teen years were living in Alaska, have thought of modeling that also, one of those, if I lost everything I'd start over modeling Alaska RR summer of 99

[C855B]

I read someplace, years ago, that most model railroaders they surveyed modeled their early to mid teenage years. ...

Found the survey results. 7 years ago, on TRW. 92 responses. Exec summary? Did not confirm the "teenage years" postulate.

My definition of teenage years was a generous envelope of between 7 and 18 years between birth year and preferred modeling era. Breakdown:

• 53 (the clear majority) preferred eras they never could have experienced firsthand.
• 21 modeled years experienced as adults.
• The remainder (18) were recalling pre-teen/teen experiences.

Most popular was transition era, with 35. Second @ 28 was pre-Borg, 1960-1980. 2000+ was 16. 11 reported 1980-1999, and 4 admitted to pre-WW II.

I don't think the era breakdown is statistically significant, but it was interesting to me how many modeled transition era. A few on the list I think have since changed preferred era, but this is what I had in early 2019.

[bbussey]

"Pre-Borg"    Outstanding. 

My two eras are at the low end and high end of the "teen" boundaries.  I used to model/collect everything when I was in my teens and early twenties, and it wasn't sustainable.  I liked PRR, NYC, NH, SCL, PC and CR because that is what I grew up with and utilized regularly -- again, not sustainable.  Had to narrow things down tremendously and NH was the logical choice because it checked all of the boxes, overwhelmingly more so than the other roads -- equipment variety, multiple concurrent schemes, a Class I but not massive, shared passenger service with PRR, etc.  I chose CR for the "modern" era because it allowed me to run equipment that I really liked (including the 1972 equipment) but were outside of the NH years.  I also naively thought that CR would be here for the long haul because it was solvent and was doing well financially and was (at the time) the Big Boy railroad in the East.  Modeling NH 1956 and CR 1980 scratches my itch as far as running all of the prototypes I like.

[Wlal13again]

Oh man, what's not to like? Alcos, FM and Baldwins running around. The hard coal roads still in business. 40 foot boxcars..  Billboard heralds galore, I`m in

[nkalanaga]

...mike:  No, obviously not your survey!  There have been numerous surveys over the almost 60 years I've read model magazines, so no telling which one I was thinking of.

[davefoxx]

Because of the terrible condition of PC, the early 70's don't seem to get much love.   But if you're looking for the bridge between classic boxcar era and the introduction of more modern railroading trends, it's a great time to model.

On my layout, I run several eras from 1967 through 1990 by changing out the motive power, rolling stock, and automobiles.  Coincidentally, I rolled the clock on my layout back to 1972 last weekend.  When I run 1972, I get:

1) Three railroads on my layout: Seaboard Coast Line RR (SCL), original Norfolk Southern Ry. (NS), and Aberdeen & Rockfish Ry. (A&R).
2) The last F-units of the SCL, inherited from the Seaboard Air Line (SAL) and Atlantic Coast Line (ACL) merger in 1967, survived into 1973.
3) Other first generation motive power, such as GP7s, GP9s, and GP18s, were still out there in mass numbers.
4) Second generation power, such as GP38s, GP40s, U25Bs, and U30Bs, were on the main line trains.
5) The first bicentennial locomotive, SCL No. 1776, was delivered by GE in June 1971.
6) The SCL’s split image scheme (the former SAL’s Green and Yellow scheme but relettered for the SCL) could still be found before all locomotives were eventually painted into the SCL’s black and yellow scheme.
7) Amtrak was only one-year-old, so, as noted in previous post(s), it’s the rainbow era with the steam-heated heritage fleet purchased from the freight railroads.  Interestingly, as of early 1972 (I model the springtime), much of the Amtrak equipment obtained from the SCL wasn’t even patched yet.

The 1970s are quickly becoming one of my favorite eras.  I also like 1976 when you get the incentive per diem (IPD) boxcar boom, Amfleet cars, and Amtrak equipment painted in Phases I, II, and III, including E8s, P30CHs, and F40PHs.

DFF

[cv_acr]

My club models Canadian Pacific in the 1970s (the era is loose enough that if it existed in the 1970s it's fair game, but it definitely has to be appropriate for somewhere in that range).

The era was chosen for a number of reasons, including that when the choice was made (1990s) it was still relatively recent. Now it's ~50 years and a lot what was still there then is radically different now...

The 1970s was really a sort of second "transition era". (You can argue some sort of transition every ~20 years or so.)

- "First generation" locomotives (e.g. F-units, GP9 and RS-10) were being supplanted by new "second generation" high horsepower mainline locomotives (e.g. SD40s and Centuries)
- The two major Canadian railways both adopted radical new modern images in the 1960s (CN in 1961, CP in 1968), so this models the CP Rail image transition
- passenger services were spun off to VIA Rail in the late 1970s (and in the US the same thing happened with Amtrak) - although we only represent CP passenger equipment
- Major industry consolidation in the United states was creating other new roads (Penn Central, Burlington Northern, Conrail, Chessie System)
- Changes in car construction to larger and welded cars
- The IPD/Railbox era

[randgust]

I wonder sometimes if anyone other than me has two completely and distinctly separate modeling interests, with the previous 1972 ATSF, but also with 1920's Pennsylvania logging.   

That one came from my father, grandmother, etc. that all lived in Endeavor, PA for the Wheeler & Dusenbury operation.   Dad started in 1928, the railroad and mill ran until 1938.    Lots of stories, family photos, and the mill and train crews were still alive when I was a kid to tell the stories.  I got to help write a book on it.   Doing N scale logging started with the portable Hickory Valley layout in 1976, and has now expanded greatly with a logging module, and seven T-trak modules expanding on to the PRR where the logging railroad connected, and was across the river from where I grew up.    My dad also 'commuted' on the PRR as a kid behind a D16 4-4-0, greased track under 2-10-0's as a teenage prank, and my uncle was a PRR RPO clerk.   For many years I think I was the only person crazy enough to try to do accurate N scale (eastern) logging, and the only person modeling this section of the PRR in any scale.

So that keeps me motivated, either working on that dinky geared steam/PRR from the 1920's, or banking back to the childhood 1970's with the ATSF main line in Arizona.   If nothing else, any survey with me would be 'pick any two'.

I decided that was OK when I met the legendary Linn Moedinger, ex-CMO from Strasburg, who is also an extraordinary modeler in HOn3.   His layout physically connects two layout levels, one of the EBT, and one of the Denver & Rio Grande.  And both are excellent, but he didn't pick one.  Both.

[Mark5]

I wonder sometimes if anyone other than me has two completely and distinctly separate modeling interests, with the previous 1972 ATSF, but also with 1920's Pennsylvania logging.   

N&W Pocahontas Division 1976 (primary) and 1955ish (secondary interest). Until late 1955, no diesels on N&W.

I also have a small amount of "modern" stuff (which I define as 1990+  )

[garethashenden]

I have a lot of equipment for the B&M in the early ‘70s. Probably 1971, certainly before the GP38-2s arrived in 1973. I had plans of long mainline trains, 3 to 5 GP9s on the front and a worn out RS3 pushing hard on the rear. But it wasn’t fitting in the space I had. Then I got bit by the prewar boxcar bug. The huge variety of styles and construction methods for cars in use at the start of WW2 is fascinating to me. Old low 36’ trussed boxcars next to 50’ double door automobile cars? Yes please! If I were sensible I’d switch to HO and take advantage of the wealth of resin kits, but I’m not sensible.

[basementcalling]

My teenage years were a prototype railroad desert. Virginia Beach had no active tracks. College did have the NS main one block behind my residence, but endless strings of coal hoppers got dull. Got exposed to western railroads through MR, Trains, and Railpace mags, plus a couple books on UP. That did it for me, but now that I've seen Sherman Hill in person, it doesn't fill the need I want from my hobby as it's endless trains going up and over without much switching. And I learned I like operations more than just main line running.

[C855B]

My teenage years were a prototype railroad desert. Virginia Beach had no active tracks. College did have the NS main one block behind my residence, but endless strings of coal hoppers got dull. Got exposed to western railroads through MR, Trains, and Railpace mags, plus a couple books on UP. That did it for me, but now that I've seen Sherman Hill in person, it doesn't fill the need I want from my hobby as it's endless trains going up and over without much switching. And I learned I like operations more than just main line running.

Know what you mean. My grandparents (both sides) lived in Norfolk. When we'd visit, fortunately my Mom's folks (where we'd stay) were walking distance from Lambert Point. It was fun to watch the FM switchers push and pull strings of coal hoppers in and out of the loading docks. But that was roughly all there was for train traffic.

As to modern UP, and modern railroading in general, meccas like Sherman Hill aren't the spectacular shows they used to be. In the '60s and '70s, basically pre-SD40-2 era, motive power still had lots of variety, and mainline running was fantastic shows of sound, thunder, smoke, and just everything that made railroading what it was. You'd feel it in your chest. Today? Meh. Another GE something or other.