Interesting question.
I would not be surprised if many of us use model railroading to transport us back in time to an era and scene that we have some memories concerning, or wish we did.
I guess such is the case with my Kansas City & Gulf "Ozark Sub" layout, set in the Autumn of 1964.
I did not live in the Ozarks in 1964. (Had relatives that did.) However, we used to pass through them often during my childhood as we would trek from KC to the Ozark region to visit relatives. (Mom and Dad both were from the Ozark region, as were their ancestors.)
Once we moved to Arkansas (January of '69), experiences of the railroading of the region began to be etched into my mind. I eventually earned a retirement railroading the Ozarks on the very rails that introduced me to mountain railroading. (At the time of my introduction, November of 1974, those rails were the Frisco's, when I was running those rails in engines as an employee, it was the Arkansas & Missouri.)
Given my exposure to Ozark mountain railroading, I eventually evolved into proto-freelancing my own KC&G theme, and set it a time frame (1964) that I would have LOVED to have experienced in the Ozarks. (But did experience in the KC MO area.)
I find that I can be so immersed into my fictional region of my KC&G that I model, that I have created Engineer and Conductor employee lists staffed with all sorts of characters that are either based on a railroader, or person I knew, or actually existed, or a name that I concocted on my own. (Some work regular jobs as their seniority allows them to hold!)
In addition, I'll use these characters to crew the trains included in my fiction I create occasionally for my KC&G.
My KC&G and the portion of the Ozark Sub I model, is an entire world that I have created and enjoy tremendously.
To illustrate, here's a re-post of some fiction I created to describe an incident that happened when a model railroad friend and I were running an "operating session" on my KC&G Ozark Sub layout. Perhaps you might enjoy it.
AUTUMN 1964...
The cold, mist laden Ozark mountains were no doubt already planning how to conspire against the Kansas City & Gulf once again. Mother Nature is relentless. In the summer it's heat, along with the possibility of heat kinks in rail, in the spring it's cloud bursts bringing the very real threat of washouts, and in the winter, well, the Ozarks are known for ice storms, as well as unexpected snows that can deal fits with the concept of moving getting trains over a steep grade.
However, for today, for this time of year, it was cold and mist... again. Of course, along with conditions such as this, comes the bane of trying to move tonnage on a mountain railroad: Wet rail.
Fallen leafs on the rail is bad enough, but wet leafs... they're like grease.
Into the mist-dappled mountains labored northbound train #44, a general freight, as it struggled against that devil of a grade up to Piney Gap. The engines were pulling their guts out at about 15 MPH as they ground their way alongside tumbling Possum Creek, all the while working their way up the grade toward the summit. The misted wet rail was bad enough... and the wet fallen leaves were making it worse.
What lousy timing for sand lines to get plugged with wet sand.
Bereft of the sanders on the trailing unit, train #44 didn't stand a chance.
Sure 'nuf, #44 stalled up past the crossing at Jack Fork, just as they were poised to round Chinkapin Knob and head into Buck Hollow.
Aided by Ma Nature, The Mountain had claimed another victim.
The call went out from #44 to the Dispatcher: "44 to 'Spatcher."
"Dispatch" came the response over the engine's radio.
"We've laid down... got anybody that can give us some help or do we need to start doubling up to the top?"
Doubling to the top would have been time consuming for sure... IF the engines could even handle that task with one engine not laying down sand. After all, #44 was supposed to meet southbound passenger train #11 up north of Mountain Springs. Though #11 isn't much of a passenger train anymore, it would still would not be wise to hold it up. (The KC&G is trying to get out from under the financial load of passenger service... but that hasn't been approved yet.)
Fortunately, the Jack Fork Turn was still working down in the small yard at Ozarka as they were finishing switching up their train prior to departure. Sure enough, the Dispatcher hollered at them, and within a few minutes, the work day the Conductor had planned for the Jack Fork Turn were changed. They were now "Extra 412 North", and would be taking their GP7 out of town light, and head out into the misty mountains to assist stalled #44 up to Piney Gap. Once there, they would magically transform into "Extra 412 South" (said so on the flimsies) and ease back down The Mountain to Ozarka.
After a quick comparison of the flimsies among the crew in the cab of 412, with a couple blats from the Wabco E2, Extra 412 North eased onto the main, closed and locked the switch behind them, and headed off into the mist.
About 7 miles north of Ozarka, Extra 412 North was gingerly coming up to stop near the rear of stalled #44, and once a quick job briefing was held with #44's Conductor in the caboose, they tacked-on to the rear of #44.
"Okay Pig Iron... we're hooked on!" came the shout from helper 412. ("Pig Iron" Matthews was the hoghead on #44. So nicknamed because he had a tendency to be, well, a bit "determined" in mind, if you know what I mean.)
"Okay... yer hooked on an' ready. Grab me a couple, Hotshot" crackled head end over the radio.
"Got a couple!" came the reply as the 412 nudged against the stalled train... sanders blowing.
"We'll let's git 'em movin' then!" came the response from up front.
It took quite a bit of doin' to get the stalled train moving again... but do it they did.
At the grand speed of about 8 MPH, #44, with GP7 412 shoving on the rear, the engines slipped and clawed their way the rest of the way up to the top of Buck Mountain at Piney Gap.
Easing to a stop at Piney, the struggle was behind them now. Engine 412 cut away, and train #44 was on its way to keep an appointment with Psgr #11. In the meantime, GP7 412 eased back a short ways to the tiny little depot that still served the line at the small summit town of Piney.
Quite soon the sound of #44 was swallowed up by the misty mountains... only the sound of their distant whistle could be heard at one of the little mountain dirt road crossings. Now it was just engine 412 sitting by its lonesome in front of the little depot at the sleepy little town of Piney.
Their next task would be to gingerly ease down the treacherously slick rail with a light engine and make it back back down to Ozarka to resume their scheduled job. No doubt, they would be using sand at times on their descent to keep from sliding down the rail at the worst sections. But under the capable hands of Hogger Extraordinaire "Hotshot" Chadwick, there was little cause for concern, for "Hotshot" had been in such situations countless times.
No, today was simply an all too familiar part of railroading on the KC&G.
The Picture:
Engine 412 idles its EMD chant in front of the little depot at Piney. That wood stove feels pretty good to the crew inside as they take a few minutes to swig down some hot coffee before easing back down The Mountain as Extra 412 South.
Andre
