Your favorite RR company to model

Lionel Lines!!

 Mostly the Boston & Albany in the war era. Luckily they only ran a few different steamers and they have been produced. Enough so that I have what resembles a roster. A few repaints and customizing cabooses were involved. Recently I have become entrenched in the Rutland. I've always liked the idea of a milk train. Again the Rutland didn't have a great variety of motive power. Decals and dry transfers are available. A lot of their equipment resembled the NYC. You can find close enough models such as Legacy 10 wheelers and Mikados to reletter. 

 When I want to run a some diesels. I model the NH. Plenty is available as far as engines and cabooses. I model around 1950. Most of what's on the layout can remain.

L&N and NC&StL exclusively.

perfer those roads’ freight

I model the Penn Central and Akron, Canton & Youngstown on my layout.  I model the PC because that is what I grew up with.  The Ft. Wayne line ran behind the house I grew up in.  They had quite an assortment of motive power which kept things interesting.  I model the AC&Y because I currently live in Delphos, Ohio, the western terminus of the AC&Y.  The PRR, AC&Y and NKP all had tracks running through Delphos.  Quite a bit of railroad history here.

I have no problem running cars of various road names in my trains. Look at any photos from that time period and you will see a broad range of road names on any given train.  The only stipulation is that the motive power and cabins on the PC trains are from  the PC, PRR or NYC.  The AC&Y trains have AC&Y power and cabooses.

Tom

READING & NORTHERN

The majority of the collection is New York Central and Conrail, but I also am partial to these roads:

• Erie Lackawanna
• Southern
• Baltimore & Ohio
• Chesapeake & Ohio
• Central of New Jersey
• NJ Transit
• Amtrak

Most of these roads are native to my home state in North Jersey.

I have almost zero West Coast road material, mostly because they don't interest me as much as the East Coast equipment. There are some exceptions, but not very many.

Cleveland Steel mills and industrial areas.Not so much particular rail Roads BUT Union Pacific has the BEST Steam engines!!!!

Boston & Maine with freight cars from the New England area and I stay in the 1950s so that I have steam and diesel electric locomotives.

Nickel Plate Road and Union Pacific.

NKP had a tremendous presence in Cleveland and those glorious Berkshires.

UNP had/has tremendous steam.....and the scenery in the West (mountain and desert) is tough to beat.

Interesting, I grew up where Santa Fe was the only service so I'm certainly sensitive to that. Since the west coast is my most familiar territory but I come from a family spread all over the country as a kid I spent a lot of time on Santa Fe, Union Pacific, Southern Pacific, Great Northern, Northern Pacific, and a little on Milwaukee getting up and down the coast or getting from there to Chicago. From Chicago most of those travels further east were New York Central or Pennsylvania.  My locomotive selection as well as passenger cars follow the theme of traveling up and down the west coast from San Diego to Seattle and from those places to Chicago and on to Cleveland.

The layout itself is more west than east in geography and geology which is why I joke about running Pennsylvania turbines through the desert and past volcano mountains, space being limited as it is in my basement.

So the biggest part of the answers is yes the layout and trains reflect that which I am most familiar with and what I grew up with. The layout is a sturdy link to my childhood of living in the coastal southwest traveling to the coastal northwest then from either of those locations to northeast Ohio and back. I also have a LOT of back seat station wagon time from this period, that I realize is not on the layout. Now I need to find an O scale model of a 49 Plymouth woody wagon.

Bogie

NYC most of my family worked there back in the day. Some PC too. Dad worked at the Harmon yards before and after WWll. 

I like modeling what I have seen in real life and in Texas I see a lot of Union Pacific. Also, because I am 15, the only trains I have seen in my life are diesels, so that’s all I tend to buy. I really wish I lived in the steam age though.

I currently model western railroads and have one BNSF and one Union Pacific locomotive.  I do plan on adding some PRR and NYC in the future.  I like to match western railroad rolling stock with western locomotives and eastern rolling stock with eastern locomotives.

I model the Grand Trunk Western in the early 1990s

I'm still not sure exactly why the GTW appealed to me at first, other than I live in a historically big NYC/Conrail area and the GTW ran through a neighboring town, which made that road more "rare" and interesting to me at the time.

Now, after years of getting to know the GTW, it's kind of like an old friend. I wouldn't have it any other way. It's a bit of an underdog and I like that too.

I have a few early diesel and steam GTW models too, but that's not my focus

I also include some Canadian National traffic as they're the parent company of the GTW. Also, i really like the unique Canadian equipment they run, like the Canadian-stye wide cab units below.

I model and run mostly New England and New York railroads including:

• New York New Haven & Hartford
• Boston & Maine
• Boston & Albany
• New York Central
• Long Island
• Amtrak...                  

My under-construction railroad is a model of a small town in New England.

MELGAR

I tend to model an era, such as early 1950s thru mis 1950s. Thus I have a lot of big steam and a very few early diesels.

Just based upon what I have most of, it would be Santa Fe in the Warbonnet paint scheme.  I was hoping for Lionel to reproduce the Warbonnet freight car series, when,out of nowhere, this company called Menards started advertising their version.  So, I jumped all over them and now I have three
Warbonnet freight trains and several Warbonnet passenger trains including a set of MTH El Capitan passengers pulled by a Lionel Legacy AC6000.  It may not be correct, but it looks good to me.

I grew up in Portsmouth VA, literally between the Seaboard Air Line and Atlantic Coast Line tracks coming into town.

Being the SAL originated in Portsmouth it’s always been my favorite, but getting accurate engines and rolling stock has been an adventure.

Erie

NKP

Lou N

While my layout scenery  is whatever i like. I collect and run almost exclusively Southern  passenger Steam, just added some F and E diesel after finding appreciation for em going to Spencer a few times. I also collect Southern O scale building etc.. I Own a chessie System and The Pennsylvania Q2 Duplex because I love the look and sound.  Though if I did say it would be southern though

Frisco, in Springfield, MO

The Erie-Lackawanna, the 'Valley, & the 'Central.  I've lived all over the US but what I saw growing up (if I have grown up) still appeals to me.  I have pictures in my mind that I can't wait to bring to life on my layout.

Rich

wild mary posted:

Ditto! I think the circus scheme is the best paint scheme ever applied to a diesel locomotive.  I have an MTH PS3 SD35 and about 15 cars and a caboose.  I'm currently looking at more engines, as I plan on lengthening my WM consist.  Once I find a suitable companion for my SD35 (MTH's new F units look nice), all I have to do is wait for money to fall from the sky so that I can purchase it.

For me, it's what I grew up with, Illinois Terminal, Gulf Mobile & Ohio, Illinois Central and the two combined, Illinois Central Gulf, Also Norfolk & Western.

Rusty

Maine Central 

My favorite is the PRR since that is what I saw when traveling around the Steubenville-Mingo area during my childhood. 

I am very much a Texas and Pacific fan. Unfortunately although generic steam engine models have been released marked as Texas and Pacific, there has never been manufactured an accurate three rail O scale model of an in service Texas and Pacific steamer. The Lionel 2-8-2 (the full scale one numbered 557) is a quirky engine, mine shorts out or goes brain dead when backed; it's based on a builder's photo of engines sent to T&P by USRA toward the end of WW-1 when T&P was already fully converted to oil fired, ergo these engines were refused and later sloughed off onto Rock Island. This Spring 3rd Rail will build the engine I never thought I would own, the T&P 600 class 2-10-4. I'm buying one! Ouch these prices.... Since it's hard to get excited about owning only two engines. I will admit I have other Texas motives and a couple of TP diesels. Couple more I decaled or did homemade conversions... I even have a Lionel Brit Great Western Railway Kinlet Hall set! But my heart is with T&P! Uh yeah I do own an Erie Triplex....

i just want to say as a Texan I really admire the guy in Lansing Michigan who modeis the Roscoe, Snyder and Pacific!

New York Central, PRR and Reading.

My mom always used to take me to Amtrak's Irvine Transportation Center to watch trains when I was younger. It was from that I began a love affair with Amtrak and Metrolink. I model those two roads from around 2010 ish to present day. What makes it fun is when you go scale. I am slowly transitioning to scale equipment, which makes things hard to find and expensive. I was so proud of myself for being able to hunt down a K-Line Superliner sleeper. Pairs well with the two MTH Phase V Genesis locomotives I have. Mine are from the original run. I have the non-powered loco #193 and the 2nd powered loco #204. The powered unit is disassembled and awaits a Proto 3 upgrade, and the non-powered unit is awaiting marker light replacement. It's unfortunate that they couldn't get the color right the first time. Both units will eventually have red on both ends. Future additions include an Amfleet I coach by Golden Gate Depot (finally convinced myself to reserve one), Silver Lariat by Atlas O and 2 Premier F59PHIs (Pacific Surfliner 10th anniversary and Amtrak Cascades). As for Metrolink, if I ever manage to track down a Premier Metrolink F59PHI, I'll have an excuse to bite the bullet and get a set of K-Line Bombardier coaches. Nobody other than K-Line has made aluminum Bombardier coaches, let alone at scale length (21"). Anyways, those are my two favorite roads and I can't wait to get to building my new layout to accommodate bigger cars. O-72 or bust! 

GenesisFan99 posted:

My mom always used to take me to Amtrak's Irvine Transportation Center to watch trains when I was younger. It was from that I began a love affair with Amtrak and Metrolink. I model those two roads from around 2010 ish to present day. What makes it fun is when you go scale. I am slowly transitioning to scale equipment, which makes things hard to find and expensive. I was so proud of myself for being able to hunt down a K-Line Superliner sleeper. Pairs well with the two MTH Phase V Genesis locomotives I have. Mine are from the original run. I have the non-powered loco #193 and the 2nd powered loco #204. The powered unit is disassembled and awaits a Proto 3 upgrade, and the non-powered unit is awaiting marker light replacement. It's unfortunate that they couldn't get the color right the first time. Both units will eventually have red on both ends. Future additions include an Amfleet I coach by Golden Gate Depot (finally convinced myself to reserve one), Silver Lariat by Atlas O and 2 Premier F59PHIs (Pacific Surfliner 10th anniversary and Amtrak Cascades). As for Metrolink, if I ever manage to track down a Premier Metrolink F59PHI, I'll have an excuse to bite the bullet and get a set of K-Line Bombardier coaches. Nobody other than K-Line has made aluminum Bombardier coaches, let alone at scale length (21"). Anyways, those are my two favorite roads and I can't wait to get to building my new layout to accommodate bigger cars. O-72 or bust! 

 I wish you the best of luck in your quest.  It is always great to have a goal, and a focused one is even better.  

I model SP first and then UP and have most of the popular engines of both roads.In SP I have AC 6,AC 9,AC 12,GS 2 Black,GS 4 Black,GS 4 Daylight,Consolidation,F 7 Black Widow,Alco Daylight.In UP I have 0-6-0Switcher,4-12-2 Three Cylinder,3967 Challenger,4012 Big Boy,844 FEF,E-9 ABA,SD 70 Ace.

Mainly Southern Pacific and Santa Fe but some WP and DRGW.

Western Maryland is first

Baltimore and Ohio is second

Bob Severin posted:

GenesisFan99 posted:

My mom always used to take me to Amtrak's Irvine Transportation Center to watch trains when I was younger. It was from that I began a love affair with Amtrak and Metrolink. I model those two roads from around 2010 ish to present day. What makes it fun is when you go scale. I am slowly transitioning to scale equipment, which makes things hard to find and expensive. I was so proud of myself for being able to hunt down a K-Line Superliner sleeper. Pairs well with the two MTH Phase V Genesis locomotives I have. Mine are from the original run. I have the non-powered loco #193 and the 2nd powered loco #204. The powered unit is disassembled and awaits a Proto 3 upgrade, and the non-powered unit is awaiting marker light replacement. It's unfortunate that they couldn't get the color right the first time. Both units will eventually have red on both ends. Future additions include an Amfleet I coach by Golden Gate Depot (finally convinced myself to reserve one), Silver Lariat by Atlas O and 2 Premier F59PHIs (Pacific Surfliner 10th anniversary and Amtrak Cascades). As for Metrolink, if I ever manage to track down a Premier Metrolink F59PHI, I'll have an excuse to bite the bullet and get a set of K-Line Bombardier coaches. Nobody other than K-Line has made aluminum Bombardier coaches, let alone at scale length (21"). Anyways, those are my two favorite roads and I can't wait to get to building my new layout to accommodate bigger cars. O-72 or bust! 

 I wish you the best of luck in your quest.  It is always great to have a goal, and a focused one is even better.  

 

Thanks I'll need it haha. Some of these items are just impossible to find, not to mention my track plan isn't too cheap either. Switches get very expensive, so yes focus is very important. It's very hard to decide when I see things like a K-Line NCDOT F59PHI or an Atlas Horizon coach in Amtrak Phase IVb over track/control equipment. 

Dave_C posted:

 Mostly the Boston & Albany in the war era. Luckily they only ran a few different steamers and they have been produced. Enough so that I have what resembles a roster. A few repaints and customizing cabooses were involved. Recently I have become entrenched in the Rutland. I've always liked the idea of a milk train. Again the Rutland didn't have a great variety of motive power. Decals and dry transfers are available. A lot of their equipment resembled the NYC. You can find close enough models such as Legacy 10 wheelers and Mikados to reletter. 

 When I want to run a some diesels. I model the NH. Plenty is available as far as engines and cabooses. I model around 1950. Most of what's on the layout can remain.

Very nice scenery in your photos, Dave.

richtrow posted:

I model the Grand Trunk Western in the early 1990s

I'm still not sure exactly why the GTW appealed to me at first, other than I live in a historically big NYC/Conrail area and the GTW ran through a neighboring town, which made that road more "rare" and interesting to me at the time.

Now, after years of getting to know the GTW, it's kind of like an old friend. I wouldn't have it any other way. It's a bit of an underdog and I like that too.

I have a few early diesel and steam GTW models too, but that's not my focus

I also include some Canadian National traffic as they're the parent company of the GTW. Also, i really like the unique Canadian equipment they run, like the Canadian-stye wide cab units below.

Looks like you have a magnificent layout.

Dave_C posted:

 Mostly the Boston & Albany in the war era. Luckily they only ran a few different steamers and they have been produced. Enough so that I have what resembles a roster. A few repaints and customizing cabooses were involved. Recently I have become entrenched in the Rutland. I've always liked the idea of a milk train. Again the Rutland didn't have a great variety of motive power. Decals and dry transfers are available. A lot of their equipment resembled the NYC. You can find close enough models such as Legacy 10 wheelers and Mikados to reletter. 

 When I want to run a some diesels. I model the NH. Plenty is available as far as engines and cabooses. I model around 1950. Most of what's on the layout can remain.

Very nice scenery in your photos, Dave.

Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits et des Grands Express Européens, abbreviated to CIWL.

Regards

Fred

New York Central and my favorite short line - Raritan River....

I buy any line that came into Chicago. My hometown favorites are Milwaukee Road,  Chicago Great Western, CB&Q, C&NW and Rock Island. 

PRR, C&O/ B&O/Chessie, ATSF, plus a growing collection of LIRR Equipment. No one particular favorite though.

Bob

My layout spans the late 1950s to the present and is sort of "Midwest"--Ohio, Indiana, Illinois. The roads most represented on my layout are NS (N & W), Penn Central, D T & I, Conrail. But because I like the purple Es and Fs, the Atlantic Coast Line also resides in my layout!

The Reading (pronounced Redding for those outside the northeast).

A humorous story, we lived close the the Reading Tracks and one day my dad and I were at the train station, I asked him why it was called the Reading Railroad - he asked me to look in the windows of the passenger car and tell him what I saw.  Everyone of reading the newspaper.  That's why.

DaveP posted:

New York Central and my favorite short line - Raritan River....

Looking good!

My hometown shortline, Raritan River. 

And Black River & Western where I've been volunteering recently. 

I model what I see or fallen flags that made up what I now see. My favorites are:

Western Maryland

Chessie

Conrail

Penn Central

PRR

CSX

NS

I'd say 85 percent of what I own is Western Maryland or CSX.

I grew up close to the C&O line along the James River.  I only have a few pieces of rolling stock.

My first house I bought was within 100 yards of the RF&P line.  I only have a few boxcars.

My grandfather started as a fireman and ended as an engineer with Southern and had a dozen relatives that made careers out of Southern. I only have a few pieces.

Not doing very well at focusing in on companies that I have a connection with.

Do have N&W, B&O, CSX, and NS.

Model:

Chicago and Northwestern

Chicago Great Western

jstraw124 posted:

I grew up close to the C&O line along the James River.  I only have a few pieces of rolling stock.

My first house I bought was within 100 yards of the RF&P line.  I only have a few boxcars.

My grandfather started as a fireman and ended as an engineer with Southern and had a dozen relatives that made careers out of Southern. I only have a few pieces.

Not doing very well at focusing in on companies that I have a connection with.

Do have N&W, B&O, CSX, and NS.

 

I've been looking into Southern recently. It has a history here in SC (it acquired SCRR in 1899) and I'd like to at least run one locomotive with rolling stock from a "fallen flag" railroad that ran locally (though I need to see if Southern came through Florence, SC.

Pennsy, pre 1953, when passenger motive power was painted the proper DGLE. Why? Partly because there is a model of virtually every 20th century loco. And, tons of information.

2nd--B&O, the plucky striver against Giganto.

3r--N&W-who doesn't like N&W?

4th--Reading. Bought a Lionel T-1 y'ars ago. Just a cool railroad.

Thank heaven that I'm out of storage space, else I would be bankrupt...