Every railroad has a reason for its existence. What is your rationale?

I have a fascination with steam locomotives, electric locomotives, trolley cars, and only first generation diesels (hood units). How would I justify the running of various steamers, electrics, and trolley cars from all about the USA on my Long Island Railroad. Inspired by the LIRR Museum as a concept, the reason for existence of my railroad follows:

When I first saw the Lionel Scrap Yard, I had to have it because it fits the theme of my railroad perfectly. The high cost of foreign oil, and the abundant low cost US coal has doomed the diesels on the railroad, and we are returning to steam power.

[IMG] [/IMG]

The rail road's Management is trading first generation hood units for steamers in various parks across the US and Canada. New steam engines built to the most advanced Lima, ALCO, and Baldwin locomotive designs, and with technology upgrades to resolve issues of obsolescence, are on order from China.

The new locomotive designs have upgrades to incorporate high strength to weight ratio Titanium and carbon fiber composite structures that are necessary to offset the weight of larger volume coal and water loads. Computer controls in the steamers enable running with the "Clean Coal" sciences in use by power houses and modern factories. Computer controls also minimize the hands-on work done by the engineer and fireman.

Capitalizing the the US Navy's submarine technologies, the Engineering Department is developing a nuclear heat source to replace coal burning. The Management dropped its plans for total electrification because the rail road cannot the acreage necessary for the millions of windmills and photo cells the current administration would impose.

Bobby'

I think that it's neat that you have a theme for your railroad and that helps you focus on a specific purpose.

As my layout was built in sections and pieced together I do not have any specific theme or particular railroad that I model. Rather I have tried to create a variety of vignettes or scenes to show action. I too have the Lionel Scrapyard and built a neat little junkyard around the train being dismantled.

We also have an amusement park with a circus and numerous carnival rides, again to show action. I run six trains at one time on individual loops with some crossing over the other and others passing by one another.

That's the beauty of this hobby, your railroad can be anything you want it to be and you can always make changes.

Steve Tapper

Coal..

what's my rationale?

Summing it up in one word - FUN

FUN


LUMBER


Paul

Cabin fever!

Run toy trains....

My railroad is set in the time frame from the late thirties to the late forties, which is quite a broad stretch. It is set in and around Central New Jersey and it is about my father and that time period of his life.

One word: FUN!

Just to run POST WAR LIONEL, it's great fun.
Mike

My rationale was four-fold, run 8 passenger trains simultaneously, have a large siding yard to showcase those passenger sets not in service, a turntable and roundhouse area with sufficient outlet tracks to show-off my steamers, and a large city to display the 150 or so D-56 buildings in my collection.

Although I am only about 60% complete, the initial rationale is solidly in focus.

With a small, toy-oriented, layout i can get away with a bit more fantasy than otherwise.

Still, i do have a theme: the trains that ran through my hometown in the 40s and 50s. This leaves open rich possibilities since there were three main roads through town: N&W, C&O and the Southern.

Maybe in retirement i will pursue a 3RS layout of the town's railroads. That might be fun. For now, i will just be imagining what the consists would have looked like crossing the James river.

-- gary ray

My railroad is the Milwaukee Line in the summer of 1953. Steam only had about a year to go and the electrics and first generation diesels where still running strong. It's a perfect place and time for me. Don

realism, and beat-up, weathered trains

Updated Ode to the 1950's ... Queens N.Y. basement style.

Mine is a a small urban terminal type railroad owned by BNSF in the Pacific Northwest serving a small industrial area. It interchanges with MILW via car floats and UP via an interchange track. Although it's set in the recent past (1970s and later), motive power doesn't age on my layout so it's not uncommon to see brand new BNSF SD70MACs delivering trains to RS1/RS3s in pre-BN paint for local delivery.

Peter:

COOL setup!

I just love running trains!

Because...

That is what my wife used to tell our sons when it is just the way it is.

Dennis

To safely move passengers and freight around, and around, and around...

A 5x8 diorama of "life in the 1950s"...scenics/buildings, cars, and trains...in other words, childhood memories.

Wow! The number one theme is FUN. I love it. Thanks guys.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Bobby Ogage,

A small city trolley line, mostly street running, which
connects downtown with the interurban line at the joint
traction terminal. The interurban route is mostly private ROW.

Lee

Take the link to see Reggie Van Gleason lll and his rationale for Lionel trains. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...4LWg&feature=related

Chesapeake and Ohio Railway passenger and coal trains.

Funny you should ask. I was just telling someone last night the answer:

I run old hand-me-down PRR and LIRR passenger trains from a rural station, through a suburban interlocking, to a big city station. They are all electric trains using catenary that I just can't seem to get to work properly (sigh).

The electricity comes from a rail-fed coal-fired power plant. The spur that feeds the coal to the plant runs along the river, over a bridge, and into the plant.

Without the plant, the railroad stops running. Without the railroad, the plant stops running. Both operations are bankrupt, and no politicians seem to be able to figure out how to stop the madness.

Here's a graphic representation of our business model:

I'm trying to model what my home county would have been like in the 40's if the Uranium mines had panned out profitably. We sit between the UP and the D&RG so I'm working toward a mix, but for now have just UP (Come on MTH make me a Rio Grand steamer).

And to Arthur;
I LOVE IT!!!
Just the way reality works in so many places.

Russell

quote:

Originally posted by Arthur P. Bloom:
Funny you should ask. I was just telling someone last night the answer:

I run old hand-me-down PRR and LIRR passenger trains from a rural station, through a suburban interlocking, to a big city station. They are all electric trains using catenary that I just can't seem to get to work properly (sigh).

The electricity comes from a rail-fed coal-fired power plant. The spur that feeds the coal to the plant runs along the river, over a bridge, and into the plant.

Without the plant, the railroad stops running. Without the railroad, the plant stops running. Both operations are bankrupt, and no politicians seem to be able to figure out how to stop the madness.

Here's a graphic representation of our business model:

Art, we need to stop letting you play with that Escher boy. He'll get you running in circles.

To move merchandise across the plains states, such as Grain and Perlite.

Andrew

Rationale for my railroad, two fold. Escape the madness that is to prevalent outside the wall of my home, and fun. Without my 3 rail trains, well life would not be the same. I like your theme, shows great imagination, and just plain enjoyment, that this hobby can offer us.

Many thanks,

Billy C

It's simple. I grew up between the PRR and P&W tracks; bought my parent's house after I got married and am now between the Amtrak/SEPTA/NS tracks (formerly the PRR except when Bennett runs his EP22s on them) and the SEPTA Route 100 (formerly the P&W except when MTH finally releases those Electroliners)!

No one really expects me to run Amtrak. NS and Septa trains when I can run PRR and P&W, do you?

Bill

Generating greenhouse gasses.

---------------
'tis a coal, coal world

Rationale? Don't want to think about that. It would hurt me too much.

Rationale? I have all these trains, track and other stuff. What else am I going to do with it?

Wanted to run my own RR so created one. It is a bridge road that connects the mid-Atlantic area with north/south traffic (west too/there is no east from here). Any road that ran in this area can be on the layout, but no Santa Fe or Union Pacific (except an occasional car). The bridge road is mine, the Delaware Atlantic Midland (DAM). The name helps me remember what it is that my wife is refering to when she says, that dam railroad. Colors are: SAL Orange, SAL Yellow and UP light gray. The yard switchers and the road diesels have the colors reversed.

Rationale? Fun, enjoyment, there are worst ways to spend time/money...
...as far as era, a "floating" 40's-50's set in contemporary times, almost a Lovecraftian/Twilight Zone feeling of isolation.

To see familiar sights of the 60's and 70's close up and comfortable. The fun comes along for the ride...

my theme??

RUN 'EM!

quote:

Matt Jackson
A.I.M. Screen Name: MJ928s
Angels Gate Hi-Railers, San Pedro, California http://www.aghrclub.org

Moving Freight and Passengers from Point A to Point A for over 1/8th of a century!

i've ALWAYS loved matt's tagline as a rationale to run trains and as a reason to have a layout.

marc d.
p.s. and then there is ALWAYS "farmer_bill".
m

quote:

Originally posted by marc d:

i've ALWAYS loved matt's tagline as a rationale to run trains and as a reason to have a layout.

marc d.
p.s. and then there is ALWAYS "farmer_bill".
m

Marc d.

That's pretty funny, as I was just going to make a similar comment about Matt's posts, which I had already "copied", and,
was prepared to "paste":

"Moving Freight and Passengers from Point A to Point A for over 1/8th of a century!"

Matt has captured the rationale for my railroad, but mine has been in operation for a longer time!

The first time that my "train buddy" son read Matt's tagline, he broke up in laughter. We both love it!

cordially,

Dennis

That's where the refrigerator is with beer in it.

Fun and escape.

Happy railroading,
Don

Rationale?? To keep Athearn, Atlas, Lionel, MTH in business.

[quote]Serows1
Posted June 28, 2009 11:53 AM Hide Post
FUN

SEROWS1,
i'm thrilled to see that you've implimented the layout that you showed us months ago. i also see that you took the advice of eliminating the "s" curves for those crossovers.i HAD a temporary o-27 version of your layout until we were having several house guests, and POOF!! it was a memory.

scenicking is for the clubhouse. at home, it's RUN,RUN,RUN!!!
rationale.... run for fun. "point a to point a....."
marc d

Run:

1. SP stuff
2. TEXAS SPECIAL
3. Belpaire Stuff:

a. PRR
b. Hogwarts Stuff

4. REA stuff
5. Amtrak stuff

WARNING: Not all at the same time. Run one theme, get tired, run something else.

escapism At the end of a long day, I need a place to go unwind. Collecting, operating, detailing and scenicing are all aspect of the hobby I enjoy and help give me some balance to life

quote:

Originally posted by L.I.TRAIN:
escapism ...

Excellent choice of words. Think that's what everyone meant. Guess that makes us escapees ... or maybe irrational rings truer for adults (senior citizens even) playing with toys.



What, me worry?

Why should there be a rationale ? What is model railroading? It's an obsession and a waste of money and time to some, to the men in the family, it is a wonderful life long pastime. Absolutely rational.

It's an indoor substitute for that campfire I used to stare into all those years while riding fence.

quote:

Run:

1. SP stuff
2. TEXAS SPECIAL
3. Belpaire Stuff:

a. PRR
b. Hogwarts Stuff

4. REA stuff
5. Amtrak stuff

Dominic
I like the way you think. Today was 027 LIONEL DAY, TOMORROW WHO KNOWS maybe scale passenger.

Justification for train hobby. Train coming, get on or get off, I got on good.

Brent