Big Train James
Western Thunderer
Hello everybody!
My name is James - I usually go by Jim (but I've been called lots of other things too
), and I'm currently spinning my wheels in Denver, Colorado. While searching for prototype data online, many pages into a google search I stumbled onto Mick's U.S. Model Dabblings thread. I've been lurking here on Western Thunder for probably several years since then. I had often thought of joining up, especially every time I wanted to see the full size pictures instead of the thumbnails 
. There certainly is a lot to learn here. When the thread was revived recently, I finally got on with it and signed up.
Like many people, I have a hard time deciding what I will model. I used to be a big UP fan because my dad was and that's how I grew up. But I've evolved to the point that I'm interested in too many roads now. However, I have a couple of things figured out.
Unless I can get disciplined, I want to model two eras. The first is the transition era Central Vermont in upstate Vermont. Most likely something involving the Richford branch. Even though I grew up in the 70's and 80's, I do like steam. And for modeling purposes, I like small steam like the CV Consolidated's. I also like early Alco's and gp's. And F's. And I like that northern New England area. I love all the old brick and stone mill buildings and furniture factories and the like. Also, my dad grew up in upstate Vermont. I like the idea of modeling something that has a tie to his heritage. So that will be one point of focus. I want to capture in model form something like these photos show, but with steam as well:
In contrast, I like modern railroading as well since I grew up with it. I like a lot of the modern equipment. I'm a big fan of the sd40-2. I like the sw1500's. So I would like to model something more recent. However, I would have a hard time deciding what prototype to model. I would prefer a western road. CP, CN, DRGW, BN, ATSF, and maybe a little SP. No truly modern post merger UP or BNSF. Pragmatically speaking, I will probably end up with a switching layout as true mainline modeling is hard to fit in O scale. Especially in my one bedroom apartment. I've got a current idea in mind of a terminal railway in general and maybe more specifically the BN branch to Golden. Between the Coors brewery and all the industries along that branch, I could utilize almost any modern motive power and rolling stock. Chemicals, beer wort, corn syrup, oil and fuel, grains, plastic pellets, silica, paper products, and coal are all loads heading to and from Golden. Not many flat car loads though! But hey, I can fake in a lumber distribution company to justify centerbeam flats. It actually sounds pretty specific so I guess I'm not that far off after all.
The point of all that is that sw1500's, gp38-2's, and sd40-2's will be put to work in the modern era. The Alco's, gp9's, and f's will be put to work in the transition era. I have another lonely idea floating around in my brain for a modular layout where one side of the oval will be transition era and the other will be modern. Each era will have the rest of its loop as staging either underneath the deck or behind the backdrop of the opposite half. This way a variety of trains could be presented on each half. The transition era would probably be mostly about the continuous running. The modern side would have a continuous run line representing the run from NW Denver to Golden. Spur tracks would then peel off of this line into various industries along the way.
I have it all figured out I guess. Except for the part involving time, money, and space. And a worthwhile sd40-2 model. So until I win the lotto, I will attempt smaller scale projects like the sw1500 conversion from an Atlas mp15dc.
Oh, and by the way, all of this is to be rendered in O scale. I have been in HO and N scale at various times, but for reasons I can't entirely pinpoint, decided to switch to O several years ago. I think at one point I erroneously determined that O scale would help me focus and limit random acquisitions as it was so big and you really could only use so much of it. Right?
So I'm here now. I look forward to participating, contributing as best I can, and learning scads of new things. To this point, I am an extremely accomplished armchair modeler and data collector
. I'd like to progress to the real thing, even if I have no layout to run on.
Cheers,
Jim
My name is James - I usually go by Jim (but I've been called lots of other things too
), and I'm currently spinning my wheels in Denver, Colorado. While searching for prototype data online, many pages into a google search I stumbled onto Mick's U.S. Model Dabblings thread. I've been lurking here on Western Thunder for probably several years since then. I had often thought of joining up, especially every time I wanted to see the full size pictures instead of the thumbnails . There certainly is a lot to learn here. When the thread was revived recently, I finally got on with it and signed up.Like many people, I have a hard time deciding what I will model. I used to be a big UP fan because my dad was and that's how I grew up. But I've evolved to the point that I'm interested in too many roads now. However, I have a couple of things figured out.
Unless I can get disciplined, I want to model two eras. The first is the transition era Central Vermont in upstate Vermont. Most likely something involving the Richford branch. Even though I grew up in the 70's and 80's, I do like steam. And for modeling purposes, I like small steam like the CV Consolidated's. I also like early Alco's and gp's. And F's. And I like that northern New England area. I love all the old brick and stone mill buildings and furniture factories and the like. Also, my dad grew up in upstate Vermont. I like the idea of modeling something that has a tie to his heritage. So that will be one point of focus. I want to capture in model form something like these photos show, but with steam as well:
In contrast, I like modern railroading as well since I grew up with it. I like a lot of the modern equipment. I'm a big fan of the sd40-2. I like the sw1500's. So I would like to model something more recent. However, I would have a hard time deciding what prototype to model. I would prefer a western road. CP, CN, DRGW, BN, ATSF, and maybe a little SP. No truly modern post merger UP or BNSF. Pragmatically speaking, I will probably end up with a switching layout as true mainline modeling is hard to fit in O scale. Especially in my one bedroom apartment. I've got a current idea in mind of a terminal railway in general and maybe more specifically the BN branch to Golden. Between the Coors brewery and all the industries along that branch, I could utilize almost any modern motive power and rolling stock. Chemicals, beer wort, corn syrup, oil and fuel, grains, plastic pellets, silica, paper products, and coal are all loads heading to and from Golden. Not many flat car loads though! But hey, I can fake in a lumber distribution company to justify centerbeam flats. It actually sounds pretty specific so I guess I'm not that far off after all.
The point of all that is that sw1500's, gp38-2's, and sd40-2's will be put to work in the modern era. The Alco's, gp9's, and f's will be put to work in the transition era. I have another lonely idea floating around in my brain for a modular layout where one side of the oval will be transition era and the other will be modern. Each era will have the rest of its loop as staging either underneath the deck or behind the backdrop of the opposite half. This way a variety of trains could be presented on each half. The transition era would probably be mostly about the continuous running. The modern side would have a continuous run line representing the run from NW Denver to Golden. Spur tracks would then peel off of this line into various industries along the way.
I have it all figured out I guess. Except for the part involving time, money, and space. And a worthwhile sd40-2 model. So until I win the lotto, I will attempt smaller scale projects like the sw1500 conversion from an Atlas mp15dc.
Oh, and by the way, all of this is to be rendered in O scale. I have been in HO and N scale at various times, but for reasons I can't entirely pinpoint, decided to switch to O several years ago. I think at one point I erroneously determined that O scale would help me focus and limit random acquisitions as it was so big and you really could only use so much of it. Right?
So I'm here now. I look forward to participating, contributing as best I can, and learning scads of new things. To this point, I am an extremely accomplished armchair modeler and data collector
. I'd like to progress to the real thing, even if I have no layout to run on.Cheers,
Jim
