Has Anyone Ever................


stationmaster

stationmaster

Crusty Old Geezer
.......imagined what today would be like if we didn't have fallen flags. Imagine a world where the NKP, the Monon, PRR, NYC, and others still existed.

Would the NKP still be known for its tight schedule and fast freights as well as its niche for fast large engines?

Would the PRR still use Brunswick Green and Tuscan Red on its engines? How about the gorgeous Wabash "Bluebirds"?

Has anyone ever given thought to building a modern layout using only fallen flags? What would it be like?

And what about the forward thinking Burlington Route with its Zephyrs?

And an even farther reach, what would today be like if the railroads never dieselized? Can you just see a 4-8-4 heading a fast freight string or a 2-8-8-2 tugging a coal drag today? Or a Berkshire leading a long consist of container wells.

What would today's power look like painted in some of the schemes of yesteryear? One can only imagine, I guess. It might make an interesting layout, but sure would drive the rivet counters over the edge.

Bob
 
I have seen several guys model a fallen flag into the modern day. All we need is a good long oil embargo or other oil crisis and I can see some steamers brought back to life to help move the freight. We still have plenty of coal in this country. Most of the time N&W ran with a clean stack, the smoke shows are a sign of poor firing and was highly frowed on by the boss! Look at UP, when the Challenger or FEF moves from one side of the line to the other, its usualy on the end of a freight train, many times a stack trains is on the drawbar of the Challenger. If it wasnt for the high maintaince costs accociated with steam power, it probably would have lasted longer in this country. It would take some major work to see it run here again in regular service, all the infastructure is gone now to service and turn them. Its fun to dream that steam never died though! A NKP Berk at track speed on the head end of a tripple crown train would be a site, with its mars light sweeping a clear track ahead.
 
I'm modeling a modern day fallen flag, Conrail :) Not quite what you were talking about I'm sure, seems a lot of people prefer the railroads who made conrail, as opposed to the railroad created from their merger. Oh well I feel like modeling a modern day fallen flag gives you a lot of freedom that you normally wouldn't have if you were trying to model one of today's Class 1 railroads. I get to decided which new locos and equipment they buy or create, hell I plan on modeling some of those CSX road slugs made out of gp38's but as if they were a Conrail creation. On the other hand I can still be rather prototypical in the way modern railroads run as well as keeping the typical conrail traits such as class lights and the odd mixture of signals along their lines.
 
I guess I'm sort of modeling a fallen flag in modern times since the layout itself has fairly modern structures, roads, and such. I still run the NKP, the Original UP, GM&O, Southern, and the Original SP, all in the fallen flag colors. I even have a UP and AT&SF steamer. So, on my layout, those roads never stopped running.

When it comes to steam engines, there's an interesting story about the eruption of Mt. St. Helens. No turbine or internal combustion powered vehicles could run because of the abrasive nature of the volcanic dust. My brother lived up there then and, after a week, things were starting to get desperate. They were running out of food, most of the power was out becaue the transformers had shorted, and the government was considering a plan to evacuate Spokane to Salt Lake. The only thing that would run would be trains pulled by steam engines, since they wouldn't be affected by the dust. The government was actually starting to round up all the preserved, running steam locomotives from around the country as a contingency plan. I think they had a total of 42, from 4-4-0's to the Challenger and Big Boy. They figured they'd need about 220 16 car trains and some way to water and coal or oil them up. Luckily, the mountain stopped erupting two days later. I don't know if the government could really have pulled it off but it sure would have been a sight.
 
I also model Conrail....we just havn't purchased any power since 1998!

I don't know if i will ever get to the point of painting up modern units in dress blue...all the GE's really look the same now:(

So far at the club i belong to, we're lucky. Everyone has a different road.
 
You mean like this? I have some modern EL stuff. I love the look. I started this before UP did theirs.

10-20-08_004.jpg
 
I model a take off from fallen flags a what if EL D&H merger under joint N&W ownership into a new road with its own character and colors. It would be cool to kinda follow the Santa Fe prototype and model modern wide cabs in classic passenger colors
 
The SP&S still shows up on my '84 BN layout from time to time.
I've even seen a modern VIA Rail put one into the hole once.
Rule 1 now in effect.
 
Mine is in the works for a Burlington Route era layout of the area I grew up in but in my father's time when he was just a section crewman back in the 50's. I live in the south west corner of WI where the Hiawatha and the Zyper met. I cant wait to see the finished product.
 
SecretWeapon said:
You mean like this? I have some modern EL stuff. I love the look. I started this before UP did theirs.

10-20-08_004.jpg
Click to expand...

Very interesting. Never seen a SD70 done up like that. I like it. Anymore pics or other locomotives?

Also where in NNJ?

And im still working on my modern day Pennsylvania Railroad P42's.
IMG00022-20091003-1505.png

And some modern passenger cars.
IMG00023-20091003-1506.png
 
My shortline is based on a what if---CP and CN both gave a bunch of investors some branchlines in the SK region to them? Now we throw in the eccentric Fred "Howdhedodat?" Thompson---and his idea of using steam for common carrier purposes? He's been pushing for a return to steam for some time---from the Williston Hysterical Society. He owns quite a few steam lokes----

Convenient excuse for my odd selection up here--
 
malletman said:
I have seen several guys model a fallen flag into the modern day. All we need is a good long oil embargo or other oil crisis and I can see some steamers brought back to life to help move the freight. We still have plenty of coal in this country. Most of the time N&W ran with a clean stack, the smoke shows are a sign of poor firing and was highly frowed on by the boss! Look at UP, when the Challenger or FEF moves from one side of the line to the other, its usualy on the end of a freight train, many times a stack trains is on the drawbar of the Challenger. If it wasnt for the high maintaince costs accociated with steam power, it probably would have lasted longer in this country. It would take some major work to see it run here again in regular service, all the infastructure is gone now to service and turn them. Its fun to dream that steam never died though! A NKP Berk at track speed on the head end of a tripple crown train would be a site, with its mars light sweeping a clear track ahead.
Click to expand...

Not only is there little remaining infrastructure, there aren't too many steamers left. I think I read that all we have left, either operating or not, is one tenth of all of the steam locomotives that were around when some jerk thought up a diesel loco.
 
Now that's what I'm talkin' about!!!! Great job fellas.

I wonder if anyone has done something in reverse? Like an F3 painted in BNSF Executive or Pumpkin scheme. Maybe the "stallion" of an NS engine? Or maybe a Hudson in Conrail colors?

I like it that there are some that are kind of a die hard when it come to a "what-if" railroad. Shows some imagination, and it would surely drive the rivet counters mad.

Bob
 
I dont have a layout but I do model modern day C&NW. My hearts been broken ever since UP got them in 1995.

Imagine living in Chicago back in the day, almost every major railroad had a line to and from there. If there was ever a place to be a railfan. I heard somewhere it is said that Chicago is the railroad capital of the world.
 
stationmaster said:
Now that's what I'm talkin' about!!!! Great job fellas.

I wonder if anyone has done something in reverse? Like an F3 painted in BNSF Executive or Pumpkin scheme. Maybe the "stallion" of an NS engine? Or maybe a Hudson in Conrail colors?

I like it that there are some that are kind of a die hard when it come to a "what-if" railroad. Shows some imagination, and it would surely drive the rivet counters mad.

Bob
Click to expand...

Stationmaster, I like your way of thinking. Make modern day equipment in older railroads and take modern railroads and put them on older equipment. That is a sweet idea. Nothing like a ABBA set of E8's with the BNSF swoosh across the nose and sides!!!!


As for rivet counters. When I displayed my work a few weeks ago at a fallen flags protoype meet i got some nasty remarks. Nothing said to me directly but my wife overhead most of it. If you are seriously that concerned or bothered by what I built you have issues. Its a hobby!!
 
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