Why do I like the 1950s/'60s so much?

[RobertInOntario]

Well, since I don't have a layout, yet, maybe I shouldn't even comment, but....I grew up in the 50's and 60's. In the late forties, and early fifties, I watched the huge steam locos thunder past my house everyday. I lived near the Milwaukee, Rock Island, and DRI railraod tracks. I don't know what type of locos they used. I don't even remember how many drivers they had. Then..we moved to Arizona. The nearest railroad was fifty miles away. By that time, late 1958, Santa Fe had gone to almost all diesel. But I remember that era well, and am most fond of it. So, since I can't afford the expense of steam locos, I am going to be using a fair assortment of diesels. My father would not be happy, as he was a "steam man."

Thanks ... this actually reminds me of a different topic (maybe I should start a new thread on this?).

I've mentioned that (depending on my mood) I run both British and North American trains on my layout. However, I find the price difference for British and N. American steam locos to be strange. You can buy a finely detailed Hornby or Bachmann British steam model (i.e. a Pacific or similar-sized loco) anywhere from $140 to around $240 CAD while models of N. American steam engines are generally several hundreds of dollars higher. This is for HO or the British 00 -- a similar scale.

I think this is partly because some of the N. American steam locos are brass but even the plastic models -- generally speaking -- are around $300 to $700 or higher. I have about 15 British steam locos and 4 North American steamers. I've kept costs down for the N. American ones by buying IHC locos -- although they're not as detailed as other models, they're still accurate enough for me and are good budget choices. Buying used is also another option.

Rob