08-21-2012, 01:04 PM
I have a hard time limiting myself to a specific era and prototype -- I see my layout a little bit like an eclectic DVD library, but I certainly favor Emery Gulash films from his most productive years, maybe 1955-1980, so I tend to run stuff on my layout that corresponds to that. Perishable is a big subject, too. One of the prototype features I favor is heavy main line operation, so that for the era means priority freights with lots of reefers. It also means mail and express trains with REA and other express reefers. Most of these trains either loop around the layout as "show trains" or run from one staging track to another, since there's only one industry that actually receives produce (there are station tracks in my main terminal that receive express reefers). In my last open house I ran a "show train" with an Athearn veranda turbine and mostly PFE reefers. I've since acquired more meat reefers and can run NYC, PRR, NKP, etc style reefer trains as well.