Suggestions for Locomotives?

[MountainMan]

The SW1500 that I already have also has never ran particularly well. It was great for me as a new-ish modeler, but it's very old and not in the best shape. Since it is superfluous anyways, I am just not using it, though I am keeping it as a sentimental thing, since it was a gift from an old friend who has since passed.

Put it on display outside your depot, or in a park - It will look even better!

[Amalynn]

Put it on display outside your depot, or in a park - It will look even better!

Thinking about it!

[Amalynn]

First , they wouldn't run specific trains for specific industries unless the industry operated a unit train. You have specific engines to operate specific service (local switching, yard switching, road haul, unit train, etc).

The quarry would use whatever power the class 1 railroad you connected with gave you to operate the train. Set the rates so you don't even have to power it.

The for the rest of the locomotives I would pick GP38-2's and SD40-2's. They both use the same/similar engines and many of the same parts so fixing them is simpler. Having a gazillion different model of engines sounds cool, but is very expensive.

Either that or I would contract with a horsepower by the hour provider (WATCO, FURX, HELM), tell them I needed XX engines of xxxx horsepower and then they would provide engines, whatever they had, to meet that.

1) The industries that I named specific trains for *are* running what amounts to unit trains. A beer service train that handles all of the breweries on the line, the rock train down from the quarry, and the local mixed freight for the online towns/industries, which is run as one single train.

2) Fair point, something to take in to consideration, at least.

3) After that was pointed out, I pared it down to one engine type, using the GP10s and the low-nose SD unit.

[MountainMan]

Yeah...the switching for everything on the Pueblo to Canon City line is handled by Rock'N'Rail.

[Brakie]

Food for thought.. A rock quarry may only require two to three trains per month like the quarry at Spore, Ohio depending on the needs. A short line wouldn't tie up funds on SD locomotives that would set idle most of the time..Dave1905 is spot on about having your connecting road supply the needed 6 axle engines.

[Amalynn]

I kind of assumed that quarries were switched multiple days in a week. That suggestion makes a lot more sense, now.

[Mike Kieran]

The good thing about going with 567 engined locomotives is that includes all SW & NW2 switchers as well as all GP/SD road switchers from the GP7 to the GP35 as well as rebuilt units such as Geep rebuilds such as GP7u, GP10, GP16, and CF7s.

[Amalynn]

I'll be honest, I tend to like how the majority of 527-engined locos that you just named. And naturally, if you're gonna model something, you should like the something, right?

[Brakie]

I'll be honest, I tend to like how the majority of 527-engined locos that you just named. And naturally, if you're gonna model something, you should like the something, right?

If I may pass on some of my thoughts? I been modeling short lines and switching roads since the 60s and have studied and visited those I could and when I plan a new short line or switching road I based my locomotive needs on the expected tonnage and grades-if any.
As a example my Slate Creek Rail handles 960 cars a year or around four cars a day 5 days a week. A EMD SW8 does the job and parts are readily available. A SW7 is a backup locomotive.

Summerset Ry handles 1600 cars a year which is around 33 cars per week or 6-7 cars per day. A SW1500 handles the work while a Alco S-4 is the back up locomotive. The S-4 was Summersets first locomotive and remains in excellent mechanical condition .

[Mike Kieran]

I would go the switcher route, but he is modeling a 40 mile short line, so I can understand why road switchers would be preferred. Speed, curve radii, money in the coffers (both prototype and modeler), and plain preference. I remember reading on another thread about transition era being a wide variety of locomotives, but to me, late 70s to present are also a plethora of varieties in diesels from 1st generation to new and including rebuilds.

A railroad also has to decide on price and availability. In some cases, a road switcher was cheaper than the end cab switcher.

As far as gravel trains, yes the connecting railroad would often supply the locomotive for the gravel shuttle, but there are also short lines would use their own power to bring some gravel hoppers to the interchange OR, BETTER YET, transfer them to a barge (I.e. whatever short line is running the old Maine Central Rockland Branch).

The bottom line is, there are no rules. it's your railroad and you make up the rules. As a freelancer, I think the idea is to have an explanation as to WHY the railroad does why it does to give it plausibility. The beauty of this is that there is often a multitude of reasons why it was done all being of different methods.

Now, as a modeler, coming up with the cash and building the layout from scratch is another story. I always recommend an expandable switching layout, domino or TOMA style, and Bachmann 70 tonners for expense (not putting in too much of an investment to end up with a pile of wood, track, and partial scenery). George Sellios' layout started out as a 4x8 layout.

[sailormatlac]

Mike, it wasn't unusual to run a long branchline with switchers. In my area, the local railway was more than 90 miles long and they used SW1200RS. Most of the time 2 units, and when tonnage was higher, they lashed up another one.

Matt

[cn nutbar]

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[Mike Kieran]

Mike, it wasn't unusual to run a long branchline with switchers. In my area, the local railway was more than 90 miles long and they used SW1200RS. Most of the time 2 units, and when tonnage was higher, they lashed up another one.

Matt

Matt, absolutely. I'm a switcher guy, but my understanding is that crews just prefer road switchers for the road and switchers for the yard. The St. Johnsbury & Lake Champlain ran GE 70 tonners for it's full length. I like end cabs over road switchers, but to each their own.

Exohead seems to prefer Geeps, and they would not be out of place.

BTW Matt, I love your 149th Street blog. Great work!

[Mike Kieran]

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[sailormatlac]

Mike, it wasn't unusual to run a long branchline with switchers. In my area, the local railway was more than 90 miles long and they used SW1200RS. Most of the time 2 units, and when tonnage was higher, they lashed up another one.

Matt

Matt, absolutely. I'm a switcher guy, but my understanding is that crews just prefer road switchers for the road and switchers for the yard. The St. Johnsbury & Lake Champlain ran GE 70 tonners for it's full length. I like end cabs over road switchers, but to each their own.

Exohead seems to prefer Geeps, and they would not be out of place.

BTW Matt, I love your 149th Street blog. Great work!

I absolutely agree! Switchers are great. When Rapido announced the SW1200RS I didn't hesitate to set the club layout in 1993 to operate the switchers has I described in my previous post.

I certainly won't argue against Geeps. Exohead can't go wrong choosing them. They are the most ubiquitous power for what he is trying to achieve.

Thanks for the nice comments. I still have a lot of home improvement to do before I can bring back the 149th Street home, but meanwhile, I'm having fun expanding the fleet and learning more about freight cars. I would have never thought I'd develop a love for Erie! ;-)

Matt