Model Railroading > McKean's Rule No. 1 for model railroads

Today I was asked whether or not UP's Challenger heavyweight passenger train, in two-tone gray, might have been run on a another railroad on a temporary basis due to a a sudden increase in traffic. The question came from someone who had just purchased the complete model train from MTH because "I think it's TOO pretty, so that's why I'm asking you for help."

My response was to go ahead, based on the attached.

Don Strack

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Have seen variations of that in many a siggy!

Cheers, Jim Fitch

Wait you mean the Milwaukee Road didn't actually roster GP60's and SD70ACe's?

Damn I've been doing it all wrong! Guess I'll have to go back to running Empire Builder train
thru the mountains of Pennsylvania on the layout.

Seriously though I always say if it makes you happy run whatever you like. Prototype modeling
can be tons of fun, but I've yet to get paid by any of the shippers on my layout and until that
day comes it's just a fun hobby and I will mix and match what makes me happy.

So if you ever make it to the layout be warned you may see a 100% correct Milwaukee Road
SDL39-SD10-GP20 set working next to a Milwaukee Road GP60M-B-M set in the mountains of Pennsylvania.

Kris

They have been rerouted for weather and track issues, so why not?

There's a prototype for everything!

I've had that same sign framed and hanging by my
layout for many years.
zr190

zr190 Wrote:
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> I've had that same sign framed and hanging by my
> layout for many years.
> zr190


Yes and I always find those nit pickers that say things people I never want to be around again. I have two SW7 units that are in NP color, well guess black will do here, I run them together but NP never did as far as I can figure out. But wanted two for pulling power so had little choice as like NP they are in 1.6" scale by the way.

Nice piece of nostalgia Don. Bill McKean used to come down to the Omaha or Lincoln area model railroad meets and used to had out those signs.

If somebody asked me a prototype question and I knew the correct answer, I would tell them the truth first. But if it was clear that they were looking for justification to do something non-prototypical, "....but of course, it's your railroad" would be the second thing out of my mouth.

I keep first in mind that Model Railroading is a hobby, and meant to be fun. When it becomes a blood sport, it's not really much fun at all.

Art House
Gettybsurg, Pa.

UP's Challenger ran on a portion of the former Clinchfield Railroad for CSX's 1992 Santa train. It was renumbered and relettered as a Clinchfield locomotive for the occasion.

toledopatch Wrote:
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> If somebody asked me a prototype question and I
> knew the correct answer, I would tell them the
> truth first. But if it was clear that they were
> looking for justification to do something
> non-prototypical, "....but of course, it's your
> railroad" would be the second thing out of my
> mouth.

We all gotta qualify everything we say these days ... think and talk like a lawyer is in the room!

One of the things I have found some enjoyment during the past 15 years during a time I had no space of a layout, I researched models vs. real diesels and rolling stock because I wanted to build a fleet that allowed me to run trains that look like the real thing rather than run random trains or a mish mash. During those years I did sell off a lot of models which were fantasy and have tried to mostly spend my limited funds on models which were good matches for the real thing.

My hobby has been like a pendulum. At the beginning I bought most anything that looked roughly like what I wanted as long as it had SP or D&RGW etc. I bought it. Then I got some good books and was hit by the revelation that most models manufactured were fantasy when compared to the real thing and began culling my fleet and replacing them with better, more accurate models. More recently I have relaxed a little because "Model Railroading is Fun" AND I have managed to build up a fleet which has a high percentage of fairly accurate cars now and now I'm trying to ease off a little and not worry quite as much about 100% accuracy.

I've also learned over the years when watching other layouts or other modelers stuff to just keep my mouth shut and just smile and compliment people - good, bad or ugly. I know there are all kinds in the hobby - some just like trains and don't care what they run, if it's Thomas, Hogwarts, a mixture of ultra modern with steam era (yep, see it quite often), stuff you would rarely if ever see in real life. And then there are those who try to faithfully model real RR and scenes, like the Tehachapi loop layout in San Diego or similar smaller scale things in home layouts. Those are truly a pleasure for me to see, but hey, it's a hobby and ultimately were in it for fun and relaxation!

Cheers, Jim Fitch

I have been a long time violator of Rule #2. However, in recent years, I have
tried to remind myself of it whenever I see something that I don't think, or
know, isn't prototype. What success I've had at that must be judged by others.
However, they are usefull rules to remember.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

At the SPH&TS conference, there is contest category for "What if" entries. This year the top award went to a modern intermodal facility diorama that had the containers and trailers all in the SP trailer scheme using daylight colors from the 1940s and early 1950's. There was another entry of an SD70T-2 and in past years there have been UPSD40-2's with SP patches, a triplex cab forward 4-8-8-8-2 and a cab forward GS4. Lots of ways to have fun with this hobby!

AZSP Wrote:
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> At the SPH&TS conference, there is contest
> category for "What if" entries. This year the
> top award went to a modern intermodal facility
> diorama that had the containers and trailers all
> in the SP trailer scheme using daylight colors
> from the 1940s and early 1950's. There was
> another entry of an SD70T-2 and in past years
> there have been UPSD40-2's with SP patches, a
> triplex cab forward 4-8-8-8-2 and a cab forward
> GS4. Lots of ways to have fun with this hobby!

I guess the GG1 in Daylight paint I built years ago would have fitted right in then!

PHall Wrote:
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> AZSP Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > At the SPH&TS conference, there is contest
> > category for "What if" entries. This year the
> > top award went to a modern intermodal facility
> > diorama that had the containers and trailers
> all
> > in the SP trailer scheme using daylight colors
> > from the 1940s and early 1950's. There was
> > another entry of an SD70T-2 and in past years
> > there have been UPSD40-2's with SP patches, a
> > triplex cab forward 4-8-8-8-2 and a cab forward
> > GS4. Lots of ways to have fun with this
> hobby!
>
> I guess the GG1 in Daylight paint I built years
> ago would have fitted right in then!

It would have been the perfect "what if" SP had electrified Beaumont Pass(It was studied)

And another hanging underneath this sign in my layout room. My wife said if i buy another train she will leave me Gee i am going to miss her.

tiltone Wrote:
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> And another hanging underneath this sign in my
> layout room. My wife said if i buy another train
> she will leave me Gee i am going to miss her.

For those of us like you, there is a model club!

Back in the Early 70's, there was a man who used to come into " Crain's Trains and Hobbies" ( La Puente, Ca), he was known for painting his Brass Steam Locomotives in many wild Colors.

When asked why ? His answer, it was his Choice, His Brass so there