# Where do you set your train layouts? e.g. countries, states, etc



## HOTrains&chill (Jan 16, 2017)

Me? I made a layout based in Florida, in a fictional city named Corinth, which obviously has nothing to do with the Greek city-state I'm studying. Maybe.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Setting*



HOTrains&chill said:


> Me? I made a layout based in Florida, in a fictional city named Corinth, which obviously has nothing to do with the Greek city-state I'm studying. Maybe.


 HOTrains&chill;

My N-scale layout is set in Washington state; specifically in Seattle and the area near it. My railroad of choice is the Milwaukee Road, and I model a small part of their electrified section, called the coast division, from Seattle to Hyak, Washington.

regards;

Traction Fan:smilie_daumenpos:


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## JNXT 7707 (May 5, 2013)

Rural America. Probably looks like KY/OH/WV. But even so, if you wait long enough you could catch the Super Chief passing through town :laugh:


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## time warp (Apr 28, 2016)

My R.R. is set in southern Indiana, part of the New York Central. Mainly coal traffic from the Vincennes, Indiana area to the Ohio river at Louisville, KY. Set in '71 as if the NYC was still alive.


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## mesenteria (Oct 29, 2015)

I set mine in the mountains. Yes, those ones, but also on the others over there. Next continent, those ones as well. 

On my second layout, ten years ago already , I incorporated a small scene from Horseshoe Curve between Gallitzin and Altoona, PA. I'm Canadian, but I prefer the brutish looks of American steam. What I have for scenery and backdrop could pass for pretty much anywhere in the Rockies. Or the Alps.

Because I run steam from seven different roads, I can't really model any one of them. I could use position light signals from The Pennsy, or more modern targets, or semaphores, but they'd be wrong for all the other locomotives. Same for the scenery. So, I just proto-lance as best I can.


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## fcwilt (Sep 27, 2013)

I model the B&O from the diesel/steam transition era BUT in an alternate universe so I can run whatever I want.

I do try to stick to locos lettered for B&O.

If I cannot get a model lettered for the B&O I try to get an unlettered one or one that requires minimum work to re-letter.

For fun I run some distinctive UP units, like the turbine, that just wouldn't look right if changed.

Why did I pick the B&O? A couple of reasons. 

For starters I grew up near the B&O but the real reason is I like the B&O style signals. The are position signals like the Pennsy but with RYG lights instead of all Y. I have 80 some signals installed.

Frederick


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## NAJ (Feb 19, 2016)

Imaginationville, USA


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## HOTrains&chill (Jan 16, 2017)

fcwilt said:


> I model the B&O from the diesel/steam transition era BUT in an alternate universe so I can run whatever I want.
> 
> I do try to stick to locos lettered for B&O.
> 
> ...


I usually run Conrail and Norfolk Southern locos, but the train cars vary from Santa Fe to Bangor Aroostook. When a train I have won't run or looks too old for the set's time, I put it in a "train museum", which includes an Amtrak F40PH, a Santa Fe loco, and even a Russian SAPSAN train.


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## 86swonavy (Jan 11, 2017)

HOTrains&chill said:


> Me? I made a layout based in Florida, in a fictional city named Corinth, which obviously has nothing to do with the Greek city-state I'm studying. Maybe.


See Corinth, NY


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## 86swonavy (Jan 11, 2017)

My build will be set to HO scale, modern times 1986-today on what I believe is Canadian pacific running from Montreal to New York City. When I have more space I intend to expand and to east Albany, NY to Boston (big harbor, lots of freight traffic?), and then south from New York City to Norfolk, VA specifically the port and Lamberts Point ( diversity in locomotives and rolling stock mainly.) Added bonus is I can incorporate the Northeast Corridor of Amtrak for passenger service!����


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## J.C. (Dec 24, 2016)

current layout under construction concept is a once prospers bridge line that lost one connection due to a natural disaster , so it operates on a shoe string set in the late 50's early 60's runs steam and early second hand diesel , has three main towns , space is 15 by 28.in Ho with a HoE line at one end to service mines. its set in the Colorado mountains


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Why, the Connecticut River Valley in south-central Connecticut, of course! Does that surprise anyone?


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## santafealltheway (Nov 27, 2012)

I had a hard time sticking to any place, or period..

So my layout is more of a fictioanl rail museum than an actual place or time.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

I found a super bargain in a used Bachmann EZ
DCC starter set with two Santa Fe locos, an FA
and at GP40. That then
set the general locale as the Southwest US and
in the 50s 60s era so I can have many smaller
rail freight users you don't see today. My major
passenger train is the Desert Chief, Silver side
cars headed by a consist of two FA DCC locos.
Billboards advertise it's route from Kansas City
to Phoenix. So my little area is somewhere in
between those cities. 

Not only that, that area is fairly arid and is absent
tall mountains, there are few trees, thus making scenery
fairly ease. 

Don


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## Gramps (Feb 28, 2016)

86swonavy said:


> My build will be set to HO scale, modern times 1986-today on what I believe is Canadian pacific running from Montreal to New York City. When I have more space I intend to expand and to east Albany, NY to Boston (big harbor, lots of freight traffic?), and then south from New York City to Norfolk, VA specifically the port and Lamberts Point ( diversity in locomotives and rolling stock mainly.) Added bonus is I can incorporate the Northeast Corridor of Amtrak for passenger service!����


I hope you have enough time
space and money to accomplish your goal.
I'm not looking to pee on your hat and tell you it's raining, but I think you have to narrow your time frame. The 30 years you are interested in probably had the most changes in railroad history. I suggest you pick a 10 year period and research that to model. Having said that, it's your railroad, do what makes you happy.

P.S. I edited my post on your other thread re: P32 locomotive.


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## 1905dave (Sep 18, 2016)

My layout is set in the 1900-1905 era (nominally 1903) on the Wilmington and Northern Branch of the Philadelphia & Reading railroad. The W&N was an independent road until the P&R leased it in 1895 and then bought it in 1900. It ran from Reading, PA to Wilmington, DE through SE Pennsylvania and Delaware. It served the port of Wilmington, had car ferries to NJ, served gunpowder and explosives plants, major iron and steel mills in Coatesville, smaller mills in Birdsboro, 2 large quarries, textile mills, and other smaller industries. There wwa an interchange with the B&O and 5 interchanges with the PRR (I am planning to model 4 of them).


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## MikeL (Mar 21, 2015)

Interesting question. Like a few of you, my layout has no specific time / place: somewhere in Quebec, maybe Ontario, 60s - 70s (though some of my favourite equipment predates this era or is newer. Oh well.)

I grew up with CP (a yard near my house) and CN. I'm not ready to expand yet but will be asking you for input on which US lines came up to Quebec / Ontario in this era: Delaware and Hudson?


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

My N-scale Rio Grande will be set in SW Colorado/SE Utah. During a vacation to that region a couple years ago, I collected samples of the various red soils and will use them on my layout. I have a ready supply of reddish and other color rocks here in Wyoming, so my scenery should be a pretty easy deal.


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## Mr.Buchholz (Dec 30, 2011)

My layout is based in a northern Ontario industrial town, up in the Canadian Shield.

-J.


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## Chet (Aug 15, 2014)

I set my model railroad right in the area where I live in southwestern Montana, using actual towns. The layout is set in the transition era, 1957 to be exact. My railroad is a freelance railroad connection to the Milwaukee Road and the Northern Pacific. 

The layout was built mainly for switching. I am familiar with the indistries in the area and the fictional railroad tries to depict what could have been is a railroad was around to serve this area.


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## MacDaddy55 (Aug 19, 2008)

Ours is set in the Midwest Wisconsin, Iowa area with the center piece being our Meat Plant and Town of Bedford...we also have plans for a Prairie scene with cattle to tie into the entire them of Field,Plant, Table...feeding America...goes with my profession and my daughters...I'm a Chef and she is in Agro/Forrestry!! Now to tie in that Military Base with a Godzilla Attack...that's our Son!!
View attachment 270297


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## Gramps (Feb 28, 2016)

MikeL said:


> Interesting question. Like a few of you, my layout has no specific time / place: somewhere in Quebec, maybe Ontario, 60s - 70s (though some of my favourite equipment predates this era or is newer. Oh well.)
> 
> I grew up with CP (a yard near my house) and CN. I'm not ready to expand yet but will be asking you for input on which US lines came up to Quebec / Ontario in this era: Delaware and Hudson?


That time frame would be D&H from Montreal to Albany for freight. Passenger service would also be D&H until Amtrak in 1971.


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

Not that it matters, but...
The Southern Pacific in the '50's and '60's.
Mostly Southwestern terrain and flatlands, typical to Kansas, Texas, California, and north to Ogden.
Three-unit consists for long freight and coal drags.
Switching and shunting operations between a steel mill and a salvage yard, plus lots of boxcar traffic through a massive warehouse facility. The salvage yard is a replica of one I grew up near in Connecticut.
Most of the motive power are RS11's in Black Widow, and SD7's in Bloody Nose.
Switchers are all exclusively former inhabitants of the West Oakland Yard.


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## JimL (Aug 16, 2015)

CNJ, around my home town in industrial (now rust-belt) northeastern New Jersey, circa 1957.


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## DaveCo (Nov 9, 2015)

*1976*

When I first got back into the Hobby a few years ago that kind of thing didn't even cross my mind.

When I moved into my current house I had a 4x8 that was based off the Rice Harbour layout in Model Railroader Magazine. I tore that down and converted into an around the room layout which was then based on the Ottawa Valley here in Ontario Canada (my home town area) but I actually got a lot of negative comments from people who said that it didn't line up and didn't make sense. Long story short rather than try to accept the elitist view I converted to a fictional area with fictional history set in 1976. It's still set in Eastern Ontario Canada though.


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## 3.8TransAM (Jan 13, 2016)

The dream would be Union Pacifics mainline in the Cheyenne/Laramie/Green River..................

The reality will be a Unitrack carpet runner that I am sure will have everything from shoeboxes to Duplo as industries

But I think we will have a hell of a lot of fun doing it, so its okay!


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## time warp (Apr 28, 2016)

3.8TransAM said:


> The dream would be Union Pacifics mainline in the Cheyenne/Laramie/Green River..................
> 
> The reality will be a Unitrack carpet runner that I am sure will have everything from shoeboxes to Duplo as industries
> 
> But I think we will have a hell of a lot of fun doing it, so its okay!


Keep the faith, Brother! As long as they're running, who cares!:thumbsup:


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## Chops124 (Dec 23, 2015)

A most interesting thread starter- goes right to the heart of 
the matter. Every model rail head I've ever chatted up always 
refers to the train experiences of their youth, or young adulthood. For myself, one shot is a depiction of my first rail fan trip at age of 13 to freight yards around Hackensack, New Jersey, sponsored by the Amherst Railway Society. The shot of the vintage blue coaches winding around the pueblos reflects the experiences of a local New Mexican and Texan, both out here in the Far West. 

The city shot is at the El Paso Train Club, (my trains), and the adobe shot is property of the Club, (both the train and the module). 

The Club layout itself is a veritable Tower of Babble. There is a Lake Erie harbor scene adjacent to a New Mexico train depot winding into Arizona high country back to Texas hill country after passing a small section of the Yucatan Peninsula deep in 
Mexico and then down a hill past a chunk of Appalachia, Carlsbad, New Mexico, and Juarez, Mexico before sliding past a
section of Chihauhaun desert section housing for rail workers. 

Hanging above it all is a section of a Cloud Croft logging railroad.

Populating the streets are quite a number of tractor trailer 
trucks and a smattering of militaria. A dairy feedlot occupies
another corner. 

El Paso has long been an international crossroads and this patch work quilt of culture and nationality is well evident. People model what they experienced. Model rail is a 3D tapestry of memories.


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## JNXT 7707 (May 5, 2013)

Chops124 said:


> View attachment 270706


Interesting train, Chops - that look like an old Tenshodo observation car on the end.


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## Gramps (Feb 28, 2016)

DaveCo said:


> When I first got back into the Hobby a few years ago that kind of thing didn't even cross my mind.
> 
> When I moved into my current house I had a 4x8 that was based off the Rice Harbour layout in Model Railroader Magazine. I tore that down and converted into an around the room layout which was then based on the Ottawa Valley here in Ontario Canada (my home town area) but I actually got a lot of negative comments from people who said that it didn't line up and didn't make sense. Long story short rather than try to accept the elitist view I converted to a fictional area with fictional history set in 1976. It's still set in Eastern Ontario Canada though.


Way to go, ignore that negative crap.:cheeky4:


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## 86swonavy (Jan 11, 2017)

Gramps said:


> I hope you have enough time
> space and money to accomplish your goal.
> I'm not looking to pee on your hat and tell you it's raining, but I think you have to narrow your time frame. The 30 years you are interested in probably had the most changes in railroad history. I suggest you pick a 10 year period and research that to model. Having said that, it's your railroad, do what makes you happy.
> 
> P.S. I edited my post on your other thread re: P32 locomotive.


You're correct. I'll narrow it down to 2000-2016. My main concern is the scenery with modern locomotives. I'll have to start from the beginning in terms of my locomotive and railroad history. I majored in History, but not a focus on transportation unfortunately. I hope that helps!


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

If you want to model Lambert's point, you're going to need a metric butt-ton of hoppers. I've never seen the place without several hundred of them! Their roller-coaster-like automated unloading facility is pretty slick, too... although maybe a beginner would be biting off more than he could chew trying to model that.

For a little more variety, you might combine Lambert's Point with the Norfolk International Terminal and ship both coal and containers out of the same area.


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## 86swonavy (Jan 11, 2017)

CTValleyRR said:


> If you want to model Lambert's point, you're going to need a metric butt-ton of hoppers. I've never seen the place without several hundred of them! Their roller-coaster-like automated unloading facility is pretty slick, too... although maybe a beginner would be biting off more than he could chew trying to model that.
> 
> For a little more variety, you might combine Lambert's Point with the Norfolk International Terminal and ship both coal and containers out of the same area.


I like a challenge..And as I've read, a model railroad is never complete..I suppose time is on my side!


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## Gramps (Feb 28, 2016)

I lived in the Atlanta area for a number of years and I learned of 2 towns in west Georgia named Hogansville and Carrollton. These are names that appear on our family tree so I came up with this story of the Hogansville and Carrollton RR.

In the 50's the Atlantic Coast Line and the Central of Georgia decided on a joint venture to connect the CGR at Carrollton with the ACL at Hogansville for the purpose of giving both roads a route from the ports of Savannah (CGR) to New Orleans (ACL). When the Central was acquired by the Southern in 1963 they abandoned this route in favor of their own route. Businessmen in west Georgia decided to keep it running as a bridge route but downsized it. It has only one leased loco and moves freight between Hogansville and Carrollton.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.


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