I model what I am familiar with. When I lived in Rochester, I modeled railroads around Rochester (mostly Conrail). When I moved to Albany, I started building an N scale layout based on the Burlington Northern's Camas Prairie line out in Idaho but became disinterested in N scale and wanted to model something "local" in my new hometown. So, I switched to the D&H's Albany area Colonie Main line. I liked it then, and perhaps someday I will revisit it. But in switching scales, I also had a fresh chance to switch themes. Pictures like the one below of Maine Central GP7 #573 on the Conway Scenic Railway, taken on October 17, 1997 are what I am thinking of trying next.
It started by purchasing some Boston and Maine equipment in HO scale lettered in the classic "McGuinness" scheme of Blue and White which is sometimes referred to as the "Bluebird" scheme. I especially liked it as applied to B&M Geeps and even adopted the scheme for my small 7.25" gauge live steam locomotive critter. My wife also loved the scheme as it had the letter "BM" which are my initials. Since B&M equipment was appropriate for my D&H layout set in 1984 I didn't think twice.
Then I bought an O scale tinplate B&M Bluebird Geep and matching caboose "for under the tree" and that might have been by downfall.
Soon I was buying some books on the B&M, including the excellent trilogy by Robert Willoughby. They are simply fantastic and packed with wonderful maps, personal anecdotes, well researched history and great color photos. I reached out to him and he kindly autographed my entire collection. The one titled Three Colorful Decades of New England Railroading is far and away my favorite.
I was drawn to the small-town feel of the B&M. That led to researching the Maine Central, the Rutland, and eventually the Bangor & Aroostook. Finally, I realized I couldn't pick just one railroad to model. Nor would I want to, or I would fall into the exact same trap that had become of my previous D&H layout. I wanted to model them all, or at least collect and run equipment from them all.
That meant I needed a generic layout. I wouldn't call it "proto-freelance" as I am not attempting to model specific scenes. I just want to build a layout that sort of represents New England in which any train I put on it will seem to fit. Who knows... I might run my tinplate trains, or my Harry Potter Hogwarts Express, or my son's Thomas the Tank Engine too!
This will be somewhat challenging for me, as I am don't consider myself terribly creative. I am good at modeling what I see, but not imaging what might have been in the past. So, many of my structures and scenery elements will be based on prototype plans, layout pictures, or places I have discovered with my wife while exploring. I hope it will make someone say "Gee, that reminds me of a place we drove through in New Hampshire once" but not "Hey, I see you tried to model Springfield but the coal dealer is in the wrong place". We shall see.
To make it tougher, I want to model fall, my favorite season. I have so many wonderful memories that occurred in fall, and to me the weather is perfect then. Trees are changing colors, grass is slowly dying, , football season starts, and decorations for fall holidays come out. Here is another shot taken the same day on the Conway Scenic Railroad. The train is are hiding in the colors around it, popping out here and there with a rumble.
I am hoping that for my birthday next year I can visit and ride the CSRR.
The most impressive layout I have ever visited is former Dick Elwell's Hoosac Valley Railroad. I featured it on my other blog. His fall scenery is stunning. Not garish or overdone, but restrained and yet still colorful. I would love to try and model something like that on my layout. The picture below is from an operating session I was lucky enough to be invited to in 2011, and in it Dick is showing me one of the finer points of his layout. Though just about everything would qualify as a finer point.
It will be interesting to see how it all turns out.
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