Seems kind of dead in here. Just an ice breaker for you folks, but how many of you like this line? Did you have personal experience with it? My experience is limited to a small branch line in central Ill during the seventies. Got to climb into some diesel cabs and didi all kinds of juvinile railfanning on the line.
My ideal layout would be something based on central Illinois in the 70's, probably either set in East St Louis, Springfield or Peoria (the Illinois Terminal is another road on my shortlist!). I've a couple of loco's i've been working on (in HO) to fit with that, a high nose GP35, an SD40-2 and an alco C424, all in the black NW scheme. Went to buy an Atlas SD35 in the same scheme at the weekend, but it had a defective drive & I came home with a Santa Fe SD45 instead! Not really 'modelling the N&W' per se, but I like their stuff too much to avoid doing an occasional diverted train. No personal experience of the line, as it had been part of NS for years by the time I got to visit the US.
My grandfather worked for the N&W for a while, and from my grandparent's porch I could watch all the action on the N&W (west end of the Pokey). I model the N&W in N scale. [ 17. June 2004, 20:01: Message edited by: N&W ]
Don't really model the N&W but I do paly around with the Western Maryland. Because of the importance of the WM's connections to the N&W I have a couple of N&W locos and cabooses to mix in WM consists. Also have include a number of N&W coal cars and boxcars for Alphajet trains.
I model the N&W in HO during the end of steam era. I've spent the last 15 years buidling up my loco and rolling stock roster. I've got several Class J's, Y6a and Y6b's, mountains, 0-8-0's, along with the occasional early diesel switcher. I've also detailed them with Kadee couplers, crushed coal in the tenders, and DCC (working on adding sound). I've got a seller holding a BLI Class A for me, but I seem to have run out of cash. I've recently moved into a home that my wife and I had built, and finally have my own train room to play with. I'm still drawing up plans, but I've got it narrowed down to 316...
Was just poking around and discovered that there are responses to my inital post here. I did not realize N&W had relations with WM. Is this simply an internchange or close buisness connections? Would it be far fetched to see a WM diesel lashed up with N&W diesels during the seventies? I have a WM diesel (Atlas N sd35) I bought on a whim because it was so darn pretty and I'm looking for a reason to include it with my N&W consists. Thanks
I model N&W and VGN, mid 50's, in HO. My Great grandad helped build the VGN, and made it into H. Reid's book. I love steam, and have no, none, zero N&W diesels, and only 4 VGN (2-66's and 2-44's). Must trumpet David Morgan's statement that the ultimate developments of reciprocating steam locomotives came out of Roanoke. Eagerly awaing the new BLI Class J.
N&W interchanged with WM at Hagerstown, MD. I'm pretty sure WM units would occasionally come down the valley line to Roanoake in the 70s. Maybe Robbman can chime in as I am more familiar with ops on the Pokey.
I model Illinois Central steam in the 50's in 1:29 scale , but , I recently started an N scale N&W RR , in a time warp ... The N&W , NKP and Virginian merged earlier than in reality ...allows me to run my NKP Berk next to my J and Y3 and my FM diesels ..... Sure hope somebody comes out with N scale A's and Alleghenies !
I model the N&W in N scale. I decided to set my layout in the transition period, mainly because, living only an hour away from Roanoke, I used to stand and drool when the 611 came rolling thrugh town.
I'm modeling a fictitious coal branch of the N&W set in the Ohio River valley during the mid 1960s. I've got a real weakness for high-hood diesel power from the 50s and 60s.
I model the W&LE/NKP along with a little bit of N&W thrown in - N scale also, but in the 1953-ish time frame. My idea is similar - the merger happened a little earlier, though I refer to it as a "mutually-beneficial business relationship". No diesels on my layout - just lots of steam. My layout occasionally hosts a PRR steamer or two as well. I'm definitely looking forward to the new Y-3's that Walthers will be introducing this summer - N scale sound-equipped steam will be awesome! I'm hoping it will raise the bar on steam in N scale.