Era Modeling by Age Group?

[Bendtracker1]

Born in 63, model The Rock, kind of Childhood memories cause I grew several blocks away from their Chicago-Denver Mainline.
Chose to Model Rock's southern most division due to the way it was operated then, laid back branch line style, chose their last few years of operation mainly due to the style of operation on that portion of the system in that era and the diverse paint schemes they had near the end.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I was born in '82.

My Conrail modeling is set in the mid 80s because I remember watching Conrail in the early 90s with my dad but did't want any C40-8Ws and wanted some older stuff hanging around.

But then I got into PC in the 70s.

And the Pennsy before WWI.

And now the MA&PA in 43.

Oh, and some Strasburg in the late 80s.

The CR stuff is easy to see the source of and the rest was either an outgrowth of learning about that or the frequent influence of my dad and his love for 1223 and 7002 at Strasburg. We went out there a lot when I was a kid, so again, I'm into what I saw, kinda.

[carlso]

OK you young-uns step aside. I was born 08/15/1940, in El Paso Texas, a real hotbed for the SP in those days. My father hired  on as a fireman with the SP in June 1940, retired 1984 with 44 years of service. Just a side note- he attempted to join the Army Air Corps in 1941 but they would not take him, telling him his job on the US railroad was as vital as flying airplanes. He was crushed because he wanted to fly the P51 or I guess in that time it was an F51.

My mother wrote in my "Baby's Book" a note that my 1st train ride, at the  age of 3 months, was in the cab of a switch engine from the roundhouse to the Alfalfa classification yard (approx. 7 miles). Commenting "he loved it".
I was hooked for life. As a 10 year old I actually operated an old 2-8-0 (#3420, famous in El Paso) several times on a work train assignment. Talking about being hooked, oh boy!
I grew up seeing cabforwards, AC-9's and 4-8-2's all in the El Paso area. The AC's, including the AC-9's operated between El Paso and Tucumcari, New Mexico. My brother also put in 32 years with the SP/UP.

So, yes, I love the memories of the SP, T&NO, Sunset Route, Sunset Limited, Argonaut, The BSM, Black Widows, Daylights, Tiger Stripes, Bloody Noses, even the Halloweens and lets not forget The Stormy. Back as a kid I would see the "Yellow Jackets" in the ELP roundhouse.

The SP still lives in my world.

Regards,
Carl

[jereising]

February 41, Gary IN.  I saw the Pennsy but fell in love with CSS&SB.  Moved to Kankakee IL in 47, got to see and hear the last of steam there.  Our house looked at the Big Four (NYC) and the highlight of my week was seeing the steam powered James Whitcomb Riley charging north.  Later, my high school could see the IC's Kankakee yard, lots of steaming there, and I got to see some of the last steam working the IC on the Lehigh Quarry job.

Having said that, I model today. With my prototypes (BNSF, UP) shedding locos as fast as they can, I must also do that.  I do fudge a bit, though. But I am PTC equipped! 

[mplsjct]

Born 1967, model Minneapolis 1965 - 1975.

I have been in N scale since 1983, but until 1999 or so, I accumulated stuff over multiple eras, and didn’t narrow my focus until I felt it was practical, as new product was coming fast and furious around that time.

The introduction of the Kato SD40-2 weighed heavily on my era extending into the 1970s, growing up watching these prototypes in the 80s could’ve extended my modeling era even further, but a person has got to know his limitations.

[Wardie]

Born in 1976,  I have a few oddities and extras in N scale but my attention is primarily focused on the Maine Central and connections in 75-87, and 53-60. The 53-60 has a lot to do with the last of passenger service in the area, if they still had run passenger trains in 75, and MT and Rapido hadn’t made so many awesome New England cars lately I wouldn’t  have nearly so much.
     In On30 I have Maine narrow gauge equipment from the 1920s and 1930s, because the 2’ gauge was cool and I have found some awesome deals.
     In HO I have one train for my friends layout that is strictly Maine Central from the late 70’s.

[conrail1973]

I was born in 1973.  I have early memories of riding the Broadway Limited from Johnstown, PA to NYC, visiting the Horseshoe Curve on a few occasions, a vague recollection of a Conrail locomotive on the NYC High Line prior to them ending service, and riding the LIRR into NYC to visit family.  In light of that, it has influenced me to model the 1980s with CR, and I've begun to jump into modeling a more modern era with Conrail Shared Assets at the same time.  I am also beginning to build up a collection of DH locomotives and rolling stock prior to Guilford just because I am drawn to that era of modeling.

[SAH]

Born in 1958.  Started with N scale in 1969.  Grew up in NE Ohio.  In the early 80's I had a proto-freelance concept ('cause that's what everybody did in the 80's) called the Ohio Central, well before the full sized regional began.  Around the late 80's went to prototype modeling with the EL West End, primarily NE Ohio, circa early 70's.  By the late 90's I was hooked on the AC&Y, early 60's and remain so to this day  Every bit of it has been fun.

[mu26aeh]

Born in 1979, southcentral PA.  I model CSX from early 90's to 2010ish.  No boxcar logo.  I grew up along the Hanover Sub, old Western Maryland Dutch Line.  Earliest train memories were watching Chessie System coal drags, presumably to Spring Grove via YorkRail but I didn't do much railfanning in those times.  Did more under CSX so I'm modeling what I know best.

[samusi01]

'79 is a good year... The home layout is NP in late 1969 and road stuff (Ntrak shows, etc.) is mostly modern SP/UP.

[sirenwerks]

• Born in 1966 in northern VA and grew up in central MD near the B&O OML, had a very early fixation with the Pacific NW and the Milwaukee Road there and introduced to C&NW, MILW, and Soo by my Dad on trips to West Bend WI, but ended up modeling Chessie System in 1970s in my teens
• 20s and 30s nothing, too busy with school and establishing career and life
• Mid 30s moved to CA and discovered the WP and NWP but still too transient
• Early 40s moved back to MD and thought about modeling fictional contemporary MD Eastern Shore shortline but still too busy and transient to get anything started
• Mid forties, remembered my keen childhood interest of the Pacific NW but taking care of elderly parents and at peak of career number one
• Early 50s started career 2 and, through a freak incident, ended up moving to Portland OR area and buying a house; plan on modeling early BN (post-merger paint-outs) on OE, Salem-ish to Eugene; influence of Mod-U-Trak has me wanting to found a modular club to model pre-merger Seattle to Portland shared mainline; and renewed fascination with northern Great Plains railroads in the 60s and 70s

[Jbub]

'79 is a good year... The home layout is NP in late 1969 and road stuff (Ntrak shows, etc.) is mostly modern SP/UP.

It is a good year except that we turn 40. My birthday is in a few weeks and I'm not at all thrilled about it. When I turned 30 I had just gone through a divorce and now I'm turning 40 and building a house with my new wife but no kids to put in it. At least I'll have a big basement to put trains in though.

[Kentuckian]

Born in early 1960’s, model mid 50’s transition era in eastern KY where I grew up.

[Angus Shops]

Born 1960, model the CPR in 1958. Originally modelled a more contemporary era (CP Rail SD40-2's) but back dated because of the lack of appropriate rolling stock; only Bachman SD40's and before Intermountain introduced their Trudeau hoppers or bathtub hoppers. I also realized that I didn't have room to properly represent contemporary unit trains or even modest strings of long modern freight cars. I'm a big fan of passenger trains, I prefer the "CPR classic" era, and 25 40 foot freight cars makes a decent train. I'm currently constructing a new layout with very similar themes as the previous, so I'm content with my choices at this time.
Geoff

[pdx1955]

Born in 1968 here in Oregon. Started in N modeling the Santa Fe in the 1960's mainly because of Alco PA's  and the desert . Changed to the SP once more equipment became available, but lack of suitable 1970's signature power at the time (e.g. tunnel motors, GP40-2s and like ) plus continual expansion of my library into all things SP  pushed me back into the 60's, flirted briefly with the 30's and eventually ended up with a happy medium in 1955.