Do you fudge the truth?

[dem34]

The layout I'm acquiring stock for. Which at this point doubt will ever materialize. Spans 1965-1999 CNJ,PRR/PC,CR,NJT. Specifically picked a bit of Mainline where the only things I need to shift around to change eras is adding and removing Catenary Poles and swapping around cars on the roads. But I just like rail fanning with light switching. Half of the Layout is hidden staging and it catches all the traffic from, at the time, two decently busy lines. So it is a layout where you could see some pics of Baldwin BP20s pulling P70s and with 2 minutes of prep be followed up with GP40-FHIIs pulling neutered Arrow Is and both would look correct in the space.

[Rivet Miscounter]

Wow, what a difference 10 years makes.   Since my last post (as Denver Road Doug) in this topic, I...
-Started pushing back my N era to my original-ish 1997-1999 BNSF timeframe.
-Lived in an RV for a time
-Dipped my toe into Z (see RV)
-Sold off all N not relavent to above timeframe
-Immursed myself in Z
-Moved somewhere in the neighborhood of 7-8 times
-Apparently left this forum at some point
-Sold off all N except for a very few select items, mosly consisting of about 30-ish UFIX coalveyors, "just in case"
-Got married
-Seemed to have lost several years of my life surrounding Covid
-Got frustrated with Z, considered HO or going back to N
-Saw friend's large HO layout running TOFC, which strangely pushed me back to N, this time modeling 1989 BN.  I wanted good 89ft flats, and knew that Z wasn't the answer and that I could never have his sort of room for a gigantic HO layout that would support running 89ft freight cars.
-Still have stayed in Z, modeling 2007 BNSF, still waiting for a promised Heritage-II BNSF GE to see the light of day.
-Remember the UFIX cars?  They're a centerpiece of the new N era.
-Joined a Free-moN group with plans to build a module.
-Still working on my Z layout.
-Have amassed a reasonable amount of N in short time...still awaiting a few key locos but I can reasonably put together a manifest, two coal trains, and an intermodal at this point.   Still a bit light on the grain though.

[EJN]

Yes.

But I realized years ago that 99.999% of the population would have no idea what's wrong with this picture

[learmoia]

Yes.

But I realized years ago that 99.999% of the population would have no idea what's wrong with this picture

The Handrails are not painted on that GP35

Living in the Midwest, modeling an east coast railroad, I definitely get some leeway since most won't know what is wrong.

But sticking to a prototype and time period is DEFINITELY  money saver!!!..

Cuts WAY down on the impulse buying.

[lock4244]

Yes.

But I realized years ago that 99.999% of the population would have no idea what's wrong with this picture

NYC didn't lay track on cork roadbed. The earth is not made of plywood. NS ballast car. GP35's were self contained diesel-electrics, not electric two rail pick-up. I'll leave it at that 

[Maletrain]

I model what I like, and the B&O made a lot of changes in the 1950s from things I like to things I don't like as much.  So, I pick what I like from about 1950 to 1956 and model that.  Yes to the last steam powered mainline passenger train, no to the RDCs that replaced it. 

I don't have the life years left to make a museum display for June, 1953, just west of Sand Patch.  But, I can put together similar trains to what I see in photos of that era.  It is just that some of the available models have the B&O with the small ampersand, instead of the big ampersand, so I know they don't fit the last paint date.  And some of the diesel locos have the correct paint scheme, but have the post 1957 numbering. 

I am not going to feel guilty about those things. This is my hobby, not a mission to show the public an historically correct representation of B&O equipment for a specific date in the past.

if people look at my models and see things that remind them of the B&O pictures of my era, I am happy with that.

If somebody insists on telling me that 2 B&O things were never in the same place at the same time, I just say that I do know that, but fixing it is way down on my hobby to-do-list.  JFRTM is higher priority, but I am not going to tell any nitpickers that.

[Mike C]

   The NYC loco is a bit old for the NS hopper 

[robert3985]

Yes.

But I realized years ago that 99.999% of the population would have no idea what's wrong with this picture

Soooo....what does 99.999% of the population not having any idea of what's wrong have to do with it?  YOU know what's "wrong" with it.  Screw the rest of the population.

I model my era, my season of the year, my chosen prototype location, my chosen prototype engines, cabooses and cars (appropriate to my chosen era) because it pleases ME. 

Although I am lucky to have chosen the roads, location and era that a lot of models are made for, I still have to compromise with my locomotive fleet and sometimes my cars by either substituting road engines which would have rarely run on my chosen prototype portion of my railroad or...I just don't run 'em, because I don't have 'em.

I really don't give a rat's weenie what the vast majority of the rest of the world thinks.

I want to make it clear that this is NOT an "It's MY railroad and I'll do what I want!" thing, because I attempt to stick to the prototype schedules, prototype trains, prototype train make-up, prototype motive power on said trains, prototype cabooses, prototype buildings, prototype scenery and even selectively compressed prototype track plans...as much as possible.  I even have 1:160 people who during my research I discover prototype photos of...so, if I can, I'll model them...which, so far, includes miniatures of engineers, firemen, a station master (and his wife), conductors, train crews, workers at the Echo Coaling Tower, maintenance crews....and various figures who I don't know who they are, what their names were, just that they were going about their daily routines and were present in the photos I find.

However, if a "nit-picker" happens to show me something that I've got blatantly wrong...I'm actually very happy with that...if Mr. Nitpicker is correct, I'll either fix it, or incorporate it into my layout if possible.  If he's wrong, I'm always happy to show him my references...which I have plenty of.

All great fun for me...and since it is so much fun...my LAST concern is what the rest of the world thinks about it.


Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[Dave V]

@robert3985 ,

One of the things I almost invariably see in response when I describe a compromise I had to make or a slight deviation from prototype to suit a desire or need is that same "Rule 1" thing you mention. "It's your railroad" they'll say, "and you can do whatever you want." True. I don't need anyone's permission to fudge something.

But Rule 1 is not a bottomless well. If you invoke it too liberally, you'll inevitably drain all the plausibility out of your work. Another way to think about it is that the longer the backstory has to be to justify what you've done, the less the work typically stands on its own.

Too often I've seen Rule 1 invoked to cover a multitude of egregious sins. I mean, as long as the modeler is having fun, it really doesn't matter, I suppose.

I think even freelanced modeling is better when Rule 1 is used as sparingly as possible. I know that doesn't exactly sound like embracing creativity...but Rule 1--when guarded by hashmarks established by reality--can actually enhance plausibility. Taking best practices from a real railroad or piggybacking on a favorite paint scheme...that's Rule 1, but within reasonable bounds.

Meanwhile, I'm throwing all plausibility to the wind with my new HOn30 project, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

[robert3985]

@robert3985 ,

One of the things I almost invariably see in response when I describe a compromise I had to make or a slight deviation from prototype to suit a desire or need is that same "Rule 1" thing you mention. "It's your railroad" they'll say, "and you can do whatever you want." True. I don't need anyone's permission to fudge something.

But Rule 1 is not a bottomless well. If you invoke it too liberally, you'll inevitably drain all the plausibility out of your work. Another way to think about it is that the longer the backstory has to be to justify what you've done, the less the work typically stands on its own.

Too often I've seen Rule 1 invoked to cover a multitude of egregious sins. I mean, as long as the modeler is having fun, it really doesn't matter, I suppose.

I think even freelanced modeling is better when Rule 1 is used as sparingly as possible. I know that doesn't exactly sound like embracing creativity...but Rule 1--when guarded by hashmarks established by reality--can actually enhance plausibility. Taking best practices from a real railroad or piggybacking on a favorite paint scheme...that's Rule 1, but within reasonable bounds.

Meanwhile, I'm throwing all plausibility to the wind with my new HOn30 project, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

@Dave V

Dave, well said!  I agree 100% with you.

By the same side of the coin, I've built layouts and modules for others that don't have any plausibility, but...the customer specified that factor, so that was okay too.


Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[EJN]

   The NYC loco is a bit old for the NS hopper 

We have a winner.

[nkalanaga]

And the MP boxcar isn't likely to have been seen behind an NYC GP35, if the MP even had any boxcars with vertical-shaft brakewheels by the 60s. 

[Dwight in Toronto]

I have HUGE admiration for as-close-to-prototype-as-possible modelers.  The discipline, research, study, learning, and adherence to era etc is astounding to me, and I tip my hat to you folks.

I’m afraid that my preference is towards a far more relaxed approach.  I’ve been between layouts for two years now, but the most recent pike was totally generic - a couple tunnels, a few bridges, a wee bit of water feature, small yard with turntable, depot station with good sized platforms, double track mainline. 

For a week or so, I might run The Canadian as the feature model.  And then perhaps the Morning Daylight (either with GS4, or F8, or both).  Later on some steam arrangements.  Then some British lashups.  There’s just so much interesting STUFF, and it’s such a joy for me to be able to pick & choose & watch a variety of trains and eras. 

I just couldn’t settle on, and adhere to, any one railroading operation nor time period.  But kudos to those who are so steadfastly particular!

[bnsfdash8]

Only pure realism here

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[EJN]

Only pure realism here

(Attachment Link)

But it is prototypical