Help to choose the proper engine for the era

[jsmvmd]

Dear Friends,

I have purchased the engines and rolling stock from a friend who modeled the Erie-Lackawanna.  I want to get a few Spectrum steam engines that might look good for this era.  Even if they are not prototypical, what the heck!  I still want to run some steam!  (This is for our friend SteamGene).

The rolling stock is mixed freight, open and covered hoppers, gons, and a real nice set of heavy passenger cars. 

I would appreciate any suggestions.  Thank you!

Best Wishes & Happy New Year!

Jack

[SteamGene]

Jack,
Strange as it may seem, many railroads ran older steam at the end, with their newer steam sitting as reserve motive power.  The last Milwaukee Road steamer in action was a Ten-Wheeler, while the last revenue steam in Virginia on the C&O was a rather ancient K2 Mikado.   Obviously this was not true of the N&W since they stuck with steam longer than any other Class I and were running As, Js, and Y6s to the very end.  So I'd go with a Ten Wheeler, a Consolidation, or a BLI light or heavy Mikado as my first choices. 
Merry Third Day of Christmas.
Gene

[Atlantic Central]

Jack,

Gene makes good points about how steam was phased out. Once replaced with diesels, the largest and most modern steam was not suitable for many of the remaining jobs and was often scraped even though it was "new" by steam loco standards.

The EL was formed in 1960, so in fact steam was all but gone on Class I lines. But any of the locos Gene listed will look reasonably at home with what you have.

The Bachmann Heavy Mountain would be OK, the B&O and other roads, especially in the south east, had that wheel arrangement right up to the end.

Truth is, not that many people know the era/dating details of most stuff, so just don't put a 4-4-0 on the front of streamlined passenger cars or 36' box cars behind a AC6000CW and things will look just fine.

Heavy weight steel passenger cars lasted till the 70's - so that a range of 1910 - 1975.

Streamlined passenger cars started in the 1930's to now, although most everything 1960 and older is mainly in excursion service now.

Freight cars did not get much beyond 50' long until the sixties.

First Generation diesels, F7's, GP7's, E8's, FA's, etc, lasted into the 80's in many cases.

It's nice to build believable scenes as much as possible, but mainly just have fun, and as we used to say at one club I used to belong to "run what you brung".

Sheldon

[sparkyjay31]

I don't know how period correct I am, as I too am just starting out, but here's my current list for modeling the southern NH B&M in 1900.

Roundhouse 4-4-0 running 36' wood reefers
Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0 running passenger cars and freight
Bachmann Spectrum 0-6-0 in the switching yard

All this is on a J shaped 4' x 24' layout.

[SteamGene]

Sparky - your wheel arrangements are fine for 1900.  However, the Bachmann 2-8-0 represents an engine from the 1920s (+/-) and the 0-6-0 is a USRA design of 1918.  OTOH, I didn't know they'd upgraded their 0-6-0 to Spectrum standards.  Do you mean, by any chance the 0-6-0T?
Merry Third Day of Christmas
Gene

[sparkyjay31]

Sorry, I was typing so fast I got all crossed up.  I was trying for 1920 and I have a Proto 2000 0-6-0.  The 4-4-0 may not be totally correct for that late, but it looks very cool!

[ebtnut]

There were a lot of 4-4-0's still running in the 1920's, though largely in secondary service or on short lines.  The Ma & Pa No. 6 ran until 1950.  USRA 0-6-0's lasted close to end.  The B&O's ran into the early 1950's, at least.  As noted, the Spectrum 2-8-0 is essentially a 1920's design, though Consols of about that size with superheat began becoming common after 1910.  Again, a lot of those horses lasted right up till the end.  FWIW, the last major steam operations in the US were on the Denver and Rio Grande Western's narrow gauge lines which shut down at the end of 1967.

[Dr EMD]

Sorry, the EL never operated steam.

[modlerbob]

They were experimenting with Berks in Michigan in the late 70's or early 80's.  The 2-8-4's were one of the last major classifications of steam locomotives to be built.

[jsmvmd]

Dear Friends,

Thank you for the wonderful information! 

I have bids on the FS for a 2-10-0 and Heavy Mountain.  Hope to get those two beauties! 

I should have mentioned that an 11' x 22' layout comes with the friend's rolling stock.  Presumably with 22" or greater radius curves. 

Too, I have a Bowser USRA Lt Mike kit with super detail kit to be built.  Many E8's, U-boats, a Century, etc. 

Looks like youse guys hit it!  Thanks a million!  I will have a great time running my choo choo's, and will drink several toasts to you all!  There is a second fridge in the basement loaded with my favorite beveridges.  Good thing I am only driving trains, as the legal limit in PA is 0.08.  My limit is when my face hits the floor, to paraphrase Dean Martin.

Any and all are welcome to stop by to run trains and to sample the fridge. Lots of room to crash if needed.

Best Wishes & Hoppy New Year!  Or as my Father's friends from WWII used to say, "Up your New Year!"

Jack

[RAM]

Jack it is your railroad.  You steam locomotive may belong to the E & L (early and late) railroad, having trackage rights on the EL.

[Paul M.]

Sorry, the EL never operated steam.

It might be plausible to have a steam locomotive running lettered for a railroad that formed the EL (ie, the Erie...)

[TonyD]

I wasn't there at the time, and still in diapers anyway, but, didn't the CPR, GT/CN still have steam in Buffalo at this time? The 0-8-0's and pacifics I would think. Didn't some coal belt shortlines still have steam working off the E-L mainline? Can't think of the names, Attica something was one. Lots of 'written off' steam was kept around for snow melting jobs or flood prone aeas back then, which is alot of wha you see stuffed today. As far as 'after E-L' , how bout a Bachmann Chinese SY lettered SusieQ pulling a load of railfans.... you can see that for real one of these -summer -days...Happy new Year-Tony

[ebtnut]

OK, here's the basics.  US main line steam died on the N&W in May of 1960.  Their last loco in steam was an 0-8-0 at Roanoke.  There is a report that the B&O had a Mike (maybe a Q-1 or a Q-3) alive as late as March of 1960 up in Cleveland.  The GTW ( a CN subsidiary) ran steam into early 1961, mostly out of the Detroit area.  A few short lines and industrial operations lasted much longer.  Northwestern Steel & Wire ran some GTW 0-8-0's at their steel mill in Sterling, IL into the early 1980's.  The last "official" regular steam freight hauler was the Crab Orchard and Egyptian in southern Illinois, which I believe hung on into the early 1990's.  I previously noted the D&RG's narrow gauge operations. 

The Reading quit using steam regularly about 1959, but kept several T-1 4-8-4's which they used for fan trips into the mid-1960's.  One of them is the Freedom Train loco at the B&O Museum in Baltimore; one is in the Seattle area; and one is stored out of service on the Blue Mountain & Reading in Hamburg, PA.

[SteamGene]

Nut,
The C&O had a fireless 0-6-0 they used in a chemical plant well into the '70s - maybe the '80s. 
Merry Fifth Day of Christmas.
Gene