For discussion - how do you name your layout?

[MasonJar]

Here are the plans for my modular branch line, to be used at HOTrak meets, and as my home layout too.

I was browsing the ID Badges, E=Passes and Faces forum, and wondered if there is some sort of naming convention?

My main road is real - Canadian National - but the setting is semi-fictional - Marlpost, Ontario. That's somewhere in the east or south of the real province of Ontario, but is basically a fictional town.

If I wanted to make up a name for it, what should it be? Can I make a pass for something other than Canadian National Railways? How would that work?

Any comments or suggestions are welcome...!

Andrew

 

[petepuma]

It seems to me that you can name it pretty much anything. Sky's the limit. Although, some names would be just plain silly.


My layout is based on Burlighton Northern. (Although UP, SP and even NYC gear has been known to rumble through once in a while

) But then the BNSF shares the line with my local "McDowell Creek & Western". I just used the name of a local Oregon Creek and well, we're out West. So there you have it!

So Go nuts! Start with something simple... "Marlpost & Southern", "Marlpost, (insert nearby town, creek or river name) and Eastern" etc...

Have fun!

 

[N Gauger]

You could combine the "Reality & The Fictional" -- Just start "listing the names" until one sounds good to you..

It's your world - you get to name it.

Mine exists only as a ficticious RR in Northwestern PA... but we used our names "Janine, George, Bart, Steve, Mike, Fred, Wayne, & Rhonda
JGBSMF&W Railroad or MFW RR Our car markings are MFW (number)

Yours could be something like:
Marlpost & Eastern Ontario
Ontario Southern
Marlpost & Ontario

Have fun with it.... As for your Logo/e-pass ....... you can do anything you want with that make up a logo like some of the ones we did - it doesnt have to have anything to represent the CN..

 

[MasonJar]

Two question then come to mind...

1) If it is named the "Marlpost and Northern" for example, how do I justify (if that is the right word) the CN power running on it - especially since I do not have any "M&N" power or cars?

2) Is is more relaistic to call it the "Marlpost Subdivision" and if so, how would that impact any printed materials I make for it (e.g. passes, other paperwork)?

Interesting discussion - keep the comments coming...!

Andrew

 

[Zman]

I'm struggling with this too. My layout has NY & NE trains running with New Haven trains, which is prototypical as the two companies shared track, but I don't want to get locked into having to conform to too much reality. I thought of calling my town "Littleton", as it's N scale, and there are Littletons in Conn., Mass., and NH. Would it be too obvious to call the line New England Railways? NERY? Too cutesy? I don't know, the jury's still out.

 

[MasonJar]

Just had a brainwave... rare enough these days...!

The Canada Southern was a joint evnture between NYC and ... (escapes me right now). But anyway, that is an example of a railroad name that has almost nothing to do with the parent lines and the motive power/rolling stock operating on it.

Maybe someone more knowledgable than I can fill in the details...

Andrew

 

[petepuma]

Two question then come to mind...

1) If it is named the "Marlpost and Northern" for example, how do I justify (if that is the right word) the CN power running on it - especially since I do not have any "M&N" power or cars?

2) Is is more relaistic to call it the "Marlpost Subdivision" and if so, how would that impact any printed materials I make for it (e.g. passes, other paperwork)?

Good questions... I don't think you need to justify it at all!



Obviously the CN is "managing" operations on the M & N...Just until they get their offices up and running

Then, once that's done, the M & N will be able to paint up some engines and cars with the M & N logo on them and start making some money! AND CN will still have trackage rights because they were so nice in helping the M & N get up and on their feet...



I think that the "Marlpost Subdivision" would work as well. It's a little more modern I guess. Although, how is the CN laid out up there? Does the CN run every thing? Or are they like a BNSF and UP? It may be a stupid question but I don't know...

 

[Chessie6459]

I picked my railroad because I just love the chessie system itself and also my dad worked on the B&O ( Chessie System ) out of Johnstown, Pa. My model railroad name is - Chessie System - Route Of The Slepping Kitten. It will be based on coal operations down in Maryland on the Western Maryland in their coal country. You will see all three railroads working together ( B&O, C&O, & WM ). I right now planning how i am going to do this and getting ready to make up a track plan for the railroad.

( After 2 years i am finally getting around to making my dream come true LOL )

 

[brakie]

My Columbus & Hocking Valley Ry is named after the real C&HV Ry see http://www.chescweb.com/hvrail/ for details.The real Hocking Valley was merged into the C&O in 1930..However my C&HV is owned by CDB Industries which owns 6 other short lines and 3 industrial switching roads.I have cars and engines lettered for my C&HV which is a free lance short line railroad.My layout does not have a name other then the Jackson Yard of the C&HV.Of course this is a generic yard in design that can pass for a small C&O or Chessie yard.

 

[Doc Holliday]

My original inspiration came from seeing the article about the Rock Ridge layout in MR, Rock Ridge being the town in Blazing Saddles. Not being worried (at all) about being non-prototypically correct, I decided on tongue-in-cheek approach and came up with BAD Western. From there it was a simple task of filling in the BAD part. My wife's maiden name is Bovee' so that was easy. Tombstone was already taken so the town of Defiance was born. End result, the Bovee' & Defiance (BAD)Western.

My suggestion is to be a little less worried about what would happen in the real world and pick something uniquely you, even if it is a little cheesey or cutesy.
Doc
Doc

 

[shortliner]

So - the Ontario Southern fell on hard times, and has been bought out by CN (Shades of the Wisconsin Central/SOO) or CN has running rights over OS's trackwork. There is no reason that you can't have a couple of "patched" locos operating most local stuff with an occasional CN "big brother" running on there too.
Speaking of patched locos there is a rather nice N gauge layout on TrainOrders.com with "reverse patching" where UP has been taken over by SP - and the UP locos are patched!
Shortliner(Jack)away up here in the Highlands

 

[galt904]

The Canada Southern was NYC alone. You might be thinking of the TH&B which was joint between NYC and CPR. The CASO was mostly just the identity of the NYC/MC through SW Ontario. There was some CASO painted rolling stock, but most was from NYC, until Penn Central and Conrail and CN/CP took over.... but the basic railway identity was still the CASO. (For more info see www.canadasouthern.com)

Along this line you might consider naming it one of the historical lines that CN may have taken over in the area. For example, in my area, CPR took over the Ontario & Quebec Railway, Credit Valley Railway, Tillsonburg Lake Erie & Pacific Railway, and Western Ontario & Pacific Railway just to name a bunch.

For me, I'm modelling CPR in SW Ontario, I'm calling mine the Woodstock Ingersoll & Pacific, or WIP, which also stands for work in progress.

 

[Dave Flinn]

Interesting discussion, and not something I'd ever realloy given much thought to. When I was a teenager (back in the dark ages) I had a basically Lionel O-27 setup at home, which I called The Bottleneck & Confusion. I have always had a soft spot for the New Haven, as that is the protptype road I grew up with, especially the Berkshire Division, Danbury to Pittsfield. I have never bee a stickler for prototype modeling, although I say more power to those who do it. Anyway, I decided my new road (which is still in my head) should be the Housatonic & Cayuga, since my favorite line growing up ran through the Housatonic River valley and I now live in the Finger Lakes area of New York on Cayuga Lake. While I have lots of New Haven rolling stock (particularly locomotives) already, the road itself is purely fictitious, and I do have some rolling stock lettered for the H&C. In fact, I have subtitled it "The Time Warp Line" because, while my period is basically the 1950s, I wanted to have some modern equipment show up occasionally. I have both steam and diesel, the former of which includes Milwaukee Road 261, which is running today, so there you go.

I'd say have at it and name your road whatever you like.

 

[sumpter250]

Sag Harbor Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. is a fictional shipyard. It purchased the defunct (and fictional) Sagaponack Montauk RR, and opened a working Museum, which subcontracted less than carload jobs for the northeastern railways, in exchange for trackage rights. The SM was later expanded to the Sagaponack Montauk & Cindys Harbor. The shipyard has, since then, purchased the Shinnecock Hills Lumber Company, and the 30" gauge Wiscasset Bucksport & Schoodic Point.
The names? Sag Harbor, Montauk Point, Sagaponack, and Shinnecock Hills, are all on eastern Long Island.
Wiscasset, Bucksport, Schoodic point, and Cundys Harbor (modified to Cindys Harbor) are on the Maine coast.

 

[RailRon]

The name of my narrow gauge TC&W is purely fictitious. Therefore it has also its fictitious history.

Trim Creek County is situated somewhere in the Western Colorado / Eastern Utah region - not too far away from the Uintah basin. (Therefore I have an excuse in advance to run one of the URy 2-6-6-2s on my layout! ) And yes, the TC&W also leased some rolling stock from the narrow gauge D&RGW and RGS.

When the fabulous Fantasium ore was discovered in the Mimi Mountains, a railroad had to be built to transport the ore from the mines to the processing plant in Trim Creek. From there the refined products are shipped to Ronville (lying to the West of Trim Creek), where they are transferred to a standard gauge railroad (D&RGW and AT&SF with joint trackage rights). So the railroad's name just had to be 'Trim Creek & Western RR'.

Why Trim Creek? As you see at left, I'm living in a small town called Trimbach. The German word 'Bach' means 'creek' in English - and Trim sound just English enough on its own. So my main community became Trim Creek.

Other geographical names are simply adaptations of the names of family members. Now if I only knew where I got that name of 'Ronville' from?

Ron

 

[N Gauger]

Two question then come to mind...

1) If it is named the "Marlpost and Northern" for example, how do I justify (if that is the right word) the CN power running on it - especially since I do not have any "M&N" power or cars?

2) Is is more relaistic to call it the "Marlpost Subdivision" and if so, how would that impact any printed materials I make for it (e.g. passes, other paperwork)?

Interesting discussion - keep the comments coming...!

Andrew

You're thinking too deep here - it's just a hobby

"Real World" reasoning comes into play.....
A: The different engines are" on Loan"
B: The CN Power has just been aquired & we havn't re-painted them yet
C: They are paying us to use our right-of-way -- My fav

AS far as the "sub-division" --- again -that's up to you what you want to "include" on the logo's (passes paperwork etc...)

There are literally hundreds of excuses or reasons you can use... it's all for "you.... and tellthe ribbit counters "That's my story & I'm sticking to it"

 

[petepuma]

Hey Sumpter250, Have you ever been to Sumpter Valley out here in Oregon? I'm curious were you got the name...There's a great railroad out there that is a blast to ride on...The run a Hysler. My Dad got me up into the cab when I was a kid... What a hoot!

 

[ezdays]

The Canyon State Railroad was started a few years by a few disgruntled LPB's that were unhappy working for another highly visable railroad, and too energetic to retire. They wanted to run thought the state of Arizona, and couldn't get the rights to the already used Grand Canyon Railroad, so the took the next best thing. The Arizona scenery ranges from the desert to pine forest with lots of rocks, hills, farms and ranches in between, and there are structures dating back to the early 1800's. There are small towns, mining towns and big cities.. Because of all this, it was a good choice since it is vertually impossible to screw up a layout like that and have someone point out that it doesn't fit the era or area.

The CSR is running on a shoestring budget and only owns one rundown engine and one boxcar. It leases a lot of engines, both diesel and steam and some of its rolling stock, but has plans to aquire more as time and budget permits. Right now the entire railroad is shut down for extensive renovations and expansion, including adding passenger service to attract the tourist trade, and will be back on line as time and budget permits.

 

[Jodam]

OE & JP R's
Our layout is in two interconnected sections.

OE "Over engineered" relates to the way i do everything, as can be seen on our web site.
JP "Jodam Park" is from our names Jo & Damien, park indicates the theme/holiday/ski resort section of the layout.

As my first rolling stock came from a friend in Maine US. I decided all rolling stock would be leased from the US and left in original livery, (laziness).

Running trains is not a priority with us, The Creation & Modelling IS & i very much doubt it'll be finished before either of us depart this existance.

i'm very much into animation at present, revolving signs, moving walkways etc.
All in N-scale of course.

Have a good day all.

 

[Pitchwife]

The HO layout I was designing got it's name in a roundabout way. I used to listen to a natiionally syndicated morning radio comedy program that had an adult twist to it, nothing vulgar, just suggestive. They had a piece about the Norfork RR merged with another (I don't remember which) that ended in Way and became the Norfork & Way. How do you get 10,000 lbs of cargo from New York to LA overnight? Norfork & Way. Being in the west, Norfork just didn't fit so I came up with North Fork, as in the north fork of the X river. (Hadn't named the river yet) and Wade who was the .com milti billionare who had always wanted a really big layout and decided to go with 1:1 scale, so you have the North Fork (or NorFork) and Wade. There's more history to it but that's the just of the name. Guess it just depends on, if you're not doing something strictly prototypical, how much immangination you have. :thumb: :thumb:
Haven't come up with one for the N layout I'm doing now yet. This one I think I'll build and then name it.