andywyeth07 said:what i'm looking to run is CSX diesel locomotives and railroad cars b/c thats really all I see around ohio and i really like the looks of them.. lol.. I think i'm going to model the 1990's to the early 2000's. I really want to make realistic senery.
does anyone have any pictures of the yard located near Sandusky, OH and Latrobe, PA? Ive searched it on google maps and for some reason it wont let me zoom in on it close enough
Well, from 1976 to 1999, the railroad in your area ( and my favorite railroad) was Actually Conrail. However, after 1999, Conrail was divided by CSX and Norfolk Southern. all former New York Central lines went to CSX, while all former Pennsylvania Railroad lines went to Norfolk Southern.
You can't go wrong with a GP38-2/GP40-2 marked for Conrail. They are small enough and common enough that there has to have been one on your tracks at some point. Many are still painted for conrail even though they are on the CSX or NS. The same goes for the C40-8W (Dash-8 40CW). Model wise, the GP38-2 can run on just about any track condition. buy an Athearn RTR GP38-2 or GP40-2. if you have $50, go to http://www.tagtrains.com/cgi-bin/Store/store.cgi?cart_id=5772407.28257.s0&lastmenu=&product=proto_2000_gp38_2_engines. You can order P2k ( very high quality and good running for the price) GP38-2.
As for finding the yard plan, look into Conrail ZTS charts of your area. They are very very specific about track arrangements, industries served, drop off points, the whole 9 yards. They probably aren't that much different today then they are when Conrail made them.
Another good place to look is on www.railpictures.net , or www.rrpicturearchive.net where you can search for pictures of trains in your area. that might help you plan, and help us see what you want.