From the Dome Car: Train 12 Track 4 (May-June, 2003)



 










Thoughts about what constituted the transition era are in this Dome Car. For me, it was the 1990s on the CP Rail when that railway was undergoing some transitions, or about to, in terms of liveries and locomotives. (When this was written, I didn’t yet have any AC4400 power; those units came later.) I also wrote about retirement—a long way off for me back then, but now a reality as I enter the retirement process. What I was told back then still seems true; that it is actually easier to build a layout while younger than when one is older and has no sense of urgency about time anymore. And I end on a optimistic note about the NMRA convention in Toronto; that optimism would soon be tested. 

When people ask me what era I model, I tell them the golden age—the transition era of the mid-1990s on CP Rail. 

Of course, that's not what most people think when they hear those words. For most people, the transition era means 1950-60, the time when steam was giving way to diesel. 

But for me, it’s the time when CP Rail's venerable SD40-2s were still pulling freight trains across the country, but the newer power was just beginning to show up on the scene such as the AC4400s and, later, SD70s, 80s and 90s. 

The only evidence of this transition on my CP Rail Manitoba and Minnesota Subdivision layout, so far, is the presence of a lone SD40-2F 'Red Barn', one of the first of that class to move east when the AC4400s began replacing them in the mountains. 

It was also the time when CP Rail was transitioning in terms of its liveries, with a mix of large multimark, small multimark, no multimark and twin flags schemes could be found on locomotives, along with SOO Line diesels in consists.

 My thoughts about what constitutes the transition era were prompted by a recent poll on the Canadian Model Trains group on Yahoo! Members of the group were asked to indicate what eras they modelled. 

The 1950-60 time period was still popular, at 20 percent, but over 69 percent of respondents said they modelled from 1960 to 2000. Seventeen percent said they modelled 1970-80. 

In other words, the era being modelled is changing as younger people become involved in the hobby. 

These results can't be taken too far; the number of respondents was small (165), and it was, after all, an Internet poll; it could be that mostly younger people subscribe to these groups. 

Yet I think there's a kernel of truth here. Of course, the 1950-60 era will continue to be popular and will always be the real transition era in railroading—and not just for older people. There are a number of younger modellers who are attracted to a time they never personally witnessed. But there is a trend to more recent railroading being modelled. 

Speaking of the future of our hobby, a lot of baby boomers are going to be retiring soon, and many of us might be thinking that we'll finally have enough time then to build that dream layout. If you are one of them, I have a word of caution: Don't wait too long. 

It's not just because nobody can guarantee health or returns on stock market investments; you might have good health and enough money, but find that you have too much time for model railroading. 

What? To much time for model railroading? That doesn’t sound right. At least, not for those of us who are only able to steal a few hours from work or family to build a kit or do some scenery. 

But a recently retired model railroader said that's what is happening to him. The modeller, who was very active in the hobby while he was employed, says that now that he is retired he hardly does any modelling at all. 

When he worked, he looked forward to those few hours he could grab for modelling; today, when he has all the time in the world—well, what's the rush? He could build that kit today, tomorrow or next week. The result is it never gets built at all! 

It's ironic, he says, but now that he's retired he actually does less model railroading than when he was working, and had only a little bit of time for it. 

The lesson? Don't wait for those 'golden years' to replicate the 'golden age' of railroading, whenever that time period is for you. Start now, when you have less time, or one day you'll have too much time to build your dream layout. 

And to those who plan to attend the NMRA National Convention in Toronto, we'll be seeing you there. In the meantime, happy modelling!



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