rototypical railroads are the subjects that model railroaders attempt to capture in miniture. Much like the painter, with his brush and canvas, or the sculptor, with stone and chisel, the model railroader, at the height of his hobby, is attempting to present the world, centered around a railroad. Whether the railroad ever existed or not, the idea is to make it as real as possible, as to do that, the modeller must spend time studying real railroads.
By studying photographs, old records from bygone days, and by stopping at the local railroad crossing for a bit of railfanning, the model railroader can collect an immense assortment of information that can be used to make the model more life-like in appearance, operation, or both. By referring to the prototypes, a modeller can, for instance, determine which kinds of wheels belong on a 1930's boxcar, or whether the locomotive he is building should have dynamic braking, and if so where the hatches should be placed. Little details that, when added up, make the model more than the sum of its moving parts. It brings the model to life. This page is to share the information I have gathered (which is scarce little at this point) in the hopes that other modellers might find it useful.
rototypical railroads are the subjects that model railroaders attempt to capture in miniture. Much like the painter, with his brush and canvas, or the sculptor, with stone and chisel, the model railroader, at the height of his hobby, is attempting to present the world, centered around a railroad. Whether the railroad ever existed or not, the idea is to make it as real as possible, as to do that, the modeller must spend time studying real railroads.