Fantasy trains or real trains? (2024)

BOTH !!!

Most of my equipment is what the UP and Rio Grande actually ran.

And that is the focus of my layout, A branch line of the Rio Grande meeting up with the UP in Ogden Utah.

Now, This line never existed except in my mind but I want to model the town I grew up in on my layout, so that's the way it works.

I do have 2 total Fantasy trains, The Coors Silver Bullet and the Lionel Phantom.

The Silver Bullet is just to cool to skip and the Phantom is interesting and works well for a Halloween train.

For moi, I like to think it's ALL fantasy!!

That way I don't let myself get caught up in the rivet-counting paranoia that frustrates so many.

Oh, sure, the colors, fonts, names, etc. may be drawn from record books, but there's no steam in the pipes, there's no pistons in the diesels, and there's this third rail that folks seem to wax eloquent about.

Fantasy..... Begins with the same letter as Fun!

KD

I enjoy seeing others having fun with fantasy trains, but trying to recreate real trains gives me the most pleasure.

Art

I like both and have a lot of both (but not enough!). I particularly like this fantasy loco: a Union Pacific N&W J, now that is a great fantasy.

Both

I just can't resist some of the fantasy trains. It's the kid still in me I guess.

Russell you and I sure like our Coors trains.

Larry

I like both real and fantasy trains equally.

I try not to get too deep into questions like this. The poster's question seems to be fantasy paint schemes (never existed) vs. realistic paint schemes (existed on at least one real item) on our models. I like realistic looking models on my late 1940s PRR themed layout mainly because it helps me limit my total purchases; I have no problem with things not being absolutely correct. I do have a few fantasy schemes as part of my Bicentennial and Red/White/Blue collection, either because I really like the fantasy scheme or it has special meaning.

Ron

I think the line between real and fantasy at times can be blurry at times. There are clear cut examples of fantasy trains like the Polar Express that are more seasonal in nature and during the Christmas season, just plain fun to have on a layout that is not fantasy related.

Then add to this the new Lionel fantasy SP Cab Forward in the Daylight colors. The look of the engine may be pure fantasy, but it is scale in detail in every other respect. Most of us who ordered this engine will run it in our regular layouts regardless of the fact that it never appeared in the real world.

So I don't think there is a clear answer to your question.

Gentlemen and women

This thread touches on the heart of our civilization for it can be said that all things that have been created it has always started in someones head as a Fantasy and it is to all those thinkers that we have to thank for all the Real Trains out there on the Rails. Also think of it this way The fantasy rail lines and equipment that has been introduced breaks up all of our Normal everyday same old diesel pulling same old Hoppers or Freight going down the tracks to the east west north and south.

Originally Posted by Passenger Train Collector:

there are no blurred lines here. the cab forward locomotives were freight haulers built for a specific need. Daylight livery was applied to passenger locomotives on specific routes. anything not historically, or for that matter, logically accurate, is fantasy, period.

On another forum, we do a different car each year. We do a lot of research to identify authentic road numbers, build dates, color and data. That's the reality aspect. As for the fantasy, we've added instructions such as NO BULLSHIPPING on a stock car, or BS for Blended Sand and when empty return to Washington DC for more BS on a 3 bay covered hopper. We've done totally absurd warnings as a poke at modern times. A few years ago, we did a Reading 3 bay composite hopper with Do Not Stand In Hopper When Filling, on the drop doors. Our car this year, a B&A flat to gondola conversion which was dedicated to our founder, who is a Boston & Albany guy. We get the best of both worlds, and since our runs are just over 100 cars most of the time, they are also collectible. Here are some pics of the B&A gondola.

Don

Originally Posted by overlandflyer:

IIRC, I have read of the cab-forwards pulling passenger trains, I was surprised to read that myself. I will have to try to find something more definite, but I do believe that they were used in some passenger service.

One of my some day custom jobs is going to be having an SP AC-9 Skirted and Daylighted, Nope SP never did that to an AC 9, so I hope to some day correct that oversight in 3 rail O Scale .

Doug

I like what I like, real or fantasy. I have both.

My favorite trains in my collection are my scale Polar Express (fantasy to the max!) and my SMR W&ARR 4-4-0's (incredible reality).

The only limits I place on myself are the limits of my personal taste.

Andy

Originally Posted by challenger3980:

Yep, although it seems most of the cab-forward photo's online are of cab-forwards pulling freight, they did indeed pull passenger trains:

There's also plenty of proof of cab-forwards pulling passenger trains on various SP videos.

Rusty

Real trains are better.

Originally Posted by Rusty Traque:

Thinking he was refering to "Daylight" painted cab forwards and passenger trains.

Originally Posted by Martin H:

Sure, but it's hard to get them up on the layout.

Originally Posted by Rusty Traque:

Rusty,

I have a repro SP Travel Poster showing same pulling a full consist of heavyweights headed to Seattle.

Originally Posted by Rusty Traque:

AC-12 Driver Diameter: 63"

AC-12 Tractive Effort: 125,000 lbs

GS-4 Driver Diameter: 80"

GS-4 Tractive Effort: 66,000 lbs

while it's true that the 4-8-4 wheel arrangement is often referred to as a dual purpose locomotive, there is no doubt that the AC class was built for lower speed, large tonnage consists. whatever use they might be called on to perform within their divisions was likely based on economic or perhaps safety factors.

to me the cab-forward is a gorgeous locomotive in basic black.

Sure looks like a Cab Forward on a passenger train to me (no sound):

Rusty

Good Day,

IappreciateLionel and MTH presenting prototypical diesel locomotives. On the other hand, I enjoy the fantasy color schemes. I get tired ofjust the color schemes of the 21st Century Class I railroads.

Regards,

Swafford

Originally Posted by Swafford:

That's why they also offer models of locomotives that are from the era the paint schemes existed.

Originally Posted by Swafford:

While we can buy trains with liveries from earlier times, for modern railfans it's certainly easy to be nostalgic for the variety of railroads that existed back in, say, the 60s, with all the different liveries that were around then. Far more interesting, in many respects, than having just the handful of mega-railroads that are around today, which over the years have swallowed up dozens and dozens of the different lines that once existed.

Rusty,

Great video.

George

I have a complex relationship with reality and fantasy. I do both realistic and fantasy trains. When running 0 gauge scale, I like to stick to real or plausible "what if" engines and rolling stock. I will occasionally go for an outright fantasy, like a "what if" Hiawatha paint job on a GG-1, but on the whole I prefer to stick close to the real or near-real. I like billboard reefers and I don't exclude one just because it's decorated for a brand of beer that didn't actually have its own reefer. In fact, one of my favorites is Olde Frothingslosh, which started out as a fantasy beer (although Pittsburgh Brewing did eventually brew some beer under that name).

I absolutely loathe holiday cars, Disney, Looney Tunes, cop and hobo chase cars, and all the other off the wall stuff that shows up in Christmas catalogs. Ditto the American Presidents commemoratives, etc. etc. ad nauseum. I didn't like that stuff when I was a little kid and I still don't. Loved Bugs and Daffy on TV, didn't want them on my train layout.

In tinplate, anything goes! Tinplate is a fantasy anyway. My tinplate McKeen car looks like something out of a steampunk graphic novel, but it's real so there you are.

This is my favorite fantasy locomotive.

Rusty

Originally Posted by Pat Kn:

The real railroads like fantasy trains too. After all,isn't the NS Heratage Engines a fantasy scheme?

Not at all Pat, they painted them upand they exist!

(Now those earlier "Lionel's own"versions of older roads?...)

Originally Posted by Pat Kn:

The real railroads like fantasy trains too. After all,isn't the NS Heratage Engines a fantasy scheme?

It's a little easier to touch a bit of reality with those than some others.