Very Possible!

So, Luis,  As for the green and gold Maine Central locomotives, have no fear!  Currently, Pan Am Railways (Post Guilford) has on the roster MEC # 52 and BM #77 in Maroon and gold!  

As for modeling a shortline version, pick any one of the abandoned branches and have at it.  Right now the most current branch with little or no traffic is the Bucksport Branch.  Also the Madison Branch was taken out of service not too long ago.  I suggest Google Earth and search those areas of the State of Maine.

Very possible indeed!

Luis,

It is very possible to have most of what you've described.  Guilford did not exist in the 1970's - it was still the Boston & Maine, Delaware & Hudson, and Maine Central in that decade - but there's no reason not to have power pools sharing different road names on the same train.  By the 1980's Guilford was being formed, but even then it took a while before the grey and big "G" paint scheme was more common than the original paint schemes of Guilford's member railroads.

Creating your own short line to interchange with any of these prototypes is a great way of adding a "wild card" to the deck.  After all, it's your railroad!  And there's plenty of places to explore what might be a switching layout.  My favorite was Commercial Street in Portland, Maine.  Check it out!

Geof

Maine Central

I live in Maine. Can help you with maybe pictures of possible industrial sites you can freelance with in the

Portland ME and surrounding communities.

Hi all. Thank you so much for

Hi all.

Thank you so much for all your help!

I need to spend now some time on Google earth and sketch something for your appreciation!

@Nelson, those things are real beauties! I am starting to imagine my own fleet of GP7 and such!

@Geof, that's an awesome idea. A short line that could serve all those railroads... It can give color and variety to the roster!!! I read somewhere that those smaller short line railroads normally don't have their own rolling stock and use rolling stock from other companies. How can I choose the correct ones?

@murf10346, I will take that offer!

Thanks! This was really helpful!

Small Piece of Guilford in CT

Hi Luis,

Perhaps a little modern for you, but maybe worth a look is Guilford's (PanAm) short branch in Connecticut between the Connecticut River Main (Amtrak?) and Waterbury, CT. I've watched GP-40s MEC 350 & MEC 354 frequently working the line over the last decade or so as I commuted to work. It has a bit of everything. At roughly the mid-way point there is a compact yard adjacent to a diamond in Plainville, CT that is small enough to model almost in its entirety. It has a good mix of modern industries - small steel fabricators, lumber yards, a quarry and a Firestone plant that makes asphalt shingles (I think... lots of tank cars). If you want to go back a few decades you could model the industrial towns of New Britain, Bristol and/or Waterbury in their decline from New England's industrial heyday (1950's - 1970's).

Below is a list of current mileposts and industries that I dug up on my computer (I cannot confirm that these industries are still served by rail - only that they have been some time in the last decade or so). Hopefully, this'll give you some inspiration. 

Good Luck!

Christian

GRS Expanded Mile Post Listing Conn River 
District 4 Train Dispatcher 

Conn River Route

Waterbury---------------------24.30 
Metro-North Sta. 
....................Asphalt plant 
....................American Republic 
....................Yard 
....................Scrap dealer
....................Portanova (lumber) 
Highland Jct.------------------23.90 
..........Interchange with Naugatuck RR 
King ----------------------------23.70
Waterville
Greystone Rd.
Hancock
....................Arthur Industries 
Tolles
Terryville ----------------------15.33 
Barlow St.
Farrell Ave.
Bristol ----------------------------11 
....................Thesis Steel 
E.Bristol
....................A. W. Green
Forrestville ---------------------8.70 
....................Lumber Co.
Plainville ------------------------7.15 
....................Yard 
....................Steel fabricator
Cooks Quarry ------------------5.50 
....................Tilcon 
....................Acme Steel 
New Britian ---------------------2.40 
....................A.H.Harris 
Mack -----------------------------0.50 
..........onto Amtrak trackage to Springfield 

Hi all. Up until now,

Hi all.

Up until now, Commercial Street, Portland, was the one tha caught my attention.

The swing bridge I found using Google Earth kind of reminds me of the latest layout from Paulo Dolkos. That could be a scenic divider! But I think that it is narrow gauge. 

Still searching!

Thank you all!

Christian, I just have been

Christian, I just have been googling that small branch.

It has lots of potential as well! As Geof stated, It's my railroad. I just want something to be based on, not really prototypical in every centimeter of layout.

Thanks for the hint!

Portland Waterfront

That line on the waterfront was in fact a 2' line run as a excursion railroad.  The line was part of the St. Lawrence & Atlantic RR.   The whole downtown Portland area was a maze of tracks going to various different industries at one time. I think if you take the time and study the Portland Maine area, you will see that there is still a lot of evidence of the railroad.  Most of tracks are either covered up or torn up now, but there are still a lot of "rail road" signs in the way buildings are shaped.  What are now walking paths, once was rail bed.

Nelson, Is this what you are

Nelson,

Is this what you are talking about? because if it is...Oh my!!!... What a beautifull photo.

Photo from http://northendwaterfront.com/

Thanks.

That would be Commercial Street in Portland Me.

Luis,  Google " Portland Terminal Railroad in Maine"  and enjoy what you will find!

Hi Nelson. I have done it,

Hi Nelson.

I have done it, and already liked what I saw:  car floats. As I am freelancing, I won't do anything like the real thing, so in my reality, I can still use car floats.

The info I am gathering with all your help is awesome!!!! 

I hope that I can do a nice and simple track plan, that can give me (and the crew I hope I can gather in my place) hours of fun spotting cars. 

Thanks!