A, but why do you care what anyone else thinks?

Presumably all three options are interesting to you and you're looking for nudges in one direction or another. I appreciate the capsule summary of your real goal towards the end of your post, you're just looking for discussion of the choice of wrapper, right? 

Jeff Allen

@ Jeff

jeff,

good question and you're right looking for discussion. At the end of the day it's not that I don't care what others think it's more of an interest. Gather more info before making my decision type of thing. Interested in what others see as optimal vs my own idea.

End of the day I'm going to do what feels right for me.

Bob

I like C personally ...

... just for the freelance equipment opportunities it opens up.

History in the making

Good morning to you Bob,

(C)

The Bayou Crest Express R.R.  became from when I was in a model railroad club of B.S.A. leaders here in Oklahoma city.

We spent around 6 yrs. or so building a section of the Santa Fe running in Oklahoma in one members home.

After the club folded,  I decided to start with a new railroad theme and history.

I really got tired of the proto railroads engine colors and history.

Alexandria LA. is my home base for the B.C.E. and it is a hoot to make up subject matter as I go.

We do interchange w/ MP some in this made up story line.

Boudreaux,  B.C.E. R.R.

You should see some of the rolling stock our shop builds.  Made in U.S.A.

B

Option B offers more variety in equipment and cars, both in road names and equipment types.  

Option A would be a pre- Conrail (or other merger) railroad on its way down.   By the end of the 1970’s all the railroads around the PC were in a world of hurt.

Option C would have fewer roads and fewer engines to choose from plus the operations and customers would be thinner by the PSR era.

B

Showing my age, but modeling a line that either wasn't included in Conrail or soon cast off by them would be the way I'd go.  Lot's of cool cars and paint jobs back then, and you could make up your own Incentive Per Diem boxcar paint scheme.  And lots of secondhand Alcos were on the market back then too.

Scott Chatfield

@ Scott

That Proto 2000 RS27 still in the box since the turn of the century is one aspect that has me leaning towards A or B

On the other hand the NS GP15 in the box has me thinking of potential for 2020. I know LTEX has dozens of them still on the property just under an hour from here. Lease, patch, repaint???????

Good stuff so far, lets keep the conversation rolling! 

Bob

Ex Conrail

Option B Sounds like a neat collection of weathered equipment.....DaveB

Let the era dictate the choice

I'd let the era dictate the choice between A and C, with the possibility of A being extended into the 1980's. If you like fictional G&W lines, then C is your go-to option. B could be fun, I'm not sure it needs to be terribly plausible for a small switching layout, but the plausibility of B as a through route is questionable because Conrail would have abandoned/scrapped the line, not made a competitor for themselves. As it is, they had a huge uphill battle to climb after PC and a massive number of redundant rail lines, so creating a competitor for themselves with a through route would have just sabotaged themselves. If it's purely a dead end, or bounded by Conrail in every direction so that it wouldn't be able to haul through traffic, it sounds like it could be a really cool idea.

Big Blue-so far

Looks like plan B. Conrail spin off it taking a slight lead on the popular opinion. 

Not a far stretch of the imagination, many of the short lines in this area are by products of Conrail castaways of the 1980s and 1990s. 

Let the conversation continue, no deadline on this topic. 

Bob 

Where is this

Bob.

This one hits close to home, where are you at with it?

Narrowed it down

Well MEC, 

I have narrowed it down to the two extremes. 

I am leaning towards A. The line that originated in the late 1800's and by the 1970s is still going but times are tough. Or I am also leaning towards 2020s start up trying to restore confidence in customers on a PSR neglected branch line. For now B. Conrail spin off is out of the equation. 

Still spinning the wheels at this time. 

Thanks, 

Bob