No!

But when you do there’s a lot to factor in, era or specific year, personally I chose , June’68,, the New Haven, keeps me focused on specific details, signage,vehicles, but for you, it’s a lot of homework. Branch line, main, yards, high speed freights, passenger equipment? How much room you thinking to use up? How much cash you got? It’s an expensive hobby, lots of enjoyment, but think it all over. If you choose a specific road and year, then you got, or should try to match equipment to that timeframe, saves money instead of buying by impulse . Good luck.

Model what you saw in your youth

Modeling memories from your younger years is a very common approach.  So that can drive not just which railroad but which era.  And some railroads are more attractive and/or easier to model in some eras than in others.  So you need to answer those questions for yourself first.

Or you could just ask God.  He'll tell you to model the Southern, because that was the Lord's own railroad.  Simple as that.

Scott Chatfield

Formerly of the Southern Railway

If you're asking...

While I'm not completely discounting the possibility that its not a serious question, I'll give you a serious answer.

If you're asking, then I assume you don't already have a lot of locomotives and rolling stock. Because if you did have, you'd have mentioned that as a force pushing you toward what you already own.

So I assume this is your first railroad. Therefore, my advice is to not try to model anything particularly. Just build a pike that suits your taste and collect trains you like and watch them go around on it. To some extent you'll be constrained by what you can find to buy, so it's no use setting your heart on 1930's Boston and Maine and discovering you can't find anything you need. That will get you started and going and gaining experience and help you focus down to a road and era you're more interested in. 

Try not to go hog wild buying everything under the sun, just buy stuff you *really* like, and hopefully focus will come.

You don't need to worry too much about era at first as you don't have any 'scenes' in mind (at least that you've mentioned) and no structures to work into the scenery that bind to a range of years. 

Just do something to get your feet wet and collect some trains to run on it.

All of the above are great

All of the above are great responses, and I particularly second eastwind. Some more thoughts related to what eastwind said:

My first locomotive was painted for the Penn Central, my second locomotive was Southern Pacific, my third was Amtrak, and my first layout was a 4x8 where the trains went round.

After that, I became increasingly excited about the Boston & Maine, whose tracks I grew up near (funny that eastwind mentioned the B&M as an example). I slowly started buying more Boston & Maine equipment, and then at some point, I woke up and it was decided that I was a B&M modeler.

A career move took me to Seattle, Washington where I fell in love with the Cascade Mountains. So now, in my fantasy world, the B&M operates a subsidiary in the Cascades connecting with the Great Northern and Canadian Pacific railroads.

And now, maybe 20 years after I started in the hobby, it's clear to me that regardless of railroad operator or specific location, most any railroad I build is probably going to revolve around a tough mountain grade through emerald forests leading to a seaport city. It's a solid theme for a railroad which resonates with what I enjoy most about the hobby.

The point of all of this? That our interests evolve over time, and there really isn't much need to force it until we're ready. As EW said, doing something to get your feet wet and collecting some trains to run on it until your interests guide you further is a terrific approach.

Good luck and enjoy!

What do you want?

The PRR lends itself to options for massive infrastructure if you like that, but it also operated random branch lines and it gives you an option of everything from the coast to mountains.  Pretty much ditto for the B&O and SOU.

You don't mention era, for steam the PRR is the most widely represented, then B&O, then Southern and last B&LE.

The PRR, SOU and B&O all go from the Atlantic to the Mississippi River so they have a wide variety of locales.

For diesels, the PRR and B&O will be easy to find with the Southern a distant 3rd and the B&LE hardest.  The SOU was known for having high short hoods so to get correct engines, may take some kitbashing and painting.

The path of least resistance is the PRR or B&O.  Easy to find info and equipment, biggest range of operational options.

BLE you have to want to model the steel industry.

If you go with the PRR and later want to do something different, the PRR paint scheme is really easy to strip and repaint.  

ANY of the choices could require you to own a lot of hopper cars.

In reply to Mr. Chattfield

Until He cast the Southern I mean Lucifer out of Heaven........

What railroad?

Before asking that question you should ask yourself why you want to model a railroad. What is the goal, what sparked the interest? How much time and money do you want to spend, etc.?  Most folks already know these things before deciding on the railroad,the specific area, and the era. The Pennsy is probably the easiest to model as there is more PRR product than the others mentioned but I wouldn't model the Pennsy just for that reason. it would also have to be first in my memories or interest or enthusiasm. I can't imagine starting on a long term project like a layout without a long term interest in the subject.If you are not passionate about the subject when you start you are not likely to enjoy the journey.. ....DaveB

Passion for the subject

I couldn't agree more Dave.  To me, deciding on a prototype is a bit like choosing which woman you want to marry.  If you don't know or have pleasant memories of experiences with any of the options, your "relationship" isn't likely to provide lasting enjoyment. 

I'd suggest that you start researching various roads, but also, if you don't already have experience with various types of operation, try to get some by operating on local model railroads.  That would help you to understand if you want a focus on yard switching, mainline running, branchline work, etc. 

When I started out in the hobby, I was only interested in heavy-duty mainline running because I found the 1980s UP in Nebraska so interesting.  However, it wasn't until later that I realized that as a layout owner, I have a strong preference for smaller groups of people in operating sessions I hosted.  A more complex and busy layout meant more people attending op sessions, which grew my responsibilities as host, pulling me further and further away from the operations I built the layout for in the first place.  More importantly though, such an environment minimized the chances I had to interact with my guests.

Some modelers build layouts strictly for themselves to operate.  Others do so in order to watch their guests operate them, allowing the host to sit back and view a favorite prototype brought back to life as though they're railfanning it.  I'm kind of in the middle, building layouts I can operate alone, but also enjoying two-man crews so I can operate alongside my guest(s).  You may not know what you prefer until you've actually had a chance to try the various options.

Joe

You're obviously well-known for liking the IAIS. What led to your decision to model that, if you were intrigued with the UP at the time?

For the OP: I grew up in the St. Louis area (IL side), and I've always had an urge to model the midwestern roads running through town. I've always liked steam and some diesel, so the 1950's era is an easy one to pick. And after doing some historical research, I've actually come to find out that the small town that I grew up in was fairly interesting in terms of rail variety. NKP Berks hustling time freights, a small regional hauling coal, the Wabash with their flashy streamliners, and the Illinois Terminal with their... everything.

My recommendation would be like most of the other posters: Find out what interests you, or what you get all misty-eyed over. For most of us, it's the memories of getting stuck by that coal train on the way to school, or the sounds of a horn/whistle in the night. From there, decide on what era you want. The trains of your childhood (or first encounter) are a usual choice, but you might be more interested in 2-8-2's than SD40's, so that might dictate an era change. 

Maybe it would help to

Maybe it would help to operationalize the term 'model'.  It's both a noun and a verb.  But, it can also be an adjective.  For our purposes, and so that we can help this person, we need to know if he really wants to 'model' a particular railroad, era, location, or if he just wants help deciding which road's models he should purchase and use.

As others have pointed out, getting nailed to one spot on the floor really restricts one's motion, and could impede one's progress of discovery a lot.  Whether it is self-imposed or suggested by well-meaning observers, the effect will the same: our friend will possibly miss something better, more interesting, more appealing, and even more durable in terms of holding those interests and appeal.

My approach is a bit academic, but really, our friend should decide if he's just interested in acquiring certain road names of rolling stock, or if he is intent upon selecting a road, a place, an industry, or whatever about this one road appeals to him, and then to set about learning how to make it look like a scale representation.  To me, THAT is modeling, a high-fidelity representation, but in scale.

Is this what the OP means?

Which Railroad?

Well, the one with the livery you like the best...!    I'm only half kidding.

I dreamed of the Warbonnet F7's as a kid around Christmas time and now model SP diesels.   I like the bleached SP gray and faded red Bloody Nose scheme but miss brighter colors lke BNSF, Chessie, Sante Fe and others.  

Happy modeling...

Picking a Railroad

Questions to consider:

• is there one you just like more than the others? (At the end of the day this is going to be a personal decision)
• do you want to realistically model something based on a "prototype" or freelance?
  • total freelance/anything goes?
  • specific railroad, but not intensely following real details?
  • realistically model a specific railroad, but a fictional line or town(s)?
  • realistically model a specific railroad/line/town(s)?
• what sort of railroading appeals to you?
  • heavy mainline freights? container trains? unit coal trains? automotive? misc. mixed freight with many types of cars?
  • busy industrial switching?
  • lazy branchline switching and freights?
  • sleek streamliner passenger trains?
  • short local passenger trains?
  • "urban" cityscape scenery vs. rural country scenery; farmlands/hills & mountains/forests? bridges & tunnels?
  • are you an "operator" or more of a "railfan" that would rather just watch the trains run?

If you build something fictitious you can add in elements you like.

If you want to build something based more strictly on real life, make up a "short list" of elements and features that you like, ranked as "must" or "nice to have" and do some research on some of the railroads you like to see if you can find any particular area(s) (and era(s)) that check all or most of your boxes, or look for something with really interesting features (operationally or scenically).

For example, my club models Canadian Pacific's operations around Sudbury, Ontario in the 1970s for several reasons:

• as a Canadian club, we liked to model a Canadian railway
• while not exactly in our backyard, Sudbury was still close enough to do research trips over a long weekend and not on the other side of the country
• good combination of heavy mainline freight action (being on CP's trans-continental line), and lots of local industrial traffic (mostly mining and forestry related), also geographically it was the junction of several main lines with several local branch lines radiating out
• while not actually a division point, the yard at Sudbury was very busy with several locals based out of it, and lots of traffic dropped off and picked up by through trains
• dramatic rocky scenery. modelling local lines (relatively flat and lots of agriculture) was quickly discounted since many of them are dead straight for long distances with very little to realistically disguise scene transitiions where track has to disappear into a hole in the backdrop
• 1970s was chosen as it was sort of a "transition period" between Canadian Pacific's old colour scheme and the new vibrant "Action Red" CP Rail colours. It was also a period of major mergers (Burlington Northern, Conrail) with a lot of colourful freight cars from many road names. At the point when the club was initially formed in the 1990s, it was still a relatively recent past. We also knew we couldn't afford that many brass steam engines to model the steam era correctly.
• also featured local passenger service with self-propelled RDCs and one of the only places in the country where the CPR's flagship streamliner passenger train was switched and split into separate trains for Toronto and Montreal.

There are a lot of aspects to

There are a lot of aspects to what drives you to model a RR or a piece of it.  It could be fond memories of watching trains where you lived in younger years (for me the Southern Pacific and D&RGW after trips to Colorado).  Operations and switching are another consideration.

I really like the unified look (all EMD roster) of the D&RGW and the scenery is wonderful, both mountain and desert.  Most go for mountain but I've decided to go for western CO / eastern UT.  

Era also plays a part.

Lots of great response

You have received excellent info all of which needs to be taken into consideration.

IMOO, Eastwind is correct for a possible 1st or second layout and Joe A. Is right on with his writings.

But, it all comes down to you. The listing of pros versus cons has worked in life for me and my modeling. But it can be and should be fun, if not you did something wrong. Just don’t wait to try to figure it out, start or as Nike says, “just do it.”

Tom

Juxen

It was kind of a process.  I liked building and detailing locomotives back then, so the IAIS's wild variety was appealing to me.  I was still a big UP fan (still am today, of their late caboose era), but the IAIS provided that too:  UP had trackage rights over the west end of the IAIS from about 1996 onward so they could detour trains to avoid construction on their newly-acquired CNW property.

When I initially made the switch to the IAIS, I planned to model somewhere around 1997.  It was a relatively busy railroad then thanks to those detours, with up to 8 UP trains a day, plus another 3-5 IAIS moves.  It wasn't long though before I realized that, for me, those busy op sessions would feel more like work than a hobby.  When the IAIS started getting newer GP38-2s and SD38-2s in 2004-2005, I moved my time period forward, eventually landing on May 2005, a month when only 4 UP detours ran, and all on one day.  Much more relaxing pace for me, and that's where I remain today.

Just to reiterate what others

Just to reiterate what others have said, but in my own way.

What is it about those roads that makes you want to model them? Is it just the paint schemes or locomotives? Is it locations? Operating practice? Is there a specific type of railroad, like a coal hauler that drives your interest?

A lot of people approach this hobby asking the question what railroad should I model which sounds like a prototype modelling question, but they haven't actually made a commitment to be a prototype modeler yet.

There are so many ways to address this. You could:

Build a railroad that has the type of ops you are interested in and that railroad could be served by any of those railroads.

Build a railroad that is truly generic to any of them.

Make the specific choice of railroad

Or make a proto-lance style railroad that incorporates what you like about those railroads into it.

You never forget your first love

I've always had two railroad loves and the idea of wanting a layout with no idea of the concept is an alien concept to me.

So, as you don't really have a favorite prototype, I'd say model the landscape near you, as you can see what you need to create in person.

Then, model a shortline that bought a lot of second hand power and rolling stock, or a railroad museum that sometimes runs freight with an outside connection.

Either would allow you to run whatever you want to a degree.

I went thru the same exercise.....

...many roads appealed to me for many reasons. No particular road was a clear first choice. I went with Southern Railway because I like the hi-short hood running long hood forward thing....

If not living in the US but

If not living in the US but in Australia it doesn't matter to me what RR lines carry what, too much. I can understand those who live in certain areas and have watched certain RR lines. 

To me I like looking at a freight car or loco and admiring the detail. For example I bought some Tangent  freight cars and a set of Intermountain yellow freight wood reefers and compared the ladders of each and are  very disappointed in the Intermountain reefers. So I dont know really what companies run on what lines but what if I did and l liked quality as well.

Then I would be forever trying to build a layout. So I've decided to stay ignorant of some details but hang time era around 30's to 60' and only buy Tangent trains (for freight cars) till others with similar or better detail comes along. 

I like having what I like to look at, rather then look at what I think I should have. 

Evolution

Another take away is that your preferences may change over time.  You may start liking one road and then change your mind several times.

I have modeled the PRR, PC, MP, RDG (1950) and P&R (1905) over the course of many years.

Many modelers have started down one path and changed direction.  Some people hit their preference the first time out of the gate.

If you hit it right the first time, great.  If you don't, just go with the new direction.  Often times people just starting out don't know what they want and it takes years for them to really find what their passion is.  Don't lock yourself in to tight at the beginning.  Allow some space to to decide what you really want.

JM do some research on some railroads you like.

In your research you may stumble across a branch operation that intrigues you.  I started out in N scale choosing the Southern Pacific during the billboard reefer period.  I loved those brightly colored wood reefers advertising everything under the sun.  Especially the fruit and meat cars. I amassed a huge collection of billboard reefers and steam engines.  I was happy modeling Southern California during that period.

One night I came across a interesting photo.  Which led to more exploring of the narrow gauge railroad in that photo.  I got hooked.  The next thing I know I am modeling a famous copper mining railroad in On30.  It had a 36 inch mainline climbing a mountain with 2-8-0 C-16s to a mining area with a spider web of 20 inch rails running dinky Porters.

It was mentioned by one poster, "buy what you like."  Well, your spending dollars on a mix of equipment that doesn't go together and can be costly later.  An old steam engine pulling a modern 80 foot boxcar is not going to look right.   If you do settle on a particular railroad and era, it's very possible that a large part of "buy what you like" doesn't fit that railroad and era.  So, do you sell that equipment so you can buy what the railroad ran in the era you want to model?

You did not mention the space you plan to model in.  Do you have the space to model mainline railroading with its broad sweeping curves?  Or are you limited to a shelf switching layout?  The space you have makes a huge difference in what you model.

My first question to you is

My first question to you is do you really want to model a specific prototype?  How important is it to you to be a prototype modeler?  I ask because the focus of many "serious" model railroaders and "experts" and most of the hobby magazines is prototype modeling.  So there is a sense of pressure that being a prototype modeler is what I should strive for.  Belonging to a club where most of the members are also focused on prototype modeling increases the perceived pressure.

As I have aged and realized that I am never going to build that basement layout and do extensive rebuilds on locomotives or scratchbuild dozens of cars or structures.  I have realized I needed to sharpen my focus on what is important to me in the hobby, and probably more importantly, what isn't.

I realized the only appeal diesels had to me was that they were a quick and easy way to get trains running.  Steam models are far more appealing but require more time and effort.  Articulated steam is pretty to watch but require a large layout to enjoy.  Likewise, 80ft passenger cars and large industries lose their appeal to me very quickly when I realize the effort needed to put together a layout to support them.

I look back and took stock of what are the the activities I enjoyed most in my model train hobby?  I enjoyed reading and dreaming about small structures and layouts like the steam era MR project layouts.  In my tinplate era, it was the Lionel operating accessories that fascinated me more than the trains themselves.  On the club layouts, it was switching operations that I devoted myself to.  Not that these are very compatible.

So I am working on a sectional/modular shelf layout for switching in HO/HOn3 set in 1900 so I can justify a harbor scene with sailing ships and small steam locos (preferably some of them geared).  The drawback is the effort and $$ to get painted, slightly weathered, reasonable looking, good running steam locomotives in this size.

I have often thought about switching to a combination of 2/3 rail O and On30 to overcome this locomotive deficiency.  But then I realize 4 locomotives are sufficient for the layout I have planned, and it doesn't seem so daunting.

My interest in West Coast history has led me to the path of plausible free-lancing, setting my model narrow gauge logging line come general carrier in Port Orford, Oregon with a standard gauge line starting east from Coos Bay (actually Charleston) along the southern route.  The 2 lines would meet somewhere before the standard gauge went on to touch the incomplete and independent (in my world) Oregon & California.

Fred W

Just going to add to Frwright...

Read though Lance Mindheim's various websites (https://lancemindheim.com/, https://www.shelflayouts.com/),he has been asking these what, how and why questions and putting these into his blog for a few years.  Go back through his website, or pick up his books, and it may help crystallize your position and approach.

Its your railroad, do what you want to do with it.  It is supposed to be fun, and if adhering to a prototype is fun, then do it, if not, run a General next to an SD70 with UK coaches! Its your railroad, you do not have to defend your choices (unless you put it on the internet, then get out the asbestos suit)!

the Continental / Trans-Continental Connector, Layout Theme

I just like Model Trains,...of all sorts....the scale miniaturization, etc.

I'm particularly fond of steam engines, and particularly the large ones. I'm a fan of C&O, B&O, NW, etc, etc.

And as a kid of course I had a ubiquitous Santa Fe diesel engine,...those famous worldwide recognizable colors.

I had recently returned from Asia and was living in the Wash-Balt area when a company in Balt called Life Like made the bold move to really upgrade plastic trains to nice scale models. They introduced their Proto 2000 line. They introduced a whole line of detailed diesel locos, then they introduced that superb 2-8-8-2 steam engine.....WOW. They set a standard in plastic scale model trains that the others quickly followed. Bachmann, Athearn, etc all jumped on the band wagon to introduce their premium lines as well. Plastic detailing became an art that eventually was a rival to brass locos.

I was collecting a little of everything. I would buy some stuff that eventually got superseded by even better stuff, so I would attend the Great Scale Train Show in Balt and sell off older stuff and try to upgrade to the better stuff coming out. I would visit John Glabb's Peach Creek brass shop in Laural, Md, and droll over the brass locos which I considered beyond my reach, but then look what was coming out in plastic a few months later. I also visited Howard Zane's huge layout and collection of brass engines, mostly steam.

By this time I had collected quite a few steam engines of various lines, and principle a number of diesels from Santa Fe.

So when it came to planning my new layout, how could I choose just one time frame, or location, .....if I wanted to collect and run all of those type trains? I wanted to run steam and diesel, and I wanted to run east coast and west coast lines.....on one layout??

I've decided my trains are going to run from the east coast to the west coast,...Balt to Calif. I'll call it the Continental Connector. Balt will be on the lower deck and Calif will be on the upper deck.

Since I am not a stickler on time frames I'll be able to run both modern and older style freight and passenger cars on my layout, and of course steam and diesels. I'm going to have lots of staging that will present any number of variations,...including a few European trains I've collected. Yes it won't be prototypical, but it will be fun. And I hope to get a considerable amount of industry in this space as well.