As a new modeler, I'm curious to know how does one go about deciding on a freight car roster?  Sure you'll have a large percentage of your cars from the home road (easy part I assume),  but what about choosing foreign cars for your layout?  Why did you choose that particular road name's car vs another?  Where or how do you go about getting your ideas....

Hi all,

I am thinking about making up a fictional yet plausible steam excursion / tourist train for my layout. Pasadena subdvision, California 1968-1970. I have some thoughts about this that i wanted to double check and get your opinions/feedback.

I know about the 3751 4-8-4 being the present time choice for such a train.

Does anybody out there have any recommendations on resources to locate information on rolling stock, ie a coal car new in the 40s how many years of service can be expected?..general rolling stock questions. I am attempting to model late 70s into the late 80s and I am not sure the average life on rolling stock. Any assist  would be appreciated.

Although I am not ready to decide what the one (or two) locomotives I will be using (as I need to find out what ran on the line in 1977 I am modeling) I thought I would start looking at what possible manufacturer's out there, and every time I try using Google, all I get are either Amercian Flyer, MTH, or Lionel.  Those products are similar in detail to their O-Scale 3-Rail counterparts.  (though some use the term O-Gauge and S-Gauge to diferentiate between the two, I refuse to, because SCALE is the ONLY proper term.  Scale refers to the modeling ratio between the prototyp