locomotive miscellaneous

The WWSL

The WWSL is set in the year 1955. The WWSL, the OPLC and the STC are fictitious lines, but I always turn to the prototype for equiment and operating practice. I rely heavily on the Great Northern, the Northern Pacific, the Milwaukee Road and the Union Pacific for guidance.

My Goals

Prototype

• Identify prototype locomotives utilized by the Northern Pacific, the Milwaukee Road and the Union Pacific on the Olympic Peninsual, specifically on the 16th Subdivisions or at the Aberdeen and Hoquiam Washington branch terminals.

• Identify prototype locomotives utilized by the Schafer Brothers Logging Company, the Clemons Logging Company and the Saginaw Timber company. 
  

• Purchase or kitbatch prototype accurate locomotives for Class 1 railroads utilizing commercial models as available in the market place.Those models may be non-running (static) for display purposes.

Freelance Prototype

• Create a plausible fleet for the three Class 3 railroads modeled (the Western Washington Short Line, the Olympic Peninsula Logging Company and the Saginaw Timber Company), reflecting the industrial setting chosen and alternate history timeline. 

• Purchase plausible locomotives for the prototype freelanced Class 3 railroads utilizing commercial models as available in the market place. Those models may be operational or be non-running (static) for display purposes, as determined by railroad operational requirements.

• Scratchbuild or kitbatch existing stocks of locomotives to represent locomotive requirements not available in the marketplace. Those models may be operational or be non-running (static) for display purposes, as determined by railroad operational requirements.

Other Locomotive Interests

• Identify prototype locomotives (steam, diesel and/or electric) utilized by prototype railroads of interest for non-running (static) for display purposes.

Modeling Standards

When i first started this endeavor, there were few prototype research assets available, and inevitably the generic locomotives available in the marketplace. Now that the marketplace has matured, and prototype research assets are more readily available (books, photographic archives, magazines, historical societies, blogs, etc), a modeler who chooses prototype fidelity has a significant easier time finding answers to his/her myriad questions.

References

I have relied heavily over the years with the following sources:

Regional historical societies, Great Northern Northern Pacific, Milwaukee Road, Union Pacific

Railroad modeling magazines: Prototype Modeler, RailModel Journal, Mainline Modeler,