# A line with no name....



## suffolk_rr (Dec 27, 2007)

....yet!

I've spent hours browsing my collection of US narrow gauge books, pondering the big question - what might I call my Railroad?
Here's a link to a collection of pictures of the line. 
Take a quick look at the pictures on the fotopic site (linked to above) to get a flavour of the line. 

The loco roster is all Bachmann, and I tend to either run a D&RGW session with the K27 and suitable freight (I have some Bachmann passenger cars but don't really like them. Passenger service will be introduced when I get my hands on an AMS coach!) or a 'short line' session using engines from a pool consisting of the American 4-4-0, a couple of 2-8-0s and a 4-6-0. There's one depot, currently known as Kyson, since that is the name of a location on a nearby river and it kinda sounded right for a US narrow gauge depot! However, there's nothing sacrosanct about that name if anyone comes up with a better idea. The yard switcher is usually a shay, as it's got couplers on both ends (!) and there's a short branch which sees infrequent trips by either the shay or a Climax. 

The American 4-4-0 and the box cars came from Ross Buchannan, who, I think is also a member of MyLargescale.com and he made a fine job of them. The loco is a detailed Bachmann, the boxcars and the flat are completely scratch built. The drovers' caboose was scratch-built by my father (Ken) on a Bachmann chassis and is based closely on the SR&RL prototype, but I don't want to letter it as such since the gauge is wrong. Together, I think these make a nice "1880" train but it would be better if the loco and stock carried a road name! I've spent quite a while trying to find a good prototype for this whole train - any suggestions? It looks a bit like a SPC train to me and I seem to recall that this was also Ross's intention.

So, wanted, one road name! The problem for me is that I'm not familiar enough with the culture of the American Railroads to be able to come up with a convincing name. I haven't tried to locate the line geographically, since there are no mountains, oceans, forests or what have you visible from my garden! There is one geographical feature, a "lake" (well, a six foot wide pond) that the line crosses, so that might feature in the name. I know it doesn't really matter, and I could just invent some initials and put them on the tender sides, and not even know what they stand for, but it wouldn't be right, would it?



I'm sure there's a good name just waiting to be found.....

Keith, Ipswich UK.


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## eheading (Jan 5, 2008)

Keith, I'm not much help with railroad names. Don't really have a good name for my railroad either. Sure do like your railroad though. From the pictures that you posted the link to, it is a beautiful line.

Ed


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

I feel your pain Keith 

I've spent hours trying to come up with a name that was unique or catchy. 

Swamp Land RR 
Seminole Swamp RR 
Huricane Alley RR 
and the list goes on 
For now I've played off my favorite RR the Rock Island for my RR name 

If you're wanting a name that relates directly to the old west, names of towns used in the old western movies are a great source. 

How about the Cheyenne & Laramie RR 

Good luck in your quest 

Randy


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## david bunn (Jan 4, 2008)

Keith
Just love the pics and what do you know I am only a few minutes away in Martlesham Heath.
I run track power with mainly modified Bachmann locos,AMS and scratch built stock.
Maybe mail me?
Regards
David


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Beautiful unnamed railroad.

"Oh, I've been through the valley on a line with no name,
It felt good to be out on the rails..."


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

I live near Spring Creek, so picked that as my RR name.


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Mine is in my Back Yard... thus the "CMBY Ry". No, not the "Chicago, Milwaukee, Burlington & Yukon Ry"... its "Charlie McCullough's Back Yard Railway". Probably not very creative and a bit too long. 

Some folk have some feature in their yard or general area; Oak tree, corn field, rocky hill, etc., or a wild animal in the area that becomes a sort of pet; turtle, squirrel, bird, etc. These can be referenced in the name. 

I have noticed at least one where the owner's initials (husband and wife) were used and different words were applied to name their RR. (Tortoise and Lizard Bash Railroad of Todd and Linda Brody). 

Other folk have a last name that gets applied... I particularly like Winter Valley (Dave Winter's RR)... I imagine a "Ski Train" operation hauling passengers to a ski vacation resort (but I don't know if that was his intent). 

Real Railroads were usually named for the end points of the original line or what state they were first chartered. Sometimes, in a fit of Madison Avenue creativity the words "and Western" were added to give the idea that they intended to expand westward (though I remember stories of at least one that had "and Western" in the original name, but they started by laying track eastward from the originating city and then going bankrupt and not going any further!). 

To name your RR I'd suggest you look at a list of real RR's (present and fallen flags) to get a flavour for their names. Also look at some of the ones on this site in people's tag lines. Then look around you and see what might be significant to you and go from there. 

Have fun.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Some people use their family initials and make up town names. 

Due to your lush scenery I might have 'Green Valley' as part of the name. Theres a town by that near by and Tucson is the closest city so I would be tempted to say Tucson and Green Valley Western, For your rolling stock; Denver and Green Valley Western ... a subsidary of the D & RGW.... 

As the Brass Hat of my Empire what ever I say is Right even when I'm wrong.... there's a lot of freedom in that! 

30 degrees man! Near Denver that's freezing! The D & RGW operated on Farinheit! 

My line is; The Vail and Total Wreck RR.... I live in Vail Az. and The Total Wreck is my favorite abandoned mine locally and it was owned by John Vail the towns founder! I like the historical tie in. My new branch line is a line to Tucson... having rate wars with the Southern Pacific RR we'll bypass them and take our ore concentrate directly to the buyers! 
I've collected 'color' (host rock with ore stains) from the tailings piles and it's on my RR. 

John


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

I know of a model railroad that started at Christmas time. It's called RT&DP, or "Round tree and dog pen."

One of the cleverest names I've seen is "Hedgeapple Falls."

Golding's "Kaskaskia Valley" is a geographic feature where he lives.

My own is "Asylum Valley N&D." Sounded like an Appalachian short line. Thinking once I needed a more optimistic name, I started relabeling things "Odyssey Westward," 'cause this is about a far east as you can get, but I liked the coat of arms Ralph Brades made for me too much and went back to Asylum Valley.

There's the whimsical "Brandywine and Gondor," with a Lord of the Rings theme.

Does any of this spur your imagination?


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

Personally I like road names that have a local flavor.. 
something personal and meaningful to you and your corner of the world.. 
even though you are in Ipswich UK, and modeling what is essentially a "western US" narrow gauge line.. 
I would still try to name your railroad after something local.. 
Something combining both a Rocky Mountain name with an English name perhaps? 
combing both the "prototype area" of the trains, plus your personal geography.. 

Ipswich River Railroad 
Colorado & Ipswitch Railroad 
Ipswich & Colorado River Railroad 

England has a ton of interesting place names.. 
Perhaps a name other than Ipswitch that has some personal meaning for you? 

(Im looking at a map of the area around Ipswitch on Bing Maps) 

Great Finborough Railroad 
Stour Brook Railway 
Ruckinge **** Railway 
Pikes Peak & Beachy Head Railroad 
Durango & Stour River Railroad 

 
just some random ideas.. 

Scot


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## up9018 (Jan 4, 2008)

I would call it: 

Very Nicely Done and Keep up the Good Work 

As far as the railroads name, don't really know, i beat my head for hours to come up with my railroad's name. 


Chris


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## Ron Hill (Sep 25, 2008)

Have you done any research to find out what short line railroads were in the area around or before the turn of the century when railroads were being created or combining? That is a great place to start! There were little railroad all over this country that were built, bought our or taken over to make the large guys we see today. My railroad is the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley after the regional railroad from Memphis to New Orleans in the Mississippi delta area. I bet there was a small local railroad somewhere in the area that is waiting to be rediscovered and brought back to life on your garden railroad. 
Ron


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

N&Y Railway.

NY stands for "None Yet."


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## snowshoe (Jan 2, 2008)

Looking up the different mountain ranges in the UK I came up with a few The Pennines RR, Great Gable RR, Ingleborough RR. There were a few more but I just picked a few that sounded good. You can also throw an American Mt range as well. Like the Appalachain and Pennines RR.


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

How about the York & New York Ry... it was never completed because they could not afford the bridge across the Irish Sea from Dublin to Liverpool after they completed the bridge from County Kerry to New York.


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## Joe Bartolini (Jan 2, 2008)

How about the SS&S RWy, the Surry, Sussex and Southampton Railway, a public chartered logging line located in Virgina, south of the James River between Petersburg and Norfolk. [url]http://www.dendronva.org/sss_rr.html [/url]
http://www.dendronva.org/sss_rr.html
To me each of the three names, based on communities and counties served by the line sound like proper English places and were perhaps taken from actual English places during colonial times. 


Joe


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Joe Bartolini on 10 Sep 2009 12:54 PM 
How about the SS&S RWy, the Surry, Sussex and Southampton Railway, a public chartered logging line located in Virgina, south of the James River between Petersburg and Norfolk. [url]http://www.dendronva.org/sss_rr.html [/url]
http://www.dendronva.org/sss_rr.html
To me each of the three names, based on communities and counties served by the line sound like proper English places and were perhaps taken from actual English places during colonial times. 


Joe 




Here is a photo of the SS&S Rwy Engine #6, at the Midwest Central Railway in Mt. Pleasant Iowa (home of the Midwest Old Settler's and Thresher's Reunion). If anyone wanted to model this particular engine, right now would be a good time to get measurments from it. Last year it developed a leaky flue and in the process of fixing them, several stay bolts were found to be too thin so the boiler is presently off for a complete rebuild (in Minnesota) and all the rest of it is layed out waiting for the boiler to be returned. It is supposed to be complete by next summer for the 60th anniversary of the Thresher's Reunion and the 50th of the Midwest Central Ry. They are asking for donations to help pay for the boiler work. See http://www.mcrr.org/ for more info. (I bought 5 flues for them!)



















These photos were taken in 2005.

The engine can also be seen (2nd engine @ 30 seconds) in the video in this thread: 

http://www.mylargescale.com/Community/Forums/tabid/56/aff/4/aft/111982/afv/topic/afnp/120174/Default.aspx


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## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

Keith,

It is often said that every RR should have a story behind it. I think, like most general observations, that's a good thing because it tends to help maintain coherence over time.

I can't be of much help, since I live in MO, but I traveled in the West somewhat. There's names like Almagordo (NM) El Paso (TX) that are in relatively close proximity to each other, but alas, not to Colorado.

My (not-yet-running) RR is the Pig River Ry a fictiticous SL. I named it because my most personally satisfying endeavor was being a feeder pig grower years ago. There was a river nearby with excellent fishing called the Black, where I spent many hours as a kid and a grown man. Thus, the connection.

I appreciate your dilemma. Many western towns had names with 'Gultch' in them. 'Dry Gultch', etc. Also 'Crossing'. Bent's Fort was an early fur trading post. Spanish names were very common, for obvious reasons. El Diablo, Tucumcari, San Jacinta, (San--darn near anything), Rio Grande....

There were any number of 'Stations', meaning relay points where stagecoach teams were changed, lodging to be had, etc. 

Even Kansas got in the Western act: Abilene, Dodge City, Atchinson, Topeka.

Why not do a Google search on major (or minor) cities + a state, and see if anything strikes a chord?

Les


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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

I couldn't think of a name for years so I finally settled on "Wyecrosse" which is the street I live on, thereby making it prototypical in the sense of a railroad located at a geographical location. 

I then decided that the railway needs a shipping poster so I designed one using InDesign, PhotoShop and Illustrator. Someday when there's passengers, I'll do a sort of 1950s-era art deco travel poster of the line.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

hehe

"Sausalito and west"


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## Ironton (Jan 2, 2008)

During the heyday of narrow gauge, the latter half of the 19th century, it was almost derigeur to be as grandiose as possible when looking for investors. Thus many of the "plans" and names represented goals that were never to be reached.

In keeping with this theme, many of the roads tried to fit "& Pacific" or the slightly less grandiose "& Western. There is of course the Western Pacific, but somebody always has to go overboard







. This was true even for those railroads who only had a few miles of track.


So maybe you could pick a local town or two and simply tack on one of those for a name.

Hope this helps.


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## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

"Chicago & Lake Michigan"?

(Cool icon, btw)


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## joe rusz (Jan 3, 2008)

Keith, as some have said, you can use the intials of the owner and family (Todd Brody's "Tortoise & Lizard Bash," which stands for Todd and Linda Brody, is a prefect example). Or you can borrow, or paraphrase names of real railroads, mostly using the intials D&RGW to represent your own words or names. You can use place names, but that can be problematic. For example, we live in a beach town and I can't picture a railroad named after such a locale. What would it haul, sand and surfers? Of course, you can choose a silly or whimsical, made up name. I came up with "Towel on floor" written in Spanish (I forget the words) because it sounded cool and had an ampersand (&) between the words. And we all know how railroad names look better with an ampersand in them, right? BTW, my wife thinks my railroad name sounds silly and I should use a serious name. 

Along those lines, I do have a name for a factory I may someday build. It will manufacture tools, will be named after its founder Gerhard Loos and will be called...nah, too easy.


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## Bruce Chandler (Jan 2, 2008)

My railroad represents a fictitious narrow gauge railroad somewhere in the eastern part of the US. 










I wanted something for Jean (my wife) and me (Bruce), but didn’t want it to be the Jean & Bruce RailRoad. We’ve lived in Burke, Virginia for over twenty five years, so that took care of the “B”. Since I’ve always admired 'Stonewall' Jackson the rest was easy. Jean and I are active birders (See Birds), and the pileated woodpecker is one of our favorite birds. A little work and a logo was created. 

Is it convincing? There's certainly lots of strange names out there, so I would think that almost any name you come up with would be convincing. 


Sometimes it helps to come up with a history of the railroad - that might assist you in the name.


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## suffolk_rr (Dec 27, 2007)

Well, my question certainly prompted a lot of suggestions, and gave me a few laughs, and some good ideas. Yes, I had considered most of the options, and have been entertained by the sheer variety of names of real lines listed in Hilton's American Narrow Gauge Railroads. You really couldn't make some of them up, could you? Even the more outrageous 'made up' names don't come near such gems as the Dismal Swamp Railroad, do they? It's perhaps not surprising that many others have also agonised (maybe that's too strong a word, but it does seem like that) over the choice of name for a ficticious railroad. I'm still pondering the final choice but I have got some better ideas now. 

But, perhaps the most useful result of my posting was to discover a fellow G-scale American narrow gauge modeller living just 4 miles away! What's more we have K-27s with different running numbers!! Anyone else in Suffolk out there? 

I've also added a few more pictures to the fotopic gallery (http://keithsrailwayphotography.fotopic.net/c1752549.html), since the first pictures got a favourable response. 

Keith, Ipswich, UK.


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

My second choice was WBT&S.... aka the Wobble, Bobble, Turnover and Stop... (or maybe West Broad Top and Southern?) I may yet letter some interchange cars for it.


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## AzRob (Sep 14, 2009)

Posted By Torby on 11 Sep 2009 06:36 AM 
hehe

"Sausalito and west"









Yeah, good luck with that! "Sausalito and Tokyo RR"


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## Rod Fearnley (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Keith, I am also a fairly close neighbour, Dereham,Norfolk area. But I'm a Diesel Weasel








For a name, how about "Orwell Valley", Or "Orwell Valley Southern", ( Northern, Eastern, Western ) ?

I'm sure Stan Cedarleaf would come up with a great set of decals for you.
Rod


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## neals645 (Apr 7, 2008)

Kyson & Suffolk


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## SandyR (Jan 6, 2008)

Keith, for its first year of operation, my garden railroad had no name. Then I noticed where my dog regularly 'visited'...a place that I named Dogleg Gulch. And that became the name of the railroad! I could just as well have named it for its other major feature...Bug Swamp. It's a backwoods line, with small equipment and locomotives, so either name would fit. 
SandyR


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Why do you think the far nothern point of Rick Golding's railroad is "Cat Dump?"


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Our first Garden Railroad was at our home on Green Mountain, in Lakewood, Colorado. It was bi-continental, at the time mid-80s to early 90s almost all of my locomotives and rolling stock were LGB. I ran European narrow gauge on the upper loop and American narrow gauge on the lower loop. The two loops were connected with a LGB cog railroad (We called it the TransAtlantic Express), anything but an express! Because of the multiple languages represented by the trains we called it the Grun Mountain und Western. 

We've had our railroad in Virginia since 1994 and it still doesn't have an official name. I have a Climax, a Westside caboose and some log cars that I have lettered (thanks to Stan Cederleaf) for the Clear Lake Lumber Co., because we live near a pond called Clear Lake. Unfortunately, lately it should be called opaque lake. 

Just remember, you aren't locked into a name. You can always change it later, and just tell your guests that your current railroad just bought out an old bankrupt railroad with the original name. As they say its your railroad and you can do anything your want with it. The important thing is to have fun and enjoy it. 

Chuck N


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## Great Western (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Keith,

My RR name choice was easily made. The catalyst for my RR was a caboose and two small gondolas (cheap toy like items) which belonged to my youngest grandson who was given them whilst he was holidaying in the UK with us. His name is Oliver. My initial locos and rolling stock were Bachmann Big Hauler models and were, in the main, Colorado ng.


There is, in Delta County CO, a place called Oliver which is situated on the North Fork Branch so it followed that the name was going to be 'Oliver & North Fork RR'.


Many do have family focussed names it seems.


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## suffolk_rr (Dec 27, 2007)

o.k. Torby, I get your drift.... following loosely on from the feline and canine theme....
Since parts of the line could (with enormous imagination) be NM or Southern California, perhaps I should go for a Spanish sounding name. 
How about the Comezón & Rasguño Railroad ?

Who's the first one to hit Google Translate with that then?











Keith (getting some ideas now, you see!)


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## david bunn (Jan 4, 2008)

Didn't get infested by my cats last week did you Keith?

Regards
David


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

He! That's pretty good.


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## suffolk_rr (Dec 27, 2007)

Didn't get infested by my cats last week did you Keith? 

I think that would make it the Pulga Del Gato Railroad....


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## suffolk_rr (Dec 27, 2007)

In a less frivolous vein, I was also thinking about Rio Deoro Railroad, as a contraction of the Spanish Rio de oro, Gold River. Mind you, I think Comezón & Rasguño flows rather nicely.... could be it(ch) ! ..... sorry. 

Keith


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## dawgnabbit (Jan 2, 2008)

Sometimes a "backstory," or fictitious history, helps decide the name.

My own line, the DC&M, is often thought to be the Dry Creek and Menard[/i], but this is not the case. Nor is it the _Decrepit, Cranky & Misbegotten_, as some have alleged. No, the truth is that _nobody knows_ what the "M" represents.


The Nephew did it, you see. Assigned the task of lettering the road's first tiny construction loco, he got it wrong, as he did almost everything else. Nobody noticed in time, and when the Wife of the Brass Hat publicly unveiled the new loco, this is what she saw:









Somebody pointed out the misprint immediately. You see, the road had been chartered as the Dry Creek and Western[/i], the _DC&W_. The unfortunate Nephew had got the stencil upside down. The Brass Hat was absolutely livid. But when the Wife of the Brass Hat complimented her Nephew on the "lovely" paint job, that pretty much ended the matter right there. Nobody, not even the Brass Hat himself, dared cross _her._

After that, the road couldn't be the DC&W any more. No, it had to be the DC&M somehow. The bigwigs couldn't agree about what what the "M" should stand for, and eventually they gave up trying.

Have a little fun!

Dawg


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