# Any 1840-1860 era train sets/layouts?



## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

Not meaning to be intrusive, but I am a big fan of 19th century technology and would love to see any layouts or links to layouts of 1840-1860-- especially 1850s--era train sets and towns.

I don't have trains but have always dreamed of getting up a set one day.

Any help would be appreciated.:thumbsup:


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## Y3a (Jan 18, 2001)

Most of the engines are pretty lame. I'd pick the MDC-Roundhouse 4-6-0 or one of several 4-4-0 engines, and MDC old time passenger cars. Buildings are easier to find. The early railroad practices are the main attraction of that era.


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

Thanks for the info! 

What's a good company to order from online or to get a good look a the products?


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## Y3a (Jan 18, 2001)

Walthers Trains.


http://www.walthers.com/


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## toyroy (Jul 17, 2005)

This guy's stuff is expensive, but accurate:

http://www.smrtrains.com/


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## MadCap Romanian (Oct 29, 2005)

I have some trains in my hobby store. Three of them are from the 1840's. The John Bull, The Prussian and the DeWinton Clinton. These are just the engines though, and the price is farily reasonable. They are HO scale.

I also have two of the 4-4-0's and cars from the 1860's. The engines are in HO and N scale. Let me know if you're interested.

I thought that the best RR for the 1840's would be made with The Prussian. That way you could have all those fancy European buildings from Faller, Vollmer and Model Power, beautiful countryside with churches and windmills as well as lakes and rivers. Something that looks like pre-WW1 Vienna or Austria. I have an english style horse and buggy as well as 1800's era firemen in HO scale.


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

Thanks for the links, y'all! I've already done some research but will continue. 

I'm really hoping for something along the lines of 1850s America though I dig the early European stuff. It's hard to beat the look of the early train that was in "The Great Train Robbery," though I'm not sure how accurate that is. I'm assuming it's the real thing or an accurate copy.


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## MadCap Romanian (Oct 29, 2005)

Isn't the John Bull the 1850's American train?
Here's two train layouts I found on You-Tube. Enjoy!


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

Very cool! Remind me of the trains that went between Columbia and Charleston in the early days.


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## toyroy (Jul 17, 2005)

PerfesserCoffee said:


> ...It's hard to beat the look of the early train that was in "The Great Train Robbery"...


There are several listings at IMDb for "The Great Train Robbery." Can you be a little more specific? The year made, or the director?


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

Yeah, right here:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079240/


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## toyroy (Jul 17, 2005)

Railroading anywhere in the 1850s is a challenging world to recreate. The guy at SMR Trains is knowledgeable about American locomotive building practice of that time, and might be helpful. As you probably know already, American locomotives began to look as we know them, during this period.

If you like English locomotive design of this period, perhaps a setting in or near Canada might be of interest.


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## MadCap Romanian (Oct 29, 2005)

I don't know if this is a help or not, but the film has original train of this early vintage...somewhere around the Civil War, which is a little later than the time period you're after, but should still represent simular railroading ideas to those eariler times.






There's a part in the 1997 movie Amistad where they show one of the jhon bull trains taking the president down a short strech of track.


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

MadCap Romanian said:


> I don't know if this is a help or not, but the film has original train of this early vintage...somewhere around the Civil War, which is a little later than the time period you're after, but should still represent simular railroading ideas to those eariler times.
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1b24wqhy0Zo
> 
> There's a part in the 1997 movie Amistad where they show one of the jhon bull trains taking the president down a short strech of track.


That movie is great :thumbsup: and yes, those are the type engines I'd like to use. 

I've seen the original General. If you're ever in the Atlanta area, it's worth the trip.


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## toyroy (Jul 17, 2005)

PerfesserCoffee said:


> ...I've seen the original General...


Yes, the General still exists. However, I believe it appears considerably different than it did when built, and at the time of the actual civil war raid. Originally, the engine frame was on the _outside_, as seen here:

http://www.smrtrains.com/general3.htm

It apparently also served as the running board.


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## MadCap Romanian (Oct 29, 2005)

I have the Bachmann Union Pacific 119 as well as the Central Pacific Rail Road Jupiter for sale in my store, Monster Hobbies. 

Also, for rolling stock, I have the Pensilvania RR and Union Pacific RR 1860 Horse Car by Mantua.

Let me know if you're interested.


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