About Our First-Release Road Names!
Deservedly so, we have heard plenty of questions about the selection of Freelance Model Railroads that are represented in the very first Limited Edition freight car offering from Home Shops. We are pleased with our starting lineup and hope that you will be as well!
Much of the decision making process that went into our selection is outlined on the Home Shops FAQ page.
Once we selected our first car, the 1979 and 1980 Tangent Scale Models PS-4750 covered hopper car variants, we had to find Freelance Model Railroads that would have these cars on their rosters. We also looked for Freelance Model Railroads that had a presence on Social Media. It was important for there to already be an existing fan base plugged into the railroads we choose to offer in order to minimize the risk of a high-end custom run.
The railroads in our first selection had much thought put into their images, storylines, and rosters. As the conversations with these Freelance road owners progressed, we could tell that they took pride in their railroads and had taken the time to develop their concepts to a believable level. This work is evident in the final product!
While we are thrilled with the railroads that comprise our initial offering, this is not the end of the line! There is no single freight car offering that can come close to representing all of the fantastic Freelance Model Railroads that are out there. Variations in era and car-type may lend a project to be more suitable for a particular railroad than another car type or era.
Should this new venture prove to be successful, we will be able to reinvest capital in more Freelance Model Railroad projects! Keep in mind that timing is a very big factor with regards to what cars will be released and therefore which Freelance Model Railroads will be represented in subsequent runs. The quicker a run sells out, the sooner we will be able to reinvest that capital in a car type for which a manufacturer may be preparing to place a factory order.
So getting back to our initial PS-4750 offering, the seven represented Freelance Model Railroads are the Arkansas Valley, Copper State Railway, Kansas Pacific, Gulf and Ship Island, Michigan Interstate, Texas and Great Northern, and West Falls Northern. All of these railroads have mature operating, roster, and image concepts. Equally as important, all of them have content on-line with a following!
One of our favorite resources is the Freelance Model Railroads Facebook page. This private group was created in 2013 and has had some fantastic freelance ideas contributed over the years. While most of the railroads in our initial release have their own Facebook groups or pages, a search of the road names on this group and others like it will yield even more information and content!
Beyond the general Freelance locations, feel free to use the buttons below to visit some of the road-specific Social Media locations for the Freelance Model Railroads of our starting lineup!
Feel free to take a look at these locations and send join requests if you wish!
Now we fully recognize that there are some institutional freelance railroads that have been around for decades, yet for some the digital age has passed them by and they have zero social media footprint. Such Freelance Model Railroads are on our radar. However, for our first few releases as we establish a fan base and sales data, we feel it is very important for someone who wishes to learn about a road name we offer to be able to easily find content in an on-line search.
Of course if you are aware of a great Freelance Model Railroad candidate, we want to know about it!. Perhaps there is a club layout in your area that is home to one or more freelance railroads. If you think that we should know about one of these railroads, by all means please use the contact form below and tell us all about it!