I agree that having a prototype, and sticking to it, helps control purchases. I don't buy anything that didn't appear on Tehachapi in 1995. But I still have more locomotives than I need, and some GP60M's/B's on order. And then there's rolling stock & trailers....yikes.... My purchases have slowed down over the last couple of years, and after the GP60Ms and the UPS pups arrive, there's really not much else that I'll be missing, but I'm sure I'll still find reason to buy stuff . I think having a layout has helped also, as I've shifted focus to scenery and structure building, so while I'm still buying stuff, it's not as much trains but more supplies and details.
So I guess the Broadway Limited pulling into Denver would definately be out of the question??? I refrain as much as possible from buying anything later than 1970... but even though I don't purchase much of the more modern stuff... I have a fairly large quantity which is not my favorite stuff. I also have quite a bit of the pre 1940' stuff but thats okay... I can always say that older equipment was brought out of 'mothball' for emergencies. With modern equipment it would just be a 'time warp'. I'm also a sucker for fancy paint schemes... so I do like the pre-1940's billboard reefers... even though they were banned in the late 1930's IIRC. So... I really can't be true to the prototype for many reasons... therefore collecting is a big part of my interest in the hobby.
I tend to run multiple locomotives with diesel and since I'm set in the era of the F unit my consists reflect the Hill Lines traffic over the SP&S. The most modern that I've gone with the GN is the SD7/9 locos. So since I have 43 GN locos it actually boils down to about 11 locomotives running them in sets of three and four. The top set of 4 F-3s eventually will be replaced with a newer product. They are my first diesels and are old Concor F-3s The SP&S box contains some of the GN overflow athough the set in the 2nd row is not GN but SP&S in GN colors. Eventually one more Alco RS-3 will be added to the SP&S but that is it. Another box has my few NP locos, 6 F units, 4 CB&Q F units and 2 CB&Q E units, along with an 5 CP diesels. Steam is in a state of flux as I continue to get rid of the subpar stuff, rebuild some worth saving, and add a few more. Eventually It will probably sort out to about 20 steamers. Logging locos and some critters, about 20, along with 5 doodlebugs round out the loco fleet.
I can't stick to a single prototype since I am attracted to shapes and colors. On my wishlist: Atlas U23B in Delaware Hudson Atlas C420 in British Columbia Something Atlas in Kodachrome colors (not crazy about Kato's scheme/colors). That should do it for now.........I hope.
Know the feelling. I have everything from old steam to modern diesels to bullet trains and roads ranging from CP to NS. For me: "If it looks good, run it!"
yep...a year has passed. i forgot i posted in this thread. i have sold seven engines lately, going to concentrate on just a few roads i like.....wroooong!!!those seven have been replaced with eight more!!!!!! got 40 plus...my favorite part of the hobby..i thought i had a lot of engines, not even close to several here!...
It's probably easier to quite smoking, drinking and narcotic abuse than it is to stop buying model railroading products. Those other 'vices' are well documented to be destructive to ones well being... they have campaigns to help people quite those addictions. Model trains seem to have 'wholesome' attributes and are promoted as a great distraction and 'healthy'. Too much of a good thing can be bad though... and regardless of the 'addiction'... it can be overwhelming. Hoarding model trains is an addiction but... I can't bring myself to part with many of my trains. I did it once about 4 years ago... cleared out most of my older LifeLike, Bachmann, Arnold and Minitrix stuff.... but have replaced all of what I sold with at least 4 times as many new locomotives.
I like the point made in the original thread: Look how far N scale has come! Sometimes I think we've lost our perspective.
I can safely say that i am NOT a locomotiveholic. I only have 6 locomotives lol 1 conrail GP40 1 conrail dash8-40 2 santa fe F9s 1 santa fe 0-6-0 1 pennsy 2-8-2 (that has been needing a tender, but kato dont make the one I need anymore) I also am unemployed, so that helps also.
When my wife gets constipated, instead of buying laxatives I just buy another locomotive.........has the same effect!
Sin City I'm kinda in your shoes. back in the late 80's I purchased a few locos I had a B-mann Mikado and Atlas SD9 set that I got from my Uncle and Aunt. I could not afford more so model rail railroading went in to hiatus I went to college and flash forward twenty years I can now afford nicer locos. I have a layout and more locos then a hobby shop in Sydney.
Bought the RS3 in Rock Island and Trainmaster last month along with 2 BL2s (sold one of them), Atlas GP40, GP38, and LL SW9. Last week got my C420 in BC and this week waiting on my Athearn F45 in Kodachrome. I'll probably pickup the U23B later this month Roster is now up to 30 units (mixture of new and used). I guess this is what a drug addiction would look like, huh? I wonder if I buy the last loco on my list I will be done? If anyone is interested, I have a SD9 and MP15DC (both like new) for sale in the Trainstore.
HI Sincity; I'm a big fan of Life Like locos except for the GP-38 which is a dog. I own a few of them and it took a lot of work to just get them to run. The GP18 on the other hand is a great running loco. I own a bunch of em. They are heavy and great pullers as well as great running. I got the first batch because they ran very well, and were cheap, think I paid like $18.00 each for them. I had little money to spend at the time. I also have a set of PA's and they run great are so heavy they'll pull everything I own. LL SD-7/9's are also great running loco's and I own half a dozen of them. Love them. Also have a ouple of E-6's that are great runners also. Have one LL 2-8-8-2 steamer that is also super running. Bachman makes a little 4-6-0 with DCC that is a sweet little loco. I rewired mine to run on DC, and Bachman also makes a really great 2-8-0 that I highly recommend. I have at least four of these steamers.
Railnut, have you found any of your LL locos with cracked paint? I bought a SW9 that was advertised as new (wheels were clean) and paint was cracked (barely perceptible). Recently purchased an older run BL2 with cracked paint. The newer run BL2 (split body) was fine. I ended up selling the newer BL2. I have the plastic chassis GP38 which I wired a decoder. It is actually one of my better running locos. Need to look into a LL SD7 and possibly some steamers. I have two Bmann steamers from the Empire Builder and Yard Boss train sets that I bought in the mid and late 80s.
I made an easy, efficient buy 3 years ago of all the motive power needed to fit the plan-2xP42 & 2xF59, 2xSD70. Then the "had to have, nice to have, why not" disease took hold. Current spread sheet shows consequences. Think I have 23, but they multiply at night. BTW, have downsized the layout after buying this stuff. Engine # Type Maker Acquired $$$ Sold $$$ Source Sold to 1604 RSD 4/5 Atlas 2009 30 Club sale NJC DC OK MTL1015 1607 RSD 4/5 Atlas 2009 30 Club sale NJC DC OK MTL1015 901 F59PHI Athearn 2009 60+30+30 Seattle TC Sounder DCC Z2 OK brite lites loose shell 902 F59PHI Athearn 2009 60+30 Seattle TC Sounder DCC Z2 spotty yloglo loose shell 903 F59PHI Athearn 2010 30 eBay WCE DC OK yloglo 904 F59PHI Athearn 2010 30 eBay WCE DC dead yloglo mtr brush? 901 F59PHI Athearn 2011 25 eBay Sounder DC OK yloglo renumber 902 F59PHI Athearn 2011 25 eBay Sounder DC OK yloglo renumber 903 F59PHI Athearn 2010 30 eBay Sounder DC dead yloglo loose shell renumber 52 P42PhIV Kato 2009 80+28 Show Amtrak DCC DN163k0 OK reversed Spd mtch? 77 P42PhIV Kato 2009 80+28 Show Amtrak DCC DN163k0 OK front cplr Spd mtch? 134 P42PhV Kato 2010 70 Train Store Amtrak DCC DN163k0 OK Spd mtch? 123 P42PhV Kato 2010 70 Train Store Amtrak DCC DN163k0 OK reversed Tpd brd Spd mtch? 9370 SD70ACe Kato 2011 70 eBay BNSF DC OK 9853 SD70MAC Kato 2011 70 eBay BNSF DCC ????????? OK 5624 AC4400CW Kato 2011 70 NSO BNSF DCC ????????? OK CV lites 727 44CW-9 Kato 2010 70 eBay BNSF DC OK frt cplr 7213 SD80MAC Kato 2011 70 Train Store NS DC OK Nose piece 7204 SD80MAC Kato 2011 70 eBay NS DCC ????????? Rev only 03" 381 F40PH Walther/LL 2009 20 Walther Amtrak DC OK bulb/LED 389 F40PH Walther/LL 2009 20 Walther Amtrak DC OK bulb/LED 2096 GP38-2 Atlas 2009 10 Personal BN DCC ????????? OK revrersed tail lite? 2109 GP38-2 Atlas 2009 10 Personal BN DC OK clearances
I think I have become a bit of a train hoarder. I got sooo, much stuff. Some stuff I pre order, other stuff I just get lucky and manage to find a good deal on smething nice on E-bay or at a show. Some stuff I build and decorate myself. Ocasionally I will go through my collection and find something that I forgot that I owned. 20 plus years of collecting trains will do that.
