Not N scale, but an O-72 Southern Mikado and Caboose because it was about the most beautiful model I have ever seen. I could also say all my N Scale Norfolk and Western, Southern and Norfolk Southern stuff because it reminds me of my time in Virginia with my grandparents.
Mark, I love that Zephyr. I have one as well (only the three cars) and it runs so nice. Beautiful train. Thanks for sharing it.
I have some locomotives which were not common to western railroads. The Pennsy GG1 and Broadway Limited is probably the most out-of-place locomotive I own. I did get other Pennsy diesels like GP30 and SD45s when I was thinking about doing some re-painting into D&RGW.... now that Atlas and Kato have done them for me... they are just sitting around to be sold or otherwise re-purposed. These types of purchases are less common now-a-days because the manufacturers have been providing enough western roads for me to keep busy with. I would purchase a Dreyfuss Hudson and a Twentieth Century Limited if Kato would do that combination too. Years ago I was enamored with the NYC Jade Green boxcars too. Sometimes things just look too cool to pass-up even if they don't really fit the typical locomotives or rolling stock I would normally be interested in. The more colorful... the more likely I'll buy it... like the State of Maine boxcars Micro-trains did 20 years ago. BTW... In 1999 I got those RI maroone-red BL-2 as well... because it was the closest thing to a 'western' road that LifeLike made in a BL-2. The fact they were on sale for $20.00 each was another motivation. Later I got a Missouri Pacific one too. It's not that I really needed a BL-2... it was just a bargain and a oddity all in one.
there are quite a few : overland western maryland 3-truck shay...just because it looks wonderful. then all kato sd70 heritage units. but then i have 450+ locos. guess a lot of them are just because. for example my fleet of 100 ac4400. who needs that many ? even if they have unique roadnumbers (yes, i renumbered 96 of them...)
Bought this little Arnold guy quite a few years ago (sometime in the late 90s), just because it looked interesting. No idea if I can ever decoderize it though, it's just a motor with wheels and a shell over it. Pulls like a beast though.
In my early years I confess to having a passion for things Alco and for U-boats. All of the early U-boats are now gone but the lone survivors of the Alco lust that don't fit my era are the PAs, done in the SP&S green and maroon, and the C-636 survive. And that C-636 is done in a paint scheme I intensely dislike. Why I still have it is beyond me. And then a weakness for things CP caused me to modify a bunch of early junk, that would have long been gone, but still Alco into a assortment of things CP.
Not in hand yet but soon will be... a Bachmann Ten Wheeler. I have waited over 40+ years for one to be produced in N-scale and the Bachmann model fits the bill quite well... and once I get past taxes it will be a dream come true.
Ah, that triggers the loco that is the most "just because" in my accumulation-- which would be my HO Scale BLI GG-1 in Pennsy single stripe. I can only run it as "guest power" elsewhere (and every "elsewhere" I can get to doesn't have catenary!) if I want the full sound capability. I do run it once in a while on my "kids' layout" (in quotes because they never use it any more). The sound is spot on vs. my memories of seeing the real thing. It is a definite "just because." Were anyone to take the Shapeways E-44 shells and do the work of making a ready to run loco, that would trump even the GG-1 "just because."
I model moden BNSF, so I guess all of my BN, Milwaukee Road, GN and Soo Line stuff. But the FVM Hiawatha is the one that I own just because. Pics on my blog.
This thread is interesting as heck. It made me think why I own and run such a diverse fleet of locos, forgetting age, era, geography, roadname, and a million other factors. Basically down, I own them simply because I like them and could afford them. But then I took it one deeper and asked myself, why! I am a Pennsy modeler, trying to model my hometown area in western PA, which ran right past my house. Not only PRR, but a number of NY and PA roadnames ran on these tracks to deliver to Sharon Steel but pass on through to points west. I am attracted to loud colors and react like a child reacts to a set of keys. I love history, so traditional or historically significant railroads really hit me hard. I tend to be melancholy and old school, so these trains as well hit my gourd and tickle the old fantastic Other factors.....a million it seems But right now,my 2013 goal is to acquire the entire list of NS Heritage Units, along with the UP and other Heritage units out there, and I am a Steamguy!!!!! Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman
Although Ken Willaman was nice enough to give me a good price on his California Zephyr and I run it behind WP diesels, I also bought BLI Paragon NYC E8As when they were being sold for $99 each with sound. Why? I am waiting for the Kato 20th Century Ltd. I am a hopeful sort!
You and me both! I have an ABA set of Kato NYC Lightning stripe PA/PBs sitting here waiting for the switcher to bring the TCL into active service. The locomotive crew anxiously wait in the lead cab, the conductor & staff nervously fidget with their clipboards trackside, and passengers mill about the platform scanning the distance for signs of the missing train.
Though a recent returnee to the hobby with out a lot of locomotive power as of yet, my favorite thus far is my Bachmann Spectrum Southern 2-10-2, seconded by a Bachman Spectrum Southern 4-6-0. The 2-10-2 because I love the large steam engine work horses, I got a GOOD price on it and its one of my road names. The 4-6-0 because of the same reasons but its in the Southern Green paint scheme that for some reason I just love! I have a Southern E-6 A and B unit in green too that looks great. I also own some PRR engines... OK, I'll stop now.
I generally have Milwaukee Road diesels, with some CB&Q and MRL stock, but just couldn't resist the warbonnet dash9 in the hobby shop case.
1st generation diesels just because I liked the paint schemes (and a couple of steamers from C&O and N&W): And non-N Scale engines just because they are Pennsy:
