Im sorry, but I really don’t think those words can be used in a sentence together like that!
Please rephrase the question, and try again. [:P]
Ok… Now that that answer is out of the way… [:-^]
The correct answer is, it depends…
Ask me, I don’t have enough. Ask my family… Well, they may differ in opinion!
it also depends on your plans, space, and funds available.
Nothing wrong with being a collector, modeler, or combination of the two.
As to my roster, my current layout can not support more, but a planned expansion can. Now, if that expansion happens, I will be picking up a few more. (As I can afford them.)
It took me awhile to figure I’m without a doubt a boxcar collector. By actual count and figuring 90% of my freight cars are boxcars and 60% of those boxcars are IPD short line boxcars.
I wonder if there is a boxcar anonymous for hopeless cases like me? [:O]
Nothing wrong with that if that’s how you want to spend your money and enjoy the hobby. But it assumes a few things, mainly that the models you desire are actually available in accurate RTR models…
I buy my share of that stuff, my Spring Mills Depot N-34 B&O hoppers will be arriving soon…
In my case, in my era, not every car I want is available in some ultra accurate version, and even if they were, I don’t have the time or tollerance for the selling off and buying new activity…
But my goals are such that not every model in my 800 car fleet needs to be that accurate…or that expensive. Again, I’ve been at this 46 years, and I see no reason to get rid of my older models.
I’m a “big picture” modeler, and the long trains and CTC operation are more important than the number of ribs on the end of a box car…as 40 of them go by in one direction, and 40 more approach from the other direction.
But I do understand and appreciate correctly high level detailed models. Long before we had all these great products I was installing complete brake rigging and coupler cut bars.
I’m just not waiting for any new models and I’m not replacing what I have. I have lots to build, run and play with, and I’m very content with them.
okay can one have two many containers lol? Point is even with my measly 7 locomotives it’s way more than my ISL needs to operate but I guess there is nothing wrong with collecting if you can afford it and have space.
As for the box car collector maybe there is a group gor thar who knows?
I have over 150 locomotives (stopped counting), so I don’t think I’ll be buying any more for a while. That is, until SOMEBODY (BLI? Rapido? Scale Trains?)comes out with PRR passenger sharks.
As far as shelf queens are concerned, with eight cats in the house, they wouldn’t stay on the shelf for long.
Well, my wife might say that at the 6 locos I’ll claim as mine, I have too many locos…(son has a few).
Regarding regrets…there was a song on a recent TV show (Smash) about having the “right regrets”. For the most part I do have the right regrets.
Of all the models I’ve bought/sold/traded, I would rather have the relative handful of locomotives and freight cars that I have now than any of the others I ever had. Unlike some who are very content with the status of whatever model it might be, I, being an engineer by trade, do notice the little things, and I want them as “right” as can be reasonably achieved. So I gravitate toward the latest and greatest thing in freight cars, and the most detailed but still good operating higher end steam locos (generally post-1980 Samhongsa production, up to current day production by others. This can include the occasional diecast brass hybrid).
Sure I lost some cash along the way, but the journey has taught me an awful lot about trains (both real and model), and I have firsthand experience with a wider range of models than I could ever have tried out had I always kept everything that I purchased forever. With a few exceptions, there pretty much isn’t an articulated steam engine I have not operated in HO on a friend’s layout or owned myself. That was all fun!
There is a small handful of steam engines I’d like to someday own, and there is a small handful of engines I wish that perhaps I had kept (specifically a couple Hallmark Super Crown ATSF 2-10-4’s and the Westside SP 4-10-2 that ran like a dream despite having an open frame motor, and a truly mint PFM Rio Grande M-75 4-8-2). But for 40 years of hustling and trading, that’s not so bad at all.
John, one of the big factors that seperates our styles of modeling is the fact that I see the overall impression of the layout as the top goal, not the close examination of a few pieces on it.
So my goals require compromises because every item that is necessary for that correct impression will never be made to the standards you describe. And I don’t have the time or desire to scratch build them to that level.
And, the close admiration of the individual pieces is in itself part and parcel with the “collecting” aspect of the hobby, and that is fine, I do that to a very limited degree.
As noted above, I have my Spring Mills hoppers coming, and their B&O wagon top cabooses on the layout, and other stuff of that caliber. But what do I do about all the other “players” I need for the game of operating and creating believable scenes?
And when viewed as an operating “scene”, from some panoramic distance, the number of ribs on the end of a box car is just not important, because you can’t count them as 40 of them roll by at 35 smph…but it takes eight diesels or four pretty good sized steamers just to pull those two 40 car trains…
I see much much better close up. So I like all the details…sometimes I can still read the builders’ plates without magnification…lol.
Oh–my other issue is to be quite honest most steam era freight cars were rather blah in color–and I like color, so I end up cheating on the era of rolling stock I pull. Since it’s “my railroad” I just try to run Plate C or less height cars that look ok behind my steamers which lasted…well longer than in prototype.
Myself I have 30 locomotives 6 steam and 24 1st and 2nd generation diesel but I find I only operate 4 on a regular basis but I keep buying whenever I have the chance
I model the Illinois Central in the mid nineties. At that time the RR rostered 325 locomotives. I have over 30 or 40 (don’t have a current count some are still stored) and my goal was to have 10% of the roster. I have exceeded that
Amusing subject. I have about 160 HO locomotives, mostly Blue Box Athearn. 51 are finished (detailed and weathered), and several have been contest winners. 12 are in progress (on the workbench or waiting for something), and the rest are new but need details and weathering. 44 are still in their boxes. That is about 120 linear feet of motive power. I have not bought a new one for years, but have acquired a number of second-hand Blue Box units for future projects.
I would not consider myself a collector. I am not trying to own any particular roster. There is only one brass diesel in the bunch and no brass steam.
Too many? I have that many because I like them, and they still fit in the storage boxes in my garage. I am a builder, not an operator, and I don’t have a layout yet due to space constraints (a switching layout would be absurd for me). I used to be a member of a local club but dropped it about 20 years ago. Most of the locomotives have never run on a layout.
If you have stuff you are indifferent to, get rid of it. If you have stuff you like keep it and take care of it.
For my N-scale Western Maryland inspired layout, (cab control, 12 foot by 12 foot L shape, 2 1/2 levels), I have about 35 locomotives. About half are WM, most of the others are close by railroads (C&O, B&O, NW, L&N, PRR) except for a couple of Ann Arbor units since I live in AA territory. About 1/3 can be on the layout at one time, excluding those in the 6 stall roundhouse. Maybe I have about 50% more than I need, but there are a couple of real old Bachmans that are on their last legs, and I did ramp up purchases of Life Like FA-2s over time due to their low cost and reliability and pulling power up steep inclines. However, after almost 25 years, some of them are past their prime.
Of course, I really could do with more F7’s (A’s) and I do not have any B units, and I once had a S-4 but was returned to the manufacturer for repairs but they were out of stock and replaced it with an RS3.
So the impossible question, in my opinion, can be answered as: Layout capacity x 2 (for rotation) + manufactured locos that are currently available that I have not bought yet + future production of other models minus worn out and dead units (to be sent to the cannibalize box).
Of course, there is the time element. There is no hurry to accumulate, there is more pleasure in each locomotive when you have a very limited collection.
That does not account for the financial considerations. I am not sure that I would have invested in so much railroad stuff if I had been starting out now as costs have significantly increased over my 30 odd years in the hobby.
It all depends on how you configure. Two of my three layouts are New England, but can be reconfigured with different buildings and vehicles to allow for operations between 1950 and present. This allows me to model the 50 or so New England and Eastern Canadian roads I run plus my own four each differently with different operational characteristics and in different eras but the same general geographic area. So for those 50 or so layouts, I have for example in addition to two generations of my own lines, all SIX diesel generations of the BAR–in fleets of three or more engines (and vans to match). Buildings, even Fine Scale Miniatures, are lift off though with weeds glued around the base. So I have at present 563 locomotives and run them all. About 200 are custom painted and detailed including for many obscure roads like QGRY, NHV, St. J & LC (three generations), Quaboag Central, Housatonic (five engines and a doodlebug). Yes, I DO run them all! The beauty of my scheme is that with generic scenery and trackplan, I have incredible operational variety and multiple eras and can change in minutes. I support those engines with over 2,100 freight cars in different eras 1950 to present, 45 passenger and self propelled gas or Budd cars, and about 100 vans representing most of the roads I run, even the very unusual ones like Napierville Jct. (I have both engines used for this in correct paint and decals). My primary road is Misty Ridge Railway, but I also run Connecticut Headwaters Railway, Northeast Railway, and Western Maine Railway, all interconnected, in Vermont Railway style (Misty Ridge being primary, the others semi-independent branches with their own motive power and paint schemes). So how many engines you have depends on how you want to configure and which ones you want to run in the geographic setting you model, and then how much you can get away with spending on your hobby. Best wishes.
Never too many locomotives…! I have a small to maybe medium layout, but have close to 90 locomotives. I collect mostly Milwaukee Road and related SOO, C&NW that ran in my area and “leased” locos.
When possible, I purchased locos with several road numbers and most are DCC equipped (w/sound) and those non-DCC locos I have decoders ready to install.
My era is late 1970’s to mid-1980’s.
I’ll run two myabe three locos on my layout, sometimes a consist of two locomotives.
A future freight yard will have a locomotive servicing facilities and a place to ‘Display’ many of the now in storage locomotives.
The purchase of any new locomotives will be limited to something that is really special. The new sound decoders are temping!
My collections seems to hover around 50 units which most of the them are ran in lashes of 2 to 4 locomotives but sometimes up to 5 or 6. The models which I put a lot of work into detailing I’m not going to sell. They are worth far more to me than they would be to someone else. However used models I bought which were detailed by someone else I have no problem selling if I feel like it. Eventually I may replace a lot of engines with newer versions with better details but I’m not going to ever get rid of my original first few locos that I loved so dearly when they were all I had. I already regret getting rid of my first car and my first guitar.
There is no definitive answer to this, of course. You may be considered to have too many if the wife says that she will start selling them off if you don’t put up the Christmas lights soon.
I have 155. That is by design, not carelessness. I started out with modest space for a layout and early on decided that if I could not have variety in space, then variety in rolling stock would compensate. However, I soon was able to create a substantial layout and the fascination with road names and livery has never diminished.
My other great love is to convert my beauties to DCC. Every one of my 155 has been from eBay. The skill in swooping in to scoop great deals is part of the passion. I spend most time then refurbishing and converting the locos to DCC. many I add sound to. Many I weather. And all are kept running. I cannot abide having one in “sickbay”…or losing one through old age. The great fun is finding parts to keep them running. Such was the case with my recent E8s. These were refurbished with the generosity of several sellers who contributed parts at low cost (and one gentleman even paid the shipping for the shells without charge when he learned what I needed). These were recently on the layout, speed matched and pulling passenger trains. Here they are in the shop after finally getting all the roof lift rings installed.
So with 155 locomotives I have many ABA and ABBA sets. To keep track of everything of course I use the wonderful JMRI software. This allows all 155 to have notes made and on hand regarding speed matching and peculiarities of operation. And the JMRI is just what is needed to keep all 155 in rotation. The software will allocate the motive power based on frequency of use, so with parameters of train type and road names, all 155 a
Congratulations on your excellent inventory control!
I haven’t told my wife how many locomotives I have but if I did I don’t think she would be concerned. I recently discussed the possibility of buying a Rapido F series ABA set and she was fine with that. I didn’t buy it because it was an older set with Tsunami (I think) decoders. Replacing the decoders would have negated the bargain price, but she said “go ahead if you want to”.[:D]
