Got to thinking (again) after seeing all of your great layout photos, that a good number of train guys have displays of collections. Was wondering: How often do you change the train that you are currently running? As always, thanks.
I switch trains every few days. Sometimes every day. I try not to let them sit unused for too long a period. I’ve found that prolonged periods of sitting often leads to things like sticky e-units in my post war stuff.
Jim
Traindaddy, I change trains all the time. My interest period is mostly pre-Conrail to date, so I might be in the mood to run some EL, LV, CNJ, PC, NH, or RDG and I’ll change cars to reflect those periods. Then I’ll get a little more current and run NS, CR, CPR, CSX and BNSF. I’ve altered and kitbashed some traditionally sized cars to replicate more modern types of cars, so along with older car types in modern roads I have some 027 coil cars, spine cars, bathub gons and TTUX cars.
Once in a while I get in the mood for some steam and then cars will change to reflect that time. And even though in my book, anything in PRR and NYC is just begging to be repainted, I do in fact have a few of those cars that will remain in those roads. And I have one or two PRR and NYC diesels too. I have some woodside reefers and cars in older roads that I’ll run with steam locos.
And sometimes I won’t even care, and you might spot some Conrail and Penn Centrail cars behind a steam engine. Heck, I’ve seen plenty of photos in both train magazines of large layouts with top line expensive cars and locos running where the owner in the accompanying article expresses his love for realistic, true scale trains. And low and behold, there’s a SD90MAC pulling some woodside reefers or a Big Boy pulling modern bathtub gondolas.
Heck, I’m a toy train guy. If the scale guys who like prototype to the nth degree can run steam era woodside reefers behind SD90MACs, then I guess anything I do is not only OK, but totally prototypical too!!! Or at least as much as they are! [:D]
Which I guess makes my 4-4-2 Norfolk Southern steam logo with the modern horse logo absolutely prototypical and right on the mark!! [:D]
And that speaks nothing of the top level realism of 027 track! [:D] [8]
I try to run as many as possible, rotating the engines. But, it doesn’t work. I always end up with the favorite on. Working on my layout redesign, and when that is done I plan on leaving some of the engines on all the time, to minimize handling. I feel just like me if I don’t exercise them, its just going to be that much harder to get going again. Then also I’m always finding things to tinker with when I change them around.
Just enjoy.
The layout is large enough as far as yards to support a number of trains or cars. I settled on loosely modeling a certain year and region. What didn’t fit the scheme was sold off. Nothing really gets rotated on and off the layout. What is stored as far as shelves are some Atlas O I purchased to opperate but they just don’t fit in but I like the looks and graphics enough to display them.
The 2 roads I model chances are will see very little activity as far as engines for the 1945 era I presently model. A number of diesels have been done for both. I have a few now and at times will take them out of storage as well as some 60’s era cars and run them. But nothing gets removed. Long term goal is to keep the layout as is. Rotate engines and rolling stock say at 5 year intervals following the prototype roads practices as well as some of the autos on the layout. This will give the layout a different look at times without removing everything at once. Eventually the big move will be from the mid 60’s back to the 40’s if I start over or I may just simply go backwards at 5 year intervals so I’m handling less.
The layout is somewhat finished and I’ve found I like reading and gathering info. from books on the RR’s I model. My steam era is pretty much complete and I will start to focus more on the diesels that ran in the region and will start to keep an eye out as far as catalogs and such for future purchasaes.
right now i don’t have power to any of the tracks, but when i do get to that point i plan to run every train i have until the wheels fall off. it wouldn’t make since to me to spend all that money on these trains and not run them. now as for the acella it might be a shelf train, but not before i get a few hours worth of running out of . for 2500 dollars it’s not just going to sit on the shelf. i would say 75% shelf and 25% track time. all my other trains will be ran a 110% of the time once i get to that stage.
Usually about once every 2 weeks then they sit on the shelf for about 6 months until I get through all my engines.
laz57
Most of my train running currently is to entertain my 21 month old daughter. If a train stays on the track for more than 10 minutes, it’s either Thomas, or she’s getting into something she probably shouldn’t be.
Anything (besides Thomas) that doesn’t smoke and/ or whistle, is a shelf queen. She gets bored with the others real quick. Though yesterday I broke out my 624 NW2 and ran it for about 10 minutes while she playing with a tape measure. (16,482 toys, give or take, and she’ll choose a tape measure every time)
So, to answer the run vs. display question: Yes, I feel strongly both ways.
J White
To ALL: Thanks for your replies.
I try to give all my locomotives some throttle time as much as I can, but there are definitely Favorites that get more track time than others.
To me, there is something just not right, even kind of Sad about a Toy Train that just sits on a shelf, or even worse (Heaven Forbid) one that is Forever Banished to it’s “Original Box”.
Doug
I usually rotate the engines every week but must confess that my fave engines tend to get run the most.
I only display anything that is not currently running on the layout itself - in a siding. That’s a good self-limiter for buying new stuff, and all the better to take something new out for a run.
I make sure everything gets a workout atleast every once every 2 weeks. If my 2 year old son is with me, well usually change 2 or 3 times within an hour!
the trains on our layout have been there for a few months now. however we alternate them (or try to) every once in a while. and what we cant fit on the layout stay on shelves until there is room.
When I’m running them, I usually change trains out every hour, and I could operate my trains for three or four hours and never have a train with the exact same consist (or locomotive).
Any train that I get, I’m going to run. IMHO, there is nothing more dumb than to buy a $2,000 or even a $100 train and display it on a shelf…what’s fun about that? The only time my trains are ever “displayed” is when I’m running others, but they all are used very regularly.
The replies to this thread are interesting. I only have 4 locos but I do rotate them every now and then. I have basically 2 or 3 freight consists and 2 passenger consists that I move with my 0-6-0 shifter (PRR) to the staging area for the larger locos. I have a set of reefers that I usually keep together but I think I will give everything a good mix in the near future. I run 2 locos at the same time so I can give everything a good run. I only display 2 lionel freight cars, one is a semi scale reefer that has the ice bunker that goes with the lionel ice house, and the other is a Canadian grain hopper that is out of era for my PRR steam layout.
I have shelf queens. Not to say I don’t run them every now and again. It’s not that they are being preserved, quite the opposite. I run my “favorites” for playing with such as my 773, F3s, my GG1s and FM. None of these are prized models (from a collectors standpoint) either as the GG1s are Williams and Kline, the Fm is Williams the 773 is a century club and the F3s are not in collector shape. I have many others that I consider my “quality” pieces like to run as well but some are in my collection because they have sentimental value and are really the most value to me as they can never be replaced. They might be cheaper quality O27 or cheap MPC (disclaimer:not all MPC is junk) that don’t fit in to what I am modeling (quality postwar) and to me, look better on a shelf. These are pieces that I have run, many times growing up, and I get much enjoyment looking at them on the shelf with the catolouge they appeared in behind them, reminicing. They occasionally get run, just to reminece.
Right now, however, life has been really hectic and I have not run trains in months. My layout had to be moved twice. I have had to let my shelf displays suffice for now.
I collect, not for monetary value.
My intent, which has not yet been fully realized is to be able to run them all in a sequence of operation out my station and yard. To that end I have six parallel tracks running under the Union Station, and I can park three consists on these, with isolation switches. There are two side by side sidings about 3 feet long and then there are the main lines. My dream is to run a complete operation running trips around and switching out and passing. One the day I sequence all of this perfectly, I hope that it doesn’t get pedestrian and boring. I really don’t think that will happen because I can always, I think, come up with a new sequence of operation.
I haven’t thought about displaying, and at present there is no place in the house to put 'em on shelf. I would only want to run them anyway if that were the case; looking at the stuff is no real fun, and they’re wasted if kept in boxes (even original boxes).
I eventually want to do this when I have the space, money and stability of location.
All my trains are put away upstairs until I can refinish my home office. When I do that I will add shelves around the walls to display them. I do run ALL my trains during the months my layout is up.
There is a guy I might buy a Lionel “Aliquippa J&L slag set” from and he said it is really rare and to put it away. NO!! I want it so I can see it run![:D]