What is the most popular railroading thing to collect and what do you have the most of?
Books?
Videos?
Music?
Models?
Artwork? (paintings, sculptures, figurines, etc.)
Magazines? (could be # of issues or # of differnt names)
Photographs?
Home Videos?
Postcards? (old & new)
T-shirts?
Cigarette lighters?
Railroad equipment? (lanterns, timetables, etc.)
Other novelty items?
This list isn’t all inclusive. It could be something as obscure as having the most railroad spikes or maybe you hang on to everything about railroads that comes in the mail. I have all these magazines from Walthers that I never asked for but never threw away. I also recieved some unsolicited sample Christmas cards in the mail a couple times. Maybe someone has more than I do.
I have 19 videos (includes both VHS and DVD formats). I have about 16 or more books. I can’t begin to tell you how many magazines I have. I began subscribing to Trains Magazine back in 1997. I have at least one issue of every magazine the bookstore had to offer over the last several years.
period shipper industry historical original source material (period publicity handouts, industrial development guides etc) that reflect info on rail traffic
I have some Milwaukee road glasses, lanterns, photos/postcards. Then I have my Ho & Lionel stuff. Hell if it involves planes, trains, or cars Im probibly trying to get my hands on it!
I collect prewar and postwar toy trains from almost any manufacturer or country. I also have a very large collection of HO and layout for all my trains. I lot of them are on shelves since I don’t have enough room for all of them on the layouts. I have hundreds of magazines about real and toy/model train, bith North American (mostly) and British. I’m not sure of the exact number, but I must have over 30 large, hardcover “coffee table” type train books. Keep in mind, however, that probably 95% of my model and toy trains and 50% of my books and magazines have been bought used. I have some videos, but not a lot. I do, however, tape every single episode of Tracks Ahead and any other train show that may be on. I’ve been cutting out and saving any newspaper article about trains or railroading I’ve found for several years. I also have a few boxes in the garage of rusty old spikes and simmilar items. I also have three railroad lanterns and other items. I suppose I just collect anything and everything that has to do with trains!
Memories of a time and place when SP Black Widow F7A/B ruled the Sunset Line in LA, and “Fruit Salad” PCC ran barefoot in the city streets, steamlined Hudsons, Henry J, and such. N scale model locos between '49-67, more recent current locos, P42, Superliners, a few of what I see today on the rails in IL.
Memories of current trains, pictures of what I can catch.
Die Cast PCC 1/50th, die cast streamlined cars. 1942, 1949 what fits the era in larger sizes, will be a small collection.
Growing credit card balance!
My guilty pleasures are photographs (over 30 years worth!), issues of TRAINS magazine (I’ve been buying at the hobby shop or subscribing since November 1967 and have lots of earlier issues), and timetables (both public and employee).
I also have about a dozen Official Guides and a sizable railroad library.
Most important, my wife is quite tolerant of this collection.
I collect anything that is from the Grand Trunk Railroad e.g. photos, HO cars,locos, books, magazines, patches, timetables, coffee mugs etc., - I also collect items from Canadian National as well.
Actually it doesnt really matter what roadname it is - if it appeals to me I’ll buy it - but if its GTW or CN GOTTA HAVE IT!