Controlling the Obsession?

[Anonymous]

Folks:

 

Need your recommendations on not getting too obsessive with this hobby.

 

Due to life circumstances, my mish-mash of O / O-27 stuff was put away in a different state for five years.  As happens every fall, with the crisp air and changing of the leaves, I started thinking about trains again. 

 

I have recognized that due to limited space / time, a board layout was just not practical for now.  I also made the decision last week to limit myself to one Rail-Line, so I wouldn’t have to file for bankruptcy each year when the new catalogs came out.  (For buildings, I decided to limit myself to churches only.)

 

I decided on the Spokane, Portland, and Seattle (SP&S) line because I liked the new Lionel set, I liked the rail symbol, and I had spent a couple of months in N. Idaho 20 + years ago.  I also thought there would be less product availability than for some of the larger lines, and therefore holding costs somewhat in line.

 

So far so good….Unfortunately, it is becoming less simple that I thought.  MTH has a new SP&S steam engine in their 2007 catalog for $1400! (That is a LOT of money for a floor layout engine).  Atlas also has a special run of a SP&S GP9 out there; it runs on RailSounds.  Approx $500.

 

Questions:

·       How do you decide between RailSound and ProtoSound?  Do you run both products? Preference?

·       Will either of the two locomotives referenced above likely be available in the used market in the future?

·       With smaller Rail-Lines (i.e. SP&S), is it a situation where you better buy it when the product is available, else you may never see it again?

 

Thanks in advance.  (First time post)...

[palallin]

For O gauge, I have limited myself to three less-than-popular RRs to acquire:  Frisco, MoPac, and T & P.  I also limit myself to Modern Era (i.e. post-1970).  To date, almost every purchase has been Lionel; I may look into Atlas.

I have a mostly complete collection of these three roads, but slots remain open, and a new piece in one of them usually comes out once or twice/year.  I rarely jump on new production:  most of what I get is either M(int) I(n) B(ox) New Old Stock or V(ery) G(ood) or better used.  Abut the only pieces that I don't have that I also don't see often are the Frisco Ten Wheeler (a little less than ten years ooldand the MoPac RS-11 (likewise).  MPC/LTI era (1970 - 1995) engines and rolling stock seem to be plentiful.  My Frisco Mikado (1993 Limited Production) booked at about $900 (MIB) when I bought it three years ago for $350.

I wouldn't feel obligated to jump on something, even short runs, if you cannot afford it.  It will show up on the secondary market.  You imply that you're not in a hurry, so let patience save you money.  Get yourself something to run, of course, but be selective about the timing.

BTW, Kalmback published a Guide to Road Name collecting a few years ago.  You might want to look at one to see what had been made in SP & S up to that time.

 

My $.02, YMMV

[Anonymous]

I would agree with Palallin. Just about everything currently offered will show up on E-bay at some point. There is just too much product being produced and it's too easy to dump through online auctions after the initial lust for acquisitiion has passed.
Secondly, I too could never see running a 1000+ loco on a carpet layout. But then again, I can't picture buying one for ANY layout while some guys buy every large loco produced.
You just have to exercise some self control and keep things in perspective. This is just a hobby and should not be allowed to negatively affect Family and your financial situation.
Mike

[brianel027]

SP&S, it sounds like you are running out of the starting gate with some expensive tastes.

This hobby is possible on a budget, but it does depend on your tastes. Some of the manufacturers and some participants in the hobby make it sound like you simply cannot enjoy the hobby without having all the latest (and expensive!!) electronic gizzmos and control systems. The hobby has been around for more than a century... the digital control and sounds have been around a decade.

I can't tell you what to do here. I know I have always stayed with in my space and financial limits, and I dare say I have as much fun with my trains as absolutely anyone. Yes, like you I find a lack of roads I want in 027-types of trains... and not even odd-ball names, but major current large Class A railroads that have mostly been ignored. So I do a tremendous amount of repainting. At this point all my locos are repainted and probably 60% of my rolling stock.

I don't mind old fashioned transformer control and my sound system has been the MRC Sound Station 312, which for the bargain price it is, is a great value and suits my tastes just fine. Plasticville and K-Lineville building kits are easily altered, kitbashed and affordable.

And for small layout ideas, check out this website: http://www.thortrains.net

A small but satisifying layout can be built on a hollow-core door or build a light frame and use styrofoam insultation board... very light weight and easy to move. Scroll down the page and you will see links for door sized layouts, and small 027 layouts. Granted, you will not be running scale sized SD-90MACs or Big Boys on 027 track. But those locos are expensive anyways. How about a simple starter Lionel steam set, taking the NYC tender, and repainting and redecaling that to SP&S?

Drop Walter a line at Ready-Made-Toys and ask if he'd consider doing a BEEP in that road name. Now, maybe you don't like products like the BEEP? But they are afforadable and sound like they are in your size and price range.

Hey, if I had waited starting 16 years ago for Lionel and K-Line to make some of their affordable products in Conrail, CSX and Norfolk Southern, I'd still be waiting... there has been far and few between. And when Lionel does make something I wanted like the Conrail U36B, they cob out and cheapen it big time by making it a single motored unit... the only U36B made with a single motor... all other new ones have had dual motors. Go figure. So I paint my own. And I have gotten so I have built my own locos too.

The nice thing though about all this frenzy toward command and scale, is that it has brought down prices on much of the non-scale tradtionally sized trains. Decent engines of MPC-vintage can be had for a fair price nowadays. Williams makes a decent GP-9 and even their single motored centercab outpulls any Lionel single motored stater engine. All you have the new entry level products from RMT. The best bargains from Lionel are the train sets and the add-on packages. But these won't be scale nor have all the latest electronic stuff on them either.

The hobby is absoultely do-able on a budget. But you have to lbe patient, look around, be creative, make compromises and limit your sights to the kinds of train items that fall within your budget.

[Anonymous]

"How do you decide between RailSound and ProtoSound?  Do you run both products? Preference?"

--I have, run, and like both, although many give the edge to RailSounds in terms of best sound quality.  In my case it's six of one, a half dozen of the other since no sounds coming fram a small model train are capable of reproducing what you hear when you're observing the prototype (and I'm old enough to remember a good many).

"Will either of the two locomotives referenced above likely be available in the used market in the future?"

--That's awfully hard to predict--impossible, in fact!  You're doing the right thing, in my opinion, by focusing on a specific smaller road because that sure does help to keep the budget in check.  At one point in my early O gauge days, I was buying Pennsy stuff.  I quickly learned that was a mistake unless I elected to stick with one limited era of the Pennsy's operations, or even one particular geographic location from among the complete route.  Anyhow, these days I pretty much stick with B&O and Bethlehem Steel.  I can always find affordable stuff in those roadnames, and there's not so much made that it becomes terribly difficult to choose what to buy.  Since I like smaller motive power, it makes things even easier.  I'll leave all those monster locomotives, as well as the costly ones, to others to enjoy on their much larger layouts.

"With smaller Rail-Lines (i.e. SP&S), is it a situation where you better buy it when the product is available, else you may never see it again?"

--To a certain extent that may be true, but it's really kind of difficult to say.  If you can afford to buy it when you see it, by all means do so and be on the safe side.  But if it's going to streatch you to the point where it's an "uncomfortable" purchase, just pass on it for now and wait until it turns up on the secondary market.  Nearly everything turns up there at one time or another, and there's absolutely no reason to believe that will change.  Truth is, you'll likely find what you're looking for, and at a whole lot better price than you would have paid if you bought it when it first came out.

[trainbrain]

Just maybe you might pick another road name if you haven't bought anything yet. Did you get that Lionel set? The SP&S sounds like it might be obscure to the mfr's so supply might be limited. Another road might offer a better selection among all the mfr's. at better choices(costs). That area offers many popular roads done by the mfr's. See the new CTT for the Northern Pacific layout. In life, self control is everything, especially in this this hobby. Patience brings self control. Rermember, we're in this for the long haul.

[dbaker48]

Controlling......  UGH !!

Controlling can lead to frustration, which causes stress, which is directly attributable to heartatacks

So.   no control, just spend

Wait, I did show some restraint....instead of building a $125,000 "Train Room", I stopped that deal and ended up with a enclosed patio room for about $20,000 that IS a lot of restraint.

Instead of buying the MTH Big Boy set which runs $1700, approx.  bought the Lionel new Legacy II Big Boy, which was $400 cheaper, more restraint!!!

Seriously,  The advice that is posted above is right on target!  And the question itself..... it is obvious you have hour head on right, you won't have a problem.   Probably the biggest single factor is how much or how little your spouse is supportive of your hobby.

[riverrailfan]

If you want a railroad line to curb your spending, just pick Green Bay and Western. It is rare I buy anything new. Mostly 5years old or older and modern era as the price on post war lionel is high.

I pretty much curbed my spending 65% from a year ago. My pay check dictates that and right now I'm building my layout. So I'm basicly looking for pieces for the layout which is not succesful all the time so the money is not spent.

[3railguy]

The SP&S is a good road to model if you like a railroad that serves the produce, grain, and logging industries. The SP&S paint scheme is handsome too. Since the road ran through desert and mountain areas of the Pacific Norwest, there are many possabilities with scenery. It interchanged with the NP and GN, so you can easily mix trains from these roads. They all eventually became BN so adding BN to your roster is another possability. The SP&S liked Alco FA's and century diesels. Atlas O has done some outstanding models. As far as spending is concerned, paint is paint. It doesn't cost anymore to model the SP&S as it would the Pennsy. Take your time when buying. It will be here tomorrow. Dealers would like you to think otherwise. Below is a link to SP&S history.

http://www.spshs.org/

[Joe Hohmann]

My "controlls", other than limited finances, are: small 5x8 layout, O48 curves max. ; railroad limited to PRR, passenger train limited to whatever pulled "Fleet of Modernism" streamlined cars (1938-48), freight limited to operating cars.

I recently bought 2 Lionel TMCC semi-scale engines, a GG1 and a K4, both made about 5 years ago. I had to pay premium prices for both, since secondary market demand is high on these.

I've added "chuffing" sound to my postwar steam by getting a Lionel TrainSounds tender as well as a boxcar.

Joe

[Jumijo]

Joe, How do the Trainsounds cars sound? I've heard they don't sound as good as the Railsounds versions (not Railsounds 5.0) that came in nstarter sets. Others have said the Trainsounds stuff sounds ok.

As for controlling my obsession - I can't. Every time I think I have all I want, I find something else. I'm sick, sick, sick.


Jim

[Anonymous]

Jim asked:  How do the Trainsounds cars sound?

My opinion:  Sounds?  Okay.  Operation?  Lousy!  I have the steam TrainSounds boxcar.  Can't get it to work reliably at all (tried different track, different transformers, adding lighted cars, etc.).  The sounds are erratic--sometimes work okay on a section of track and cut-out on other sections in a thoroughly random manner.  Horn sounds randomly, etc.  I basically gave up on it and put it back in its box.  You can have it for $40 if you want it.

I also have a very early RailSounds boxcar (diesel sounds).  It sounds fine and works like a charm.  It has many miles on it behind BEEPs and other small diesels.

[Jumijo]

Allan,

What do you mean by stating the boxcar doesn't work reliably? What's the problem?

Jim

[daan]

I limit myself to 2 or 3 engines a year, and don't spend more then $200 at once. That's the limit and since I have more hobby's, if I spend too much on trains, the other hobby's will suffer..

[Joe Hohmann]

Joe, How do the Trainsounds cars sound? I've heard they don't sound as good as the Railsounds versions (not Railsounds 5.0) that came in nstarter sets. Others have said the Trainsounds stuff sounds ok.

Jim

All I can say is, "it sounds better than I had expected". No, it's not as great as RailSounds, but it's a inexpensive and simple way to add a new dimension to postwar or other "no chuff" engines. The unit even makes "steam sounds" when sitting under power. The "crew talk" I can do without, but the kids think it's neat. I can't comment on the diesel sounds, since I havn't found a burning need for it. Joe

[mitchelr]

I control my train obessions by focusing on Wetern Maryalnd, not too much made, especially if you disregard the really expensive Shay.  The other control is space my trains space is about 5 feet by 9 feet.  Noot too much room on the layout or chelves for anything too big. Space under the layout is already full with bins of plasticville buildings and trains etc. that can't fit right now.  Finally,  She Who Must Be Obeyed helps control train urges with  budgetary restraints and reminders.

Mitch

[Dave Farquhar]

I limit myself to 2 or 3 engines a year, and don't spend more then $200 at once. That's the limit and since I have more hobby's, if I spend too much on trains, the other hobby's will suffer..

Sounds like a pretty good rule to me. Although I've never formally set a limit for myself, I've never spent more than $250 at once, and usually it's a lot less.

One thing for me is I realized maybe a year or so ago that I have far more locomotives and rolling stock than I can possibly run on my layout, but my layout was really thin on stuff like vehicles, figures, and buildings. I've been concentrating on that kind of stuff, which also happens to cost less too.