Eleven year necro topic alert!
That out of the way, the "too much rolling stock" issue is somewhat timeless.
Many do have too much rolling stock and at train shows we often see it hit the secondary market one way or the other.
I have quite a bit, probably more than I may ever run, but I am cognizent of that and am constantly re-avaluting what I have and what I can sell, to limit the collection size from getting ever much bigger and partly to help defray some of the cost of new items I would like to buy.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Too much, for sure when I lived in Europe with around a small 500cars in Nscale
I had be tempted to sale part of these huge collection
Now in Quebec I have a big place to put my layout
I have on the run a plan of extension for my layout.
This process include in mind operations and staging
About stagingI need three, probably two with 5 tracks and one with 3
tracks
Trains lenght is based on 20 cars plus caboose plus locomotive, so basicaly if I put full train in the staging I have 13 trains of 20 cars, some are running, so I can admit 200 cars waiting in staging
This left around 300 cars on the layout.
There is also a big interchange yard with 13 track, this one eat for sure 150 cars probably more and three secondary one which will eat probably also 120 cars
So I have only around two trains of 20 cars which are running, no cars waiting at industry or at the mines.
Yes I need more cars for sure
So saying too much is quickly not enough when you speak about operations
And for a smaller point of view if you reduce the basic lenght of trains to 10 cars you still need more than 250 cars with my plan
But I'm not a collector for sure, none cars will stay in a shelve or in their box, if I buy a car it's to make him running on the layout
I do the same with my fleet of locomotives, just a very few in reserve but the most are on the layout running
So a fleet is determined by your vision and the needs for your layout, this is my point of view; I have trouble to understand why to buy cars if they stay for ever on a shelves, but that's just my point of view
Staging/storage tracks are key to getting caas manyrs on the rail as possible
I probably have too much rolling stock so I am often looking to see what I don't need and sell it. At least that keeps the collection from growing even more.
Marc_MagnusSo a fleet is determined by your vision and the needs for your layout,
Well, my vision has been off a little, say ...mmm..the last 12 years? Like other things, my eyes were way bigger than my layout.
The last couple of days, I've gathering for an Ebay sale. All those pictures to take... and ads to do.
I have a fleet of the last run of BB SD40-2's, never removed from the box. along with others.
Mike.
My You Tube
As I said 10 years ago
IRONROOSTEROf course you can. That's part of the fun of this hobby. If you're not a pack rat take up golf.
Since then I have added I don't know how many cars and locomotives in 3 scales yet.
Somewhere along the way I admitted to having become a collector. And you know what? that makes buying more rolling stock more fun.
This is a hobby do/buy what appeals to you.
Paul
How long is rope?
Hey man, it's your money and your time, do what you want. But for me, I don't collect for the sake of having things. I have enough power and rolling stock to execute my short line's (very diverse) operating scheme, plus a couple of museum trains.
Genesee Terminal, freelanced HO in Upstate NY ...hosting Loon Bay Transit Authority and CSX Intermodal. Interchange with CSX (CR)(NYC).
CP/D&H, N scale, somewhere on the Canadian Shield
Why no .......
No you can't !
Rust...... It's a good thing !
I think it's impossible to have enough rolling stock, but also it can be far too easy to have too much rolling stock.
In 1972 I was 14 with a bicycle and a pocket full of grass cutting money, bought a couple train cars. Then I went to high school, had a car and odd jobs money and bought more train cars. Then I lived at home and had a steady job, more money and bought more train cars. Got married had a full size basement and bought more train cars. Then I bought a house, more basement space and more train cars. Now I have boxs stacked to the ceiling with train cars. To many train cars, na.
When I want a change from running 40' and up to 86' cars, FM, GE, Alco RS1, 3, up to C630's. Then change to Decapod's, Mountain's, down to H10's then change again to those very slow and noisy MDC Climax's and those weird Boxcab's with 40' outside braced box cars and two bay hoppers. It is said that Variety is the sice of life. I am having fun running trains.
When I started building the "fleet of nonsense" three years ago I was buying all the appropriate Intermountain, Tichy, Red Caboose, and Proto 2000 undecorated train cars I could find. Then I bought 30 of the undecorated 40 foot Kadee PS1 boxcars.
This gave me about half of what I needed. At this point I switched to detailing lesser kits and kitbashing freight cars.
Then I moved onto assembling Sunshine, Westerfield, Funaro & Camerlengo, Speedwich, and Steam Shop resin kits.
This approach gave me a fast start, and then some awesome variety. It has worked well.
To answer the question, I don't think I have too many, but I do have enough.
Now that they are coming from resin kits, the rate of addition has slowed to a reasonable pace.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Hi all
Absalutly you can have to much rollingstock, I don't personaly know any model railroaders that don't have to much rollingstock.
It seems to be a thing that just happens and your yard ends up clogged sidings full,
Industries blocked up coach yard bursting at the seams then boxes and shelves of stock next.
At some point I think all of us have been there done that and ignored the issuie or built or modified the layout to ease the issuie in some way.
My base problem is I spent a lot of money on trains I liked and had many gifts for the train set, but never really had a large layout allways a reasonably modest one.
When perhaps something a little larger would have been better so I had the siding space for more and some sort of off scenic layout overflow holding yard would be good.
Meaning the operation space could be maintained.
regards John
I guess I started thinking about this from different perspectives... so here is my thoughts on the matter.From an operations standpoint, yes it is possible to have way to many cars on a layout. We actually see this in prototype railroading, where disused yards and seldomly used sidings are often just shoved full of idled cars and locomotives. Its not uncommon to see entire moribund yards just full of rolling stock in the real world. But does that translate well to model railroading? I doubt most people design their model railroads with the space for a "semi-abandoned" branchline full of centerbeam flatcars. Most model railroads seem to be lucky to have one or two yards, and stuffing those yards with idle freight cars would hamper their ability to actually use the yard for freight switching and blocking. Sidings full of stored cars hinder operations too. Its annoying in the real world, more frustrating in the model world were the real life space between sidings can only be 8-10 feet apart. Unless the layout is intended to simply be focused on trains running in loops, any large amount of stored cars online itself are an operational hazard; and are best stored off layout to keep the layout flowing well. As a collector though? If you have the display space and storage space for cars off layout... knock yourself wild. Your money your collection, your rules.
Interesting Topic, I do not know how many cars are in my collection, I do know it is way over 1000 and for locos I would think between 300 and 500.
But I am in N-Scale so the stuff does not take up much room and when I have my layout set up and running I ca change stock and locos as the mood moves me and that works as I model the transistion era and yes I have some more modern equipment.
I do not think you can have to many cars if you like collecting them as I do.
What a great topic to read back through.
Of course you can have too much, and I probably do. I've only finished one loop of my layout at present but even when finished I couldn't possily use all my stock at once.
Realizing this last year both helped me to purge some and also got me to move from storing cars individually, to storing them in group boxes by type/road.
It's now much easier to use more of my rolling stock. Instead of a dozen or more, I only have one or two boxes (and a loco or two) and pop the cars on the track. Run them a bit and then it's easy to put them away, grab two other boxes and make a different consist.
Visit the Chicago Valley Railroad for Chicago Trainspotting and Budget Model Railroading.
Cool! a zombie topic.
Yes, yes you can have too much rolling stock.
I just completed the great purge of rolling stock that does not fit the needs of my son and me.
If it's too much for all sidings on the layout, and starting to clutter up my shelves, then that is too much for me. I did just extend one siding.
Johnny likes both modern diesels and some of the biggest steam, and he wants big coal trains. There are 5 modern freight cars left, mostly 60' high cube TTX style boxcars, with some more that have been pre-ordered still coming. We have 38 open hoppers on hand with another 8 on layaway, most are 100 ton, but there are 70 ton cars and a few steam era ones (it's our railroad). There are a dozen steam era boxcars either here or in the mail, mostly Rio Grande/Western Pacific/SP&S. So we have on hand or will have about 63 cars, plus anything else we accummulate.
I must be really different from most people.
I have a lot of trains, but I am building a big layout......
Based on the operational plan and goals for the layout, I just barely have enough locos and rolling stock - It took 50 years to gather up the correct 140 locos, 1000 freight cars, and nearly 200 passenger cars.
And I can count on both hands the number of things I have sold off in 50 years.
I have a carefully constructed plan, the plan has been the same for about 35 years now.
I only buy what fits the plan, so there is never any reason to "purge" anything......
Construction on the final version of the layout is in planning right now with hopes to begin this summer.
The layout will stage about 32 trains, typical freight trains will be 35-40 cars long pulled by 3-4 unit diesels or two steamers, passenger trains 10-15 cars pulled by two diesels or suitable steamers.
22 freight trains x 40 cars = 880 cars, and x 3 locos = 66 locos (powered units)
10 passenger trains x 15 cars = 150 cars, and x 2 locos = 20 locos
Add in some switchers, doodlebugs, RDC's, cars in yards and at industries, locos for power changes, and there you have it.
I may still need a few more freight cars, and just a very few additional locos.
I am still amazed at the number of people who randomly buy stuff, then change their mind and sell it off.
I only have about 6 or 7 "collector" pieces that do not fit the theme of the layout.
I am a very disciplined shopper........
I have never owned a model of a UP BigBoy..........
Sheldon
I don't buy just for the heck of it. I like modern railroading from the late 90's till now. I also like the new paint schemes like the UP 1943 SD70ACE, NS Heritage schemes, etc. and many others. I buy want I like and can afford.
Next is the CSX first responders unit, very sharp unit.
David
DAVID FORTNEYI don't buy just for the heck of it.
I do. When I find that nifty Westerfield or Sunshine kit that would look oh-so-great put together, I just have to buy it.
Over the years since my last reply I decided no,one can not have enough boxcars.. Of course that's coming from a guy that likes boxcars. YMMV.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
I run at a club and have about 19 active locomotives and 160 pieces of rolling stock in my tracker. I am not tracking passenger equipment or my intermodal equipment, so it's probably closer to 180.
Because I only run at a club, all of my trains are stored for transport and I don't usually swap cars around on the fly. I work in data analysis, so naturally I track how often each train and locomotive is run. The bins help limit rolling stock. Unless I am specifically putting a new train together each new car needs to earn a place in a given train, and the car that is "kicked out" can start a chain reaction through the storage bins until a car could up un an "unassigned" bin which is a nice way of saying rejects. Those are candidates for disposition or a kit bash project.
I am also a minimalist, and trains fly in the face of that theory. How I organize and store the trains at least reduces impulse buys and I am more intentional with my purchases.
But to answer the question, heck no.
Hi all...Great topic and worthy of my first post/reply :)
I think how much rolling stock you have/want/need can be based on serval factors:
(1) Size of operation: Are you operation a small switching layout on a shelf, room-size layout or basement empire.
(2) Time range: Are you locked into a specific era and decade or do you span a 40-50 year timeline and run steam and F-7s with 40-foot boxcars one day and SD-70s and intermodal equipment the next.
(3) Industries and customers: It's simple, the more numerous and diverse your online customers are, the more types of rolling stock you're gonna need. If you model a small timber line or quarry operation, less types needed equal less rolling stock.
That all being said, collecting rolling stock is an addictive part of the hobby. In my case I'm always looking for that "must have". I just started building my second N scale layout with a freelanced setting in Michigan's northern Lower Peninsula between the late 1940s to late 1980s. That opens up a lot of possiblity for a diverse fleet of power and rolling stock. If they make it decorated Michigan shortline or regional, I gotta have it. Can't even keep track of how many Ann Arbor, Detroit and Mackinac, GTW, C&O/Pere Marquette and DTI rolling stock I have, not to mention all the SOO, MILW, SOO and GBW rolling stock that represent ferry traffic coming back and forth across Lake Michigan and the Straits of Mackinaw during that time. Long story short, for me you can't have too many.