Liberating Purge

[Doughless]

They're gone!  Seventeen years of accumulated train junk has been sold on ebay over the past six months.  88 items.  That many is surprising to me.  It adds up over 17 years.

Stuff that I realized I would never use, build, fix, modify, improve, to the point that it would meet what my goals and standards are today.  

Until now, walking into the train room was a mix of vibes.  Mostly good vibes, tainted by an aura of being surrounded by stuff that I had a growing realization was going to be more of a burden than a joy.  Locomotives, parts, kits, some rolling stock (not much), old decoders....just stuff that happens after going to numerous train shows, bargain bins, vendors and hobby shops of all kinds.

Things that I had legitimate plan for, but a plan that I finally realized would never materialize like I thought it would. 

88 items.  Gone.  What a relief.

Building the new layout made me realize even more how I want to spend my time in the hobby.  No more hours spent chasing the elusive gear tower noises, etc.  Instead, pack it up and ship it off. 

Onward to having more fun.

Anybody ever feel like the hobby was/is a burden at times?  Tasks that get put off and accumulate until they become an albatross?  My advice is to purge.  

[MARTIN STATION]

 Good for you Douglas! I have been going through things here and there looking for the things I know that I will probably never use again and wanting to gain back the space they consume. It's just amazing how much a person can collect over the years for "someday". It's all to easy to convince myself that "I may need that", but after it's gone I never miss it.

Ralph

[hon30critter]

Doughless

Anybody ever feel like the hobby was/is a burden at times?  Tasks that get put off and accumulate until they become an albatross?  My advice is to purge.  

Hi Douglas,

You offer good advice. I'm sure I could get rid of a ton of stuff and reduce the clutter significantly.

Dave

[mbinsewi]

I strated the process this week, in Ebay.

I have many items I need to purge!

Mike.

 

 

[Little Timmy]

WOW!!

Now look at all the s p a c e  you have...

 

( hmmmmm.  ..... what to fill it with ?       Hmmmmmm.....)

[PM Railfan]

I will be the odd man out here today. I couldnt do a purging or any other kind of - get rid of - routine.

Sold a couple of my trains once, regretted it ever since. I sold them thinking i wouldnt be using them, or didnt need them what ever. And then there's alot of trains from my childhood that are gone too.

Not that those reasons are equal to a purge, the fact being... had the trains once, now theyre gone. Same outcome.

I have been bitten outside of Model Railroading having gotten rid of something, only to pay a higher price for it the second time because i ended up needing one.

I suppose that makes me a hoarder of model trains. Not the worst thing to have on your headstone.

 

Clear Ahead!

Douglas #2 

[SeeYou190]

I did my big purge in January of 2017 right when I joined this forum.

I have not regretted it for one moment since then. It took a huge albatross off of my shoulders.

-Kevin

[Southgate 2]

I have a large enough yard-property to have collected up "projects", mostly of the automotive nature.  Mostly freebies. Came the day, I knew there's more there than I'll ever have time for. Same thing, in a different scale. And the purge has been VERY liberating! (A few extra bucks didn't hurt either) Just today I hauled off theremains crude storage shed no longer occupied. Demolished it earlier this week.

"S p a c e" is right!

My RR and other hobby related stuff will probably go the same route, but not for a while. All of it still exites me.

On the other side of the coin, resisting ebay bargains can be a challenge, but I've curtailed purchases dramatically. 

Congrats on the liberation! Dan

[Overmod]

Go back and read the recent thread about 'lifetime supplies' with this context in mind.

Perhaps we should be concerned about an analogue to bulemia, where we get concerned with the joy of acquiring bargains followed by the joy of decluttering them... 

I have the regrettable trait, or poor fortune, that every time I dispose of something I have subsequent reason to need it.  On the other hand I can often remember without too much effort where a particular 'something' is, even if in cluttered piles or an atypical place.  (With one awful exception: if I put it carefully in a place I know I won't forget it... )

Pkenty of times I've 'downsized' -- it helps to find some appreciative recipient of the 'stuff' rather than tossing it out at the curb or paying 1-800-JUNK to clear it away.   Oddly, it may not matter if the 'appreciation' is actually sincere...

[riogrande5761]

I've probably sold that many train models over the past several years.  In fact, I've been steadily purging models that don't fit my needs over the past 15 years, and most of it via HOSwap, so no fees.  I've slowed down lately but expect I'll have more purging in the coming months.

For me, purging is kind of an ongoing process.  Partly to keep from accumulating way too many trains, partly to fund purchases that fit my interests better, and partly to clear out models I don't plan to use anymore.

[Doughless]

Little Timmy

WOW!!

Now look at all the s p a c e  you have...

 

( hmmmmm.  ..... what to fill it with ?       Hmmmmmm.....)

 

LOL.  So far, about 15 new locomotives bought in 2020.  4 more on the way. 6 more pre ordered.  Paid for solely with funds from the purge, BTW.

But these are perfect for my standards now.  

Part of my error in accumulating so much unwanted stuff was the idea that I could make do with whatever flaw the item had....or put it on the project shelf to improve it. 

Then came the realization that my modeling skills will never compete with the new tooling, painting, and fine detail assembly that can simply be purchased RTR. An admission of my limitations.

Now with these more "perfect" locos on the roster, the imperfect ones were relegated to the bench.  They wouldn't have ever seen much playing time.

So these new items are perfect in terms of features and quality.  No need to improve them, or wait to run them.  And there is very little probability they can be improved upon by a new evolution in model train design.  I don't see a binge then purge cycle in my future. It took about 25 years to get to the current level of quality now, and I've only got about 20 years (hopefully at age 58) of model railroading ahead of me. 

[Lastspikemike]

Selling your stuff that you no longer enjoy increases the total joy generated by this hobby.

Were it not for this phenomenon I would not be able to run those Proto 1000 C Liners nobody in their right mind is going to manufacture ever again. Slip a decoder in and I have a brand new (literally, NOS or NIB as you prefer) right up to date otherwise unobtainable model. 

Getting rid of stuff you are no longer enjoying should be seen as an opportunity to allow another hobbyist to enjoy what should be enjoyed.

Few things more forlorn than a no longer used locomotive sitting on a shelf somewhere. 

[mobilman44]

Back in 2008, I took down a large (to me) HO layout that ran on DC, and began building a new one that used DCC.  A big challenge was all the Athearn, Atlas, and Rivorossi locos that were not DCC friendly.  I forget the exact number, but it was about 20-25 that I sold on Ebay.  Yes, they all sold!  And with the monies I was able to partly pay for all the DCC equipment I needed.

Now, as I took down my layout, I'm heavily selling on Ebay once again.

[rrebell]

About 5 or 6 years ago I started my purge just as I was working on my last layout, made enough that first year to pay for everything for building that layout and my current one. Still going though stuff, even after a move. Just since the move (about 3 years) I have sold enough to pay for all my DCC stuff including engines. In fact I have gotten rid of so much stuff, it has my outlay for the hobby close to $0 as I buy most of my stuff bottom feeding and I have someone else selling my stuff for me too so he has made some coin. Just going through my scale people and purged a whole bunch of them (found out I had 4 or 5 of the same figure for some and these are higher end ones to boot. Next up are cars and trucks as I am in the detail phase of new layout.

[peahrens]

I recently decided to sell about 25 miscellaneous items I bought but no longer wanted, some building kits, one DC 0-6-0 too hard to convert, etc.  My primary goal was to learn EBay selling in case the day comes that I decide to thin down my loco fleet, what would be the primary benefit of a wind-down sales effort. 

I sold 21 of 25 and the last 4 are one car kit and 3 very minor items (those hardly worth the trouble other than someone could use them).  It was in interesting project.  I pretty much have the 5 x 10 layout plus one small dedicated closet that has to be pretty organized to be functional.

 

One fun part was that I cut the bid price substantially to move some minor items, then somone would offer a bit less and settle halfway in between, in one case saving 50 cents.  Human nature.

[Doughless]

rrebell

About 5 or 6 years ago I started my purge just as I was working on my last layout

Yeah, I think seeing the new layout I'm building now was the final motivation for the purge.  Seeing in the flesh how I will be operating, scenicking, placing structures, crystalized my realization that other stuff was just going to remain in the box collecting dust.

It was good stuff, it just fell short when compared to other stuff in the competition for layout space and running time. 

I can't say this will be my last layout since we'll probably move to SW Florida in about 5 years, but the layout I'm building now will be replicated in the future more so than I'll be going back to something I had before.

[snjroy]

I'm not there yet. I have a lot of unbuilt kits and parts. I accumulated a lot of stuff in the 2000's when the Canadian dollar was strong (I'm Canadian...). Got a lot of good deals. The problem is that the stuff I am interested in (loco kits mostly) are harder everyday to find. Prices are also sky high because of the weak Canadian dollar, and whatever other reasons I don't understand. Postage costs are also through the roof. Who's buying this super expensive stuff on Ebay? I really wonder because I thought I was a dying breed. Anyway, all that to say that, contrary to other stuff I have at home, that is easily replaceable, I keep my train stuff for that rare part I will need in the future. I'm not selling anything!

Simon

[SeeYou190]

Overmod

Go back and read the recent thread about 'lifetime supplies' with this context in mind. Perhaps we should be concerned about an analogue to bulemia, where we get concerned with the joy of acquiring bargains followed by the joy of decluttering them... 

I have only purged once. I do not see any way it will be repeated.

If you could have seen the mess of accumulated ruined projects, damaged models, things that could not be fixed, and useless junk I had accumulated, the purge would make sense.

It is something that should only be done when you need to be able to remove the roadblocks that are stopping progress.

That is what I did.

After the purge I completed over 100 freight cars for my fleet. 

I understand what I want to get out of model railroading now much better than I did 20 years ago. Some stuff just had to go.

None of my supplies went anywhere.

-Kevin

[PRR8259]

I've purged items that I no longer need recently, as well.

There are those like Sheldon who have made it clear they do not sell anything, but I find it very freeing to clean out the train room.

I have had some unfortunate experiences with certain manufacturer's locomotives, with the QA/QC not being what I wanted it to be, and with the motor issues.  I'm pleased to say I am now free of ALL the problem child locomotives.

Yes, no more trying to figure out problems.

In their place my son and I have the following locomotives:  6 Athearn Genesis 2.0 and Athearn Genesis, 4 of the latest Bowser (love the new LED class lights), 2 nos Atlas Classic Series units off Ebay, one BLI P3 4-6-6-4 with upgraded motor and circuit boards, one MTH SD70ACe, and two MTH 2-8-8-4's (those last two on order due soon).

In operational performance, the Atlas Classic units still hold their own for me.  In fact for the roadname I'm interested in, Atlas Classic from more than a decade ago or recent Bowser are the only options.

John

[trwroute]

I've always been a purger.  I can't stand to have a bunch of clutter around me because it begins to make me not want to do any modeling.  

My wife says that she likes that I get rid of things when I'm finished "playing" with them...

[Doughless]

PRR8259

I'm pleased to say I am now free of ALL the problem child locomotives. Yes, no more trying to figure out problems. In their place my son and I have the following locomotives:  6 Athearn Genesis 2.0 and Athearn Genesis, 4 of the latest Bowser (love the new LED class lights), 2 nos Atlas Classic Series units off Ebay, one BLI P3 4-6-6-4 with upgraded motor and circuit boards, one MTH SD70ACe, and two MTH 2-8-8-4's (those last two on order due soon). In operational performance, the Atlas Classic units still hold their own for me.  In fact for the roadname I'm interested in, Atlas Classic from more than a decade ago or recent Bowser are the only options. John

Yes.  I don't have to bother about finding the time to improve them.

I agree about the Atlas Classic...or Master.. product.  Those Older Kato cloned motors and quiet drivetrain are still the best.  But alas, they require time and precision to install dcc sound correctly.  I held back and kept 10 of those, the Atlas Master series locos circa 2003 to about 2007.  

I kept the first pair of locos that were my entrance into the high detailed China built locos, 2 MOPAC painted GP38's.  A SE USA based short/branch line could always see a pair of high hood NS GP38s, so I kept those.  And a pair of original NS (North Carolina) GP38s simply because the light gray/black and red with yellow trimmed paint scheme is probably the coolest paint scheme ever; and 4 MP15DCs; two of which are a hard to find attractive paint scheme, Birmingham Southern.  All of these locos still fit my era and theme, but will probably never see much layout time.

[ATLANTIC CENTRAL]

Well I must be really wired different. I don't buy it unless I really want it. I buy NOS but I don't buy "already been played with".

I have only changed my mind about 4-5 locomotives in 50 years. I have yet to get bored with a specific model train.

Since about 1980 I have only bought stuff that fits my current 1954 theme.

Nothing here to purge, unless I change my mind about a separate ISL layout project I have in mind. Then I will have some Walthers water front structures to sell. But I doubt that will happen.

Sheldon

[SeeYou190]

ATLANTIC CENTRAL

Since about 1980 I have only bought stuff that fits my current 1954 theme.

I started in model railroading with the STRATTON AND GILLETTE in 1982.

Since then the SGRR has switched era, scale, and location.

I have not ever sold anything painted for the SGRR.

When I switches scales, I gave all my N scale stuff to about 10 friends.

When I switched era, most of my HO scale SGRR stuff circa 1968 just stayed on the Scale Rails of Southwest Florida club layout.

When I decided to change the layout from a 10 by 10 spare bedroom to an 11 by 22 train room, I only had two running locomotives, so the rest that had died just became my Prop Fleet.

When I decided to build the Fleet of Nonsense, all my freight cars painted for prototype railroads were sold.

-Kevin

[Doughless]

ATLANTIC CENTRAL

Well I must be really wired different. I don't buy it unless I really want it. I buy NOS but I don't buy "already been played with".

I have only changed my mind about 4-5 locomotives in 50 years. I have yet to get bored with a specific model train.

Since about 1980 I have only bought stuff that fits my current 1954 theme.

Nothing here to purge, unless I change my mind about a separate ISL layout project I have in mind. Then I will have some Walthers water front structures to sell. But I doubt that will happen.

Sheldon

 

Over the past 20 years, products have evolved.  If you're going to run Bachmann Spectrum steam locos and Life Like P2K diesels on DC with incandescent lighting, all fine products with great detail and smooth running, the evolution in product won't impact you.

But if someone migrated from DC to onboard sound, from QSI and Tsunami 1 to Loksound 4 (then v5), and Tsunami2, then the evolution matters.....because each step taken in those 20 years was an improvement over what was built previously, and is way past what models offered circa 1995.

Also, in my situation, I don't run as-built prototype locos.  Never have.  I've never run the 1950s or even 1990 version of a loco.  I now run GP7u Santa Fe rebuilds and Paducah rebuilt GP10s.  Nobody made those in 2003.  Nobody made U18bs in 2003.  And Atlas didn't put front and back ditch lights on their MP15s.  Now they are, so I will soon have no use for the ones I own. 

Out with the inadequate 1950's or 1980s prototype based model, and In with the model of what is running on the rails today.  

Its not really about buying stuff you don't need. It was needed at the time, because that was the closest thing to what I wanted.  Its simply not needed now, because the new stuff now is actually what I wanted to buy 20 years ago.

[ATLANTIC CENTRAL]

Doughless

 

 

ATLANTIC CENTRAL

Well I must be really wired different. I don't buy it unless I really want it. I buy NOS but I don't buy "already been played with".

I have only changed my mind about 4-5 locomotives in 50 years. I have yet to get bored with a specific model train.

Since about 1980 I have only bought stuff that fits my current 1954 theme.

Nothing here to purge, unless I change my mind about a separate ISL layout project I have in mind. Then I will have some Walthers water front structures to sell. But I doubt that will happen.

Sheldon

 

 

 

 

Over the past 20 years, products have evolved.  If you're going to run Bachmann Spectrum steam locos and Life Like P2K diesels on DC with incandescent lighting, all fine products with great detail and smooth running, the evolution in product won't impact you.

But if someone migrated from DC to onboard sound, from QSI and Tsunami 1 to Loksound 4 (then v5), and Tsunami2, then the evolution matters.....because each step taken in those 20 years was an improvement over what was built previously, and is way past what models offered circa 1995.

Also, in my situation, I don't run as-built prototype locos.  Never have.  I've never run the 1950s or even 1990 version of a loco.  I now run GP7u Santa Fe rebuilds and Paducah rebuilt GP10s.  Nobody made those in 2003.  Nobody made U18bs in 2003.  And Atlas didn't put front and back ditch lights on their MP15s.  Now they are, so I will soon have no use for the ones I own. 

Out with the inadequate 1950's or 1980s prototype based model, and In with the model of what is running on the rails today.  

Its not really about buying stuff you don't need. It was needed at the time, because that was the closest thing to what I wanted.  Its simply not needed now, because the new stuff now is actually what I wanted to buy 20 years ago.

 

I understand.

And yes I am still running DC, some have incandesent lamps, some have LED's.

I've "checked out sound", I have operated extensively on the DCC controlled basement empires of others, but I'm not interested in either.

I model the 1950's, so an as built GP7 is what I want.

In fact, one loco set I bought, and then sold off was undecorated Walthers Proto F7's. Walthers thought it was a good idea to only sell the undecorated version with a late 60's modified shell. So away they went.

But, for me this hobby is about a lot more than just locomotives. And, I simply am not replacing hundreds of freight cars because something a little better, or a little more correct has come along.

And I am by nature and years of practice a model builder and kit basher. 

We all find our own joys in this hobby. I was once a really serious rivet counter, then I realized I was having no fun.

Today, I kit bash stuff to make it "more correct" full well knowing the finished product will still be "incorrect" in some ways. Funny thing is half the "experts" that see my work don't know its not "perfect".

Take a look at my new track plan in my design thread. For me the hobby is about modeling the big picture, not every little detail needs to be perfect.

I will acknowledge that if you build a smaller layout, there may be a natural tendancy to be more concerned with every little detail.

"Also, in my situation, I don't run as-built prototype locos.  Never have.  I've never run the 1950s or even 1990 version of a loco.  I now run GP7u Santa Fe rebuilds and Paducah rebuilt GP10s.  Nobody made those in 2003.  Nobody made U18bs in 2003.  And Atlas didn't put front and back ditch lights on their MP15s.  Now they are, so I will soon have no use for the ones I own."

Honestly, I don't know anything about any of that. Because I don't model your era, I don't model the road or roads you model, and I don't keep up with present day prototype railroading.

I don't have the time or the interest. It would distract me from the mission.

So thanks for responding, I now understand your situation a lot better. I considered DCC several times, I have used it a lot. It's not for me. I can't stand onboard sound in HO, it drives me crazy in minutes.

So no need to evolve past late 90's or early 2000's locos for me.

For me it about that ABBA set of EMD F units pulling 40-50 cars thru the expansive scenery. Or those B&O F3's pulling that perfect passenger train.

Sheldon

 

[Doughless]

Sure, its not just about locomotives.  Of the 88 itmes, about 40 were locos.  They were the big ticket items that have the most impact. Building kits from the Pola/Tyco/AHM era are gone, and those remaining will be given away. The new layout requires newer structures, fewer repurposed older buildings.

I've never had much interest in accumulating knowledge about rolling stock.  The producers seem to introduce different versions of plug door, double door, or single door boxcars in different paint schemes.  I categorize hoppers by size and commodity, and tank cars as well.  I don't notice much evolution in rolling stock since the MDC/Blue box era gave way to the china built detailed era.  The purge did not include rolling stock.  What I have is fine.     

[cats think well of me]

I've purged collections twice over the years, once around 2003 I decided to try N-scale and sold much of my HO stuff to my model railroading friends. For some years after that, I had wish I had not looking back but I did reaquire many of those things over the years. In 2009 I elected to sell the N-scale collection and some HO models to fund a cycling hobby. The N-scale collection I do not miss at all. Some HO stuff I wish I'd kept. I got back into HO model railroading in 2010 and bought a bunch of stuff, at first N&W and than PRR. About two years later, I had a change of heart and wanted more money to have on hand for a move, buying a truck, as well as to be more of a minimalist, so I purged virtually everything as it all went on to eBay. I even gave away most of my magazines to friends at a local train club. I purged that collection in its entirety, except for a very few things, and my tools. I figured miniature screw drivers, X-Acto knives, and things like that would always be handy and indeed they have been. Looking back, I again wished I had not as I, again, parted with a lot of models I'd gladly have kept with me since then. When I decided to get back into the hobby in 2015 I bought plenty of new tools, new and second hand locomotives, new and second hand rolling stock, some brass models, and kept to either PRR or Reading for my prototypes choices and a modeling era of the early '50s. I did purge some PRR stuff to get into modeling the Reading and though I kept just about all of my Reading models, including a model of T1 2102 and though it's in the Iron Horse Rambles scheme, looks awesome pulling my freight trains. I took a break about 3-years ago to go back to school and had sold a few things to help pay for one of my courses. I've from this point on sworn up and down that I'll never purge a collection unless I need the money and other options are not viable. I'm not against selling excess things, but I hope to never purge a collection.  At the moment, I'm focusing on just putting together freight car kits I have. I had dropped my membership in a local club as I did not have time to go to meetings but when it's safe to do so, I will rejoin. I have projects ranging from freight cars that need to have numerous details removed and to be repainted, relettered, and put back together to models I'd like to add a few details too and those will be ready to go. If I want to tackle a project I will work on that, if I wish to have something done in a few hours, I'll go take time to work on that model. Some things I'll likely never work on but the time and effort to sell those pieces and get not much money isn't worth my time and energy so those models will just stay on a corner of my work bench for now. 

Alvie

[rrebell]

The purge before this one I got rid of most everything that was not super detailed. Almost eveything I have now is super detailed but I have been doing this almost from the start. I used to have to build everything, now rolling stock and engines can be had RTR, luckly I bought most stuff from other peoples or companys purges. Last track I bought came from Walthers when they got rid of their Shinohara code 70 stuff at almost train show prices.

[AntonioFP45]

Hi Douglas,

Good going; thanks for your post as it is very encouraging for me! Years back, for motive power, I was in the "I have a little bit of everything from everyone" category.  

Reality sunk in after seeing that my "man cave room" can only accommodate a shelf-type "along the wall" layout.

Finally realized that it's MUCH LESS of a maintenance hassle (and more fun) to focus on the road that I'm modeling (SCL). With "Selective Compression" in mind, for power, in addition to my SCL fleet, I'll have just 1 locomotive each from roads that were either its neighbor (Southern, FEC) or roads that had freight/passenger interchange agreements with (Penn Central, L&N, Frisco, NH, RF&P ).

Donated, sold, or currently selling off my Milwuakee Road, SF, EL, C&NW, Rio Grande motive power. Also sold off all Athearn BB units, except one U33B.  (I am keepng one Genesis SF FP45 and one P2K CB&Q SD9. They will be occasional "foreign power visitors"). 

Any units purchased, new or used, must be either DCC equipped or DCC ready with space for onboard sound.

Summary, instead of having 55 to 60 locomotives, the planned max is 25 locomotives. 

Freight Rollng stock, including MOW and cabooses: The focus is now on what was in service during the mid 1960's-early 70's era. Cutting back to 50 pieces, max. My industries will utilize boxcars, centerflow hoppers, and flat cars. 

Passenger equipment:  30 pieces max (including foreign interchange units and a Penn Central Metroliner 4-car set).  Walthers, Rapido, and a few Riv's that were hopped up. More than enough equipment to put together decent representations of the SCL and Amtrak Champion, Silver Meteor, and SCL locals (and one NH local).

Overall, keeping items that are going to run on the rails feels less stressful and more enjoyable for me.

High Greens

[rrebell]

I hear about what will accually be on the layout, just went through my detail parts and got rid of duplicates, consolodated some stuff so I could find it. Not on that part of my build yet except for a few areas so bigger purge will come later. Ran into a problem in that I have a lot of mail catchers in both Tichy and a prepainted detailed by Alexander. the later ones go well with Weston figures which I have a lot of but on the layout I tend to use more Preiser fiqures so at some point the Alexander ones my go, hard to get rid of stuff that was hard to get at a good price.