I might suppose how you define the word "collector". I have a lot of rolling stock, but find myself constantly up-grading my buying. An example of this woiuld be I have a lot of Athearn rolling stock, but will possibly never run it again. In the process of "collecting" (I do not consider myself a collector), I have changed my likes to kits such as Funaro and Camerlengo, Tichy, Branchline, Intermountain and Red Caboose (if you can find those two) kits, etc, etc..
I do not consider my self in any way a snob; I just am constantly improving what I have. I get a great deal of enjoyment out of the challenge of building a "hard" kit, and wouldn't part with that feeling for the world.
My layout is in the process of being rebuilt, but will I run the Athearn stuff again? Probably, although I, like others, will reach a point where I will cull out my "collection" (menage) to what appeals to me individually, and the Athearn Roundhouse, etc level of product will have to go, and that will be soon, I am sure.
One observation might be that one might get more enjoyment out of watching a string of higher level models behind a small engine, and one might just get as much out of that as the rest. The naked ape is, after all, a unique beask.
Yellowjacket EF3
My neighbor across the street recently died suddenly. Relatives descended on the house to get what they wanted but the vast majority of my neighbor's hobby and collection of stuff was simply dumped in the trash.
Something to think about when you have way too much stuff. Jim
IRONROOSTER If you're not a pack rat take up golf.
Model railroading > golf.
For those of us modeling on a budget, the question answers itself. There may be lots of stuff out there we want, but we have to focus on what we can afford.
I'm in the process of building a small sectional layout (6x12) based loosely on the Seaboard Coast Line's Jacksonville Subdivision circa late 1970. If I can ultimately reach a fleet of 100-150 freight cars, 20-25 passenger cars, 15-20 freight locos and two passenger locos, I'll be a happy camper, and will have more than enough equipment to keep a steady and varied flow of trains running on my layout.
Of course, if I ever win the Powerball, all bets are off!
Bill
Yes, I have too many freight cars, but I need more.
The planned layout has a capacity of 100 to 120 cars. I recently took an inventory of unbuilt and built freight cars and found I have about 160 on hand, and am still accumulating. Nevertheless, my goal includes having more cars than the layout's capacity so I can rotate rolling stock on/off the layout for variety, especially for the "oddballs."
I need more single-sheathed box cars as well as some NP and SP&S box cars to fill in the "holes" so the car pool will be representative of the period and place being modeled.
I do have too many flat cars and tank cars, too many foreign non-box cars (in my modeled era and location, foreign cars consist of 90% box cars), one duplicate car, and a small number of out-of-era cars. I've already donated some to a local club and will donate more and make as gifts another 30 cars so someone can make better use of them.
Anyway, taking the inventory was a useful tool in creating a "rational" car fleet.
Mark
We have a guy in my club that does nothing more than build car kits...all to exact NMRA standards...he has somewhere catalogged 3-5 thousand pieces of rolling stock...no duplicate #'s anywhere...and about 1000 pieces of motive...most sound and dcc equipped...don't forget the passenger sets...too many....all with no home layout....I always joke about the fact he could model North Platte...
A true friend will not bail you out of jail...he will be sitting next to you saying "that was friggin awesome dude!" Tim...Modeling the NYC...is there any other?
Of course you can. That's part of the fun of this hobby.
If you're not a pack rat take up golf.
Enjoy
Paul
Short answer: Yes.
Long answer: Yes, you can.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Agreed, Andy, One can have closets full of cars, if that's what he wants, but any yard that is between 50% and 70% loaded is clogged beyond its usefull capacity. A yard is for classifying cars and getting trains out, and for that it must remain fluid! John Colley, Port Townsend, WA
~G4
19 Years old, modeling the Cowlitz, Chehalis, and Cascade Railroad of Western Washington in 1927 in 6X6 feet.
Penncentral R. T. POTEET Let me put it this way: if you have eight passing sidings on your layout and you can only run one train at a time because those sidings are all clogged with standing freight trains YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY TOO MUCH ROLLING STOCK! Unless modeling a post merger meltdown. lol Otherwise you are correct.
R. T. POTEET Let me put it this way: if you have eight passing sidings on your layout and you can only run one train at a time because those sidings are all clogged with standing freight trains YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY TOO MUCH ROLLING STOCK!
Let me put it this way: if you have eight passing sidings on your layout and you can only run one train at a time because those sidings are all clogged with standing freight trains YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY TOO MUCH ROLLING STOCK!
How right you are! How right you are!
On a trip through extreme West Texas in December, 1997--right after the Onion Specific acquired the Sufferin' Pathetic--I never saw one UP freight moving; I sure saw a lot of them sitting idly on sidings however. I was almost into Monahans before I ever saw a moving train.
From the far, far reaches of the wild, wild west I am: rtpoteet
I've currently got 11 locomotives and around 50 cars ( I don't keep an exact count to be honest. ) which were purchased to reflect the mix of equipment that I think my "proto-lance" early 70's layout would need. That is, of course, tempered by my likes & dislikes as well.
Kits get built when bought, or shortly thereafter, as that is a large part of my "enjoyment" of the hobby.
My switching layout can comfortably accomodate about 25% of my equipment at any given time. Cars get switched out and moved off to storage on a regular basis.
Every car gets on the layout and gets run. No closet queens in my collection. Every wheel is turned.
The question "Too much?" is answerable only on an individual basis. Fortunately that is exactly how we as hobbyists are answering it.
Mark Gosdin
BRAKIE R. T. POTEET Let me put it this way: if you have eight passing sidings on your layout and you can only run one train at a time because those sidings are all clogged with standing freight trains YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY TOO MUCH ROLLING STOCK! Or modeling a down turn economy and storing cars for a fee.
Or modeling a down turn economy and storing cars for a fee.
That would be another excuse for collecting according to some
Me? I'd be saying I'm modelling according to my prototype!! So there--HHAAARRRRUUUMPH!!
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
You mean you shouldn't be able to have all your cars on the layout, notch the loco up and realize that you don't have slack because the lead loco's front coupler is firmly pushing the rear coupler of the last car/caboose?
Dan
Well…It’s the double edged sword sort of thing, I think.
The short answer is most likely NO…But then again, if you have so many that it requires numorius cyles to get them on the layout, than the answer may be a YES. Unless…You have unlimited funds, you really love collecting, it just doesn’t matter if a car only gets to the pike once a year (or less), or you have a REALLY BIG layout where you can actually run prototype length trains.
I say this because: My peddlers run 3 to 6 cars. My mainline freights can do (in conjunction with the size of the Trainroom, length of the sidings and the distance between modeled scenes on the layout) 12 maybe 14 cars.
What I see here is several people with a lack of control.
Last weekend I picked up an Athearn SD60I with sound. Don't know why but it looks like it will consist with a couple of AC6000's I have.
Since then I've decided that I'll order one of the upcoming MTH SD70Ace Loco's. That will be the last and I really mean it this time
Springfield PA
hcc25rl Simple answer, HELL NO!
Simple answer, HELL NO!
Nice answer.
Will
I think that there is possibly a very simple answer to this and it's no! This is because I don't think it is for me to say if somebody's collection of stuff is too much.
But, here is where I will attempt to complicate the matter
If a model train enthusiest has a big sky approach to his hobby with a budget to match, storage and family objections present no impediment and his collecting rational is - I buy everything I like - then that modeler/collector/enthusiast will never have too many models. If the opposite is true and his collecting has gotten away on him and this has become a personal concern, then it may be time to re-appraise your collecting rational - but, once again it's a matter of personal choice and circumstance.
My experience is that because I model one prototype road in a specific place and time, then those factors in themselves has the effect of detremining what models I buy. Not being keen on operation - more in the craft of building models and scenery then I don't have a problem now of aquiring more models than I need or want. Having said that, I believe that my roster of freight cars is weighted too heavily with home-road cars and I should really swap them out for cars that are more representitive of any given mixed freight drag.
Out of around fifteen locomotives - both steam and diesel - only three are not what was used by my prototype - one is a Heisler, there is a two truck Shay and a V&T ten wheeler. These a from a time when I was going to include a logging scene on my layout, but I've changed that now to a harbor instead.
Humpf, now I may have too many boats
Bruce
1st off ...if you have too many rolling stock just send em to me.
2nd tim the toolman taylor rule of life "there is nothing to big that it cannot be made better by being made bigger"
3rd if I ever feel that I have too much rolling stock then bury me cause i must be dead
I guess it depends on what you think is to much. Me, well I only have several cars. Thats due to money. Now since I am working again, maybe I can build it up.
Now a buddy of mine has box, after box, after box of train stuff. He has several metal cabinets full of engines/cars he hasn't even opened!!!! Under his layout is the same, boxcars, tankers, etc not even opened. I guess he likes to collect them.
I think if you have that many not even opened and not used, well maybe its to much. UNLESS you like to collect items like that.
"Rust, whats not to love?"
I made a database to catalog all my rolling stock. I photographed and entered 150 cars into the database. I've since bought about 50 or 60 more. The big problem is building a respectable fleet of diverse cars. At first I was focused on getting enough box cars, then it was to 2-bay hoppers for cement, then I decided I needed alot of grain hoppers, now it's tank cars. I still have only a few gondolas and flat cars. Maybe I'll focus on those next.
Greg Amer
The Industrial Lead
Since getting back into the hobby I have bought for myself maybe 5% of all the loco's and rolling stock I own. Friends and family are responsible for the rest. I am thinking that I am starting get probably more than I really need. That being said, I will never say a word!!!! If you think I am going back to socks and underwear at Christmas!!!!!!! I will always have room for more.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Jimmy
ROUTE ROCK!
PackerI've gone and done both, ... close to 120 cars and 27 engines, for having no layout.
I used to think you can never have too many , but the older I get the more I realize I have too many locomotives and cars . I tend to run the same equipment everytime . Although I still buy new equipment I am just a lot more judicial about what I buy .