cuyama My experience on many operating layouts suggests that 50-60% of the total capacity will likely be enough cars (although many folks overload their layouts to the detriment of ops, IMHO). But it depends on how you will operate the layout, of course. Personally, I'd start with that 50% on the layout, operate a few times, and then adjust the number of cars on the layout up or down as necessary.
My experience on many operating layouts suggests that 50-60% of the total capacity will likely be enough cars (although many folks overload their layouts to the detriment of ops, IMHO). But it depends on how you will operate the layout, of course.
Personally, I'd start with that 50% on the layout, operate a few times, and then adjust the number of cars on the layout up or down as necessary.
I agree, about 50% of the visable siding and yard capactiy is a good starting point. My totals are based on 80-90% of the staging capacity plus 50% of the visable siding and capacity.
And, my operational scheme is centered equaly on both mainline operations and industrial switching. So the high number of staged trains is to provide lots of mainline action and variety on the double track mainline.
Sheldon
Layout Design GalleryLayout Design Special Interest Group
I'm with Sheldon on this, but at about a tenth of his totals. I am a sort of eclecticollector; I see what I like and purchase what I like that I can get. Turns out I have a smallish passenger consist for all my passenger engines, but I mix and match my freight cars for all the drag engines and fast freight engines. By mixing and matching, I can both replicate what a person roadside would have seen on almost any railroad in the steam era, and I can minimize the numbers of road-specific cars. I just don't like the idea of having boxes 'n boxes of unused/waiting rolling stock squirreled away under benches and in stacked totes.
In the recent thread about having more locos than cars I explained my method of determining needs and car counts.
My completed layout plan is designed to handle about 30 mainline trains in staging and yards - 6 to 8 of those trains are passenger, some are long, 12-15 cars, plus extras in the coach yard - so at aprox 230 passenger cars I have plenty and have no additional passenger car purchases in mind. I do plan for all of them to be on the layout.
Call it 22 mainline freight trains in staging yards - typical train length 45 cars - that is just under 1000 freight cars. Then we need some already in sidings and the main yard - call that a couple hundred more.
The current count is about 1100, pretty close to what the operation requires and I have been focusing my purchases on freight rolling stock for several years now, and filling in just a few small gaps in the loco roster. I think another 150-200 freight cars will round things out nicely.
I am not a collector, every piece of equipment is an "actor" in the operational scheme. When complete, virtually nothing will be in display cases or stored in boxes.
For the layout: As a start I would do half as many as the industrial sidings will hold plus half the staging capacity. Then adjust upwards or downwards as you get experience operating the layout.
For the collection: As many as you have room and budget for. Part of the fun for me is having a wide variety of rolling stock. Eventually, I'll have 2 or 3 era sets for the layout, but I'll always have some that just don't fit.
But this is a hobby so do what's fun.
Enjoy
Paul
The trouble with answering a question like this is that my wife may be browsing the forum.
It sounds like you went through the same buying orgy that I did. LOL
Who's to say how much is too much and how little is too little.
I claim to model Dearborn Station in the mid-50s, and there were 6 railroads that used that station. Most of the time, the station was empty and when it was filled, ten tracks held one train from each of the 5 owner railroads and 2 or 3 Santa Fe trains, the primary tenant. So, a pair of locos for each of 5 roads, plus maybe 2 or 3 pairs of Santa Fe locos ought to do it. Plus maybe 40 passenger cars.
Then, I have a 9-stall roundhouse, so maybe 9 steam engines. Add around 100 freight cars for my freight yard.
That, in total is what I should have. Is that, in fact, how much I do have? Maximum? Hey, I plead the 5th !
Rich
Alton Junction
I am keeping mine to the point that they would all fit in staging and the on line yard, with NONE at industries. Plus eight ore cars at the mine.
As there will always we some at industries, as that is the reason for being, this permits everthing to function.
I realise other use systems where cars go to staging, then a shelf, until the operating system calls for that car again. This works, but seems like more effort and more thought than I need.
Dave
mobilman44 Ha, what a question! I believe we can divide MRs into two related categories - one side craves more rolling stock, and the other side has so much they want to downsize. Like a lot of the older train nuts, I have wayyyy more than my layout can handle realistically.
Ha, what a question! I believe we can divide MRs into two related categories - one side craves more rolling stock, and the other side has so much they want to downsize. Like a lot of the older train nuts, I have wayyyy more than my layout can handle realistically.
I have a pretty small layout in a 10x 18 foot room, and because i fit in both categories (crave rolling stock but have more than I can use) I purposefully designed as much on-track storage capacity as I could squeeze into that small layout. I put in an 11 track staging yard which I estimate could hold around 270 cars at an average of 3 cars for every 2 feet of capacity - i.e. lots of 45 and 50 foot coal and freight cars but some 60' cars too, and a few long freight cars.
At one time I had over 600 cars, with 1/3 still in kit form. Now I'm down to half of that, and have 100 or so on the layout, and the rest in boxes or in a display cabinet. For me, downsizing criteria was based on some arbitrary factors that are important to me. ... All that being said, I'm a sucker for period correct rolling stock, and while I haven't bought any in years, I'm hard pressed to sell off any more.
For me, downsizing criteria was based on some arbitrary factors that are important to me. ...
All that being said, I'm a sucker for period correct rolling stock, and while I haven't bought any in years, I'm hard pressed to sell off any more.
I used to have a lot more kits than I realized I would ever build, so I have already gone through a phase of rationalizing them and have probably sold off 2/3rds of them and am down to about a box and a half of kits. I continue to build kits now and then which is why I saved some - last year I built around 10 but I'm going to keep kits to a minimum and just be realistic about that.
I too am a sucker for period rolling stock and by sticking to a time frame, at least that places some contraints on what I do purchase. It also helps me to downsize some and help fund new purchases as I refine my modeling period more and more. By way of example, at one time I was buying items that fit 1965 thru about 1995 approximately - a 30 year period can encompass a lot of stuff! I've already cut it back to 1990 which allowed me to sell off all wide-cabs, post 1990 paint schemes, etc. I've now reached a point that I'm looking at cutting the time frame back to 1985 (end of most caboose operations on D&RGW mainlines). This would allow me to sell off additional rolling stock, which I already have too much off naturally.
As companies like Tangent, ExactRail, Moloco and Athearn produce very nice 70's era rolling stock, while I can't afford alot of it, it really motivates me to tighten up my focus a bit more now to a 20 year time frame that I can be enjoy more.
But I digress. I designed a layout with storage in mind so I can maximize as much as possible trains on the rails and fewer train in boxes. I hope if I am blessed with a larger layout space in a few years, I will do the same thing, design in generous capacity.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
I'd say a minimum would be arrived at by taking the maximum number of cars you would normally put in each industry siding, team track, interchange etc. and then double it. That way you have say two cars in an interchange track, and have two more to replace the two already there in the next operation session.
The size of your yard tracks, sidings, and train length are determined by how many cars your trains have to deliver, and whether they're going to be delivered by one train, or multiple trains.
So let's say City A and City B on the layout each have spaces for 6 freight cars in their industry tracks. If you want to serve both with one train, that would be 12 cars plus motive power and (pre-1980's) a caboose. Your passing sidings would need to hold trains at least that long. However, if you serve each city by a separate train, with 6 cars each, your sidings could be shorter.
Of course, having 3 or 4 times the number of cars you have space for, instead of 2 times, will allow for more diversity by rotating cars in and out of the layout.
I have way to many cars for my current down sized layout.That's the minus side.On the plus side this means I can change out rolling stock to keep a somewhat fresh look to the layout.
Locomotives on the other hand I have enough for at least three large layouts .
To my mind around 60-70% capacity since that will end any need for 'Wabashing' industrial sidings and yard tracks.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
Ultimately, any MR should have only enough cars to work his road to the level at which it was designed to handle. Still, hundreds of MRs have many cars in boxes stored away that are not on their layout.
Few MRs stuff every thing they own on their layouts, unless they have an empire. I have two friends with limited space and run 6 or 7 foot long switching wall layouts and they rarely have more than 10 cars on the layout at one time.
Richard
If I can't fix it, I can fix it so it can't be fixed
At one time I had over 600 cars, with 1/3 still in kit form. Now I'm down to half of that, and have 100 or so on the layout, and the rest in boxes or in a display cabinet.
For me, downsizing criteria was based on some arbitrary factors that are important to me. First, any cars with build dates 1960 or newer were eliminated. Next, cars that would have no business on my midwest layout (i.e. east or west coast coal hoppers, or tankers or what have you). Lastly, I worked towards some sort of proper ratio of home and foreign roads, and types of cars, that made sense for an ATSF RR located in the lower midwest.
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
On my layout if you cramed every siding to capacity and every yard, I could get aprox 168 cars and that includes 3 carfloats so -33 if you don't inclue them. I am trying to downsize some more but keep what I will need or really want but I definatly don't need the amount I have now.