Do identical car numbers bother you ?...

[Tracklayer]

Hello all. I just purchased a couple of N scale Atlas steam era wood side PFE (Pacific Fruit Express) reefers off of ebay earlier tonight for $7.00 each - plus shipping and insurance of course. I figured why not seeing as how they generally go for $12.00 and up most of the time... Anyways. One of the reasons I think they went as cheap as they did is because they have identical numbers, which is something I've learned to live with. I figure I can always renumber them some day down the road when I've got nothing else to do. I also have about ten Santa Fe coal gondolas, and most of them have identical numbers as well. The way I deal with this is by placing a car or two in between the identical ones that do have different numbers to break them up a bit...

Tracklayer

 

[NZRMac]

I have 22 4 bay hoppers all with the same number. Doesn't bother me as they are usually in two trains (when I have a layout)

Ken.

[mlehman]

Gosh, I didn't know anyone even paid attention to those little, bitty numbers in N scale...

 :>)

Nah, just kidding.

N usually has a bit fewer choices available. I've noticed that Micro-Trains generally releases cars in single numbers, while in HO its cousin Kadee puts out pairs of differently numbered cars. More typical are releases from Red Caboose and Intermountain, which will put out 6 or 12 different road numbers of the same car in each run. If you want to represent certain prototypes, you have to accept some of that at times, no matter what scale you model in. Otherwise it's difficult to get a representative fleet of rolling stock assembled.

Your strategy sounds a lot like my own. For boxcars and other types generally handled as single cars, I stick to distinctive road numbers. I do have 12 Athearn hoppers that have duplicated numbers, two sets of the same six numbers. With traffic like coal being generally handled as cuts of cars, if not outright unit trains, it bothers me less to have duped numbers. And it's virtually unnoticeable to visitors.

[SpaceMouse]

I'm living with it for the time being. Eventually, I'll get around to changing them. You take what you get when you model un-popular eras.

[Metro Red Line]

Yes, but I can either:

- re-number them with paint and decals

- severely weather them

- cover part of the reporting marks with graffitti! 

[Tracklayer]

Yes, but I can either:

- re-number them with paint and decals

- severely weather them

- cover part of the reporting marks with graffitti! 

I like the first option the best...

Tracklayer

[Tracklayer]

I'm living with it for the time being. Eventually, I'll get around to changing them. You take what you get when you model un-popular eras.

Un-popular eras ?... I had no idea any era of model railroading was unpopular Mr. Mouse (Chip).

Tracklayer

[tstage]

Yes, but I can either:

- re-number them with paint and decals

- severely weather them

- cover part of the reporting marks with graffitti! 

...or, you can turn them into useful structures around your layout:

To answer your first question: Yes, it does - even though no one else will probably know.  I do empathize with Chip's predicament.

Tom

[nfmisso]

Yes; definitely, because it is impossible to operate with switch lists with duplicate car numbers - how do you delivered or picked up the correct car if there are dups?

[Anonymous]

Yes because it really seems kind of cheesy running the deja vu lines. Something about it just looks like sort of a we don't give a **** display set up by employees at a toystore. What'd I'd really like to see is some enterprising company offer an un-numbered freight car. Like you have all the paint and logos but no numbers. Until then though I guess we'll just have to be content to un-number them oursevles.  

[Metro Red Line]

...or, you can turn them into useful structures around your layout:

 

I personally don't like converted-train structures on the layout...true they exist in the real world but on a layout, especially a small one, it seems like it's more appropriate to maintain a good contrast between the things on the tracks and the things off the tracks. Unless you have a large layout, a building made from a boxcar still looks like a boxcar. 

[Metro Red Line]

I'm living with it for the time being. Eventually, I'll get around to changing them. You take what you get when you model un-popular eras.

Un-popular eras ?... I had no idea any era of model railroading was unpopular Mr. Mouse (Chip).

Tracklayer

I would guess any period of time where there was a railroad worker's strike would be an unpopular era to model :) 

[nfmisso]

Yes because it really seems kind of cheesy running the deja vu lines. Something about it just looks like sort of a we don't give a **** display set up by employees at a toystore. What'd I'd really like to see is some enterprising company offer an un-numbered freight car. Like you have all the paint and logos but no numbers. Until then though I guess we'll just have to be content to un-number them oursevles.  

Accurail offers decorate un-numbered cars, and decal sets to number them that match.

Bowser generally offers 12 numbers at a time, and retires those 12 after each run.

If you want a large enough quantity (100+ in many cases), there are several companies that will produce runs for you.

[Midnight Railroader]

Tough to operate with cars that have identical numbers. (...unless you use one of those waybill-on-car systems, but those blow away any realism you've created.)

[jecorbett]

Right now, no. Eventually when I get around to full scale operations with computer generated switchlists, I will need unique numbers for the cars. For now, it is easily overlooked.

[fifedog]

Yes, I avoid it on my layouts...annnnnd yes, I do notice it when I visit modular setups.

tstage - nice MOW shack.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

They don't bother me too much, but I try not to run two or more identically numbered cars in one train. Most times, I'll make a decal with a new number and put it over the original number.

[Gwedd]

Yes; definitely, because it is impossible to operate with switch lists with duplicate car numbers - how do you delivered or picked up the correct car if there are dups?

   True, but not everyone is into the "operations" part of the hobby. Most folks I've met don't have a layout large enough to warrant renumbering cars for larger fleets, nor even room for more than a couple of folks around the layout. In fact, for many, smaller switching layouts are the norm and therein, it's often a case of picking up one car and replacing it with an identical one, so we're not talking long strings of similar cars at any particular industry or siding.

   If you have the time and inclination to renumber cars, then have it, and that's nice to see. however, in the long run, to me it's not that big a deal. I guess it's just where you set your priorities within the hobby, and since it's a pretty HUGE hobby, with multiple areas of interest, there's lots of room for everyone

     Respects,

[jacon12]

At this point it doesn't bother me, but hey... I only have around 30 pieces of rolling stock.  Some of you have that many of ONE type car....  

I can see where it wouldn't be too good if you're into operations which I will get into in the future.  When that happens I'm going to have to learn to renumber.

JaRRell

[C&O Fan]

It depends how fast they are moving

[loathar]

It doesn't bother me too much on rolling stock, but it drives me crazy on locos. Probably because the #'s are bigger and easier to see.

[BRAKIE]

Yes,in HO or N Scale..

[metalfrog]

yeah it bother's me somewhat.just got an excellent deal on two trainman rbox's with the same number.im running them but will have to order decal's eventually to change the number on one of the car's.terry.....

[pcarrell]

I don't let it stop me from buying something I want, but I will renumber it.

[gear-jammer]

We have avoided it so far, but would probably renumber them if necessary.

Sue

[nbrodar]

On a locomotive or caboose, yes.  I insist each locomotive and caboose has an unique number, and that the number is correct for the unit's class.

On a car no.   If I can get the cars with individual numbers, great.  If not, I'm not going to sweat it.  I don't use car numbers in my operations, anyway.

Nick

[Daniel1975]

I know the numbers are tiny (even on most HO scale models) and I know that most visitors not familiar with the Hobby wouldn't even notice it but I insist on different numbers.

Red Caboose really has great models and they always have a run of 6 to 12 cars with different numbers and then they will release another run with another 6 to 12 new numbers.... as I said this is a detail but I don't want the same number twice.

 

 

[tstage]

I personally don't like converted-train structures on the layout...true they exist in the real world but on a layout, especially a small one, it seems like it's more appropriate to maintain a good contrast between the things on the tracks and the things off the tracks. Unless you have a large layout, a building made from a boxcar still looks like a boxcar. 

Metro,

I guess it depends on how much you try to "disguise" it and allow it to blend in with the layout.  I haven't really done anything more than put a roof and a floor on the boxcar and place it on top of skids.  Re-painting, weathering, aging, adding a window(s) and door - with an overhang, etc. can make it less stark and less like its siblings that are one the track.

In this month's (March 2007) issue of MR, BTS (Bill's Train Stop) has an ad on pg. 16 for an HO Signal Maintainer's Storage shed, made from an old baggage car.  I guess if you are primarily running freight and you want your MOW buildings to look destinctive from your rolling stock, this might be a way to do it, too.

Tom 

[selector]

On a locomotive or caboose, yes.  I insist each locomotive and caboose has an unique number, and that the number is correct for the unit's class.

On a car no.   If I can get the cars with individual numbers, great.  If not, I'm not going to sweat it.  I don't use car numbers in my operations, anyway.

Nick

  Since I am in DCC, and use the cab # of the loco for addresses, duplicates would be a problem.  However, I am limited out to 10 locos for a number of reasons, and cannot see that I would ever have a duplicate problem.  As for rolling stock, nope, not a problem for me.  They all trail the same way.

[fiatfan]

I have a small layout and have very few duplicates.  When I do, I just erase either the first or last number on one of the cars.

 

Tom