Quote from: Bob G on January 08, 2026, 11:00:29 AM

Quote from: Newportnobby on January 08, 2026, 10:29:16 AMHowever, I'm just a babe in arms compared to some e.g. @Bob G

I don't know what you are on about. I've sold >95% of my pre-2005 stock! And all my Tri-ang 1960s trainset stock! And all my 1960s Matchbox cars! And my Floral Garden set. And my Meccano.

Bob

So fess up - numbers please

Quote from: Bealman on January 08, 2026, 04:21:53 AMThere have been many threads on this over the years. If you use the search function you will find them.

Guess I was too impatient. I tried but then thought it was easier to just ask.

Quote from: AndyRA on January 08, 2026, 12:26:35 PMI have steadily acquired probably more Locos than the layout can accommodate, but they all get a run on a rotation basis, being changed over after every two or three circuits. Many got well used when I was involved with an Exhibition layout. I have a spreadsheet and after a loco has been selected they get a box ticked so wear and tare is evened out, and any routine maintenance carried out. As a result I haven't had to change any motor brushes for as long as I can remember.

Impressive. Yes, that's what I do, run them on a rotation basis depending on what era/region I'm running.

Quote from: Bob G on January 08, 2026, 09:41:04 AMI claim the fifth amendment... Oh and did you know N gauge storage takes up 1/8th the volume of OO? So you can have 8 times as many trains in N as you can in OO for the same storage space.

 

Exactly. A small shelf will hold what I have now but would take several shelves to hold the equivalent in 00.

I have steadily acquired probably more Locos than the layout can accommodate, but they all get a run on a rotation basis, being changed over after every two or three circuits. Many got well used when I was involved with an Exhibition layout. I have a spreadsheet and after a loco has been selected they get a box ticked so wear and tare is evened out, and any routine maintenance carried out. As a result I haven't had to change any motor brushes for as long as I can remember.

Quite a few more than when this question was asked last time on the Forum........

But I have sold a lot of stock, with a lot more to go at some stage.

Martyn

One...





...that she's aware of.

Quote from: Newportnobby on January 08, 2026, 10:29:16 AMHowever, I'm just a babe in arms compared to some e.g. @Bob G

I don't know what you are on about. I've sold >95% of my pre-2005 stock! And all my Tri-ang 1960s trainset stock! And all my 1960s Matchbox cars! And my Floral Garden set. And my Meccano.

Bob

With a layout based loosely on Oxford where motive power from 4 different regions spread over 1950-1965 plus a few 'iconic' ones, you can guess I have far too many.
However, I'm just a babe in arms compared to some e.g. @Bob G

The question's been asked several times before on here.

If you think you're saturated then stop.  If you like to keep buying more then keep buying   Some folk restrict themselves to a fleet appropriate to the theme of their layout and dispose/exchange locos and stock when they change layouts. Others enjoy collecting.   Whatever you want, it's your hobby and your layout to enjoy how you like to


I've been running European N seriously since the early 80s. I had some British N before that but sold it off - that's the only time I've ever let models go (and since then I've bought some of them again just for nostalgia)!   I reckon now roughly 400 powered items (locos, multiple units). I usually take somewhere around 50 locos plus some units to a show when I'm exhibiting the full layout, which gives me spares should something fail (actually very rare).  Therefore I have complete alternate sets of locos to spread the usage and ring the changes at different shows, but naturally there are some favourites which probably come to most shows.

With the recent very sad passing of a good friend and fellow exhibitor, I've been gifted his similar sized collection! Probably less than 10% are exact duplicates of locos I already own.

It's frightening when you tot up an estimated value.