Not quite sure which section to put this question in but I anticipate a moderator will move it if it's in the wrong place.
In conversation with another member he told me he was reducing the size of his loco fleet as he considered it too big whereas I, with just 15 locos, want a large number more. He was surprised by this and said I had about twice the number he did.
The late, great Cyril Freezer said "The average enthusiast has a fleet about twice the size he needs and about half the size he wants" so the question is "How many locomotives are "too many"? :hmmm:
It's probably too many when you forget what you have. On a couple of occasions I have bought locos only to find later they are duplicates of ones I already own! :doh:
Cheers Jon :)
I have half the fleet I want and twice the fleet I need.
This is because there are certain trains that I want that are not available and probably will never be made in N :( (Javelin, Pendolino, Electrostar, etc). So to compensate have bought other trains that were 'nice to haves' but not really what I need e.g. London Midland Desiro when I wanted a SWT Desiro.
Quote from: Pengi on March 22, 2014, 06:41:08 AM
I have half the fleet I want and twice the fleet I need.
This is because there are certain trains that I want that are not available and probably will never be made in N :( (Javelin, Pendolino, Electrostar, etc). So to compensate have bought other trains that were 'nice to haves' but not really what I need e.g. London Midland Desiro when I wanted a SWT Desiro.
Never say never, Pengi. Not so long ago no one thought a Blue Pullman would be available RTR, nor the prototypes like Lion, Falcon, Kestrel, Deltic, the LMS "twins" etc and while some of these are not yet in N it is surely only a matter of time?
My thoughts, my fleet is never too big but this is because I buy what I like. my limits are my wallet and space on my layout. :)
The thing is they are nice to look at...
The issue is that in the current market, just because something becomes available is no guarantee you will ever see it again... Which encourages acquisition on the 'just in case' basis...
Well lets put it this way, my current loco fleet is 40? Strong? And im still buying locos!
This is because i model heritage railways, so i like to have at least one model of each class renamed/renumbered to a preserved loco.
Then theres some where i bought more of set class e.g black 5, britannias, a4s,a3s.
These were due to wanting either locos in different liveries, or where there is more of that class preserved!
Biggest problem is, this year it will. Probably grow another 10 locos.
I dont feel you can have too many, it just gives you more options and variety to play with
I'm not sure I understand the question :uneasy:
The thread you have just started could be one of the most interesting for quite a while so thanks for thinking of it.
"Too many" I propose is reached when say 1/3 of your fleet never come out of their boxes. In other words when you have a significant proportion that are too much of an effort to "put on the rails". So layout size comes into it.
In my case I have 14 locos and just 9 can be on the layout at one time. About a further 4 are no problem to swop for others when I feel a particular yen for the smoothness of diesels, or want a particular favourite to run.
So testing my own proposal then my optimum fleet size is 13 by pure maths. Applying just a bit of judgement to this I would say that I really shouldn't buy any more unless one breaks.
My pre-orders number 7. This is too many and is based on just lust. The green DMU and the Farish 64xx are definitely a "necessity" so 5 of the pre-orders should be cancelled.
This means that 2 of the locos I already have are "too many" and 5 of the Pre-orders are "too many" according to my proposed guideline. With my honest Logistics Managers hat on that feels right - I trust my gut feeling after applying maths and logic and if my gut still churns I have not got it right yet.
So having more than 1/3 more than you really ever put on the rails is "too many".
You still have most of the obsessives to reply and I always enjoy a good rant from an obsessive who is trying to justify himself. Thanks for raising the thread.
One thing my large fleet gives me options for...
Themed days!
Lner day/lms day/ gwr/ southern/ br/ branch line/ diesels/ end of steam
Allows me right good fun!
"Having too many" means to me owning more locos that hardly ever been run.
We probably have our favourites which are regular runners and reliable.
However I also own quite a few UK Farish and Minitrix models, of which good quality second hand locos are now harder to get, so I've bought duplicates if I consider a particular loco type is important to my collection.
I've also bought duplicates of some current production if I'm aware spares are an issue.
In all honesty, I don't need a large fleet for operation.
I can get away by only running two or three locos per session, yet I also can ring the changes to represent different eras and regions.
For me currently the limiting factor is rolling stock...I have 10 diesel locos and 2 DMU all BR blue era ish...layout size when finished will be 16ft by 10ft with 4 track wide main running loops right around...I am now trying to concentrate on adding more coaches and wagons to my 8 rakes to get a realistic look... As I have good track running lengths available then I run a minimum of say 20 HAA coals wagons in rake and aim for at least 8 coachs in a passenger rake...I could spend a small fortune on more locos but need to build up the rolling stock...the question therefore of how many is too many also should be asked of wagons and coaches as well?.....the boxes of code 55 and points are enough for a 2nd mortgage
When I was a teenager, my parents didn't understand why I wanted more than one loco... surely one was enough?
Sadly in recent years I had to sell most of my collection to finance living, even my kit built O Gauge Duchess and Class 66 had to go :veryangry: fortunately things are a little better now and I recently bought my first loco in 7 years :)
Best regards
Michael
I don't think I have a 'maximum size' of my fleet (both locos and rolling stock). I buy enough to fill the storage boxes I have... then buy some more storage boxes. :)
I have enough for my 60s-era scenario on 'Dunestone' (I think). Anything I buy now will probably be more for the 50s and 30s-eras I want to run.
I daren't count my fleet. I work on the principle that if it looks good and the price is right, then it would be a shame to let it go. So all eras, all continents and most makes. The only regrets are a few Lima locos that I bought early on, when I didn't know better. They are a bit oversize and don't all run.
Quote from: talisman56 on March 22, 2014, 09:34:32 AM
I don't think I have a 'maximum size' of my fleet (both locos and rolling stock). I buy enough to fill the storage boxes I have... then buy some more storage boxes. :)
I have enough for my 60s-era scenario on 'Dunestone' (I think). Anything I buy now will probably be more for the 50s and 30s-eras I want to run.
Having recently moved into a smaller property, I've allocated a maximum of two storage boxes bought from Staples (15 x 13 x 10 inches each) to house ALL my N gauge locos, stock, accessories including buildings, unused track and spares.
This excludes basic modelling materials, my controller/transformer and tools.
You can never have too many Union Mills locos. At the moment I have 1. :(
How about a poll to find out numbers of locos members have.
Excluding dead ones and dummies. (The locos not the members ) :D
PS the Eurolottery winner could buy about 1.2 million Union mills locos, assuming
he hasn't spent the dosh on wine, women and Lambos.
I'm something of a collector so 'too many' is not really a phrase I'm familiar with!
I have certainly amassed a collection larger than I conceivably need, or could ever run at one time on my North American layout, but then I get a great amount of pleasure from running a wide variety of trains (admittedly un-prototypically). But still I keep finding new locos to add to my fleet!
I remember seeing a photo on one of the American forums, following a similar discussion, of a modeller who had laid out his entire feet totalling nearly 300, it was quite a sight but I can't help thinking you're getting into the realms of hoarding with those sorts of numbers.
How many is too many? As many as you want I guess I would say.
Quote from: Agrippa on March 22, 2014, 09:47:47 AM
You can never have too many Union Mills locos. At the moment I have 1. :(
How about a poll to find out numbers of locos members have.
Excluding dead ones and dummies. (The locos not the members ) :D
PS the Eurolottery winner could buy about 1.2 million Union mills locos, assuming
he hasn't spent the dosh on wine, women and Lambos.
This is an interesting proposal. There was a TV programme on two days ago called "Inside Rolls Royce" which I watched being a past employee of the real Rolls Royce in Crewe. It was a great programme dominated by German managers and was styled in what I saw as concentrating on very high quality, very high priced, utter vulgarity.
A similar programme on multi-billionaires model railways and the number of their locos might make a similarly entertaining programme - but it would have to concentrate on just the "gimme gimme gimme cos I got loads of dosh" fraternity rather than genuine high profile rail enthusiasts.
Mmm, well I suppose my fleet contains far too many locos for HOLLERTON JUNCTION which is only 6' x 2.5' but I tend to buy what I like (need does not come in to it!). Currently there are 58 on shed so some pruning might be needed. :-(
Paddy
Quote from: tutenkhamunsleeping on March 22, 2014, 08:10:07 AM
I'm not sure I understand the question :uneasy:
Can I put it another way then? When do we decide "I have enough locomotives"? Is it when you simply have as many as you actually need to run the "service" (which in the case of a single track branch line might be just 3 or 4, while a huge main line junction station might require 35 or 40) or is it, as when your loco yard is full, when (as someone else said) most of your locos never turn a wheel or when (as with me - after the lottery roll over win of course ;)) you have 74 Westerns, 101 Hymeks, 71 Warships etc?
Obviously its up to the individual to say "no more" but just curious as to how other people decide when they have sufficient motive power on their layouts.
Quote from: Malc on March 22, 2014, 09:38:13 AM
The only regrets are a few Lima locos that I bought early on, when I didn't know better. They are a bit oversize and don't all run.
I recall those days, particularly when most of the wagons/vans seemed to be in fake liveries and the coaches 1.160 and locos over 1.148! But at the time it was pretty much all we had (apart from kits) in British N. Thankfully those days are long gone.
Never too many. As said earlier, the only limit is my wallet. Poor, pitiful, moth eaten thing.
Any locomotives not in use for a while are retired after being cleaned and lubricated. Then, they occasionally come out of retirement to perform for me, for which I offer both praise and applause. They love it.
My trains are my people. Never forget that.
Ive recently bought a GF 08 and a Dapol 57 because I prefer smaller locos. Theres no rational thinking behind the purchases especially as they are DC and I am converting (with many errors) to DCC. In time I may well covert them both or get them done for me. I don't tend to buy all that often and I think I only have about 10 DCC locos and the same amount DC
I probably have too many Japanese locomotives; especially when the bulk of my running takes place on Kanjiyama now which ain't very big. Most of my loco purchases have been quite targeted, to the point where my 40-odd locos cover only about 10-15 different classes...I have 7 EF64s for example. UK models are mainly sentimental and don't really follow any pattern; I have 6 Dapol 73s for example...
I might suggest there are as many answers as we have members. It is surely and individual assessment, some of us will base it on layout size, others will define limits on what could justifiably run on our layout in our chosen time period.
Other factors have already ben mentioned ranging from storage space to size of wallet, all in all you may as well ask "how long os a piece of string".
My answer? Waaayyyy too many (not prepared to say just how many)
However, I justify this by running two eras (late steam and/or early diesel) with 2 main running lines and a separate busy branch line/goods yard/loco shed/industries etc. The other issue is that as manufacturers release stuff, I tend to get them rather than lose out when they are no longer available.
Also, variety is the spice of life (I'm told) :D
I like the comment about having twice as many locos as you need and half as many as you want.
According to my spreadsheet I have 16 steam, 7 diesel locos, 6 DMUs and 1 EMU. I suspect I've not added some of my latest purchases so I need to update the list. On my current layout I can accommodate three locos, one DMU and stock for up to 5 trains. The advantage is that I can run trains from a variety of eras, although I've tried to stick to stock that would have appeared in the region. I do try and give everything a run on a regular basis and sometimes ask, "do I need to keep this?" to try and make sure I don't hang on to stock I don't need.
There are still a few gaps in my collection but it does feel as though my loco buying is slowing down.
Quote from: Pengi on March 22, 2014, 06:41:08 AM
I have half the fleet I want and twice the fleet I need.
This is because there are certain trains that I want that are not available and probably will never be made in N :( (Javelin, Pendolino, Electrostar, etc). So to compensate have bought other trains that were 'nice to haves' but not really what I need e.g. London Midland Desiro when I wanted a SWT Desiro.
When I asked about the possibility of Electrostar models, I got a huge hint from the GF folks at Ally Pally today that they could be looking at releasing a SWT class 450 Desiro.
Of course, when a 12-car EMU is only six feet long, you can easily fit quite a few on any layout that is larger than the smallest.
Having "too many" just gives you a good excuse to make a start on a second layout ;)
Hope no one has the problem or luck, depending on how you look at it.
The era/period I'm doing is Gillingham (Kent) 1950 to 1960. Apart from
half a dozen interlopers (through trains) I will need locomotives with the
following numbers if I want to be accurate (rule one to be used though).
sr 654 31002 31051 31158 a 31374 31501 31660 a 31671 31713
sr 657 31007 31086 31215 31378 31508 31662 a 31697 a
sr 1116 31014 31090 31234 31380 31658 a 31663 a 31711
sr 1232 31039 31092 31238 31384 31659 a 31666 a 31712
Yes there are 33 of them, that was the complement of locos based there.
Next problem will be to match numbers with the correct type of loco :uneasy:
Roger
PS. Any and all help would be appreciated :thumbsup:
Quote from: Oldun on March 22, 2014, 07:57:08 PM
Hope no one has the problem or luck, depending on how you look at it.
The era/period I'm doing is Gillingham (Kent) 1950 to 1960. Apart from
half a dozen interlopers (through trains) I will need locomotives with the
following numbers if I want to be accurate (rule one to be used though).
sr 654 31002 31051 31158 a 31374 31501 31660 a 31671 31713
sr 657 31007 31086 31215 31378 31508 31662 a 31697 a
sr 1116 31014 31090 31234 31380 31658 a 31663 a 31711
sr 1232 31039 31092 31238 31384 31659 a 31666 a 31712
Yes there are 33 of them, that was the complement of locos based there.
Next problem will be to match numbers with the correct type of loco :uneasy:
Roger
PS. Any and all help would be appreciated :thumbsup:
According to www.railuk.info (http://www.railuk.info), these are the locos you have listed above:
Kirtley B-2 0-6-0: sr 654/57
Stirling F1 class 4-4-0: sr 1116, sr 1232, 31002, 31215
Wainwright O-1 class 0-6-0: 31007/14/39/51, 31238, 31374/78/80
Wainwright C class 0-6-0: 31086/90, 31234, 31508, 31711/12/13
Wainwright D class 4-4-0: 31092, 31501
Wainwright H class 0-4-4T: 31158
Stirling B-1 class 4-4-0: 31384
Kirtley R class 0-4-4T: 31658/59/60/62/63/66/71
Kirtley R-1 class 0-4-4T: 31697
I presume the 'Rule 1' you refer to above is to extend the lifetimes of (some of) the locos listed, because certainly the ones prefixed 'sr' failed to make nationalisation...
Quote from: talisman56 on March 22, 2014, 09:07:36 PM
Quote from: Oldun on March 22, 2014, 07:57:08 PM
Hope no one has the problem or luck, depending on how you look at it.
The era/period I'm doing is Gillingham (Kent) 1950 to 1960. Apart from
half a dozen interlopers (through trains) I will need locomotives with the
following numbers if I want to be accurate (rule one to be used though).
sr 654 31002 31051 31158 a 31374 31501 31660 a 31671 31713
sr 657 31007 31086 31215 31378 31508 31662 a 31697 a
sr 1116 31014 31090 31234 31380 31658 a 31663 a 31711
sr 1232 31039 31092 31238 31384 31659 a 31666 a 31712
Yes there are 33 of them, that was the complement of locos based there.
Next problem will be to match numbers with the correct type of loco :uneasy:
Roger
PS. Any and all help would be appreciated :thumbsup:
According to www.railuk.info (http://www.railuk.info), these are the locos you have listed above:
Kirtley B-2 0-6-0: sr 654/57
Stirling F1 class 4-4-0: sr 1116, sr 1232, 31002, 31215
Wainwright O-1 class 0-6-0: 31007/14/39/51, 31238, 31374/78/80
Wainwright C class 0-6-0: 31086/90, 31234, 31508, 31711/12/13
Wainwright D class 4-4-0: 31092, 31501
Wainwright H class 0-4-4T: 31158
Stirling B-1 class 4-4-0: 31384
Kirtley R class 0-4-4T: 31658/59/60/62/63/66/71
Kirtley R-1 class 0-4-4T: 31697
I presume the 'Rule 1' you refer to above is to extend the lifetimes of (some of) the locos listed, because certainly the ones prefixed 'sr' failed to make nationalisation...
Thank you very much for your info and time. Next problem will be to see if any
manufacturer of N gauge do models of these loco's. Mind you, after spending the
last 3 hours trying to cross reference these locos it seems that most of them had
been scrapped by 1954.
As my era is 1950-1960 it seems that
'Rule 1' :hmmm: rules.
I sold a load of my stuff a few weeks ago that had been sitting in boxes and never used. I'm now slowly concentrating on building up a reasonable collection of stock for a colliery layout I'm planning. 30 locos, similar number of carriages, and about 80 16t mineral wagons at the last count! Still more 16 tonners required, and coaches, but I keep buying locos instead!
So far almost everyone is admitting that even 15 or 20 locos might be too many which is very honest and kind of confessional.
But where are the folks that already have 150 or more, with 30 on pre-order and certainly more to follow as soon as Dapol and Farish announce them, and will defend to the death the right to really need more than Haymarket shed ever had. Come on guys and whatever is PC. for "girls". We need to hear some passionate outpouring.
male locomotives = female shoes
Quote from: 5944 on March 23, 2014, 01:08:59 AM
Still more 16 tonners required, and coaches, but I keep buying locos instead!
I read somewhere that at one time in the 1960s BR had more 16 ton mineral wagons than ALL other wagon/van types put together. I don't know if that's true but I always think you can't have too many of these types either.
I am trying to model a specific place (Northfleet, North Kent Line) in the current day. So I have investigated the train flows and that is largely what is driving the stock list...
I am short a few trains and I will try to buy a whole train at a time rather than locos or stock in random purchases…
Still need Class 465 Networkers (I only need 3 more).
Class 59 & hoppers for Cliffe gravel working.
Couple of EWS Class 66 & train(s) for Hoo Junction Infrastructure.
Dummy Class 73 to go with live 73 on infrastructure.
Probably another intermodal for Thamesport...
And a man cave the extended layout and storage required…
Quote from: javlinfaw7 on March 23, 2014, 02:26:07 AM
male locomotives = female shoes
Can't agree there, my loco count is about a tenth of my shoe count. ;D
As i am moving to OO scale - oops!. I have a hankering for 'Grandads engines'. Born in 1892 he was a driver at Carlisle Upperby shed on LMS/BR until his death in 1953. I don't know what he drove so i had a think and it might be 14.
Passenger - Compound, Patriot, Jubilee, Royal Scot, Princess Royal, Streamlined Duchess, Non streamlined Duchess.
Goods etc - Jinty, 4F 0-6-0, 2-8-0, black 5, Crab, Ivatt 2MT
Thats 14 plus a couple of tanks maybe.
Then there is the early BR stuff, he would have been 65 in 1957.
The layout will hold about 8 so i will have to rotate them.
"Too Many".......isn't that a couple beyond "Just Enough" and so I might getting to the "just enough" stage. Can't ever see me having too many!
I not counting too closely, but since deciding to drop to only Santa Fe and BNSF (well nearly) and selling the rest I think I'm down to around 45 locos. But then as I run US and most are consists of 2 or 3 I tell SWMBO that's really only about 15-20 locos.
Waiting on starting the Database to be sure.
Quote from: trainsdownunder on March 23, 2014, 12:27:47 PMI tell SWMBO that's really only about 15-20 locos.
And she buys it? Wow, you're a lucky lad!
Quote from: ParkeNd on March 23, 2014, 01:23:46 AM
But where are the folks that already have 150 or more, with 30 on pre-order and certainly more to follow as soon as Dapol and Farish announce them, and will defend to the death the right to really need more than Haymarket shed ever had. Come on guys and whatever is PC. for "girls". We need to hear some passionate outpouring.
I have this nasty habit of buying toys in their multiples, that is, buying the same locomotive/model kits/diecast cars/figures several times. I always thought that if I can keep running/playing/building the same locomotive/cars/kits, while keeping another (even several others) hanging around, I would have the joy of running/playing/building while keeping another piece in perfect condition. I also have an eye of converting locomotives, so if I came across a piece of "useful" locomotive, I buy several of them. For an instance, I bought 4 Kato C55 within last 2 months, believing that I will convert them into other locomotives. I have 4 ROCO Br03, 4 Rivarossi Br10, 5 ConCor J3a of various road names, and my favourite locomotive, the C62 of the JNR, I have collected about 12 of them in all these years. Sometimes I think I am a bit over the top. However, every time I check into ebay, yahoo auction, I look for what seems like bargains, and the buying never stops.
Quote from: Oldun on March 22, 2014, 07:57:08 PM
Hope no one has the problem or luck, depending on how you look at it.
The era/period I'm doing is Gillingham (Kent) 1950 to 1960.
sr 654 31002 31051 31158 a 31374 31501 31660 a 31671 31713
sr 657 31007 31086 31215 31378 31508 31662 a 31697 a
sr 1116 31014 31090 31234 31380 31658 a 31663 a 31711
sr 1232 31039 31092 31238 31384 31659 a 31666 a 31712
Roger
PS. Any and all help would be appreciated :thumbsup:
:hmmm: I was going to suggest that you were obviously a big Brush Type Two fan but then realised that you were not talking TOPS codes here! :no: ;)
I've got 4 'big' diesels (24,37, x2 47s), 2 shunters (04 & 08), a 108 DEMU and an WD austerity 2-8-0 so 8 locos in total. The way I've collected is to try and put it all around the mid 70s to late 80s pre-sectorisation mark and have all different shape/class diesels - I reckon a 20, a 52 and the new 31 would be nice although the new 25/33 can wait as it looks too similar to the 24.
Now I have the late crest black WD, I want the train pack with the late crest maroon Duchess in it and I want a late crest dark green V class Schools when it's released. This will, for the time being be enough variety in shape/colour for my liking. I really want an olive Southern Terrier but it might have to be a late crest as it conveniently fits with the other kettles I've hypothetically bought.
That takes us up to 14 locos.
Now that I've had a little type and a think to see where it's all going, I'd say I collect on variety and would therefore have too many when the locos all start looking the same as each other (or can't fit around the not-yet-released Kato turntable.)
Prompted by this thread, I decided to have a clear out of the Kato Shinkansens that I don't run so often. Having tested them and photographed them, have decided that these are the most reliable of my trains, have the nicest and easiest coupling mechanism and they run at bullet train speed :thumbsup: And the same goes for my one and only diesel loco - Kato Red Bear
So they are staying for a little while. Can't really get rid of Kato Eurostar and Thalys because they meet two of the above criteria and same for Fleischmann ICE2. Blue Pullman and Desiro stay along with Arnold ICE3.
So that leaves my Farish Voyagers, slow with fiddly couplings but I can't sell a Voyager :heart2: and also can't sell my Southern and SWT Turbostars because they are my local liveries (which I love) and they do run close to 125 mph - eventually they will develop split gears though :thumbsdown:
So that just leaves the crappy old Dapol HSTs with failed lights that no-one will want anyway and a Dapol Super Voyager that will probably go the same way as the HSTs (but I can't sell a Voyager :heart2: and would buy a Dapol XC Voyager for the right price)
So I have not reduced my fleet at all :(
Too many, I don't understand.. How can one have too many ?
I've been an n scaler since I was a boy and apart from a weak moment in 2000 when I sold a few British locomotives I've kept them all. Liking trains from all over just means that by definition you have to have more.
Now I'm not a collector in the traditional sense, I don't want all of my trains in boxes, so the challenge is to build non-specific or multi- regional layouts, hence my current layout Schuppenstadt/Nova Scotia South Shore is both European and Canadian with a significant scenic break. When running either region I use the non prototypical side of the layout as staging.
So I've managed to avoid saying how many locomotives / trains I have (trains as I have shinkansens and other worms as well), plus over the years the missus has bought me many of my most awesome trains (and I couldn't sell a gift even if I wanted to !)
So between North America, Japan, UK and Europe I've topped 100 locos (yikes!), not bad for 35 years of n scale, I don't feel this is excessive, I've saved my pocket money , have no other serious hobbies, don't go to the pub, don't smoke and never have and in the leaner years I find myself in now, I save my £10 a week pocket money and buy when I can afford it.
What I do lament is not have the time to run them all, and the pleasant nightmare I have trying to plan the big future garage layout to be able to afford enough staging for a significant portion of my fleet!
Graham
Oh dear, better go and see the doctor as it seems I'm getting this disease. :doh:
Just realised despite having a layout full of locos I have in the cupboard, tested but unused:-
4 x GWR Dapol panniers
2 x GWR Dapol Halls
1 x GWR Ixion Manor
1 x GWR 28xx
1 x GWR Farish 61xx
1 x Std 5 BR Green
1 x Dapol Class 22 members milk tank set.
1 x FGW HST.
1 x 101 Parcels Express.
Plus on pre-order another 10 locos.
How does this disease creep up on you like this, weird.
The simple answer is there is no such thing as "too many" - you have as many as makes you happy ;)
Personally I have enough for my current layout, but there are many more I like and want for which I will build another layout. However, it doesn't really matter if you have a layout at all and have two or two hundred locos, if that's what makes you happy then good luck to you and no justification to others is necessary - it's clearly none of their business :thumbsup:
Paul
Quote from: Sprintex on March 25, 2014, 09:00:46 AM
The simple answer is there is no such thing as "too many" - you have as many as makes you happy ;)
Personally I have enough for my current layout, but there are many more I like and want for which I will build another layout. However, it doesn't really matter if you have a layout at all and have two or two hundred locos, if that's what makes you happy then good luck to you and no justification to others is necessary - it's clearly none of their business :thumbsup:
Paul
That's dodging the question Sprintex. A very rich addict can be happy, but he is still an addict.
I see the question as being "at what point does the number of locos become too many for practical use". Not beyond which point should you start to sell locos. So you can keep 500 locos but happy as you are 500-x are excess to practical needs. Where x is the practical required number.
My on my feet analysis of responses shows 14 coming through fairly consistently.
I currently have 5 for Apa Park, 2 incoming and 4 on the list...
Owned:
Farish RfD 08 - needs chipping
Dapol Loadhaul 56
Dapol EWS 58
Farish EWS 60
Dapol EWS 66
Incoming:
Dapol Provincial 153
Dapol Provincial 156
The List:
New Farish Dutch 31
New Farish Triple Grey 37/4
New Farish RES 47/7
Farish Provincial 150/2
Stock wise I have rakes of
15x HAA
10x PCA
7x PGA
5x Telescopic Hood
2x TEA
This is adequate to operate APA Park realistically in its current form, I plan to add some more wagons to list as time passes (preferably picking up rakes/part rakes at a time) but the next plan is to build my two other boxes. One will be APA Lane TMD, a TMD in a box based on Leicester to use the loco's on and a Seaside BLT inspired by Skegness/Cleethorpes to make use of the units....
Steve
Quote from: Pengi on March 25, 2014, 07:02:05 AM
Prompted by this thread, I decided to have a clear out of the Kato Shinkansens that I don't run so often. Having tested them and photographed them, have decided that these are the most reliable of my trains, have the nicest and easiest coupling mechanism and they run at bullet train speed :thumbsup: And the same goes for my one and only diesel loco - Kato Red Bear
So they are staying for a little while. Can't really get rid of Kato Eurostar and Thalys because they meet two of the above criteria and same for Fleischmann ICE2. Blue Pullman and Desiro stay along with Arnold ICE3.
So that leaves my Farish Voyagers, slow with fiddly couplings but I can't sell a Voyager :heart2: and also can't sell my Southern and SWT Turbostars because they are my local liveries (which I love) and they do run close to 125 mph - eventually they will develop split gears though :thumbsdown:
So that just leaves the crappy old Dapol HSTs with failed lights that no-one will want anyway and a Dapol Super Voyager that will probably go the same way as the HSTs (but I can't sell a Voyager :heart2: and would buy a Dapol XC Voyager for the right price)
So I have not reduced my fleet at all :(
My privatisation era DMU fleet is tied to the era of Virgin's Voyager between 2001-end of 2007.
I daren't part with mine (Dapol) for now as it's equipped with inter-unit magnetic couplers :thumbsup: which makes it easy to place it on and off the track, but some of their key spares such as motors are no longer available :hmmm:
I can't part with my Grand Central 2 + 3 HST either as it's part of a collection also including steam locos based on names starting with G--- C--- but need a spare HST as a backup eventually because I'm not sure how long Dapol's motors or electronics might last :worried:
A quick head count reveals about 3 GWR steam, 2 early BR steam , 3 diesels and an 08 shunter
plus a Kato motorised chassis I'm trying to turn into a sort of tram loco.
As I run trains according to periods, eg GWR, early BR and BR sectorisation I only have about
3 locos for each period.
I seem to have 26 locos and I haven't even started the layout yet. Did I get too carried away?
Quote from: Pete33 on March 25, 2014, 08:06:35 PM
I seem to have 26 locos and I haven't even started the layout yet. Did I get too carried away?
No, you're just well prepared ;)
Sorry to be a wet blanket but it must be a bit hard to digest for the less well off amongst us to learn that certain people have locos that they have bought and never used, and others have so many locos that they have "swaps", like when we used to collect stamps.
Best regards,
Joe
No point getting jealous that others have more spare cash to spend on trains, and I don't see why they shouldn't be able to say so either. Some on here have FAR more than I do and seem to be buying new locos on a weekly/monthly basis, and in most cases they've probably worked hard to get into that position - good luck to them I say ;)
Paul
The hobby can be as expensive or as cheap as you want it to be....locos are not that much money if you are lucky enough to have the spare income...if not then simply running one train can still be a pleasure and that is the nice part of this hobby..1 or a 100 it makes no difference to the enjoyment.!!!!
Quote from: Sprintex on March 25, 2014, 10:32:48 PM
No point getting jealous that others have more spare cash to spend on trains, and I don't see why they shouldn't be able to say so either. Some on here have FAR more than I do and seem to be buying new locos on a weekly/monthly basis, and in most cases they've probably worked hard to get into that position - good luck to them I say ;)
Paul
True. It's a question of priorities. If you have nothing else in your life, and don't feel the need to either upgrade of maintain the house etc then why not spend all your money on loco after loco. It's not as if say 3 locos a month is anything out of the ordinary.
Quote from: johnlambert on March 25, 2014, 08:07:52 PM
Quote from: Pete33 on March 25, 2014, 08:06:35 PM
I seem to have 26 locos and I haven't even started the layout yet. Did I get too carried away?
No, you're just well prepared ;)
Looks like my cub scout training is paying off then :D
Quote from: joe cassidy on March 25, 2014, 08:10:41 PM
Sorry to be a wet blanket but it must be a bit hard to digest for the less well off amongst us to learn that certain people have locos that they have bought and never used, and others have so many locos that they have "swaps", like when we used to collect stamps.
Joe, I'm on a pretty tight budget myself, but I've managed to collect my locos together in pretty short time. Most of them are second-hand buys off eBay, but for all that, some are almost brand new. If you pick the right battles then you really can get some beautiful locos, such as a Union Mills 0-8-0 at half retail price, or the older Bachmann Farish Jinty for £20. It's certainly possible to build a decent stud on a budget. It just takes a little longer, that's all.
Peter
Quote from: ParkeNd on March 25, 2014, 10:46:59 PM
Quote from: Sprintex on March 25, 2014, 10:32:48 PM
No point getting jealous that others have more spare cash to spend on trains, and I don't see why they shouldn't be able to say so either. Some on here have FAR more than I do and seem to be buying new locos on a weekly/monthly basis, and in most cases they've probably worked hard to get into that position - good luck to them I say ;)
Paul
True. It's a question of priorities. If you have nothing else in your life, and don't feel the need to either upgrade of maintain the house etc then why not spend all your money on loco after loco. It's not as if say 3 locos a month is anything out of the ordinary.
Or getting back to being sensible you might have enough money to maintain the house properly, buy a new car every year, have a busy social life, and STILL buy half a dozen locos a month? Again if that person has worked for it then I say good luck to them ;)
Paul
Quote from: Sprintex on March 25, 2014, 10:51:33 PM
Quote from: ParkeNd on March 25, 2014, 10:46:59 PM
Quote from: Sprintex on March 25, 2014, 10:32:48 PM
No point getting jealous that others have more spare cash to spend on trains, and I don't see why they shouldn't be able to say so either. Some on here have FAR more than I do and seem to be buying new locos on a weekly/monthly basis, and in most cases they've probably worked hard to get into that position - good luck to them I say ;)
Paul
True. It's a question of priorities. If you have nothing else in your life, and don't feel the need to either upgrade of maintain the house etc then why not spend all your money on loco after loco. It's not as if say 3 locos a month is anything out of the ordinary.
Or getting back to being sensible you might have enough money to maintain the house properly, buy a new car every year, have a busy social life, and STILL buy half a dozen locos a month? Again if that person has worked for it then I say good luck to them ;)
Paul
Again true. My salary peaked at a few pence under £50K per annum and with personal pension savings I didn't earn enough to afford what you describe and still spend over £500 a month on locos. So I would have to admit to being one of the poor guys and out of my depth in this sort of company.
Crikey ,going into sort of lifestyle/ social comment. Must admit I don't see the point of buying a stack of locos and not running them unless you plan to flog them off later. But each to their own.
As Bruce Springsteen says " They're born to run ", like watches and cameras not sit in a cabinet like a stuffed owl.
I've got no problems with someone who wants to buy nearly unlimited amounts if that's what they can and want to do.
For me, though, I have this weird relationship with my "things". Bear with me, this explanation my get a bit unwieldy...
I have a pretty sizable CD collection (yes, cds, I love them!)(and not that big, just bigger than most casual music lovers- I bet some here have much larger collections) but I try to keep it to a certain size. If it gets too big I start calculating how often I'd get to listen to each cd if I listen to say, 3 a day, every day. I feel bad if I don't get around to each cd often enough, so I make sure all the cds I keep are 8.5 or 9+ on the 10 scale. Really strong "keeper" cds that demand attention and a spot in my rotation.
I have this same feeling with my locos. If I get too many per road name or layout, I'll start getting that queasy feeling that I might not get around to each of them often enough. SO, that feeling informs my decision on roster size. Even if I don't envision an end-game number on the amount of locos I acquire, they will add up slowly over time.
Hope this makes sense.
I must admit that I own a three figured collection of locomotives, emu's, dmu's and carriages. I started N-guage in the early eighties. There was a 7 years blank period in between which I shifted my attention to bb guns. With some simple mathematics it figured that averaging of less than 10 rolling stock were purchased per year.
Surely that is not too out of the line, is it?
Interesting thread so I looked at my spreadsheets. I have about 90 US outline locos, both steam and diesel, mostly diesel. All purchased between 1985 and 2005. Some of the diesels are actually dummy B-units, now that I think about it. Not all of the powered locos actually run at this point and at least 2/3rds of the diesels are Life-Like models bought before Life-Like was bought out by Walthers and the prices soared. I remember buying a four or five GP20s in the early 2000s direct from Life-Like for $12 each just because they were so inexpensive. US outline - even Kato stuff - has always been so much cheaper than British outline! Anyhow, very few of these locos get run now since I switched to British outline in 2005.
As for British outline, I have 55 steam engines, of Dapol, Farish, Union Mills and Peco manufacture. All of them get run regularly though I do have my favorites. Only two are exact duplicates - a couple Poole Farish Midland Compounds. I have two old Farish Coronations (with different liveries), one A3 each from both Farish and Dapol, one J39 each from Union Mills and Farish, and one each of the old and new tooling of the Farish Black 5. All the rest are models of completely different prototypes. Not different liveries, but different locos entirely, so all told, about 50 different prototypes. I think that's remarkable that so many different steam engines have been modeled in British N gauge.
My British outline diesel/DMU spreadsheet is not up-to-date. A good guess is probably about 110 locos/DMUs, only a couple of which are now non-runners. All the rest get regular running. I freely admit I have purchased too many 1Co-Co1 Type 4 locos. The Peaks and 40s are my favorites and I have purchased duplicates of each livery released for each of those types, so perhaps about 30 locos all told of those classes. Fortunately for my pocketbook those models are older and low-tech and have historically be sold on offer fairly regularly. I also have multiple examples (though unlike the Type 4s not necessarily repeated liveries) of 24s, 26s, 37s, 50s, 52s, and 55s. I'd say those six classes plus the aforementioned Type 4s make up perhaps 2/3rds of my collection, the rest are one-offs of various classes with the occasional duplicate in a different livery.
I'm actually pleased with my collection of British steam engines, having purchased a very diverse and fine running lot mostly on sale, although sometimes the sales have been at inconvenient times. My British diesel collection I'm less pleased with simply because of my repetitive purchases of some classes which I cannot really explain except for a failure of character. There are some classes such as the 50 and 55 (and I'm sure the 40 at some point) where fully retooled models are due to be released and while I suppose I might buy one or two of each class, the complexity (and fragility) of the new mechanisms and lighting in the new locos intimidates me and puts me off - along with the skyrocketing prices. In short, I expect to purchase markedly fewer locos in the years going forward compared to what I've bought in the past nine.
Matt
Quote from: oreamnos on March 26, 2014, 06:28:08 AM
Interesting thread so I looked at my spreadsheets.
Matt
That's posh. I record my locos on one side of a blank postcard and coach numbers on the other. It probably works just as well, can be taken with me to shops or shows and is easy to use.
For the record, at the moment, I have:
3 x Class 22s
5 x Hymeks
4 x Warships (and one pre ordered)
2x Westerns
1 x Class 14
1 x Class 08
1 x Class 47
Technically those, plus a couple of DMUs, are all the locos I would ever need, but hardly scratched the surface of what I desire.
Not sure that I understand the concept of owning too many locos.?....................is it a bit like left-over wine?............another concept equally lost on me
:D
Quote from: joe cassidy on March 25, 2014, 08:10:41 PM
Sorry to be a wet blanket but it must be a bit hard to digest for the less well off amongst us to learn that certain people have locos that they have bought and never used, and others have so many locos that they have "swaps", like when we used to collect stamps.
Best regards,
Joe
Perhaps I should qualify my previous statement that I have locos in the cupboard unused, the reason they are in the cupboard is that I can't afford to put decoders in them at the moment. It costs as much or more to put sound into a loco than to buy the loco, as I am also on a tight budget, I've bought the locos I will eventually need to run the layout properly whilst they are available. Although I have just a state pension I am lucky in that my house is bought and paid for with no mortgage (worked hard to achieve this) plus other outgoings are kept to a minimum. Just saying. :)
Quote from: oreamnos on March 26, 2014, 06:28:08 AM
Interesting thread so I looked at my spreadsheets.
Matt
I use spreadsheets too :thumbsup: One for train formations including indicators for DCC chip fitted, loco address, and wagons fitted with Dapol magnetic uncouplers. Another sheet for total layout cost to date (scary that one! :o ), and another one containing my 'wishlist' :)
Paul
Quote from: joe cassidy on March 25, 2014, 08:10:41 PM
Sorry to be a wet blanket but it must be a bit hard to digest for the less well off amongst us to learn that certain people have locos that they have bought and never used, and others have so many locos that they have "swaps", like when we used to collect stamps.
Best regards,
Joe
Check out our buy/sell/swap section N'porium for used stock. Likewise shop around and there are bargains around to be had and buying from Germany and France has saved me at least 1/3 of the UK price :) (with cheaper postage and faster delivery :))
I used to buy stuff from Japan, again saving considerable amounts :) :) but have stopped now in case I get stung for import duty etc (so far been lucky)
Finally this is getting to be really good reading. Come on you 100+ hoarders. We know you are out there. It's not a crime - we just need to hear about it.
Quote from: ParkeNd on March 26, 2014, 09:54:25 AM
Come on you 100+ hoarders.
Is that their age or their number of locos.... :D
Quote from: Agrippa on March 26, 2014, 09:58:29 AM
Quote from: ParkeNd on March 26, 2014, 09:54:25 AM
Come on you 100+ hoarders.
Is that their age or their number of locos.... :D
If the people who predict longevity to reduce annuity rates are right it could soon be true for both.
Quote from: D1042 Western Princess on March 26, 2014, 06:43:48 AM
Quote from: oreamnos on March 26, 2014, 06:28:08 AM
Interesting thread so I looked at my spreadsheets.
Matt
That's posh. I record my locos on one side of a blank postcard and coach numbers on the other. It probably works just as well, can be taken with me to shops or shows and is easy to use.
For the record, at the moment, I have:
Hardly. It's an absolute necessity for insurance purposes. I don't know how homeowners insurance policies work in other countries but in the US, items like model trains are not covered completely under a standard home policy. Instead should there be a loss, they would be covered only at a fraction of their replacement cost and they would also be subject to a low maximum payout cap limitation, perhaps $500 to $1000 (if that!) for a whole collection. To get full coverage for their replacement cost in the event of a loss the policy holder has to purchase a supplemental policy and "specially schedule" items like model trains and pay a surcharge for that coverage. Given that I have more than 200 locos each worth (for sake of example here) $100 each, that's $20,000 of value I need to insure. My insurance agent has a copy of the aforementioned spreadsheet so the insurer can assess what extra premium to charge me and also so that in the event I file a claim the value of the collection is already known to it. I actually need to send him an updated copy since the version of the spreadsheet he has is probably five or six years old and out of date.
Matt
For me, 'too many' locos would be more than the Working Timetable requires. In which case, despite selling off many, I still have too many! However, as I'm modelling 1961-1969 BR SR and WR steam and diesel, that's still a LOT of locos. required for a Summer Saturday WTT for each period. I also have a few locos., simply because I like them, even though they would never have run in North Cornwall: a Class 46, 52 "Western" and a "Jubilee" to be renumbered and renamed as "Alberta" as it was a very late survivor (1967) and a schoolfriend's favourite loco. AS other's have mentioned the cost of DCC conversion means that it will be a LONG time before every loco. will be able to run under DCC. To start, the aim is to have one of each type (steam and diesel) converted by Wickness and to leave the BR Blue ones (at present one Class 03 and one Class 04, only) to last.
You can never have too many locomotives, power tools, aeroplane kits (balsa or plastic), guitars, t-shirts or shiny things for a classic Mini.
Quote from: ParkeNd on March 26, 2014, 09:54:25 AM
Finally this is getting to be really good reading. Come on you 100+ hoarders. We know you are out there. It's not a crime - we just need to hear about it.
You know, as I stated in my response to this thread, I admit I have purchased duplicate examples of certain locos, particluar 1Co-Co1 types, beyond a number I myself think is justified. Your use of the word "hoarder" therefore actually touches a bit of a raw nerve with me. "Hoarding" may not be a a "crime" but it can be (and has been) considered an illness and I have wondered if my multiple purchases of the same loco suggests some sort of pathology.
While I appreciate that you were not intentionally trying to "push peoples' buttons" and no offense was ever intended (and I took very little), a more careful choice of words when you goad people to respond to this thread would still be appreciated by me.
Matt
I wouldn't class myself as being a hoarder but Wadebridge only ever had two ex-GWR pannier tanks allocated to it at a time and I have one Dapol and two Graham Farish ones in BR Black plus a Graham Farish one in GWR Green (Bodmin GWS) . . .
When it comes to non-perishable food items, I AM a bit of a hoarder but I get this from my mother who got it from her mother when my mother was growing up in WW2!
Quote from: oreamnos on March 26, 2014, 04:40:44 PM
Quote from: ParkeNd on March 26, 2014, 09:54:25 AM
Finally this is getting to be really good reading. Come on you 100+ hoarders. We know you are out there. It's not a crime - we just need to hear about it.
You know, as I stated in my response to this thread, I admit I have purchased duplicate examples of certain locos, particluar 1Co-Co1 types, beyond a number I myself think is justified. Your use of the word "hoarder" therefore actually touches a bit of a raw nerve with me. "Hoarding" may not be a a "crime" but it can be (and has been) considered an illness and I have wondered if my multiple purchases of the same loco suggests some sort of pathology.
While I appreciate that you were not intentionally trying to "push peoples' buttons" and no offense was ever intended (and I took very little), a more careful choice of words when you goad people to respond to this thread would still be appreciated by me.
Matt
verb
accumulate (money or valued objects) and hide or store away.
No offense intended. It's just using the English language. If someone has 150 locos, and I guess plenty have, then they won't all fit on the layout at the same time, and must be "stored away"
I suppose that I should nail my colours to the mast and admit that I am "guility" of having too many locos (and coaches). My defence is as follows.
When I started in N in 1996 my plan was to have only LMS locos/stock. However, 2 subsequent events led me to become more flexible (i.e. I discovered "rule 1") :
- Minitrix withdrew from the market
- Graham Farish were taken over by Bachmann
For a long time there were no new LMS locos on the market, but I had cash available to spend on my hobby, so the result was that I went into a "feeding frenzy" and bought stuff out of period and out of location because I was worried that the end of British N gauge was in sight.
Happily I was wrong, but that is why I have a few locos gathering dust that have not seen the light of day for a year or two.
The other confession I would like to make is that a few years ago (before the Farish Jubilee came out) there was a discussion on another N Gauge form about who had the most Peco Jubilees. I had (still have ) none, and so I felt, at best frustrated, at worst jealous, of those who had 5 or 6.
Sorry if this is boring/off topic but I felt the need to explain my previous post on this topic a bit.
Best regards,
Joe
Quote from: ParkeNd on March 26, 2014, 09:54:25 AM
Finally this is getting to be really good reading. Come on you 100+ hoarders. We know you are out there. It's not a crime - we just need to hear about it.
I had about 150 loco's that I'd collected from when I started in N back in the 90's. It was easy to get them cheaply and repair them. My first repair was a pair of Farish Poole Intercity 125's, with brass geared motor bogies. £35 for two sets, and they just needed new brushes and the armature cleaned up. A very happy 13 year old! I've since been selling them to make some money to get DCC models, as the money I once had now goes to my family and home.
Everyone has a different lifestyle, are at different stages of their life, varying incomes, varying out goings..... Whether you have a layout, building a layout, a collector....does it matter? It's all part of this expensive hobby that we've chosen to have fun with. ;)
I suppose that if this debate was on a female-dominated forum instead of a male-dominated one we would be talking about shoes :)
My wife definitely has more shoes than I have locos, and I can buy 2 locos for the price of one of her pairs of shoes :thumbsup:
Best regards,
Joe
Quote from: joe cassidy on March 27, 2014, 01:04:13 PM
I suppose that if this debate was on a female-dominated forum instead of a male-dominated one we would be talking about shoes :)
My wife definitely has more shoes than I have locos, and I can buy 2 locos for the price of one of her pairs of shoes :thumbsup:
Best regards,
Joe
I got my last pair of shoes for the price of a wagon :D Mind you, it
was in a sale...
Quote from: Tank on March 27, 2014, 09:06:41 AM
Quote from: ParkeNd on March 26, 2014, 09:54:25 AM
Finally this is getting to be really good reading. Come on you 100+ hoarders. We know you are out there. It's not a crime - we just need to hear about it.
I had about 150 loco's that I'd collected from when I started in N back in the 90's. It was easy to get them cheaply and repair them. My first repair was a pair of Farish Poole Intercity 125's, with brass geared motor bogies. £35 for two sets, and they just needed new brushes and the armature cleaned up. A very happy 13 year old! I've since been selling them to make some money to get DCC models, as the money I once had now goes to my family and home.
Everyone has a different lifestyle, are at different stages of their life, varying incomes, varying out goings..... Whether you have a layout, building a layout, a collector....does it matter? It's all part of this expensive hobby that we've chosen to have fun with. ;)
If the only allowable answer is "I've got the quantity I want to have and thats the right answer for everyone" - then this thread has no point. It's only interesting if there are opposing answers. The question was "How many are too many" - not how many locos have you got. Total accord can be boring sometimes.
If my wife had as many pairs of shoes as I've got locos, I'd be worried about finding room to store the rest of my rolling stock!
Pete @ EGLM
Quote from: joe cassidy on March 27, 2014, 01:04:13 PM
I suppose that if this debate was on a female-dominated forum instead of a male-dominated one we would be talking about shoes :)
Oh dear! Welcome to Stereotypes 'R' Us. Not every female has countless pairs of shoes and handbags to match, just like not every railway modeller is a NHS-bespectacled trainspotter without a girlfriend ;)
Quote from: ParkeNd on March 27, 2014, 06:45:10 PM
Quote from: Tank on March 27, 2014, 09:06:41 AM
Quote from: ParkeNd on March 26, 2014, 09:54:25 AM
Finally this is getting to be really good reading. Come on you 100+ hoarders. We know you are out there. It's not a crime - we just need to hear about it.
I had about 150 loco's that I'd collected from when I started in N back in the 90's. It was easy to get them cheaply and repair them. My first repair was a pair of Farish Poole Intercity 125's, with brass geared motor bogies. £35 for two sets, and they just needed new brushes and the armature cleaned up. A very happy 13 year old! I've since been selling them to make some money to get DCC models, as the money I once had now goes to my family and home.
Everyone has a different lifestyle, are at different stages of their life, varying incomes, varying out goings..... Whether you have a layout, building a layout, a collector....does it matter? It's all part of this expensive hobby that we've chosen to have fun with. ;)
If the only allowable answer is "I've got the quantity I want to have and thats the right answer for everyone" - then this thread has no point.
The thread has no point anyway since it cannot be quantified due to differing individual requirements.
QuoteThe question was "How many are too many" - not how many locos have you got.
Quote from: ParkeNd on March 26, 2014, 09:54:25 AM
Come on you 100+ hoarders. We know you are out there. It's not a crime - we just need to hear about it.
:hmmm: :D
Paul
This thread is becoming like how long is a piece of string- or should that be thread?
Everyone fell into the trap of listing their 5 million locos instead of answering the question.
The obvious answer is if you have more locos than you can run realistically on your layout
you have too many.
As for NHS - bespectacled trainspotters I must concede that they are scruffy , unkempt and smelly
and the male ones are even worse.......... :D
Yeah, well in the end you pay your money and buy as many or as few locos as you want , whether they are too many
becomes irrelevant if you want them I suppose.
Using ParkeNd's analysis,which I do believe is accurate I would say I have far to many locomotives
my only functioning layout is a part built double boxfile layout.
I have been planning a 4' by 3' for 3 years but time and circumstances have conspired against this . Everything is there and boxed in my loft and it will happen at some point hopefully by the end of summer but this means currently I have about twelve too many as I could only justify four currently .
Quote from: joe cassidy on March 27, 2014, 01:04:13 PM
I suppose that if this debate was on a female-dominated forum instead of a male-dominated one we would be talking about shoes :)
My wife definitely has more shoes than I have locos, and I can buy 2 locos for the price of one of her pairs of shoes :thumbsup:
Best regards,
Joe
I thought this was a female-dominated forum . . . :P ;) :laugh: :P :bounce: :P
Quote from: Agrippa on March 27, 2014, 11:48:36 PM
The obvious answer is if you have more locos than you can run realistically on your layout
you have too many.
I don't agree - I have many more than I can run at once, but that is because I have sets from various eras and regions that I wouldn't generally run together - it allows me to ring the changes and run western region steam one day and modern image diesel electric the next for instance.
I let the trains set the scene, with the layout being more of a backdrop for them.
I don't see there's much debate here - each to their own, though I can understand those who may be a bit dischuffed when they hear how much stock others have. But to them I'd say look for cheap non-runners that can be refurbished - it's a cheap way of getting more stock, learning how to maintain and improve them - it's how I started gaining stock I wanted about 10 years ago when not much new was being produced (Bachmann had just taken over Farish, Dapol weren't in the game yet) and therefore secondhand prices for good runners had skyrocketed.
Cheers,
Alan
My (other) two penn'rth....
As a serial and self confessed "accumulator", I reckon you can never have too many nice things.
Even if you have just one loop of track, putting a different loco on it changes everything about it - the period, the location, the whole feel. And even if you just like the look of a particular loco, that alone is a good enough reason to have it.
I am the same about guitars (I have ten!). I have two classical guitars - but one's a "classic" Spanish guitar and the other a lute guitar - they look and sound entirely different. Same with my (some home-made!) electric guitars. They are functional, beautiful and most importantly they bring me enormous joy - and what could possibly be wrong with that?
So unless you have so many locos that you can't see the floor/get into bed at night without rolling onto a stray Jinty, I would have as many as you like.
Some of the responses infer that C J Freezer was wrong to suggest that there is a difference between "want" and "required" and the basis for that disagreement is that modern lifestyle differences, priorities, having access to enough finance, and just wanting to buy more, overrides "the requirement of the layout".
Though no-one is suggesting it is a sin, the same logic can be applied to justify other excesses to requirement by denying that "requirement" is not a valid concept if it doesn't suit the individual. Like obesity. One could just as easy discount the 1700-2200 calories per day requirement and say that because someone has enough access to finance, sets it as their priority, wants to, and it is there lifestyle choice, they can eat as many burgers and as much pizza as they want because it is there right to be 18 stone. There is no such thing, therefore, as too much food.
The OP didn't ask the model rail equivalent of "how many burgers do you eat", she asked "how many burgers are too many".
Quote from: ParkeNd on March 28, 2014, 10:05:42 AM
The OP didn't ask the model rail equivalent of "how many burgers do you eat", she asked "how many burgers are too many".
Only the OP can decide this when it comes to locos on an individual basis as there is no right answer!
Cheers,
Alan
I agree with Alan. I think most people have taken the original question as humorous, as it's obvious that there is no clear answer as to too many! As I stated, it depends on everyone's individual circumstances as to the number they have, and why I stated (after ParkeNd asked) that I had 150 loco's, but had to sell them to buy DCC loco's Clearly I had too many for my finances.
Quote from: ParkeNd on March 28, 2014, 10:05:42 AM
The OP didn't ask the model rail equivalent of "how many burgers do you eat", she asked "how many burgers are too many".
I'm not sure Greg (aka D1042 Western Princess) will be too pleased with being called a "she" either! :laugh:
Paul
Quote from: Dr Al on March 28, 2014, 09:22:21 AM
Quote from: Agrippa on March 27, 2014, 11:48:36 PM
The obvious answer is if you have more locos than you can run realistically on your layout
you have too many.
I don't agree - I have many more than I can run at once, but that is because I have sets from various eras and regions that I wouldn't generally run together - it allows me to ring the changes and run western region steam one day and modern image diesel electric the next for instance.
I let the trains set the scene, with the layout being more of a backdrop for them.
I don't see there's much debate here - each to their own, though I can understand those who may be a bit dischuffed when they hear how much stock others have. But to them I'd say look for cheap non-runners that can be refurbished - it's a cheap way of getting more stock, learning how to maintain and improve them - it's how I started gaining stock I wanted about 10 years ago when not much new was being produced (Bachmann had just taken over Farish, Dapol weren't in the game yet) and therefore secondhand prices for good runners had skyrocketed.
Cheers,
Alan
Yes Dr A , I agree your point about having stock for different eras and regions, I was thinking more of someone with a huge number of locos languishing (can locos languish?) in a cabinet or on a shelf which will never see
a wheel turn.
Like others, I have locos to suit different eras but have deliberately not stated a number as I have no wish to give ammunition to ParkeNd to fire in this thread. I'm afraid his continuous goading, baiting and general 'stirring of the pot' does nothing for the discussion and so, like a Dragon "I'm out" (and no, I'm not up to 100 .............yet)
NN if you were Duncan Bannatyne it would be " Ahm oot !", as in "Ah dinnae see any future for this new fangled
television apparatus so Ahm oot ! ".
Ps Goading, baiting and stirring of the pot sound like Gordon Ramsay............:D
Quote from: newportnobby on March 28, 2014, 11:59:58 AM
Like others, I have locos to suit different eras but have deliberately not stated a number as I have no wish to give ammunition to ParkeNd to fire in this thread. I'm afraid his continuous goading, baiting and general 'stirring of the pot' does nothing for the discussion and so, like a Dragon "I'm out" (and no, I'm not up to 100 .............yet)
Very well said Mick, hope you're feeling a lot better, :beers:
Best wishes,
Rob.
Quote from: Sprintex on March 28, 2014, 10:35:38 AM
I'm not sure Greg (aka D1042 Western Princess) will be too pleased with being called a "she" either! :laugh:
There may be more than one of
us- I mean you lot who are guilt of making that mistake. But what can you expect when a bloke calls himself a princess! :-[
Quote from: newportnobby on March 28, 2014, 11:59:58 AM------------------------- as I have no wish to give ammunition to ParkeNd to fire in this thread. I'm afraid his continuous goading, baiting and general 'stirring of the pot' does nothing for the discussion and so, like a Dragon "I'm out" (and no, I'm not up to 100 .............yet)
Hope you are improving Mick - and will soon be powering along.
There was no intention to goad and stir the pot - just that I thought it had the potential to be a one of the best threads yet - especially if people didn't read the original question as "how many locos do you have"
However - this post convinces me to retire to just reading other peoples threads - and maybe a once a month simple post on the Parkend Layout thread.
Maybe I'll be back one day but much later on.
But get well Mick.
Chris
Quote from: Dr Al on March 28, 2014, 09:22:21 AM
I don't agree - I have many more than I can run at once, but that is because I have sets from various eras and regions that I wouldn't generally run together - it allows me to ring the changes and run western region steam one day and modern image diesel electric the next for instance.
I let the trains set the scene, with the layout being more of a backdrop for them.
I don't see there's much debate here - each to their own, though I can understand those who may be a bit dischuffed when they hear how much stock others have. But to them I'd say look for cheap non-runners that can be refurbished - it's a cheap way of getting more stock, learning how to maintain and improve them - it's how I started gaining stock I wanted about 10 years ago when not much new was being produced (Bachmann had just taken over Farish, Dapol weren't in the game yet) and therefore secondhand prices for good runners had skyrocketed.
Cheers,
Alan
If you have more than you can sensibly store - only then is it probably too many and will end up on "the hoarder next door" type programs. If you can store them safely and they get an occasional run then why not, especially if you run stuff from a wide period and many locations you need a fair few.
Iv learned to buy just what I really want.
regards
Russ
Quote from: ParkeNd on March 28, 2014, 01:28:17 PM
Quote from: newportnobby on March 28, 2014, 11:59:58 AM------------------------- as I have no wish to give ammunition to ParkeNd to fire in this thread. I'm afraid his continuous goading, baiting and general 'stirring of the pot' does nothing for the discussion and so, like a Dragon "I'm out" (and no, I'm not up to 100 .............yet)
There was no intention to goad and stir the pot - just that I thought it had the potential to be a one of the best threads yet - especially if people didn't read the original question as "how many locos do you have"
Sorry to labour the point, Chris, but this thread (and several others) contain goading posts as, it seems to me, if you're not really interested in the thread concerned you enjoy tweaking other folks tails. As for stating this had the potential to be one of the best threads yet - you have previously been most vociferous in denigrating those who show their latest loco purchase and have lambasted them relentlessly :confused2:
Quote from: ParkeNd on March 28, 2014, 01:28:17 PM
However - this post convinces me to retire to just reading other peoples threads - and maybe a once a month simple post on the Parkend Layout thread.
That is obviously a choice for you personally. I consider it a shame though as, in the main, I enjoy your posts and think your layout thread is excellent.
Thanks also for your good wishes following my hip replacement.
Quote from: Pete33 on March 28, 2014, 01:00:51 PM
Quote from: Sprintex on March 28, 2014, 10:35:38 AM
I'm not sure Greg (aka D1042 Western Princess) will be too pleased with being called a "she" either! :laugh:
There may be more than one of us- I mean you lot who are guilt of making that mistake. But what can you expect when a bloke calls himself a princess! :-[
The question was how many are too many? Basically, how many locos over the number needed to run the layout do you think you should have before saying "enough"? Why do some seem to think the question was about shoes?? :doh:
Why do others seem to think a person choosing the name of their favourite loco (for VERY personal reasons to do with my lovely girlfriend) are good reasons for personal insults?
Really I think this thread has run its course and think there is little point in continuing it.
I genuinely thought it to be a friendly site, but some comments are making me wonder.
I don't think anyone meant to insult you, they just saw your username in a different context.
I'm locking this thread now.