How many are "too many"?

[Pengi]

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 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  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

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  and would buy a Dapol XC Voyager for the right price)

So I have not reduced my fleet at all 

[grumbeast]

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

[Caz]

Oh dear, better go and see the doctor as it seems I'm getting this disease. 

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.

[Sprintex]

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


Paul

[ParkeNd]

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


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.

[Sipat]

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

[gc4946]

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 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  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

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  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  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 

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 

[Agrippa]

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.

[CarriageShed]

I seem to have 26 locos and I haven't even started the layout yet. Did I get too carried away?

[johnlambert]

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

[joe cassidy]

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

[Sprintex]

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

[sparky]

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.!!!!

[ParkeNd]

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.

[CarriageShed]

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

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