Naming & Numbering locos

[mojo]

Many years ago there were several modellers in 00 gauge who adopted different names and numbers to each side of a loco, say Silver Link one side and Silver Fox on the other.
Do any current modellers in N gauge use this approach?
It seems a good idea to double your stock rota at little cost.

Maurice C.

[KevTheBusDriver]

An interesting thought - in the '80s myself and a few fellow N-gaugers toyed with the idea of not only different names/numbers but also different liveries - for example, a Warship or a Western with full yellow ends could be blue one side and maroon (or green) the other! Only if it was only ever viewed on one side, of course. The only time I used this application was on a Class 304 EMU which is Rail Blue one side and Blue/Grey on the other. My current layout has a lot of kit-built freight stock to which I only apply transfers to one side (the viewing side).

[Dr Al]

Devalues the stock massively. For that reason I'd say not worth it.

Cheers,
Alan

[Bealman]

No disrespect to the OP, but I think the idea rather silly. I wouldn't like to find that when Mallard came out of a curved tunnel on my layout it had mysteriously turned into Bittern!

Sorry! 

[Graham]

tend to agree with @Dr Al  and @Bealman, not for me. At the very least it would confuse my DCC numbering scheme

[belstone]

Devalues the stock massively. For that reason I'd say not worth it.

Cheers,
Alan

With all due respect, surely that would only matter if you were planning to sell up and change hobbies?  They're model railway locomotives, not Wedgewood collector plates.  As far as I'm concerned, once I buy a model that's a sunk cost, not an investment.  I'm not planning to sell it so I'm happy to renumber, weather, detail or modify it.  I've considered the idea of two different running numbers for some of the Stobs fleet as it is a dogbone layout and each side of the loco is seen alternately.  But what to do about the smokebox number plate? That killed the idea for me.

Richard

[Dr Al]

Sure. But it does seem to be a fact - the vast majority of buyers don't really want that. It's the same for non standard coupling changes (less problematic in some ways today with NEM mounts). Modifications that genuinely improve models, either cosmetically or mechanically (or both) in ways that still make them accessible to the majority will maintain or even raise the value.

For steam, the smokebox numberplate is a particularly good point.

Of course, some don't ever see selling, and each to their own, but if you do change your mind, or hit hard times and need to sell, folk should be aware that they may have more difficulty doing so, particularly given the 'sunk cost' is ever increasing these days, and therefore getting a decent chink of that money back may be desired.

Cheers,
Alan

[njee20]

He didn't dispute the fact it devalues them, merely that may not be a driver for some. It certainly isn't for me. If I want to modify stock in any way then the effect on the resale value is not a consideration.

I don't really like the idea of 'split' numbers, and really dislike the idea of different liveries, but that has nothing at all to do with resale value.

It's not just steam locos with smokebox numbers, virtually all modern stock has a number visible on the ends too.

[Dr Al]

He didn't dispute the fact it devalues them, merely that may not be a driver for some. It certainly isn't for me. If I want to modify stock in any way then the effect on the resale value is not a consideration.

Indeed - but for the OP it's useful to make the point, as they may not have thought of it when considering if they want to proceed with this.

I think it's clear from my workbench that I'm not afraid to modify...!

Cheers,
Alan

[njee20]

Well no, but your opening gambit was that it's "not worth it" because it devalues the stock. No one is disputing that, but that may not be a consideration for the OP. Anyway, splitting hairs, we both agree that it's less than optimal for so many reasons!

[Dr Al]

we both agree that it's less than optimal for so many reasons!

Perhaps the other reason of course is that you still have one physical loco - it may have two identities, but can't be in two places at once, so the actual enhanced function is somewhat limited IMHO.

Cheers,
Alan

[belstone]

He didn't dispute the fact it devalues them, merely that may not be a driver for some. It certainly isn't for me. If I want to modify stock in any way then the effect on the resale value is not a consideration.

To be fair, looking around the various forums there are a lot of new modellers who have gone out and bought lots of locos and stock but aren't yet sure whether this hobby is really for them.  Those people will have resale value very much in mind. There was another big collection dumped on eBay a couple of weeks ago - lots of locos "run once, as new, boxed with instructions" etc etc.  Sad really, this hobby isn't so big that we can afford to keep losing people like that. But I'm wandering off topic now.

Richard

[njee20]

Of course, it's totally valid to have it as a consideration, never said anything to the contrary. I'd also resolutely ignore anyone on eBay who says "never even removed from box"

[Bealman]

Everytime I remove a new model from the box, be it a wagon, coach, or locomotive, I invariably break something off... a buffer, as on my new Deltic, or exhausts as in, worse still, my Blue Pullman! 

So yeah, I'd never get away with 'never removed from the box' 

[Newportnobby]

I keep everything as standard as possible, including retaining original packaging supplied.
Reason being no one will want the stuff when I shuffle off this mortal coil so it gets sold off and proceeds go to Help 4 Heroes. Bit pointless having stock devalued/rejected by potential buyers owing to alterations thus reducing the donation.