I'm an older guy (66) and I've only been in the hobby 6-7 years, so I don't have the back-story and collection many model railroaders have. I have a display case that holds 25 locomotives. If I have 26 locomotives, then something has to go (I currently have 3 on ebay to make room for locomotives I've ordered). I've become much more selective in what I'm buying, I'm only buying premium rolling stock and locomotives from now on. Anything that doesn't fit that criteria has to go. But it's different for everyone, for some collecting is the hobby and many are nostalgic. There's a hundred ways to be involved in the hobby, we all do it out own way.
It sounds like you have a nice collection going. I don't have stuff in a case, but I am starting to think like that a little myself. What can I get rid of next? There are a lot of models that I have an attachment to that I'd never part with, but some others are candidates for re-homing. Thanks for watching!
Super. Out of 91 locomotives that I have bought new over the last fifty years, 64 units, from almost every manufacturer there is, (No brass) have proven to be survivors on my railroad. Nineteen locomotives were turned into lighted dummies as malfunctions occured, ten were traded or destroyed by accident, and two are sentimental roundhouse scenery queens, because I bought newer, better versions. These locomotives operate inside and outside, in all kinds of weather, and some of the older models have a nice patina that makes them look very realistic. Hello from the Tracy Mountain Railway in Colorado. 💙 T.E.N.
It sounds like maybe you're in large scale, if it's indoor and outdoor? I'm glad you've found a way to make use of the locomotives that have had issues. I'm glad you liked the video. Thanks for watching!
I stopped collecting when the display cabinet got full. It's a real problem when have you go back to Ikea to buy more shelving. One thing for sure, you have to take your locomotives out of the boxes to truly appreciate how much you have. Thanks for sharing.
I may eventually get some shelves, too, though I'm hoping the HO stuff will fit on the layout. I think it would be cool to be able to see everything at once. I remember a hobby shop when I was a kid that had a huge case full of brass HO locomotives, and I loved to just stare at it. Thanks for watching!
I know what you mean. I bought an Atlas Mp15dc NS non sound. I put sound in it and re decaled it to CIT 1515 not a Proto typical number but it suits me for what I wanted. Happy with it. So I'm not really a Proto typical modeler but it is fun!
Despite living on the west coast, I'm modeling near South Bend Indiana in the late 60s the interest came from GTW 5629 and needing a place near Chicago to have steam excursions.
Similarly here, despite living on the east coast, I'm a big SP and D&RGW fan and modeling mainly the D&RGW. But I grew up on the west coast so no wonder I like SP!
That sounds cool. Nichole and I took a trip on Amtrak to Indiana in 2017 to visit the NYC railroad museum in Elkhart. We went through Chicago, and there's so much interesting railroading in that area. Thanks for watching!
@@DanielCortopassi It's fun to take the train. I road the San Francisco Zephyr from Iowa to Sacramento and again from Sacramento to Denver. I didn't know there was a Museum in Indiana and I'm an Indiana University alum twice over! LOL
Thanks Dan, as always, My reasoning for having around 250 locos, is that I can only fit about 8 0r so on the layout, at a time & the rest are stored in drawers.My reasoning is that because I use only about 8 locos at a time, is that 250 locos share the workload,so dont wear out. I are you supposed to do when a reputably company choses to release a model that you NEED.Turn a blind eye??? I think not. It really is a bugger but its just something that has to be done. We, as consumers, are abliged to purchase these models, eh? Although, I confess to shop more on ebay than purchasing brand new. I dont put my locos back in boxes, as they are more "hidden" than having them in drawers, ready to go,The steamers, I have all the tenders connected up ready to go as well as it prevents having to connect & disconnect those electrical plugs.Thanks again fir the video, from an SP & UP modeller.....michael NZ
I could see using drawers as a good storage option. I'm contemplating possibly using some cabinets under the benchwork in a couple spots in the train room, so that I can keep doing my part to support the hobby by buying more trains... LOL. I'm actually trying to cut my collection a little, but that hasn't stopped me from buying some stuff. And you can never have too much storage. Thanks for watching!
I once had a big fleet. I reduced it to 8 diesels and 8 steamers (i need to do a recount on NG locos and stock) plus i think 40 cars and 12 coaches.. everything retained was things that were special to me or fit my time period. Occasionally i still get new equipment but only if the price is right and it fits my era (with some exeptions) of the 1920s and 30s. The diesels all come from before i chose this time period but the detail work i put into them to make road accurate models (and i only ever weathered diesels.. never steam) means i will still use them time to time. My layout is a double inglenook (5-3-3 at end, 3-2-2 doubling as a run around for up to 4 cars in the middle with a 4 track slide staging at the end. Total length of 10 foot (8 for layout 2 for staging. It is large enough that i can ise every loco i have comfortably (even the lone large loco.. a reading T1) and 14 cars i can switch between
This has been a really interesting discussion, hearing from different people about how much equipment is the right amount for them. It sounds like you have a nice layout and some cool equipment. Thanks for watching!
Glad to hear of the progress on the train room. Very interesting discussion Dan glad to hear your perspective how you got to where you think you will be when the layout is done. Thx for sharing!
Last time i did an inventory of my locomotives it was over 230 engines. Thats not even including self propelled rail cars. This video was very informative thanks for posting it!
interesting point you brought up. I often think the same. My layout that i am in the process of building has lower staging as well and a lot of the trains run to and from stagging. What I have discovered is that you cant have to many locomotives but you can limited your freight cars especially on unit trains and mixed freight. I had a layout I visited once where the owner would run the train to and from staging. when the train got to stagging he would swap the power out lash on New Power and send the train back over the layout again. normally to speed up the process he would run the train to stagging uncouple the power on the front hook new power to the rear and re run the train backwards. He explained it as such in the rear world rail fanning you only pay attention to what's at the front and maybe a special car or two by swapping the power and maybe a car or two you give the allusion of a brand new train when in reality its just the same one. Now to help with storage of all these locomotives he had several " power yards" that were on carts so he could easily wheel away entire rosters of locomotives and bring in more in seconds. My home layout I agree you need to work with the space you have which is why I have limited what I buy. Although frequent to the prototype I am after 89 auto boxcars just are difficult size wise to have on my layout I instead opted not to use them because a normal person would not notice them missing and instead buy some enclosed auto racks and piggy backs which would be more noticeable.
Freight cars are something that I haven't thought too much about, mostly because I really have no clue how many of those I have. I think that the capacity of the layout I designed has more than enough space for those, but I guess we'll see. That's an interesting idea about swapping power on the same set of cars, and having rolling carts for locomotive storage. Thanks for watching!
Q&A - Well I'd say that it depends on what are your goals, where you are in your "modeling" life and your own preferences in the way. Engines are most likely to be out numbers. Especially if you're modeling more than one paint scheme or more than one era. Cause for me, it's possible to run trains (separately) from different eras. I'm trying the best I can to respect rolling stock and engines of the same era running together. Not always the case but that's what I do. So at the end, that's a general question that can't sometimes applied to all modelers. At the end, we're doing it for fun. There's no "need" here. It's a hobby we're doing for as many reasons as there are home layouts. I'm in it for so many years... at this point, I'd say that I'm nearly married to it. Sky is not the limit here... but close to it ! Keep on your good work Dan. Your videos and time sharing are precious to us modelers.
I agree, the hobby should be fun. I mostly model the 1990s, but I have some equipment from other eras that I will run on occasion. It sounds like you do the same. When I get the layout to the point where it can be operated, I've been thinking of doing more serious sessions where it's based on what would have been on Donner in the 1990s, and then sometimes doing an "anything goes" session where we just run whatever. I imagine both will be fun. Thanks for watching!
@@DanielCortopassi Hi Dan. I think for most modelers that anything goes as long as it rolls on the rails. Sometimes it's hard to not cheat and buying a model that doesn't fit at all with the stuff you already have. Lately I decided to thin my own collection too. I always try to buy weathered models so I won't have to do it myself. I'm good in some features of weathering but there are many really skilled modelers that are doing a lot better than me. Anyway, it doesn't stop me to buy but I'm getting more and more specific in my purchases. Modeling train is a world in itself. You got to be in it to understand it's real meaning. Keep on your good work.
I really enjoyed your showcase about can you have too many trains. I have always been fascinated by model trains we have an exceptionally good model train museum here in San Diego in Balboa Park. I have been going to that for years and am a member. I do not have model trains. I have had a toy growing up, but never really got into it, but they have always fascinated me when I go to fair's museums or shows. I really like your UA-cam shows that are remarkably interesting and you enjoy your work. Someday I would not mind seeing your display. Thank you for your time.
I'm glad you liked the video. The Balboa Park museum is great. I got to visit a few years ago and it was awesome. The layouts are immense. When I get the layout built I may eventually do open houses for people that want to visit, but at the rate I'm going that's probably a few years down the road. Thanks for watching!
Great discussion. I guess it comes down to who you ask. If you ask a model railroader, they always want something else but if you ask their spouse, what they have already is too much. I’m looking forward to seeing the new layout get started. Is this the same Donner Pass plan that you talked about about 9 months ago or have there been changes?
I think you're right. It's been interesting hearing all the different opinions on this topic. I'm grateful that Nichole is so supportive of my hobby / train addiction. I haven't made any significant changes to the Donner plan. There have been a couple of tweaks that I've toyed with because I may need to add another support post or two to fix an issue with the ceiling in the train room. So far it's nothing that would alter the plan too much. We'll have to see how that plays out. Thanks for watching!
I predominantly collect Conrail, though I'll add other locomotives to my collection if I find them interesting or odd (I recently saw a post on social media where someone found an HO scale Japanese-style bullet train in Warbonnet livery, which I'd absolutely see myself buying because yeah, that's definitely weird in an amusing way). I've got plenty of sturdy shelving space, but a lot of it is cube units that need inserts to be utilized more efficiently. Ikea offers them for their "Kallax"-series cube storage, but not Target for their own furniture. It basically means I'll probably need to source or make some custom inserts.
I have a bit of Conrail stuff. I've developed a fondness for blue diesels over the years. SP was leasing some in the 1990s, so that gives me an excuse. A warbonnet bullet train sounds like something to see for sure. I haven't seen that but I might have to look for it. A few people have mentioned shelving, which is an option if I end up not being able to get everything on the layout. Thanks for watching!
I think the number of cars and locomotives depends on your operating goals. I model Centralia, IL in the 1955-1960 time frame. Four railroads (IC, CB&Q, Southern and Missouri Illinois). Centralia was the main access to the Southern Illinois, Western Kentucky coalfields and a division point on the IC. I'm estimating I need 400 hoppers and gondolas just to model the coal traffic. The CB&Q was almost all coal but the IC was coal and mainline traffic including 15 passenger trains a day. The Southern was mostly thru traffic into St Louis and the M&I served several industries in town. There was a refinery, two wholesale grocery warehouses, bulk oil dealers, a grain elevator, oil field supply companies...........The IC had a large car shop and the division point engine facility serviced 120 locomotives from 3 divisions. That's a lot of railroad in a town of 12,000. I'm planning staging in a separate room in my 30x40 building with shelves to hold the equipment that's not on the layout and so it's easy to change some out between operating session. I think you should have whatever amount of equipment makes you happy. With the hobby always evolving and new more detailed equipment becoming available I find the hard choice is deciding what older equipment to sell off and replace with new better detailed equipment or if it's a better use of my time to detail the old equipment to a higher standard. When I started back in the hobby I didn't have any layout and I built models. When I started the layout I soon discovered that there wasn't time to build hundreds of cars to a highly detailed standard. Compromises have to be made based on time, money and your hobby goals. The right answer to this question will be different for everyone.
I agree that there's no one answer to this question. I think it depends on your goals, as you said. Centralia sounds like quite an operation. Your layout idea sounds very cool. Thanks for watching!
Looking forward seeing progress your layout dan I am doing my collection lately been love life gotten in way I still make tike for my layout and my club as well
Glad to hear it’s coming along. You have an ideal operating session size in mind? Would love to operate in the future on the layout and I live in the Bay Area so I’m to far from you.
I would love to have operating sessions with other people at some time, so that would be cool. As for size, I'm not sure yet. I don't really know how many people would be needed to operate the layout in that way. I want to be able to operate by myself sometimes, but that would probably be mostly running a couple trains on the main while I do some switching. The layout is big enough to support multiple operators. I'd love to have some people over to run trains, so maybe in the future we can experiment to find out how big of a crew the layout can support. Maybe start with just a few people and then add more if necessary. Thanks for watching!
Most people don't realize it but the fuel tanks on the Atlas Santa Fe Dash-8s are too long. Santa Fe's Dash 8's have a shorter fuel tank, with a larger gap between the trucks and fuel tank. If you look at prototype photos side by side with the Atlas model you'll easily notice it.
Oh no, more to fix on that one. Thanks for pointing that out. I haven't really done anything with that model yet. I like the Atlas Dash-8s, but they have some detail issues for sure, depending on the railroad. Thanks for watching!
Yes, so many temptations these days. It sounds like you had more than I did. I am still letting a few things go, but then I end up buying a few here and there, so overall I'm probably in the same place. Thanks for watching!
Modelling the Northeast, there's a lot of individuality among railroads' equipment and levels of variation between units up here. In most cases, locomotives will have their own defining aspects, even for those built in series. I want to portray this uniqueness in my modelling so to this I say... There is no such thing as too many trains!
I like that individuality, too. One of the reasons I like modeling the last years of the SP is that, at least for the older locomotives, every one was slightly different. I have a bunch of SP GP35s that I've built out of Kato models, and they all have their own character. It's really neat. Thanks for watching!
My intention is to stop when the display case is full and have a few on the layout. I only collect CSX and I limit the collection to somewhat unique models like primer scheme, heritage, MOW and things like that. I do not want any in boxes, that does not make any sense to me.
A lot of people have mentioned display cases. I don't have a case right now, but I may try to find a spot for one in the future. I would like to get all my stuff out of boxes, too. Thanks for watching!
Most of the time I've been able to sell models for the same or close to what I paid for them. Sometimes more, depending on how desirable it is. It's good to be able to reclaim some of that money and use it to buy more trains (or stuff for the layout). Thanks for watching!
I have no layout simply set up my ho kato unitrak around my living room 22" curves and about 30' of straight and 1 turnout. Currently I own 71 locomotives 99% are steam diesel transition era and only 2 of those are dcc as i prefer old school DC only. I have roughly 250 cars of all types and 3 passenger trains. Do I have too much? Id like to build a layout but just dint have room for one to accommodate the length of trains i prefer to run. I'm 41 now been collection trains pretty much my entire life and will until they throw dirt over me. :)
Back when I lived in a condo I used to set up Unitrack on the floor sometimes, though I had carpet and that wasn't great for the trains. Nichole and I did a couple floor layouts here at the house before we got cats. It's fun to be able to enjoy some trains if you don't have the space for a permanent layout. Unitrack is great stuff. Thanks for watching!
Can you have to many trains? The easy answer is NO! But, you can run out of space for new trains, at which point you may have to make a couple of tough decisions! A: you stop buying completely and what you have is what you have, or, B: you have to sell off some stuff to make room, or help pay for the new stuff! These are the decisions I'm going to have to start thinking about now! I love buying more trains, the problem is, both the space I have, and my budget for buying more is getting extremely thin at the moment. Plus, I'm going to have to start thinking about working on the house at some point, so now, that's another problem, where to store them once work begins where they're stored at. So in an odd way, the answer is actually both yes and no! No, because they're fun and its cool adding new stuff, but also yes because there's ultimately a limit on how much stuff you can have in a given space and also you can afford!
Nicely put. I can relate because I've had to move all those boxes of trains several times as we work on the building where the layout is going to be built. The train room itself isn't a good place to store things right now since I'm working on it. I haven't been buying as much as I used to, and I have sold off some stuff so I'd say my overall model count is staying at about the same level for now. Thanks for watching!
when you talk about building a 40 ft train when you can only park a 20 ft train....i feel like you need to clip that and send it to all the class one railroads. they desperately need to hear that with all their PSR nonsense. And I like your idea for the staging yard so you can have what feels like a real day trackside in your era you model. That is a smart idea.
I didn't know the full sized railroads did that! Yikes. I'm glad you like my idea for staging. I hope it works out as well in real life when I get it built. Thanks for watching!
@@DanielCortopassi yeah they have been running some extra long trains with the lead units of the next train acting as mid train helpers in some cases. It’s crazy.
It sounds like to me.. you want to change every model.. just paint the1st one... second one use it.. 3rd one use it.. why does every model have to be changed, weathered and add sound and all the bells n whistles.... sheessshh..... if you dont want to do that then move them on.. simple.... why does everyone want to change the models.. if you buy it like that then use it like that.... I really dont see the issue.. but thats just me.. each to their own tho and I get it.. but sometimes people go over board like your saying in the first 3minutes.. I need to do this and that and this and that to each of the models.. why not paint the first one use it.. the second and third are fine just use them... either dont buy them in that condition or do them up and get rid of them but only a few at a time not lots of locos with that amount of work needed... and if you dont know how many you have then you have too many simple answer..
I get a lot of enjoyment out of having my models look like the real thing, and I enjoy the process of researching each diesel and then detailing a model to match. I don't enjoy running stuff that's not as detailed or accurate. I know not everyone feels that way, but that's just what I like. Thanks for watching!
I would imagine there is a sweet spot for the number of locomotives that's different for all of us, depending on our preferences, what kind of layout we have, what type of operation we're after, etc. I think it's a good topic to consider. Thanks for watching!
Te quiero mandar un gran abrazo desde Montevideo. Uruguay. Me encantan los vídeos y revisiones de productos que realizas. Me gustaría que realizaras un análisis en profundidad de la Big boy en escala n de Kato. El modelo no es dcc ready como punto en contra a pesar de que pueda rodar en 11 pulgadas el modelo analógico. Disculpa que te escribo en español. saludos.
I'm so glad you like the reviews and videos! The N scale Kato Big Boy looks very nice. I will have to think about if I want to spend the money to get one. Thanks for the suggestion and for watching!
Collections often fa exceed practical use. Face it,, there are a lot of excellent models out there and for an analog guy like myself, a pickers paradise since many are being sold off to be replaced by DCC models.
I think a lot of us, myself included, have a tendency to buy more than we really need. Getting good models on the used market can be fun. A lot of my models were bought second hand. Thanks for watching!
Your story is very similar to mine I think if I went strictly prototype I would have to get rid of half or more of my collection....that simply isn't going to happen so my pike is in an alternate universe. (Hey it worked for Marvel...okay maybe not) my issue is I just can't bring myself to sell so the collection grows even though deep down I know it's not sustainable...
I have a number of models that are outside the 1990s SP theme I chose, but I like them so I'll probably keep them. I can't bring myself to sell stuff I really like either, regardless of what it is. I like the alternate universe idea. I think to an extent all model railroads are alternate universes, since it's usually impractical to model reality exactly when it comes to layouts. Thanks for watching!
I'm 40 something and finally decided to start getting into the hobby before xmas. Only have 1 train that i absolutely had to have for now and there's 4 that I'd really like to have that I remember from my childhood. Given the price and space I'll have to cap a collection at around 10 maximum.
Trying to keep score of my power. I posted 6.5 video's of just my HO roster. Its got bigger since then lol. Didnt cover my N or G😋 Still watching🚂🇨🇦🇺🇲🙋
It sounds like you have the same affliction I do. LOL. I have a lot of N, too, that I'm not even sure what I'm going to do with at this point. Way too much for my little Siren Creek layout. I have some G also, though thankfully not too much. Thanks for watching!
Yes, exactly. That's what I've done over the years. A lot of the less detailed models that I got way back when got sold and I replaced them with better models. Thanks for watching!
I Am Looking for Engines For My Ho And N Scale When I Get Done with That then I Will Go for the Rolling Stock. When My wife And I Have What we Are Looking For Then We Have enough.
Easy… If you forgot that you had it, then don’t run it when you rediscover it. Then it’s too much. For me, it’s when I stop giving my engines names or remembering they had one. Time to slow down. Buying should be a pleasure not a pavlovian reflex…
my collection is pointedly tailored to my operations, PERIOD... no extra that is beyond any wild excess... i am all in on becoming a MODEL RAILROADER and have ZERO interest in becoming a "collector"
I switched to HO in 2019 I was in N I had about 50 N scale locomotives and about 2000 N scale freight cars. I'm still selling off the N while I need to finish wiring my HO layout I have about 80 HO locomotives but probably 1000 freight cars in HO. My goal is to reduce buying more HO and actually get it running and start my UA-cam channel for the layout. I need to organize the trains better.
It sounds like you have a pretty good roster of HO equipment. I have a lot of N as well and I'm thinking of selling some of it. Organization is good. Some people I know have very detailed inventories of equipment, and I've never really done that. I can see that it would be good to know better what's actually there. Good luck with your layout and your channel. Thanks for watching!
Oh boy here we go with the obvious talking point videos. I hate these. A video personality talking about common sense things that we all know the answers to in order to gen up more views because its somewhat click attractive.
A few years ago Nichole urged me to use a pointer when I do product reviews and other videos, so that people who don't know what an uncoupling lever or grab iron is could see what I was talking about. I'm sure most of the people watching already know those things, but I think it's helpful to any people new to the hobby so I keep doing it. Videos like this about ideas have their place. What's obvious to one person might not be so obvious to another, so when I have a topic I think is worth exploring, I will continue to make videos like this. Thanks for watching!
Yes. If you just buy anything and everything with no plan or purpose in mind. You end up with a house full of crap and junk. Serious guys only buy things that fit into the story they are trying to tell.
Absolutely. Im in the UK, but model Canadian. I only buy Canadian outline. Only British model ive bought quite recently, was a class 17 clayton for a club layout that doesnt have much suitable stock on it.
Picking a time and place to model can help deter random purchases for sure. I've been modeling mostly SP and Santa Fe in the 1990s for decades, and most of my equipment reflects that, or railroads that would have been seen in the area I'm modeling during the same period. I have bought a number of models that are outside of that area of interest, either because I just like them or because I wanted to make videos about them. I don't do as much of that anymore. I'm pretty serious, but I also remind myself that at the end of the day, we're playing with little trains. Thanks for watching!
I'm an older guy (66) and I've only been in the hobby 6-7 years, so I don't have the back-story and collection many model railroaders have. I have a display case that holds 25 locomotives. If I have 26 locomotives, then something has to go (I currently have 3 on ebay to make room for locomotives I've ordered). I've become much more selective in what I'm buying, I'm only buying premium rolling stock and locomotives from now on. Anything that doesn't fit that criteria has to go. But it's different for everyone, for some collecting is the hobby and many are nostalgic. There's a hundred ways to be involved in the hobby, we all do it out own way.
That's more than enough for a good start. You don't need a lot to do a lot.
Both comments are a perfect way of thinking 🤔
It sounds like you have a nice collection going. I don't have stuff in a case, but I am starting to think like that a little myself. What can I get rid of next? There are a lot of models that I have an attachment to that I'd never part with, but some others are candidates for re-homing. Thanks for watching!
Super. Out of 91 locomotives that I have bought new over the last fifty years, 64 units, from almost every manufacturer there is, (No brass) have proven to be survivors on my railroad. Nineteen locomotives were turned into lighted dummies as malfunctions occured, ten were traded or destroyed by accident, and two are sentimental roundhouse scenery queens, because I bought newer, better versions. These locomotives operate inside and outside, in all kinds of weather, and some of the older models have a nice patina that makes them look very realistic. Hello from the Tracy Mountain Railway in Colorado. 💙 T.E.N.
It sounds like maybe you're in large scale, if it's indoor and outdoor? I'm glad you've found a way to make use of the locomotives that have had issues. I'm glad you liked the video. Thanks for watching!
As long as you are enjoying the hobby, that is all that matters. It is extremely easy to become a “collector” though.
Absolutely. If you're having fun, then you're doing it right. Thanks for watching!
I stopped collecting when the display cabinet got full. It's a real problem when have you go back to Ikea to buy more shelving. One thing for sure, you have to take your locomotives out of the boxes to truly appreciate how much you have. Thanks for sharing.
I may eventually get some shelves, too, though I'm hoping the HO stuff will fit on the layout. I think it would be cool to be able to see everything at once. I remember a hobby shop when I was a kid that had a huge case full of brass HO locomotives, and I loved to just stare at it. Thanks for watching!
@@DanielCortopassi The Train Shop?
I'm a big fan of Donner pass. So when your layout is ready to operate you should do a cab ride showing off your handy work.
That sounds like a cool idea. Thanks for the suggestion and for watching!
I know what you mean. I bought an Atlas Mp15dc NS non sound. I put sound in it and re decaled it to CIT 1515 not a Proto typical number but it suits me for what I wanted. Happy with it. So I'm not really a Proto typical modeler but it is fun!
There's nothing wrong with some proto-freelancing. If you're having fun, you're doing it right. Thanks for watching!
Despite living on the west coast, I'm modeling near South Bend Indiana in the late 60s the interest came from GTW 5629 and needing a place near Chicago to have steam excursions.
Similarly here, despite living on the east coast, I'm a big SP and D&RGW fan and modeling mainly the D&RGW. But I grew up on the west coast so no wonder I like SP!
That sounds cool. Nichole and I took a trip on Amtrak to Indiana in 2017 to visit the NYC railroad museum in Elkhart. We went through Chicago, and there's so much interesting railroading in that area. Thanks for watching!
@@DanielCortopassi It's fun to take the train. I road the San Francisco Zephyr from Iowa to Sacramento and again from Sacramento to Denver. I didn't know there was a Museum in Indiana and I'm an Indiana University alum twice over! LOL
Thanks Dan, as always, My reasoning for having around 250 locos, is that I can only fit about 8 0r so on the layout, at a time & the rest are stored in drawers.My reasoning is that because I use only about 8 locos at a time, is that 250 locos share the workload,so dont wear out. I are you supposed to do when a reputably company choses to release a model that you NEED.Turn a blind eye??? I think not. It really is a bugger but its just something that has to be done. We, as consumers, are abliged to purchase these models, eh? Although, I confess to shop more on ebay than purchasing brand new. I dont put my locos back in boxes, as they are more "hidden" than having them in drawers, ready to go,The steamers, I have all the tenders connected up ready to go as well as it prevents having to connect & disconnect those electrical plugs.Thanks again fir the video, from an SP & UP modeller.....michael NZ
I could see using drawers as a good storage option. I'm contemplating possibly using some cabinets under the benchwork in a couple spots in the train room, so that I can keep doing my part to support the hobby by buying more trains... LOL. I'm actually trying to cut my collection a little, but that hasn't stopped me from buying some stuff. And you can never have too much storage. Thanks for watching!
I once had a big fleet. I reduced it to 8 diesels and 8 steamers (i need to do a recount on NG locos and stock) plus i think 40 cars and 12 coaches.. everything retained was things that were special to me or fit my time period. Occasionally i still get new equipment but only if the price is right and it fits my era (with some exeptions) of the 1920s and 30s. The diesels all come from before i chose this time period but the detail work i put into them to make road accurate models (and i only ever weathered diesels.. never steam) means i will still use them time to time. My layout is a double inglenook (5-3-3 at end, 3-2-2 doubling as a run around for up to 4 cars in the middle with a 4 track slide staging at the end. Total length of 10 foot (8 for layout 2 for staging. It is large enough that i can ise every loco i have comfortably (even the lone large loco.. a reading T1) and 14 cars i can switch between
This has been a really interesting discussion, hearing from different people about how much equipment is the right amount for them. It sounds like you have a nice layout and some cool equipment. Thanks for watching!
Very good thoughts. I downsided my collection to better represent what I wanted to have on the layout. Layout is far away but is still there !!
I'm glad you liked the video. It sounds like you'll be well prepared with appropriate equipment when you do get the layout going. Thanks for watching!
Glad to hear of the progress on the train room. Very interesting discussion Dan glad to hear your perspective how you got to where you think you will be when the layout is done. Thx for sharing!
You're welcome. I'm glad you liked the video. Thanks for watching!
Last time i did an inventory of my locomotives it was over 230 engines. Thats not even including self propelled rail cars. This video was very informative thanks for posting it!
You're welcome. It sounds like you've got quite a collection too. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for watching!
interesting point you brought up. I often think the same. My layout that i am in the process of building has lower staging as well and a lot of the trains run to and from stagging. What I have discovered is that you cant have to many locomotives but you can limited your freight cars especially on unit trains and mixed freight. I had a layout I visited once where the owner would run the train to and from staging. when the train got to stagging he would swap the power out lash on New Power and send the train back over the layout again. normally to speed up the process he would run the train to stagging uncouple the power on the front hook new power to the rear and re run the train backwards. He explained it as such in the rear world rail fanning you only pay attention to what's at the front and maybe a special car or two by swapping the power and maybe a car or two you give the allusion of a brand new train when in reality its just the same one. Now to help with storage of all these locomotives he had several " power yards" that were on carts so he could easily wheel away entire rosters of locomotives and bring in more in seconds.
My home layout I agree you need to work with the space you have which is why I have limited what I buy. Although frequent to the prototype I am after 89 auto boxcars just are difficult size wise to have on my layout I instead opted not to use them because a normal person would not notice them missing and instead buy some enclosed auto racks and piggy backs which would be more noticeable.
Freight cars are something that I haven't thought too much about, mostly because I really have no clue how many of those I have. I think that the capacity of the layout I designed has more than enough space for those, but I guess we'll see. That's an interesting idea about swapping power on the same set of cars, and having rolling carts for locomotive storage. Thanks for watching!
Q&A - Well I'd say that it depends on what are your goals, where you are in your "modeling" life and your own preferences in the way. Engines are most likely to be out numbers. Especially if you're modeling more than one paint scheme or more than one era. Cause for me, it's possible to run trains (separately) from different eras. I'm trying the best I can to respect rolling stock and engines of the same era running together. Not always the case but that's what I do. So at the end, that's a general question that can't sometimes applied to all modelers. At the end, we're doing it for fun. There's no "need" here. It's a hobby we're doing for as many reasons as there are home layouts. I'm in it for so many years... at this point, I'd say that I'm nearly married to it. Sky is not the limit here... but close to it ! Keep on your good work Dan. Your videos and time sharing are precious to us modelers.
I agree, the hobby should be fun. I mostly model the 1990s, but I have some equipment from other eras that I will run on occasion. It sounds like you do the same. When I get the layout to the point where it can be operated, I've been thinking of doing more serious sessions where it's based on what would have been on Donner in the 1990s, and then sometimes doing an "anything goes" session where we just run whatever. I imagine both will be fun. Thanks for watching!
@@DanielCortopassi Hi Dan. I think for most modelers that anything goes as long as it rolls on the rails. Sometimes it's hard to not cheat and buying a model that doesn't fit at all with the stuff you already have. Lately I decided to thin my own collection too. I always try to buy weathered models so I won't have to do it myself. I'm good in some features of weathering but there are many really skilled modelers that are doing a lot better than me. Anyway, it doesn't stop me to buy but I'm getting more and more specific in my purchases. Modeling train is a world in itself. You got to be in it to understand it's real meaning. Keep on your good work.
I really enjoyed your showcase about can you have too many trains. I have always been fascinated by model trains we have an exceptionally good model train museum here in San Diego in Balboa Park. I have been going to that for years and am a member. I do not have model trains. I have had a toy growing up, but never really got into it, but they have always fascinated me when I go to fair's museums or shows. I really like your UA-cam shows that are remarkably interesting and you enjoy your work. Someday I would not mind seeing your display. Thank you for your time.
I'm glad you liked the video. The Balboa Park museum is great. I got to visit a few years ago and it was awesome. The layouts are immense. When I get the layout built I may eventually do open houses for people that want to visit, but at the rate I'm going that's probably a few years down the road. Thanks for watching!
Great discussion. I guess it comes down to who you ask. If you ask a model railroader, they always want something else but if you ask their spouse, what they have already is too much. I’m looking forward to seeing the new layout get started. Is this the same Donner Pass plan that you talked about about 9 months ago or have there been changes?
I think you're right. It's been interesting hearing all the different opinions on this topic. I'm grateful that Nichole is so supportive of my hobby / train addiction. I haven't made any significant changes to the Donner plan. There have been a couple of tweaks that I've toyed with because I may need to add another support post or two to fix an issue with the ceiling in the train room. So far it's nothing that would alter the plan too much. We'll have to see how that plays out. Thanks for watching!
I predominantly collect Conrail, though I'll add other locomotives to my collection if I find them interesting or odd (I recently saw a post on social media where someone found an HO scale Japanese-style bullet train in Warbonnet livery, which I'd absolutely see myself buying because yeah, that's definitely weird in an amusing way). I've got plenty of sturdy shelving space, but a lot of it is cube units that need inserts to be utilized more efficiently. Ikea offers them for their "Kallax"-series cube storage, but not Target for their own furniture. It basically means I'll probably need to source or make some custom inserts.
I have a bit of Conrail stuff. I've developed a fondness for blue diesels over the years. SP was leasing some in the 1990s, so that gives me an excuse. A warbonnet bullet train sounds like something to see for sure. I haven't seen that but I might have to look for it. A few people have mentioned shelving, which is an option if I end up not being able to get everything on the layout. Thanks for watching!
I think the number of cars and locomotives depends on your operating goals. I model Centralia, IL in the 1955-1960 time frame. Four railroads (IC, CB&Q, Southern and Missouri Illinois). Centralia was the main access to the Southern Illinois, Western Kentucky coalfields and a division point on the IC. I'm estimating I need 400 hoppers and gondolas just to model the coal traffic. The CB&Q was almost all coal but the IC was coal and mainline traffic including 15 passenger trains a day. The Southern was mostly thru traffic into St Louis and the M&I served several industries in town. There was a refinery, two wholesale grocery warehouses, bulk oil dealers, a grain elevator, oil field supply companies...........The IC had a large car shop and the division point engine facility serviced 120 locomotives from 3 divisions. That's a lot of railroad in a town of 12,000. I'm planning staging in a separate room in my 30x40 building with shelves to hold the equipment that's not on the layout and so it's easy to change some out between operating session.
I think you should have whatever amount of equipment makes you happy. With the hobby always evolving and new more detailed equipment becoming available I find the hard choice is deciding what older equipment to sell off and replace with new better detailed equipment or if it's a better use of my time to detail the old equipment to a higher standard. When I started back in the hobby I didn't have any layout and I built models. When I started the layout I soon discovered that there wasn't time to build hundreds of cars to a highly detailed standard. Compromises have to be made based on time, money and your hobby goals. The right answer to this question will be different for everyone.
I agree that there's no one answer to this question. I think it depends on your goals, as you said. Centralia sounds like quite an operation. Your layout idea sounds very cool. Thanks for watching!
Looking forward seeing progress your layout dan I am doing my collection lately been love life gotten in way I still make tike for my layout and my club as well
I understand about life getting in the way sometimes. It's good to be able to enjoy the hobby when you can. Thanks for watching!
@@DanielCortopassi your welcome dan southern pacific is really awesome in way they had the power that was very unique to them
Glad to hear it’s coming along. You have an ideal operating session size in mind? Would love to operate in the future on the layout and I live in the Bay Area so I’m to far from you.
I would love to have operating sessions with other people at some time, so that would be cool. As for size, I'm not sure yet. I don't really know how many people would be needed to operate the layout in that way. I want to be able to operate by myself sometimes, but that would probably be mostly running a couple trains on the main while I do some switching. The layout is big enough to support multiple operators. I'd love to have some people over to run trains, so maybe in the future we can experiment to find out how big of a crew the layout can support. Maybe start with just a few people and then add more if necessary. Thanks for watching!
@@DanielCortopassi cool. Looking forward to the layouts growth in these upcoming years.
Most people don't realize it but the fuel tanks on the Atlas Santa Fe Dash-8s are too long. Santa Fe's Dash 8's have a shorter fuel tank, with a larger gap between the trucks and fuel tank. If you look at prototype photos side by side with the Atlas model you'll easily notice it.
Oh no, more to fix on that one. Thanks for pointing that out. I haven't really done anything with that model yet. I like the Atlas Dash-8s, but they have some detail issues for sure, depending on the railroad. Thanks for watching!
Well said! But! When all this cool stuff keeps coming out, it’s hard to do. I have downsided to about 200 locomotives, it’s still too much!
Yes, so many temptations these days. It sounds like you had more than I did. I am still letting a few things go, but then I end up buying a few here and there, so overall I'm probably in the same place. Thanks for watching!
Modelling the Northeast, there's a lot of individuality among railroads' equipment and levels of variation between units up here.
In most cases, locomotives will have their own defining aspects, even for those built in series. I want to portray this uniqueness in my modelling so to this I say...
There is no such thing as too many trains!
I like that individuality, too. One of the reasons I like modeling the last years of the SP is that, at least for the older locomotives, every one was slightly different. I have a bunch of SP GP35s that I've built out of Kato models, and they all have their own character. It's really neat. Thanks for watching!
Let’s be wise. Thanks for the advice.
I'm glad you liked the video. Thanks for watching!
My intention is to stop when the display case is full and have a few on the layout. I only collect CSX and I limit the collection to somewhat unique models like primer scheme, heritage, MOW and things like that. I do not want any in boxes, that does not make any sense to me.
A lot of people have mentioned display cases. I don't have a case right now, but I may try to find a spot for one in the future. I would like to get all my stuff out of boxes, too. Thanks for watching!
Too many or not, one thing that doesn't lose value is train stuff, especially the Big Boy. So there is at least an investment factor there.
Most of the time I've been able to sell models for the same or close to what I paid for them. Sometimes more, depending on how desirable it is. It's good to be able to reclaim some of that money and use it to buy more trains (or stuff for the layout). Thanks for watching!
@@DanielCortopassi Yes I have too, even factoring ebay fees!
Do you have a link to your eBay page so we can watch for future listings you may have?
I don't have a page, but my eBay name is dacort. I don't have anything listed right now. I will post something next time I do. Thanks for watching!
I have no layout simply set up my ho kato unitrak around my living room 22" curves and about 30' of straight and 1 turnout. Currently I own 71 locomotives 99% are steam diesel transition era and only 2 of those are dcc as i prefer old school DC only. I have roughly 250 cars of all types and 3 passenger trains. Do I have too much? Id like to build a layout but just dint have room for one to accommodate the length of trains i prefer to run. I'm 41 now been collection trains pretty much my entire life and will until they throw dirt over me. :)
Back when I lived in a condo I used to set up Unitrack on the floor sometimes, though I had carpet and that wasn't great for the trains. Nichole and I did a couple floor layouts here at the house before we got cats. It's fun to be able to enjoy some trains if you don't have the space for a permanent layout. Unitrack is great stuff. Thanks for watching!
Can you have to many trains? The easy answer is NO! But, you can run out of space for new trains, at which point you may have to make a couple of tough decisions! A: you stop buying completely and what you have is what you have, or, B: you have to sell off some stuff to make room, or help pay for the new stuff! These are the decisions I'm going to have to start thinking about now! I love buying more trains, the problem is, both the space I have, and my budget for buying more is getting extremely thin at the moment. Plus, I'm going to have to start thinking about working on the house at some point, so now, that's another problem, where to store them once work begins where they're stored at. So in an odd way, the answer is actually both yes and no! No, because they're fun and its cool adding new stuff, but also yes because there's ultimately a limit on how much stuff you can have in a given space and also you can afford!
Nicely put. I can relate because I've had to move all those boxes of trains several times as we work on the building where the layout is going to be built. The train room itself isn't a good place to store things right now since I'm working on it. I haven't been buying as much as I used to, and I have sold off some stuff so I'd say my overall model count is staying at about the same level for now. Thanks for watching!
when you talk about building a 40 ft train when you can only park a 20 ft train....i feel like you need to clip that and send it to all the class one railroads. they desperately need to hear that with all their PSR nonsense. And I like your idea for the staging yard so you can have what feels like a real day trackside in your era you model. That is a smart idea.
I didn't know the full sized railroads did that! Yikes. I'm glad you like my idea for staging. I hope it works out as well in real life when I get it built. Thanks for watching!
@@DanielCortopassi yeah they have been running some extra long trains with the lead units of the next train acting as mid train helpers in some cases. It’s crazy.
more pictures of trains would be nice
This was more of an ideas show, but there are plenty of other videos here on the channel where the trains are the star. Thanks for watching!
Whose counting I'm in it for the FUN of the WGH😁👍OperateOnOperator
If you're having fun, you're doing it right. Thanks for watching!
It sounds like to me.. you want to change every model.. just paint the1st one... second one use it.. 3rd one use it.. why does every model have to be changed, weathered and add sound and all the bells n whistles.... sheessshh..... if you dont want to do that then move them on.. simple.... why does everyone want to change the models.. if you buy it like that then use it like that.... I really dont see the issue.. but thats just me.. each to their own tho and I get it.. but sometimes people go over board like your saying in the first 3minutes.. I need to do this and that and this and that to each of the models.. why not paint the first one use it.. the second and third are fine just use them... either dont buy them in that condition or do them up and get rid of them but only a few at a time not lots of locos with that amount of work needed... and if you dont know how many you have then you have too many simple answer..
I get a lot of enjoyment out of having my models look like the real thing, and I enjoy the process of researching each diesel and then detailing a model to match. I don't enjoy running stuff that's not as detailed or accurate. I know not everyone feels that way, but that's just what I like. Thanks for watching!
i have 30 big boys & 4 challengers & a few other articulated but only top out @ 50 steam & 20 diesels
That's quite a collection of UP steam! Very cool. Thanks for watching!
A layout tour would be nice.
I need to build the HO layout first, but yes, there will be tours eventually. Thanks for watching!
I have over 30 DCC/sound locomotives. The chances of running all of those units are very slim. I may end up selling some of those units.
I would imagine there is a sweet spot for the number of locomotives that's different for all of us, depending on our preferences, what kind of layout we have, what type of operation we're after, etc. I think it's a good topic to consider. Thanks for watching!
Te quiero mandar un gran abrazo desde Montevideo. Uruguay. Me encantan los vídeos y revisiones de productos que realizas. Me gustaría que realizaras un análisis en profundidad de la Big boy en escala n de Kato. El modelo no es dcc ready como punto en contra a pesar de que pueda rodar en 11 pulgadas el modelo analógico. Disculpa que te escribo en español. saludos.
I'm so glad you like the reviews and videos! The N scale Kato Big Boy looks very nice. I will have to think about if I want to spend the money to get one. Thanks for the suggestion and for watching!
Can never have too many trains in collection, amount of trains on 1 layout is another thing
That's a good way to put it. The collection size is really only limited by storage space and budget. Thanks for watching!
Collections often fa exceed practical use. Face it,, there are a lot of excellent models out there and for an analog guy like myself, a pickers paradise since many are being sold off to be replaced by DCC models.
I think a lot of us, myself included, have a tendency to buy more than we really need. Getting good models on the used market can be fun. A lot of my models were bought second hand. Thanks for watching!
Your story is very similar to mine I think if I went strictly prototype I would have to get rid of half or more of my collection....that simply isn't going to happen so my pike is in an alternate universe. (Hey it worked for Marvel...okay maybe not) my issue is I just can't bring myself to sell so the collection grows even though deep down I know it's not sustainable...
I have a number of models that are outside the 1990s SP theme I chose, but I like them so I'll probably keep them. I can't bring myself to sell stuff I really like either, regardless of what it is. I like the alternate universe idea. I think to an extent all model railroads are alternate universes, since it's usually impractical to model reality exactly when it comes to layouts. Thanks for watching!
I'm 40 something and finally decided to start getting into the hobby before xmas.
Only have 1 train that i absolutely had to have for now and there's 4 that I'd really like to have that I remember from my childhood.
Given the price and space I'll have to cap a collection at around 10 maximum.
Welcome to the hobby! It sounds like you're off to a good start. Thanks for watching!
Trying to keep score of my power. I posted 6.5 video's of just my HO roster. Its got bigger since then lol. Didnt cover my N or G😋 Still watching🚂🇨🇦🇺🇲🙋
It sounds like you have the same affliction I do. LOL. I have a lot of N, too, that I'm not even sure what I'm going to do with at this point. Way too much for my little Siren Creek layout. I have some G also, though thankfully not too much. Thanks for watching!
You can have too much of anything .. but you begin to refine and get rid of the cheaper pieces
Yes, exactly. That's what I've done over the years. A lot of the less detailed models that I got way back when got sold and I replaced them with better models. Thanks for watching!
What is your ebay listing Dan?
My eBay name is dacort. I don't have anything listed right now. I will let people know next time I put some stuff up. Thanks for watching!
@@DanielCortopassi I'll look it up and save it to my seller's list
If you ever decide to start a help group for compulsive loco purchasers please let me know, I will be your first member. 😊
This week on Train Hoarders.... Haha. Thanks for watching!
@@DanielCortopassi 😀
I Am Looking for Engines For My Ho And N Scale When I Get Done with That then I Will Go for the Rolling Stock. When My wife And I Have What we Are Looking For Then We Have enough.
I hope you find all the trains you're looking for! Thanks for watching!
Nah you can never have enough especially since they are aways coming out with something new
There are a lot of tempting new models out there. Thanks for watching!
If you do? I'll take some
When I get around to doing another round of eBay sales, I'll try to remember to put a link on the channel. Thanks for watching!
👍👍👍👍👍
Thanks for watching!
Easy…
If you forgot that you had it, then don’t run it when you rediscover it. Then it’s too much.
For me, it’s when I stop giving my engines names or remembering they had one. Time to slow down. Buying should be a pleasure not a pavlovian reflex…
It's so interesting to hear different people's opinions on this subject. Thanks for sharing and watching!
He who dies with the most trains wins.
Haha... thanks for watching!
👍🤠👍
Thanks for watching!
Hard Question very Debatable on That.
Yes, it's not something I think there is a single answer to. It's just something to think about. Thanks for watching!
That's an easy one, nope 🙅♂️
Good answer! Thanks for watching!
my collection is pointedly tailored to my operations, PERIOD... no extra that is beyond any wild excess... i am all in on becoming a MODEL RAILROADER and have ZERO interest in becoming a "collector"
That's a good way to keep from over spending. Thanks for watching!
I switched to HO in 2019 I was in N I had about 50 N scale locomotives and about 2000 N scale freight cars. I'm still selling off the N while I need to finish wiring my HO layout I have about 80 HO locomotives but probably 1000 freight cars in HO. My goal is to reduce buying more HO and actually get it running and start my UA-cam channel for the layout. I need to organize the trains better.
It sounds like you have a pretty good roster of HO equipment. I have a lot of N as well and I'm thinking of selling some of it. Organization is good. Some people I know have very detailed inventories of equipment, and I've never really done that. I can see that it would be good to know better what's actually there. Good luck with your layout and your channel. Thanks for watching!
Oh boy here we go with the obvious talking point videos. I hate these. A video personality talking about common sense things that we all know the answers to in order to gen up more views because its somewhat click attractive.
Then don’t click!
A few years ago Nichole urged me to use a pointer when I do product reviews and other videos, so that people who don't know what an uncoupling lever or grab iron is could see what I was talking about. I'm sure most of the people watching already know those things, but I think it's helpful to any people new to the hobby so I keep doing it. Videos like this about ideas have their place. What's obvious to one person might not be so obvious to another, so when I have a topic I think is worth exploring, I will continue to make videos like this. Thanks for watching!
Yes. If you just buy anything and everything with no plan or purpose in mind. You end up with a house full of crap and junk. Serious guys only buy things that fit into the story they are trying to tell.
Absolutely. Im in the UK, but model Canadian. I only buy Canadian outline. Only British model ive bought quite recently, was a class 17 clayton for a club layout that doesnt have much suitable stock on it.
Picking a time and place to model can help deter random purchases for sure. I've been modeling mostly SP and Santa Fe in the 1990s for decades, and most of my equipment reflects that, or railroads that would have been seen in the area I'm modeling during the same period. I have bought a number of models that are outside of that area of interest, either because I just like them or because I wanted to make videos about them. I don't do as much of that anymore. I'm pretty serious, but I also remind myself that at the end of the day, we're playing with little trains. Thanks for watching!