Anyone here "limit," yourself to certain lines?

All three of my locomotives are Union Pacific.  I started out buying cars when I found them at a decent price.  Now I'm sticking with Union Pacific unless it's something that would fit in a mixed consist.  One day I will sell all the fallen flags.

As evidenced by my screen name, I limit myself to N&W and the associated Fallen Flags that made up the N&W. Since the C&O merger "almost" happened, that road is generously represented as well. For locomotives, my roster is primarily steam along with the four coal fired turbines.

 

I absolutely love streamlined steamers. Limiting myself to N&W has saved me thousands of dollars!

O Scale:  Pere Marquette, Polar Express & Southern, all classic Steam.

G Scale:  ET&WNC… (Narrow enough for ya?  LOL)

There was a "theme" thread running once, that I think was started by one of the monitors, and, for my model railroad in three rail, I stick to that theme.  The date

is Oct. 1, 1940, and since it is a short line with a connection to two large railroads,

it operates with steam, gas electrics, and similar critters.  Since the track for the

large railroads at the connection is short, and goes nowhere, actually, I have, but don't need, D&RGW steam.  I don't stick quite to reality, because I am kitbashing a

Great Western loco, and the GW did not come as far south as my imagined connection.

Steam, except for the D&RGW, is relettered to my mythical short line.  I try to

keep freight and passenger cars, these last seen on the connection, to these roads:

D&RGW, ATSF (the other connecting road), Burlington & C&S, D&SL, Colorado Midland,

Rock Island, Missouri Pacific, and Great Western.  Some of these are not correct and contemporary  with the others, but this is a mythical short line that runs between two towns that never existed.   And some cars have to be built and lettered, as roadnames are not available off the shelf.  Early diesels, E models, and others existed in this

period, but I think I'd only consider a box cab early diesel.  Now the largest loco

lettered for the short line is an MTH Russian Decapod, selected as a possible choice for a low budget line looking for bargain power, when they were not shipped to Russia.

This substitutes for #90, Great Western and Strasburg, until its model becomes available.  When I replaced my childhood trains, as a minor "collection", I took, of

course, the roadnames that were available.

 

Fallen flag: Chessie System, which is really 3 roads.

 

Contemporary/Modern: Canadian Pacific

I limit myself to what will fit on the display shelves.

 

"Honey, where are those new display shelves you told me to buy?"

 

 

Yes but what if you run out of walls to hang the shelves on???

Answer

Sky Hooks!

 

I limit myself to Canadian roads or generic Lionel or Pullman.

 

The Pennsylvania Railroad (historic, steam; old hometown in PA) and Norfolk Southern (contemporary diesel; new hometown in MA) keeps it simple and focused.  If I ever make some room in the basement, I'd like to add a PRR diesel (I'd love an Atlas RS-1), a Penn Central, and a Conrail for the historic continuity of fallen flags and mergers from the PRR to NS.  I'm also tempted by some Boston and Maine, Providence and Worcester, and other former and present local lines but so far have resisted the siren's call.  However, I know that an Amtrak train will be running on my track someday, just not sure which prototype and era.  Maybe an electric to round it out.  

 

As a former historian and current history major, historical and prototypical accuracy is important to me but that requires lots of research time that I should be spending on school work, not trains! :-).

 

Tomlinson Run Railroad

I limit myself to the following roads:  B&O, Pennsylvania, Western Maryland, N&W, Baltimore and Annapolis, Maryland and Pennsylvania, and Canton Railroad.  

 

Although, I must say the D&H PA1 locomotive really catches my eye and may one day wind up on the property

I have very oddly ritualistic rules that I abide by; they're fairly inexplicable to anyone else, I'd imagine:

Main line is Chessie, all engines are Chessie by Lionel and Williams only*

Chessie rolling stock includes Chessie/CSX and all flags (BO, CO, WM, ACL, SCL, SAL, LN, Family Lines), all by Lionel only

Secondary line 1 is Erie Lackawanna, engines by Lionel, rolling stock by Lionel only

Secondary line 2 is Minneapolis & St. Louis, engines by Lionel only, rolling stock by Lionel, MTH, Williams, KLine, Weaver, and Atlas (basically everybody)

My son's trains are Polar Express/Railroad (freight ONLY), and my daughter's trains are Hershey, both Lionel only

It's a weird system, but it's mine! 

* I've only broken my own rules on two occasions; a Lionel CSX Dash 8 and a Lionel CSX SD60, which I had the opportunity to pick up very inexpensively.

My interest is in the 1935-1955 steam/diesel transition era in the Northeast.  In terms of what road names I run, so far that's meant PRR, RDG and NYC.  Though if I ever saw something I liked in Lackawanna, Lehigh Valley or Erie, I might jump for it.

 

Well, of course!  I always face toward 80 East Jackson, Chicago, Illinois, for evening prayer.

 

The trains operating on the High Plains Division of the Panhandle and Santa Fe Railway Company are all Home Road, except for the daily SP (T&NO) local, which is treated with typical west Texas courtesy and friendliness.  Of course, we charge them for it.  Right down to the last dime.

NYC,P&LE , other NYC lines as available .  STEAMERS & DIESELS 

 

Christmas engines & cars

 

I hope to get different freight cars from different railroads for the mixed freight look.

 

i have one set of Nyc passenger cars .

 

Most of my stuff is MTH RAILKING .  

 

 

 

 

I have a somewhat diverse collection, but since space has gotten tight I hardly ever buy any motive power other than Milwaukee Road or MTH European. I've pretty much stopped buying diesels as I have too many and I'm mainly a steam fan. I do still buy ETS tinplate, which is all Euro prototype, but it's become almost impossible to find anything I don't already have, since only a fraction of the variety offered by ETS ever makes it into the United States.

 

I do occasionally indulge in Green Bay & Western, SP, or Rio Grande, but these days if I'm looking to buy something I ask myself where I'm going to put it and then I usually don't buy. 

Santa fe out of KC for Chicago mixed with some NYC in Ohio, and an occasional deal between the SP and Santa Fe that winds up in KC up from Texas. I'm building a mythical contracted service facility for NYC and the Santa fe  in Indiana or Ohio.

ATSF:  7 trainsets, all 25 carlengths from 3 different eras.

FW&D: 2 trainsets.

SLSF/QA&P: 1 glorious QLA/QSF, 25 carlengths.

When an accurate Burlington E5 is manufactured, the roster may grow.

 

 

 

Penn Central.  Its what I grew up with.  Locos, cabins and MOW are all PC, PRR or NYC.  Rolling stock is era appropriate, but not necessarily PC.  Modeling PC also helps with the budget.  Not that much is offered in this road.  I have, however, managed to accumulate 10 locos in PC paint.  This is in addition to locos in PRR and NYC paint.

 

Tom

If it doesn't, then I will become very cross.

no limits on RR's all welcome.  Passenger or freight, east and west coast. I have engines in 18 different road names and at York picked  up a A Virginian 2-8-8-2  for my #19

I try to limit myself on Era.  I try to stay in the transition of steam and diesel. I have a few modern diesels but for the most part will pass on a lot because of this.  I had to keep my buying down some way.

For me, it's the Boston and Maine, Maine Central, and a bit of New Haven in the late 40s/early 50s era.

 

New York Central/New Haven and related RRs......

New York Ontario & Western.....they used the West Shore and came into Weehawken.

Penn Central & Conrail.....because they were the successors.

IRT Subways....I'm a Bronx boy.

Pennsy....because of the Penn Central/Conrail tie in.

D&H.....because it exsists close to the above railroads....and I love its livery.

Lionel Lines....because they have trackage rights everywhere!

 

So, I guess I'm not very limited by roadname....My limit is my track diameter, O54...it keeps me from buying the "MONSTER ENGINES".

 

Peter

I do limit myself, but myself don't listen. I always end up somewhere between coast to coast.

I've always wanted to keep it simple. My grandfather was what I feel a role model should be. He collected Lionel Std Gauge, Electric Profile Engines only. He was a dedicated Passenger Service. I too collect Lionel Std Gauge, Electric Profile Engines. I prefer to collect those pieces marked, The Lionel Lines. I was dedicated Passenger Service until my selection of items kept shrinking. 

I started out with whatever caught my eye. Soon realized what I really wanted, Now it's UP, Or some sub flavor of the Rio Grande.

This helps curb the spending a lot.

I have tried, unsuccessfully, to limit myself to the PRR, NYC, N&W and the Great Northern but for some reason or another some additional lines have crept their way into my inventory like the Virginian, Union Pacific, Southern, Jersey Central and last but not least Lionel Lines.

Having grown up in Chicago in the 40's and 50's, the variety here whetted my apetite, then Trains and Railroad Magazines expanded it!  I limit myself (!) to CPR, CNR, GTW, C&NW, CMStP&P, CB&Q, WM, NYC, Soo Line, DM&IR, D&RGW, GN, and NP. Oh, a UP 0-6-0 and an SP 4-4-0 snuck into my holdings, too!      Yes, I am homeless, living in my automobile, with a layout running from my dashboard to my rear window sill!

I try to focus, but I don't feel limited. 

I try to stick with NE US roads and pre-1968 for motive power.  PRR, LVRR, D&H, RDG, EL, C&O.

I have tried to with very limited success.  I started with only UP, but then added BNSF as it runs near our house.  Then I HAD to have a warbonnet so Santa Fe was added to the mix.  My grandparents worked for M&STL and C&NW so they were added.  Now I am trying to limit it to fallen flags of UP and BNSF, which includes most of the western roads.

 

Oh well, I had the best of intentions.  I tried to limit it the 1960 era too, but so much for that too.  Now I am trying to run eras and store the other eras.

 

Art

 

I'm thinking of scheduling an intervention for you, my friend. 

 

 

George

of course i limit myself! i try to model a small geographic area called the United States. no European, no Canadian nothing but American and you thought i couldn't put such tight limits on myself.

I limit myself to roads real and fictitious that I like and limit my locos to those I like.....other than that....wide open!  

I have limited myself to NYO&W and Chessie. Gotta keep the spending in check!

I finally decided on what to do with my small layout and that dictates what I'll run on it.

It's a small yard in NewYork City that can represent 3 different eras fairly easily.

30s era: NYC steam & electric to haul milk trains, reefers,mixed freight and commuter.

50s era: NYC, NH (McGinnis) and LIRR freight & commuter.

Early 90s: Conrail, Amtrak regional freight and passenger.

Diameter is 054 so equipment will be limited to what will look good. I have a 10-wheeler, an S-1 motor, for the 30s (need a Pacific, Mikado or Consolidation); I have an F3, RS-1, RS-3 and SW-2 for the 50s (need any McGinnis diesel and an 44 tonner); and I have an S40-2 for the 90s, which I'll augment with switchers, an F40PH and an Amtrak motor unit. So now that I settled on this, I will dissolve my UP holdings. 

 

Jay

I wish that I could limit myself.   It would be a lot less expensive.  Membership in a club where people have a many cool trains does not help.

 

Joe

Yes i only buy Chessie, Western Maryland, B&O and C&O in engines and cars! 

I only collect Milwaukee Road.

 

Bob Nelson