Do "Road Specific" Details Matter To You?

No, as long as the main theme is correct, fine details don't matter to me.

Absolutely!! In fact "road specific details" on ANYTHING in O Scale matter to me.

In the perfect world of O Gauge, Yes. Reality forces compromises.

Nope don't care for detail and color of paint as long its close.

Another yes, in that road specific details do matter to me.

Model railroading has made me more interested in railroading history, which in turn, has made me more interested is scale model railroading.

Jim

I do try to run my C&NW units left-handed when possible. Does that count? 

ABSOLUTELY!!!

Its not a necessity, but yes, most of the time I'd rather see it done "right".

 Even in tin .  

Yes. These things cost too much money to forgive larger inaccuracies. Can't ignore them.

Depends on the situation. Something very minor, don't care. The more major it becomes, I start to care. This goes not only with visible detail but with sounds. My new Imperial Railking LIRR Mikado was shipped with sounds from Virginia and Maryland. MTH made it right but something like that is not something I'll live with. 

For me, it is all about the details, I check the numbered locomotive or railcar against possible photos, whether mine or those on the web, want accurate sounds and paint, so my layout is as close to what was real as I can with my skill set.

Yes, but I don't demand absolute accuracy or fine detail.  The closer to correct the better, but I am happy with my "close enough" models.  I'm sure if this was posted on one of the scale forums, you would find a different philosophy. 

I like my steam to at least have a passing resemblance to CN or CP but I can't get excited about the diesels as long as the paint is close.

Nope ... not at all. Not even in HO. I wouldn't even know what was correct for the road.

Though I certainly do appreciate highly detailed engines, etc.

I guess I just play with my trains.

Try to keep every engine I get west coast, unfortunately that always never happens.

No, I can't be bothered researching such things.  I have a railroad to run! 

Moderately important.  Especially so if a particularly distinctive detail.  I generally don't actively research an engine, etc. for the sake of purchasing decisions, though the more I know the pickier I become.  Some things bug me more than others. 

Cost v. benefit also plays a role.  For example, I wasn't (& am still not) thrilled with the darkness of the green on the Menard NYC boxcars. However, at $20/car they're good enough, seeing as I was in need of NYC rolling stock. Would've been a no-go at $50/car, though.

Yes!

If the price is large then the diesel-electric locomotives have to be railroad specific.

Andrew

YES.

While I do enjoy seeing road specific details, for me personally, the fun factor of running my trains generally trumps such details especially since my faved tourist/shortline roads' engines are modified by those roads anyway.

I guess it depends on how noticeable the details are. Something like the stainless steel nose trim on the Milwaukee Road version of the Fairbanks Morse Erie Built is clearly essential to the overall look of the unit. On the other hand, if we are talking about the size of the fuel tank on a road switcher, maybe not so much. Little things like the location of the horn are easy enough to fix yourself.

I'm much more interested in road specific details on steam locomotives. When Weaver did its Milwaukee Road 4-6-4, I had a long back-and-forth with Joe Hayter about how the detailing would match up with the numbering of the engines. There were some specific modifications done to these engines when they were renumbered, and I engaged with Joe to make sure that the details matched the numbers. The dialogue ended well; Joe made some design changes to reconcile the details with the numbering and I bought one. 

I'd like to think yes, road specific details matter, but all I have is Atlas, 3rd Rail/GGD, Lionel and MTH so if I REALLY cared I would have spent a more money to get them correct. 

Charlie

Absolutely.

No not at all. 

No

Not really.  If I like it I buy it.

Given the choice, I would say yes.  But I also expect to pay more for that option.  Some builders are very concerned and their product is more expensive.  Others, produce generic pieces as their audience could care less.

Yes, I am a Pennsylvania guy so if the diesel does not have train phone antennas I don't own it. Plus I like the look.

JohnB

A definite yes, especially with the current prices. If a specific Locomotive steam or diesel doesn't have the details for that road. No matter how correct the paint job. Its still not right, I pass buying new and wait till they come on auction sites at half the outlay and work on improving them.

Proper paint scheme and color are important.  Other details don't make any difference - seems like the cost (design, part sourcing, manufacturing) outweigh the marginal value of a road-specific detail part.  To me, the trains are a representation, not a perfect copy.

The more detailed and more accurate, the better I like it!

Some things are "unforgiveable!" Like these E8B units from MTH. Pretty good models really. But CP never had any E8Bs!

They came with an A-B-B-A combo in an ebay sale. I wanted the A's. The B's never run.

This is how I feel also.

Yes, as my knowledge increases and the options are more plentiful.  My dear mom used to like to say "what you don't know doesn't hurt you."  This is very true when it comes to this subject.

Art

EBT Jim pretty much sums up my approach.

I don't research the prototypes, so I have no clue what's right and wrong.

I do respect the degree of details applied to a loco, and will lean to those with more detail.

Like Jim, I play with my trains.  As long as I only buy those things that *I* think look great, I'm thrilled.

If the engine is advertised as scale it should be correct because the price is full scale.

Mikey