Freight or Passenger?

This thread made me rather introspective and I spent some time thinking about why I like both, and its for very different reasons.  Interestingly, I like and run both due to these three concepts in my mind:

- I associate passenger trains with diesels - specificaly passenger diesels of the 1950s: EMD F3s and E8s and Alcos, Sharks, and the like.

- I like to run passenger trains because they are romantic, attractive (sleek, nicely painted, sometimes actually beautiful) and they remind me of the train-trips I took as a kid.

- I run freight trains because I like to run steam locomotives - they look so cool with their brutish shapes/size and equipment, and all those wheels and rods and valve equipment.  I don't associate steam locos with passenger trains (even though I realize they pulled passenger service up into the postwar era, and have both a Dreyfus Hudson NYC train and Blue Comet train - passenger trains - on display in my trainroom). So I run freight behind the steamers since I want to run steamers - that is only/major reason I run freight trains!

I'm not sure this makes sense, or makes sense to others, but its why I run what I run.

I started out coveting all the sleek, sexy streamliners and classic named trains.  Over time, I've evolved to a place where I appreciate the diversity of a mixed freight or a consist of billboard reefers.  I still like to run my passenger consists, but I get tired of watching the same colors fly by over and over and over...

The other fun thing about freight is that it offers me more of an opportunity to "operate".  I would not classify myself as an "operator" per se, but I do enjoy dropping strings of cars, picking them up with other trains, and switching engines.  

I enjoy running both.  I have loved passenger trains since I was little, seeing them go by the house or going to the DL&W depot in Binghamton, NY to see or (gasp) ride them.  The lights on model passenger cars always intrigued me. Freight, of course, has more variety, and makes the money for the RR.  Like 'em all.

Both.

Both - kids and adults oooh/ahhh over psgr consists.  And they look cool.

Freight is fun for slowing it down and switching industries.

I've been thinking about the original poster's question, and I can honestly say I have never thought about what I liked better.  In the real world, you see both types of trains so I have always assumed my layout would include both.  I chose the late 40s for my era, when the railroads ran steam, diesel, passenger and freight.  So I run steam, diesel, passenger and freight and enjoy it all.

Everyone is different and each enjoys one or more of the many different aspects of this hobby; that is why this is such a great hobby.  Personally, I do not want to limit myself to one type of operation.  The more things I can do the better.

- I associate passenger trains with diesels - specificaly passenger diesels of the 1950s: EMD F3s and E8s and Alcos, Sharks, and the like.

I don't get that. My favorite trains are Art Deco streamliners ("steamliners") like the Hiawathas, the John Wilkes and Black Diamond, the Dreyfuss Hudsons, etc. And there is plenty of history before that with heavyweight passenger cars and unstreamlined steam.  There are some very, very cool diesel passenger trains (the Super Chief, the Olympian Hiawatha, the Zephyrs, the black KCS trains, any B&O train with an E6 on point) but steam is still king. 

Mostly freight but some passenger too.  I usually feel I need a "purpose" to run a train.  Make up a train in the yard, run it around the layout a dozen times, and send it off to "Texas" or somewhere by parking it in one of the hidden loops.  With only two depots on my layout it is harder to fabricate that purpose as much. 

Nathan

I run mostly freight with an emphasis on steel making and related industries.  Slag cars, hot metal cars, ingot mold flat cars, ore jennies, coal hoppers, boxcars, and a few tankers are a big part of my trains.  The steel making cars work around the mills.  Coal, ore, and boxcars move through the layout.

Passenger cars are few in number, but I do run 1 train for them.

George

Freight is my favorite although I do run both.