Ever since I was little, I've lived next to the Southern Rwy. (Forrest) Yard in Memphis (currently renamed after someone less... controversial). I loved trains so much that my parents bought me a Lionel (Jersey Central Lines) set at 6. (The box said '8 and up'). Sadly, I was disappointed that not one of the cars were Southern. I recognized some of the railroads (CN, Burlington Route in post-merger colors, Union Pacific), but I wanted Southern rolling stock in the worst way. As a result, nearly all of the cars I added to my train set in the '80s were Southern... sort of. I say 'sort of' because unlike cars from other railroads (Conrail, NYC, Union Pacific), my FARR tank car and red 9700 boxcar didn't meet the level detail I was used to seeing across the street from my bedroom window. (It wasn't until the late '90s that I saw the brown -- 'Tuscan red' -- "9711" 9700 series boxcar, and even then I wondered why they didn't paint the inside of the 'O' green.)
When I first learned how to use the Internet, my first e-mail was to Lionel, asking them to make a new Southern boxcar in the 6464 series. I gave them every detail I could and tried to give them every detail I could. (Since Southern cars still run on this now-NS line, I didn't have to memorize them, I still saw them everyday.) After my meaty letter, they ended up producing what I'd asked for and showing it off in their 1998 catalog.
Even though my tastes have expanded, I still prefer to have as much Southern Railway and Norfolk Southern as possible. (If someone produces some pre-merger era Mo-Pac or ICG stock, I might find room for it too.) I also have an interest in 1970s-1990s Trailer-Train (and "TTX") rolling stock, but it's hard to find design-accurate pieces in O-42 radius cars.
. Variety is the spice of life. 
