How Many Engines Are Too Many?

As Texastrain suggested , the answer is relative to each person's reality. For me, the limit became not so much a number (which I will not disclose) but a feeling. That is, I started buying locomotives and rolling stock and building the various iterations of the layout in 1995. I rarely missed a trainshow in the NJ, NY, PA, Conn. area. Once I slowed down in my purchases, my wife started buying me locomotives, for each birthday, anniversary,  and Christmas.

For example, during a trainshow in Edison, NJ, she spontaneously (no special occasion was imminent) bought me a scale Williams "Challenger" and a scale Weaver UP8444. (Yes, I was delirious !) After that, I tried to keep my enthusiasm for drooled-over treasures a bit less apparent.

I actually reached a point, when she bought me a scale Allegheny steam locomotive at our LHS (the proprietor had been observed, over the years, nearly "snapping to attention" whenever she came through the door), when I asked her to stop the very generous kindness . She reluctantly agreed.

I had simply - quite unexpectedly - arrived at a point where I had enough trains, with plenty to run, which are very dependable, plenty to admire on shelves, and plenty, altogether, to have pride-of-ownership galore.

Making a nice layout became my sustained passion, instead of acquiring trains.

FrankM

2 pages of comments is too many for me to go back and review.  Sooooo, if my answer has already been given I apologize.  I say, if you need a calculator to add up all your engines because you can't count that high then you have too many engines.

Rick

Now  where did I put that calculator?

AGHRMatt posted:

The very question "How many engines are too many?" itself is BLASPHEMY!!!

Now throw that grown kid out of the house and commandeer the bedroom for more storage space!

 

 

Somehow when I looked over the posts, I missed one from our leader! And it's a classic.

Thank You Marty.

Roo.

Moonson posted:

I had simply - quite unexpectedly - arrived at a point where I had enough trains, with plenty to run, which are very dependable, plenty to admire on shelves, and plenty, altogether, to have pride-of-ownership galore.

You never know what is enough until you know what is more than enough.

And, if you have to ask how many is too many, you probably already know that you're there already.

Scrapiron Scher posted:

Someone "Hoo-hah" once said to me:

"it's me or those trains"

To which I responded:

"I'm gonna miss you, honey."

.....and Eliot proposed marriage to me.  I accepted, but his wife was disturbed.

When the maintenance and care-n-feeding of your engines (or any part of your layout, for that matter) moves from being fun to being a burden, it's time to stop.  You should own a collection - not the other way around.  To paraphrase the KJV, "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall buy everything his heart desires and yet lose his joy?"

When I read the title of this thread I thought "How could there ever be too many?"

Rod

When the first floor collapses

...onto the rest.

But seriously, Id throw in the towel at more than 41 but less than 43 unless it was some sort of experiment.

When the voices in my head stop yelling "all aboard" and I don't have drown out the accompanying bells with O scale ones.

When the rust gets tired and sleeps, or the oil is delivered by the barrel.

When those migranes turn out to be the Mars lights causing floaters that don't just fade.

Locomotive elbow or crappy tunnel syndrome are a result of swapping in the present out for idle engines.

Your purchases trigger a money laundering investigation.

You keep trying to figure out if you can thin the herd to GRJs suggested limit

...and fail.

I've got over 25 and less than 30 (I think less than 30?) A fraction of what was accessible in my youth. Enough to be content, but I've got plenty of room for more, and only a few desires to get me in trouble.  All within reason on price actually; lucky me!

I can run 5 trains on the layout and store 4 engines in the round house and two on the side of the RH.  About 3 other trains can be staged on other tracks and 3 more engines on sidings. That is about 17 or so engines. 

Then I believe in spares and variation of engines so I can at least double that to 34 engines as necessary and required.

But then I am weak and when I find some nice looking engine or one that is a great bargain and wants to go home with me or when someone gives me their old engines because they know I will run and use them I just get to accumulate more. And is so sad to see empty train shelves looking so lonely and bare.

Not mention I have 7 grand kids that all need train layouts someday.

All rationalized, sympathetic and reasonable, right?

Charlie

Perfect logic

Choo Choo Charlie posted:

If you have too many for the tracks, build shelves on those walls to show and keep the extra engines and cars handy. This will work until you run out of walls !

Charlie

Charlie, I see some potential shelf space...just seal off those darn windows. Daylight is overrated. 

Tom

i have a g scale polar express and some other TOY trains and i find myself wanting one of these

or any thing that does freight work in arizona and i have be careful and to hide it all when my dad visits because if he found out his 21 year old son was playing with trains and my caretaker and mentors were giving me train he'd have a fit then smash the trains with a hammer

Marty Fitzhenry posted:

I have a great many locomotives.  I appreciate every one.  I can look at my layout or wall and tell you where every locomotive came from.  I make no excuses to anyone for having a big collection.  I worked two full time jobs all my life and did the right thing with my money.  I love going to York and bringing locomotives home.  My add in OGR Forum stating I will buy inoperative shelf queens has rained locomotives.  Anything that is an easy fix I offer back to the seller.  Guys/Gals enjoy your trains and if anybody complains, you know what to tell them.  

Having anything in life is no good unless you can share it with others.  Remember Forum Members you are always welcome to stop by and if you bring your own trains with you,  you can run them and have fun.

Buy trains and enjoy life.

Marty,

You hit the nail on the head. We raised 2 daughters, put them thru college, kept them in cars, married one off, and the is getting married In May, to a great guy, just after getting her master'S. It is our turn now. My wife supports me in every way. Yes, I enjoy all of my engines and cars.

Joe Gozzo

I know that you weren't asking as a serious question, but as many have said...I can't resist.

1. No more than you can afford.

2. Only what can fit on your layout.

3. No more than you can run or appreciate.

Based on that criteria most of us shouldn't have more than a dozen or so.  I'm in trouble and it doesn't look good for the future either.

Art

It's just one of life's many questions that doesn't have a correct answer. I used to collect O-scale 2-rail electric engines (I mean, GG-1, Y-1, etc.) and D&RGW steam engines, until I began to feel there was something compulsive and a little unhealthy psychologically about always wanting to buy more engines and build more display cases. So I liquidated everything and now I operate my Rio Grande layout with two A-B-B-A sets of F-units and one steam engine (an L-131 from Sunset). Speaking only for myself, I prefer this situation to the previous experience of being a collector who was always looking for the next acquisition, with no end in sight. 

AGHRMatt posted:

The very question "How many engines are too many?" itself is BLASPHEMY!!!

Now throw that grown kid out of the house and commandeer the bedroom for more storage space!

 

 

I did that already!!!! But now I miss her! LOL!! (Actually she's in college)

The simple answer is:

1. More than 1 engine if you are out of money.

2. No limits if you are out of wives.

Please, no offense intended but this is a very silly question.  Do you think God ever asked himself how many grains of sand  was enough for the ocean.

I rest my case ��

Ed

36 o scale 2 rail locos and counting for me. You just can't have enough - and I don't even have a permanent layout yet.  

Ed Walsh posted:

Please, no offense intended but this is a very silly question.  Do you think God ever asked himself how many grains of sand  was enough for the ocean.

I rest my case ��

Ed

Replying in exactly the same tone and intention I have interpreted you meant with this posting, I have to say, I think He intended all that sand as an ongoing project, since sand is created and accumulated every day.

frankm

I am a Horder I mean collector! Laugh out Loud!  I have to go as the UPS guy is here in the brown truck.  Ed Walsh is right you can not take them with you, the last time I checked.