How much is enough?

Like Depeche Mode once sang, "I just can't get enough". Twenty four diesels and five steam and still counting. I just bought a Weaver PRR boxcar off the 'Bay today .

I have approximately the same number of engines as you do and feel i have enough.  If I have the money I will buy more engines if I really like their looks.  My overall plan though is to not have more engines and rolling stock than will fit on my layout i.e. nothing stored in boxes.

.....

Dennis

Paul, like you I'm a Milwaukee guy. I have 28 Milwaukee engines on the roster. Way more than I can ever run. I've really stopped buy any more motive power. With a totally new kitchen in the works, train money is hard to come by. At a later date I would like to add a Lionel S-3 Northern but my road will just have to get along without it for some time. Like the real Milwaukee Road, my line is in bankruptcy at the present time. Don

One can never have enough, the problem is getting enough.....

I only buy locos and rolling stock from the Western Maryland and some local short line roads so my choice is limited.  It's the best way I know to limit my spending.  BTW I'll also buy U.S. Army stuff.

It would depend partly on whether one is strictly a collector or operator, or somewhere in between, perhaps.  The rule of "what fits on the layout" seems reasonable for operators, but for collectors there may be no limit.

I only buy what fits on the rails without cluttering up my main lines. When I buy an engine that won't fit on the layout, I either build a new siding (room permitting) or sell off one of my current ones.

 

At present, I have 92 engines (91 DCS and 1 Legacy) and approx. 250 freight and passenger cars, all on sidings, with one open siding for the Swiss Crocodile that's on preorder. That's not bad for a 3-level layout that consumes a 21' X 13' room and an 11' X 4' walk-in closet.

 

To paraphrase the Post Office, "If it doesn't fit, it ships!"

I'm going to play this one safe, I am just not going to count what I have.

I have plenty. Tried selling a few but did not work out.There are some items that I know I just won't use. I should sell them. I thought about getting a table at the Allentown train show and just blow them out.

 

I am now on a conventional kick so I dug out a bunch of stuff. I thought I would never use them again but conventional is more fun then I remembered. I have at least 200 cars from pre war to modern that will not fit on my layout. I dont like a crowded yard so it's easier to build consists. I have two main yards. 

 

I know I would feel better if I dumped a bunch of items but just don't get around to it. I have them fairly organized and can usually find an item pretty quick. I know I will not come back from York empty handed. I need some layout supplies and maintainence supplies. I also would like to come back with a nice tin plate MTH PS2 or 3 engine. I don't have any and I really like them....problem is I will then want cars. 

 

Is it worth setting up a table at a show?  

A 21' x 13' room in Florida? I now have big room envy. Thanx Barry .

how much you need ? well you make an estimate you multiply by 10 to make sure and you add another 200% just in case.   

Hopefully just enough for my 45 x 16 1/2 foot layout with five loops.  I have 2 Little Joes, 1 GP38, 1 628, set of F7's & 200 pieces of rolling stock.

 

 

 

 

When you look at all the new catalogues, and there is nothing that you want, then you have enough trains. 

I am very selective now.  In the process of getting rid on some things I no longer want.

I lost count long ago. My dream is large, and was well established prior to my current wife. She's on board and actually kinda likes trains, which makes life easy.

 

Don (Scale Rail) there is an S-3 #267 on eBay ending in a few hours, no bids and opening at $850. Not a bad deal these days, if you can win it for that.

"Don (Scale Rail) there is an S-3 #267 on eBay ending in a few hours, no bids and opening at $850. Not a bad deal these days, if you can win it for that."

there is also a lionel milwaukee S-3 "pilot" which seems to be an unpainted version ("only 50 made!").  why is this called a pilot?

Forrest, thanks but I came over here to retire not get buried. Thanks anyway Don

All of it.

Remember"........

Too little is too little

Just enough is ok

And.......

Too much is just enough

TOY TRAINS ARE LIKE EATING PEANUTS-YOU CANNOT EAT JUST ONE-I HIT MY POINT THIS YEAR-THERE IS JUST SO MUCH ROOM AND MONEY FOR THIS HOBBY.SELLING ITEMS IS GETTING HARD-HAVE TO RELIST ITEMS 3-4 BTIMES TO GET A BITE.SHIPPING IS KILLING ME.NOT EVEN EXCITED NOW About york or new mth catalogs.

i noticed p[rices rising also-look what a nice o scale boxcar goes for.time to enjoy what i havev and think about the good old days

I always say that once I buy the next one

I've narrowed down (forced myself) to a few "neighboring railroads" in hopes of minimizing the "gotta have the next big thing" syndrome. However, as long as the steamers I desire have different whistles I'm always in the market for more in the "designated" road names. I refuse to have "twinkies" when it comes to sound. I could possibly stop buying if Lionel offers a legacy j3a hudson in the future as I have some heavyweights in need of head end power. In the meantime there are rumors of a legacy mohawk in the next catalog........ I may need one of those to tie me over. Lastly multiple locomotives offers one the ability to spread the operation time out over all of the models as opposed to running the same one every day.....saves on wear and tear

 

I have approx. 20 diesel engines and 90 scale cars. I'm slowly up dating my engines to ERR's TMCC system.  I've got room for more and plan to increase engines and cars.

 

I had a friend that told my wife that he had enough trains.    I told the wife he's 91 years old and that I had many more years of collecting til I'm 91.

 

 

No comment on quantity of engines or rolling stock.

For me, it's all about passion. I'm currently a 50 plus guy(re: locomotives); might be enough, might not?

 

In 2004, I started and fairly quickly moved through to Premier products. 2007, 2008 and 2009 were years I was quite active, re: new purchases. Actually, real active!

 

I could point you to catalogs where I've(just about) bought at least one item from every page(diesels and electric models); sometimes, more than one. I had a plan... buy fast, die young(just kidding); but, I did have a plan. I wanted an nice collection, in a short period of time.

 

I more than reached my goal some time ago; even lost my passion for them... more than once. Recently, went on a hunt for some new 2007 models; just got them and I'm enjoying myself.

 

There's something, though, that's been working on me(it's been on my mind) for at least a couple of years. It's called a Union Pacific SD70ACe, in the company's standard livery(armor yellow and grey). I've already got some(ACe's) even traded a few away; but, I'll probably never feel totally content, until one of those UP ACe's is mine.

 

If it makes me happy, it's affordable and it doesn't negatively impact others... why not?

 

I won't suggest what you should do, though. That's up to you.

 

 

Rick

 

 

 

I'm not sure why they call it "pilot", but there are only 49 of them left. That's what I'm holding in my avatar pic.

I funded my retirement for well over 30 years so I could live comfortably and buy things I desired when I retired.  I'm there and I'm buying.

"Forrest, thanks but I came over here to retire not get buried. Thanks anyway Don"

i didn't suggest that, don.  someone else did.  i was just asking what the "pilot" model is and using that as the lead in.

i would never put you at risk.  

Enough is whatever you think it is. If you are short of money, enough trains (or whatever your hobby or collection is) means enough that you enjoy it, that you are not burning to get the next item, and that whatever you buy next is not going to take away from something important, like your health or your family. If you have money, but are running out of space, enough is when you start having to think not only "can I afford this" but "where am I going to put it?" Personally, I've gone kind of nuts on trains, to the point where I take 4 tables at our club's train shows just trying to get rid of the "more than enough" that I've acquired. Enough is what makes you happy without wondering if you've bought too much. Collecting for me is on kind of a curve - when you start, it's kind of a vacuum cleaner thing, you don't have much, you want a lot of what you see, and sometimes you overbuy or pay too much. Gradually you get a better understanding of what you really want and "need," and you no longer want so much. Personally, I'm at the point where I can afford to add something to my collection if I really, really want it, but I have to think about where I'm going to put it. That's a kind of balance point. 

 

On a higher philosophical level, I've often thought that a lot of people would be happier if they could internalize the the concept of "enough." An awful lot of people tend to want more and more of whatever, just to have as much as or more than the next guy, or because "he who dies with the most toys, wins." I still have some of those impulses, but I'm actually happier if I keep them under control. I could have made a lot more money in my career if that's what I'd focused on, but I wanted to serve my country, travel, and live an adventurous life, and that was worth every penny of the potential income I gave up when I made my big career change. Like I said in the beginning, enough is what you want it to be. 

John(gun...),

 

That was part of my enjoyment... having the money to fulfill my passion.

 

 

Rick

Compared to most of you, I have very few trains... but 25% of them, I wish I had'nt bought.

I had enough trains when my interest in our hobby shifted from a solitary enjoyment in my basement of the trains themselves to making a miniature world that invited the interest of our friends and family to share the trains with us. The "me" became an "us" which has made the whole experience all the more satisfying for me. That was news to me, something I hadn't anticipated or perceived as coming down the rails at me. Maybe, it was an evolution of a sort, in my case. I stopped buying trains, esp. steam locomotives, and even asked my wife to stop gifting them to me (!) . I came to realize that $1,000 could buy one steam locomotive (back when I stopped buying them) but a whole lot more for the layout. That's when I had enough trains, and paying attention to every square nano-inch of the miniature world around them became most important to me.

Frank

Enough is what YOU say it is. 

 

Andy

Sounds like a gun collection:

 

Me: "Honey, I need (enter make, model, caliber, etc. here)"

 

Wife: "Why?"

 

Me: "Because I don't have one like it."

I can identify with that comment.   It's harder to explain why you need another 1911 when you already have a bunch of them.  "But Honey, it's got different grips!".

My layout is 14x22 with two connected loops. I have four Legacy engines and two conventional engines. After buying anything and everything, I decided on a reefer train, coal train, a passenger train and a Boy Scout train. These seem sufficient for me for now. My buying now is guided by does anything fit these theme? Does it fit on the layout? Can I afford it now or later? Is it operable? Usually I have 2 trains set up with 6 to 12 cars on the 2 loops and rotate the other trains as I want. Operating accessories and cars attract me the most now. With all the new and great items coming out, this has helped me a lot on deciding what to purchase. I hope this helps. David

I can see only one situation where there might come a time when I have enough toy trains.  If ever it gets to the point that there are:

 

a) no types of locos (e.g., Big boy, Gresley A3, French 2-4-1, EMD F3) and roadnames (SF, UP, NYC) that I want and don't have . . . and

 

b) new offerings by Lionel, MTh, etc., of locos I already have, have no new features that I am willing to buy: for example, no, I would not buy a Vision Big Boy to replace my JLC Big Boy just to get a swinging bell.  But a swingin bell, whistle steam effect, and, say, animated fireman and engineer figures in the cab?  Maybe . . . 

 

This could happen.  I doubt it ever will. 

More then I need, but not as many that I want. That's why we go to YORK.

 

I know I posted earlier on in this thread but after reading all you posts I have come to realize something; I feel different about it at different times. No one answer. Sometimes I look and say what the heck am I doing here, I have way too much stuff. Then I remember a certain boxcar and dig it out and enjoy running it. It's all good. The families fed, the bills are paid on time. I just wish I had more time to play.