Reasons for train purchases.

The only reason is that I like it, nothing else matters. 

 

This is is the most stupidest post I have seen in awhile. Geez just buy your trains and enjoy them no matter how or what you buy. 

I primarily model the 40's and 50's on the N&W, I also enjoy the NKP, UP and CB&Q.  But if I think it's cool...well then home it comes... 

I focus on steam era and the Milwaukee Road. I will buy most anything that is scale, high quality, and Milwaukee Road from the steam era. This extends to beer cars, especially from Wisconsin and other Midwestern and Pacific Northwest breweries, and freight cars from roads or shippers that would logically connect to the Milwaukee. I also select flat car loads for the connection. The Milwaukee Road used to serve Yellowstone Park, so I have a 1930's White tourist bus marked for the park as a flatcar load. Likewise Milwaukee and Kansas City fire engines. 

 

I also buy Southern Pacific and related lines. My layout and screen name are based on the Chicago, Milwaukee, and Southwestern, an imaginary joint venture between the Milwaukee Road (original family home) and the SP (dominant railroad where I live). The flagship passenger train is the Southwest Hiawatha. 

 

And then, there are a few random additions just because I like them. I love deco streamliners, so I have a John Wilkes. I got a Kansas City Southern passenger train because I like the color scheme (and the KCS does connect to the Milwaukee at Kansas City). Likewise the imaginary Santa Fe "Midnight Chief" set - I just plain like it. 

 

I have some semi-modern equipment, but not that much and I'm not buying any more, except once in a while. I made an exception for the Lionel 86' boxcar because they painted it in Milwaukee Road, but that's a very unusual purchase. I generally stick to steam and transition era. 

"MOST STUPIDEST"  I certainly concur with your statement.  It says it all.

I'm in your boat if it looks nice I buy it.

       
       
Whenever my Wife asks me the reason I need to buy something new I tell her..

"Your brother-in-law's friend's father's grandfather's sister's uncle had one....and he loved it."


The Real reason is...
It gives me something to look forward to.

K.C.

It's just what I do.

My interest has been in tinplate focused on Hornby, Prewar Flyer and Marx. I stopped buying new ( contemporary ) stuff and plan to sell it off at some time. So..to add to my operating collection, its down to cost and quality..... unless its maintenance materials. Right now due to what I have, Im pretty picky and dont want to add stuff just to have it....The only item on my want list is a prewar Flyer 8 axle box cab...Once I sell off the new stuff..Ill shop around. 

My reasons for buying (or rather persuading my parents to do so) have run the gambit of most of the reasons presented.

 

I model the 1950's in Ohio, so I have tried to but whatever eastern railroad stock was available to me. Thus, I have ended up with NYC, Erie, N&W, NKP, and Milwaukee cars and locomotives.

 

Once, I was actually influenced by a article in Classic Trains, which persuaded me to buy a Northern Pacific double door boxcar from K-Line.

 

Other times, it's been merely serendipity, like when I came across an excellent condition K-Line P&G promotional set while on vacation in Michigan.

 

Nowadays I have enough, but desperately need another storage track!

 

Because I want to!

I always liked serendipity.  It never ceases to be soothing.  

Bob, I have to say, this topic has proven to be much more interesting to me than I had anticipated.  If I remember right, there was a similar thread quite some time ago, but your thought-provoking comments just seem to elicit some worthwhile responses.

 

My own purchases have been adequately covered by many of the above comments, but often, I've bought what I couldn't have as a kid.

 

Whenever an item strikes my fancy, and I have the funds for the purchase. I am NOT a "collector", but rather an accumulator, and I have jumped from gauge to gauge and scales over a 60+ year period, with an estimated total expenditure of some $75,000.

 

When I get bored with a train or accessory, I sell it or give them to relatives.

 

I am big on vintage steam and electric motive power, with little interest in diesels.

For me I model late 1940s - 1960 fallen flags of Maryland .... B&O, Pennsylvania, Western Maryland, Norfolk and Western, Baltimore and Annapolis, Maryland and Pennsylvania, Canton Railroad, and Patapsco and Backrivers.   The name of my railroad is the Free State Junction Railway.  Maryland was first called the Free State in a Baltimore Sun editorial denouncing prohibition in 1923.... the name stuck.  The major manufacturing facilities on the Free State Junction Railway is a brewery and an egg nog plant ... so much for prohibition 

 

I purchase rolling stock named for most of the above roads and I have about 25 or so locos ( steam and first generation diesel ) with the above road names  but no Patapsco and Backrivers loco yet ... only gons for this road.  I also have a Reading loco since they had trackage rights over the Western Maryland in certain parts of Maryland.

 

I do purchase freight rolling stock from western, northeastern, and southern roads as well .... such as Southern, RF&P, Santa Fe, Union Pacific, NYC, Boston and Maine, Reading, Erie, Canadian National, New Haven, Central of Vermont, Railway Express, private tank car companies, plus beer cars.  Passeger cars are from N&W, B&O, Pennsy, and Western Maryland.

 

Basically though if I like it ( and have the $$ in cash in hand ) I will first think it through then buy it.

Perfect expression of what I've done with toy trains--not a collector, but an accumulator from PW LIONEL, to contemporary LIONEL SRR, to O scale, to whatever.

 

It took awhile to figure out what I liked most about this hobby.  Likewise, I have 50+ diecast vehicles, but that's an accumulation, not a collection.

Bob, 

A thought provoking thread.  When I recovered my childhood trains from my parents garage in the late 90's I only thought of the PW trains I did not have in the 60's.  But after learning about the Looney Tunes trains, I started a decade long hunt to get all them.  That hunt is now over.  I do have them all.  Then the birth of my daughter in 2002 and her interest in my trains (now our trains) later in the decade brought other character based and candy based trains into our stable.  

Ultimately, I bought what I liked.  

Price was and is always a big consideration.  

I finally got some Williams Santa Fe aluminum passenger cars, and the Rail King CZ cars as well, fulfilling my childhood desire for passenger cars to go along with our freight cars.

For us, train buying is not bound by limitations of road name or era, but what seems FUN to us, and fits in our budget.

 

I believe that our purchasing decisions are driven by so many personal and individual factors, and that there is no right way or wrong way to go about it.

 

Thanks again for such a relevant and timely topic.

 

Jon

When I got into O-gauge a few years ago with my O-27 postwar layout I wanted to "model" the 1950's in an undisclosed NC location. But since it is O-27 and all I have not bothered to to get too much into realism. Anything postwar Lionel or Marx fits in, road names do not really matter as long as they are something that existed in the '50's, even Lionel Lines! LOL I did however decide that my main railroad modeled would be the N&W, but again, an O-27 version using readily and cheaply available postwar and some MPC era items. In other words, not the "real" N&W!

But then I found Marx 3/16" scale tin and got bit by that bug which then led to wanting even more tin, especially prewar tin.

So anything that runs, or can be made to run without too much added expense, from before or after WWII, that doesn't cost an arm or a leg, is fair game. Fortunately a very small (to non-existing) hobby budget keeps the buying in check!  LOL

 

I guess I just like old O-gauge trains.

I model Railroads where I grew up in Northern California in the Post War Era,SP,WP,Santa Fe,UP and a concession to the N&W.

Mikey

pure and simple... scale details, great features and great sounds...

SOLD!

 

I'm sort of new to this and so I was stupidly just buying cheap to get some stuff together. Now I have a lot of stuff I'm upon reflection not terribly happy with so I've learned my lesson. I'm going to focus on trackwork and scenery for a while now while I let the ideas about what I want to ultimately do gel a little. Layout will be mini vignettes of local things so that will ultimately drive some of my decisions.

 

The lure of jumping all over buying rolling stock for whatever reason is hard to resist.

Bob,

   Like you I was disappointed in the Red Comet cancellation, however there is a 263E P2 Red Christmas Train available, I really do like it but I have never seen it for under

$599.00, which is now a little steep for a P2 Christmas set, sense the P3 engines are now available.  I have been waiting for the price to come down a might, when it does

I will most probably purchase one.  They are really nice, with the cab roof painted Christmas Green on the beautiful shinny Red 263E Engine, and 12 Wheel tender, the rolling stock is Red and trimmed nicely also, the Caboose is a beautiful Christmas Green to match the roof of the 263E engine.  Definitely a way cool original Tin Plate Christmas Train.

PCRR/Dave

Good thread! Personally, I am a PRR guy, both steam and diesel, but as of late find myself buying too many Lionel general sets. Don't know why, just like them! Just yesterday I bought a "Hill Climber" engine/tender combo, from the late 1800's, just liked the looks of it and it will look good in the office... I am fortunate to be in the position I can buy whatever I want..... and sometimes that's all it takes, Just want "IT"

I am loyal to no road and therein is the problem.  Most of the time I don't look for items, they find me.  To complicate matters, I buy on impulse.  I can't just walk into a train store for a bottle of Labelle 108, I am one of the worse types of trainaholics.  I stopped visiting the sell forum, but then there's that dang right hand panel of recent topics spanning all forums.  It's bit me more than a few times.  Even when I'm minding my own business in the hi-rail and traditional forums, sponsors drop a sales bomb and get me.  It's this dadgum forum that's driving me to the poorhouse!  You guys and gals with your fancy VL's and always flaunting your new toys, it ain't fair I tell ya...

 

Rich

It is what it is.........cannot articulate a reason except that it makes me smile!

I use a complicated flow chart.

 

 

LOL...that's great Matt...I need one of those.

lee willis explains it....because that's what I do.

 

 

rat

I have an affinity for steam engines, electric engines, trolley cars, interurban cars, El and subway trains, but last and least are 1st generation diesels.

 

Geographically, I favor East Coast railroads and transit lines. The Long Island Rail Road, the New York, Ontario & Western, the Third Avenue Railway and the New York & North Shore Traction Company are at the top of preferences.

Great chart.......I think they should make a tin sign out of the chart, so we can post it in our train rooms!

1) Price.

2) Color.

3) Looks.

4) Railroad.

5) If I like it.

 

Thanks. Here's an attached PDF. It should enlarge better than the JPEG in my previous post.

I used to have rules then I slowed myself a few small exceptions now anything goes... Any road, any era as long as it looks cool. The lack of rules is bad for the budget.

 

And for storage space, which is why I try to have a coherent idea of what I do and don't buy. It simplifies decision making and reduces the pressure on space. 

 

I gotta agree with you Bob, about that POST, but I think that the THREAD is actually pretty interesting.

 

Doug

Thanks for the intelligent (for the most part) answers and comments.  It has once again shown me that there are many differing reasons for purchasing equipment, creating layouts, and methods of enjoying this hobby.  And, some of the reasons for buying equipment even coincide with my own.  So, I am not alone, thank goodness.  

 

Could you imagine, what it would be like, if we ALL could gather in one place, set up our own dream layout, run them, and walk about watching and listening to the sights and sounds?  I am not talking about York, it would have to be bigger, much bigger, sort of a train heaven.  And nothing would break, and there would be gallons of coffee, or beverage of your choice, and train shaped doughnuts, and everyone would be pain free with no bad backs, limping, and hands that moved without pain.  Vision and hearing would be excellent.

 

Well maybe not heaven, but darn close.  The power consumption would be tremendous.   Gunrunner John would be busy, 24 hours a day, converting all those passenger cars to LED's.  

 

This is want happens to those of us who have retired, and spend WAY TOO MUCH TIME on the FORUM!  I call it wool-gathering.  

 

 

Gotta admit I have been avoiding this thread.  I breifly scanned it and saw the 2 comments above-which sums me up accurately.

 

I have about ran out of storage room and I've only been active in collecting for the layout for 18 months.  I can only imagine those who've been doing this forever....

He would have to go to a 36 hour day, I think he is busy 24/7 now. Make it a 40 hour day if we allow him a little time in there for food and a short nap.

 

 

This a right nice post.  Let's review my reasons for toy trains.

1.     I'm a beekeeper.  I love bees.  Have about 250 hives. All I want.

2.     I love 64,65 mustangs.  Got three, can't afford more.

3.     I love HD's.  Got two, wife and I ride some but not enough.

4.     I love Steamers.  1st ride was on the Southern from Cola. SC to Cin. OH.

        then onto Kalamazoo MI. This was 1942. We try to focus on Southern and SCL.

        Now back to the thread.  The reason for my purchases.  I lov steam going thru 

        the Smokey Mountains  and a F3 loaded with football fans heading down to Miami

        for the Orange bowl.  Circa  1946, 1947, & later.

        Yea, we love trains, they are the good times.  Big, little or small.

 

        Tommy