When will you know you have enough train stuff?

When I have more "shelf queens" then runners.  I have some trains that stay on the shelf more than others, but it's all about the operation for me.  I know what my dream layout is, and when I build that and outbuy it's capacity, then I have too much stuff

When the walls blow out in my town house.

When I sold 11 engines (some complete consists), I thought I had scratched that itch; however, MTH has the 44 tonner coming out and I decided I needed it for the new layout which has a need for a yard switcher to build consists.

Great stuff! So when your undertaker smiles at you, it has a slightly different meaning than the rest of us!

Fr me its a space issue. Currently at max capacity so I will be looking to sell off a few items to make room for the newbies.

When they close the lid.

When they cant fit it in my casket

There is no such thing as having enough trains.  I would have thought everyone knew that!  

I thought I had already enough trains.  I can't remember what I do and don't have.  But my two year old grandson has convinced me that we need more.  All of the trains are always new to him when he comes over and gets to go in the train room.  He actually waves and tells my wife goodbye when we go in there.  Now all of the democratic decisions about new acquisitions get at least 2 out of the 3 votes possible.  Life is good, just enjoy what you have.

 Doing HVAC service I once entered an extra, secret apartment, that for many years served as a one man, man-cave for a guy married with kids.

Just his get away to smoke and have a couple beers alone at night away from the family, once they retired to bed.

 It was an amazing sight after 17years.

He cleaned the cans, but never returned them.

Cardboard cases were stacked floor to ceiling up against the walls till they became windowless walls themselves. Halls were narrowed.

There were nooks in the walls of cans, like built in shelves, That held ashtrays, coffee pot, tv, stereo, clock etc..

   Each room had been reduced to about a 9' wide loop area, with beer-case "tables" in the center, and nooks in the "walls" that served as chairs.

 One of the bedrooms appeared to be for figure 8 pacing as it was a floor to ceiling figure 8 maze obviously finished first as the carpet was worn from his pacing.

 

I'm going to try not to let that happen with Lionel boxes if I hit the lotto.

I never liked figure 8 tracks that much   

  

When will I have enough trains? My grandson's answer: Never. My answer: When I run out of money. My wife's answer: You don't dust the ones you have now, why do you want more?  

 

We started out with New York Central. The we added PRR. Now we are converting a Williams Geep to Lehigh Valley. Then we went to North Penn O Gaugers open house and Gunrunnerjohn had all those Reading cars from Menards. So now we are looking at adding Reading equipment to our roster.  

I've already spent more than I want to this year. I'll be selling off some stuff.

 

But that's just this year. Not even close to enough yet!!!

I've reached the point that I cannot remember what I have, or where it is. I have been sorting, consolidating into plastic totes, and storing the boxes (for now).

Never that point is not a reachable point

When I have the powered rolling stock, and the cabooses that I (me, myself, and I)

want, and none of that list has been made, which means I will have to build it, which

is not happening fast, so...I guess the answer is..never.

From my wife's perspective I had enough 20 years ago.

From my perspective I just need one more engine!

When I have to rent a storage unit to store my trains

I have all I want, and my fleet is modest at seven locomotives, seven passenger cars, eight freight cars, and two cabooses.  I might get a couple additional freight cars, but nothing that I must have.  Right now I just need benchwork, track, and power (preferably command control) to run what I have, and figure out scenery/structures from there.

Just a few more locomotives and I'll be done... 

I would say when the spouse buys a very large life insurance policy on you and then tells you in a eerily nice way "buy whatever train you want dear...."

the first time I buy something, and discover I forgot I already have one.

As the rich say "too much is not enough"

In my case it is when my stuff won't fit on the layout.  I don't really want any display shelves.  I am an operator not a collector.

.....

Dennis

When they keep popping off the overloaded shelves and creeping out from under furniture and getting stepped on!

 

Actually as my taste has shifted from traditional postwar to pre and post war tin plate, I will probably get rid of some things. Plus add a few more tin items as opportunities arise, but overall, I am in no mad compulsion to buy more and more trains.

       
       

DITTO


But just because she said so doesn't mean I'm going to stop acquiring them.
Larry

I'll know for sure I have enough trains when no one else has any trains because I acquired them all!

When I can not get the front door of my house open.

You won't know because you'll be dead and your family will throw out every piece of your layout including the brass locomotives. This will be done on trash day so when the garbage truck comes,your wife will have orgasmic glee as every piece is crushed by the compactor. Cigarette lighting optional.

Boy! You can sure kill a mood.  What a depressing thought. 

When I have more than I can fit on my newly designed layout. That made me realize that too much overwhelms me.

Attic- full

garage attic- full

garage overhead full

crawl space -full

shelves- full

car trunk-empty

 

I'm close to the end

 

rat

Too late!!!

When there's no place left to store it.

My wife has coined a new phrase for when she is upset with me... "And yet he lives". Fortunately, this doesn't apply to train purchases. She knew what she was up against before she married me. But now you've got me thinking. She has been encouraging me to buy more lately.

When I look around and it does not make me happy.

 

About 2 years ago I hit that point. Seriously. Many specific things still make me happy,

but, in general, I'm feeling a little weird about all this stuff. I can't enjoy any of it much now; too crowded, including mentally.

 

It used to be funny. Now it's not. I'm building my "sell stack". 

when the sheriff comes to your house, when your wife realizes her wedding ring cost less the one of your engines, when lionel calls to see if you have a certain train in stock,and I sure there are a lot more ways to know you have enough

Too true. I guess that's the advantage I had going back into model trains, in that I wanted to model specific prototype which didn't interchange with anyone and had very little equipment. Buying anything outside of that made no sense, so I never even considered getting into 'collector' mode at all.

My sell stack is very small, thankfully, and mostly consists of kits for structure I went with scratchbuilt instead and will probably just have supplies I never needed in the future, once the scenery work is done.

You planning on being buried in a shipping container?

 

Didn't the ancient Egyptians try something like that?

I'll know I have enough when I'm no longer interested in model trains.  Since that hasn't happened in the years since 1951, I don't expect it any time soon.