So.. how many locos have you got ?

[adb968008]

I think it depends on when you started buying/collecting them.

 

If you've been buying them for 40 odd years and buying 12 a year then it soon adds up. One a month isn't that much of a stretch for someone with a reasonable job and no commitments. For some people the cost of a loco is the price of a night out. Yes, I can easily spend £100+ on a night out.

 

 

As an example I must have about 200 diesels and electrics that I bought in the 1980s when you couldn't give them away. You could buy them new in places like Hattons for a lot less than £20 and if you looked in the secondhand section then you could get decent quality locomotives for about a fiver.

 

 

 

Jason

Agreed. Lima’s £19.99 sale meant stocking up was an easy thing to do.

Especially when the discounting down off £19.99 started.

[The Johnster]

Maybe a reasonable target is for the number of locos you own to match your age. That way you are entitled to a new loco every birthday.

 

Which means I am owed 66 - 9 = 57 locos, but somebody else has to buy them for me.  Just put this proposition to the squeeze and learned some new bad words in Polish.  Polish is a very good language for swearing in, by the way...

[turbos]

I thought I was around the 40ish mark, I stopped counting them when I got to 50.

[newbryford]

I thought I was around the 40ish mark, I stopped counting them when I got to 50.

 

Age or locos?

[Torper]

Does that mean I have to exclude my repainted/detailed/modified RTR?

 

As they're neither kit nor scratch built the answer would appear to be obvious.

 

DT

[Clive Mortimore]

As they're neither kit nor scratch built the answer would appear to be obvious.

 

DT

How about major conversions, NBL D61xx to a D6xx or an EE Type 3 to a Type 4 or the other way a Type 2? having about 40 scratchbuilt mainline locos and done a couple of dozen major conversions, I know the amount of work into a conversion can be equal to scratchbuilding. Some of Mick's conversions are major work not just a tart up here or there. I find scratchbuilding or conversion work far easier than building a kit.

 

One conversion I done required a lot of work, class 47 to a class 48. I had to research the class before I could do the drawing and then the conversion, now that is harder than scratchbuilding when all the information is in front of you.

[newbryford]

In a railway modelling forum I'd be much more interested in knowing how many kit or scratch built locos one has.

 

DT

 

 

Does that mean I have to exclude my repainted/detailed/modified RTR?

 

 

As they're neither kit nor scratch built the answer would appear to be obvious.

 

DT

 

So basically you are excluding locos that have had some modelling done on them, from a modelling forum?

[The Johnster]

Come on, chaps, surely a loco is a loco whether you scratch, kit, kitbashed, bodged, worked up, or bought it RTR and it's still in the box.  If you own it, it counts.

[turbos]

Age or locos?

Both!

[adb968008]

If Age = Locos i would be forced to sell a few.

I’ll just lie about my age instead.

I’m older than a tree... there.

Edited September 25, 2018 by adb968008

[tomparryharry]

I'm not sure it's a good idea, divulging information like that.

 

By my  reckoning, my collection is down by several locomotives:- Large prairie, Aberdare, Large Metro, 1701 saddle tank, an upgraded 2721. How's that for starters?

 

Don't get me started on the Taff Vale stuff; we'll be here for ever.......

 

Cheers,

 

Ian.

Edited September 25, 2018 by tomparryharry

[Jol Wilkinson]

In a railway modelling forum I'd be much more interested in knowing how many kit or scratch built locos one has.

 

DT

Twelve kit built locos, one under construction and seven kits on the shelf. Not many compared to some, but as I build all my locos and stock (LNWR, 1907, P4) I am quite content with that.

[The Johnster]

I'm not sure it's a good idea, divulging information like that.

 

By my  reckoning, my collection is down by several locomotives:- Large prairie, Aberdare, Large Metro, 1701 saddle tank, an upgraded 2721. How's that for starters?

 

Don't get me started on the Taff Vale stuff; we'll be here for ever.......

 

Cheers,

 

Ian.

 

In that case, mine is down by a 31xx (Collett type), 45xx, upgraded 2721, 5101, 94xx, and 8750, arguably a 44xx and 350hp diesel shunting engine, and, at a push, bubble car.  Not to mention A43/4 and N auto trailer, and various Collett non gangwayed coaches that are not B sets, and B sets in different liveries (ok, we should be restricting this to locos).  In the same vein, I am in surplus as regards 64xx for my period, but I can live with this under the auspices of Rule 1...

 

I can even justify the odd BR standard 3MT, Taff A or Rhymney R, if I ever get around to finishing the kits, locos borrowed from Barry, Dyffryn Yard, or East Dock.

 

But I don't regard it as a collection; it is the motive power requirements of a mining village's branch line supplied with locomotives by a small Mid Glamorgan shed, needing sufficient locomotives of suitable types to run the timetable and cover locos out of service for boiler washouts, overhauls, and so on.  I am running a real railway, only small (and 60 odd years ago) for 4mm people, businesses, and the local economy of a place that actually exists, but is in reality a remote valley with no mining village or railway, just mountainsides and trees.

 

As for divulging information, the squeeze is supportive; she reckons it shows my creativity and artistry, and in general what a good bloke I am and how lucky she is to have me (!).  She objects to the amount of time I waste on this website, though...

[Nearholmer]

“As for divulging information, the squeeze is supportive; she reckons it shows my creativity and artistry, and in general what a good bloke I am and how lucky she is to have me (!)”

 

Hmmmm ........ building up to a new car/kitchen extension/luxury cruise/three month holiday in Martinique would be my guess.

[adb968008]

“As for divulging information, the squeeze is supportive; she reckons it shows my creativity and artistry, and in general what a good bloke I am and how lucky she is to have me (!)”

Hmmmm ........ building up to a new car/kitchen extension/luxury cruise/three month holiday in Martinique would be my guess.

I guess your wanting to change your vote down to a lower quantity soon then...

[johnd]

Went  up by one yesterday, just couldn't resist the latest Peckett 

[Il Grifone]

I’d class a body as a loco... it’s intent :-)

Same too for a kit still in its box, or a loco which some day will have a motor.

Though if it’s a knacker for spares and won’t ever run again under its own guise, and bits may be disposed of, maybe not.

 

Though my dad told me as a kid I could only write the locos number down as “spotted” if it still had its wheels under it. (I was writing down flame cut number panels cut from scrapped class 40’s in Swindon works at the time).

 

I’m less harsh with my daughter... when visiting preserved railways we examine numbers stamped on connecting rods... I let her consider those numbers as a “spot” too... she’s cleared quite a lot of bulleids that way, I even saw a very long ago extinct GWR prairie class that way.. connecting rods off 3150 are on GWR 6106... though if you’ve got packets of connecting rods in a drawer... they don’t count !

 

We used to argue about this. Basically it needs to be enough to identify the locomotive. Generally the frames, boiler were swopped around so one could cheat. (Not that I'm suggesting anyone ever did. What would be the point?)

[Ouroborus]

For those, like me who have a fair few loco’s, here’s something to ponder..... their value.... and more importantly insurance....

 

I had a lucky near miss, came back from a holiday to find a burst pipe had flooded my house and caused a massive amount of damage... fortunately the insurance covered the $80k repairs, which I’m forever grateful for..... the only room not damaged was the room I have all my models stored... had they got damaged, I think that I wouldn’t have been fully covered... so now my collection is all photographed, and recorded on a spreadsheet, with a conservative valuation, and lodged as a document with my insurance company....

So should the worst happen, at least i’ll Get a decent portion of their value back....

 

You might surprise and shock yourselves, I found that my collection was by far and away the most expensive item in the house....

Just to echo this, I checked with my insurance company and how I could prove ownership. Like others, when I did a stock take, more than I realised, under-insured but now amended.

 

The advice they gave me on proving ownership of the model, in the absence of a receipt, was a photograph of the model with my details/insurance policy visible in the picture as well.

[wamwig]

Just the 7 for me at the moment, 4 J15's, a Class 15, a Class 16 and a DMU. I have an N7 on pre-order and will probably take some more and a couple more DMU's as well, just waiting for an F4 and F5 now to almost complete the line up, so I'd better get started on the layout!!

[ROSSPOP]

                        My original plan was to  take short cuts and buy O gauge  RTR loco`s and stock way back in 2008.

 

Started with this Tower models RTR Pannier and painted it myself, but did`nt like the performance of the gear box and compromises in build so I sold it on at a slight loss.

 

 

 

 

Then invested in my first complete O guage kit in 2009 ( far too expensive for what is an out of date product with `iffy` castings )

 

 

 

 

Then snapped up at reasonable cost an etched kit of ebay 2010 .

 

 

 

 

Then bought a cheapo kit in 2011 from Kettering O guage Show and superdetailed it up

 

 

 

Learnt a great deal from making these and   then sold all these on and made a reasonable profit to fund a final collection for my retirement.

 

Finished this one in 2012

 

 

and this one also in 2012

 

 

Then made a decision to sell all my 4mm loco builds and stock and invested in further O guage kit builds.

 

Starting with a crap kit off ebay in 2013

 

 

and a decent big kit in 2014 but still to complete......

 

Then a quick diversion into making some LMS 1930`s stock by building  four locos in 18 months 2016-2017

 

 

 

 

 

Then a final fling back to the GWR with two more loco kit builds 2017-2018

 

 

 

So thats six GWR locos and Four LMS built over 10 years and ready for play time....... and no more...

 

Cheers

Johnny Rosspop

 

 

[Philou]

It was thanks to this thread that I decided to do an audit of what I have in stock for insurance purposes. As mentioned above, it comes as quite a surprise when it all adds up. For insurance purposes I did a replacement value on the older items (been collecting since the late 60s) as some locos you cannot find or go for very silly money. And don't forget, it's not just the locos (and chips if you're into DCC sound) but all the rolling stock too that needs to be covered.

 

To bring it back OT, I have 68 post 2014 locos and 62 from mid 60s to early 80s. Kids - sorry - children and mortgage in between .

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

Edited December 6, 2018 by Philou

[Ray Von]

So what constitutes a "loco"?

 

Is an HST set a loco - or maybe two given that it represents 2 power cars?

Railcars?

D/E-MUs?

 

Unpowered models included?

2 EMUS

2 Class 08's

1 Class 25

1 Class 25/3

1 Class 47

 

A modest collection, tons of coaches and wagons though!

[Guest]

I don't think I have enough. My partner says too many haha

[wairoa]

Enough  that the wife is going to blow her top when the horrible day arrives that she wants to clean out the basement and counts them all. Thankfully a few I have in the open were only $8-10. I am guessing that is about 6-8 GBP. 
She will see everything as a Hornby APT in value and I expect I shall be sleeping outside for the following 2  years.

Edited June 15, 2022 by wairoa

[AyJay]

I have to agree with a couple of others and say that I too do not feel that I should answer this one. In various guises, I regularly see these random questions on social media platforms: “How many cars have you got”, “How big is your house” and so on.

It’s probably businesses touting for a lead, but being a suspicious g1t, I wonder if there is an element of someone harvesting data about you to sell on (remember, you are a product to be traded). There could also be more nefarious intent.