How many is too many of a loco class with same livery but a different name/number?

[big jim]

I’ve got 30+ class 66s of which only a few are multiple liveries, freightliner green mainly, 5 similar locos that on closer inspection have very subtle differences to the logos etc, the only reason I have those multiple liveries is I got the locos cheap otherwise I’d probably only have a single example.
 

the most numerous company’s 66s I have are GBRf (20+) and most are one off ‘celeb’ liveries anyway

 

I’ve also got 3 yellow class 97/3s which represents 75% of the class! 
 

 

[Clive Mortimore]

1 hour ago, big jim said:

I’ve got 30+ class 66s of which only a few are multiple liveries, freightliner green mainly, 5 similar locos that on closer inspection have very subtle differences to the logos etc, the only reason I have those multiple liveries is I got the locos cheap otherwise I’d probably only have a single example.
 

the most numerous company’s 66s I have are GBRf (20+) and most are one off ‘celeb’ liveries anyway

 

I’ve also got 3 yellow class 97/3s which represents 75% of the class! 
 

 

Only 75%

 

Whoops all ten before the Heljan one, either home made or cut and shut (Tri-ang 37s or Lima 40s).

Not being content with the cut and shuts I started to scratch build the class.

 

At the back is a Heljan one, so it is 180% of the class. Since the photo was taken my modelling interest has drifted so they will be finished one day.

 

 

 

[Mike Buckner]

How many is too many?

 

Don't think I've got there yet - I can still get in the front door, and past all the boxes on the stairs.

[Hal Nail]

6 hours ago, The Johnster said:

But hang on a mo, the actual allocation changed over the ten years

Sadly even factoring this in, I've used up all of St Blazeys 45xxs and just had to pick one from Penzance!

 

I've recently added a section in my inventory for models that I definitely ought to sell*. So they don't count in the active total now, which has bought me some wiggle room :)

 

 

*when the time is right

[Phil Mc]

I've got 54 class 50's.

A full set from the BR/NSE era, then 007 & 049 in GBRf livery, 031 in its current INTERCITY  livery, & 044 in its current BR Blue livery.

I'll end up modelling 035 in its current BR Blue livery, as I drove it earlier this year ( a fantastic way to spend a day !! )

 

Oh, and a 7mm Large Logo model, which will be turned into Fearless ( my favourite )......

 

So to answer the question, I'm pretty sure you can't have too many of anything.....😂

 

A full set of St Blazey RfD 37/6's ( 670 - 675 ) + 669 in Red Stripe Railfreight, are occasionally spotted together on the layouts depot too.....😆

 

Cheers,

Phil.

[Pete the Elaner]

It depends what you are modelling:

A depot layout can easily have several which look almost identical.

It would look very obvious if you ran a named loco one way then it re-appeared in the other direction (unless of course there was a terminus very close off-scene). Would you notice a 9F the same way though, with its running number partially obscured with grime? Only one was named when running for BR & that was green anyway. Otherwise, it would be hard to tell from the previous one unless it was one of the few Crostis or single chimney locos, so you could just turn it & it would not look like it had just been turned.

Multiple units are pretty anonymous too. a 321 in NSE looks almost the same as the last one unless you look very closely, so it can also depend on the viewing distance.

[OnTheBranchline]

I decided to get a 2nd King which has the shirtbutton as I am missing one of those (I have a great crest western and working on a black GW one).

 

edit: first loco purchase in 5 or so years.

Edited October 7, 2023 by OnTheBranchline

[Rivercider]

On 06/10/2023 at 10:30, Steamport Southport said:

 

They did often work to Euston. I picked the Midlands as you then would get locomotives working to and from Holyhead, Liverpool and Manchester as well.

 

But my main point is that if you are modelling a mainline then big locos are more common than others. Same applies to GWR Kings and Castles, LNER Pacifics and SR Bulleid Pacifics, LNs and N15s. Even works in the modern era as well. If you are modelling the WCML then you'll need more than one Pendolino for example.

 

I do notice quite a few threads where some one will say "I've got an A4 I don't need another one". Unless you are modelling the preservation era any place that saw A4s would probably have seen a few of them.

 

There is a strange phenomena of "one of everything".

 

 

Jason

I agree, and to represent a particular location or area I always think it is better to have several examples of the dominant class(es).

 

Over the decades I have doodled hundreds of layouts (and never built them), for a handful of the most interesting I went as far as working out a proposed stock list I might try to buy. Most plans were based in the West Country, usually secondary main lines, or busier branches. In most cases one or two loco classes predominated.

 

Assuming 6-8 trains in use per layout my initial thoughts covered the following plans:-

East Devon 1960s steam branch - 2 x M7, 3 x BR 3MT, 2 x Ivatt 2MT, 1 x O2.

North Devon 1960s steam - 3 x WC, 3 x N, 1 x Ivatt 2MT 1 x M7.

North/East Devon 1970 hydraulics - 3 x cl.42, 3 x cl.22, 1 x cl.08, 2 x DMU

Cornwall/West Devon clay branch 1975 - 3 x cl.25, 1 x cl.52, 1 x cl.45/46, 1 x cl.47, 1 x cl.08, 1 x DMU

North Devon 1980 - 3 x cl. 25, 1 x cl.31, 1 x cl.33, 2 x DMU, 1 x cl.08.  

South Wales valley 1980 - 5 x cl.37, 1 x cl.08, 2 x DMU

Bristol/Avonmouth 1980 freight, 3 x cl.31, 1 x cl.37, 1 x cl.45/46, 1 x cl.47, 1 x cl.08 or 1 x PO shunter, 1 x DMU.

 

cheers 

 

 

Edited October 7, 2023 by Rivercider
Add cl.08

[Right Away]

It can be most rewarding to present models of the same class in differing levels of weathering and adding fine details differences where appropriate, as they can adopt their own individuality. 

Depending on the class, there can be a host of differences between members which, when modelled, will add considerable interest. 

 

[Rugd1022]

Some years ago I managed to 'model' all of the original Western Region 'namer' Class 47s 1660 - 1677 using just four Heljan 47s...!

[Halvarras]

When I got interested in railways in the late sixties I could go lineside in Cornwall and watch Westerns and Warships go past in green, maroon and blue liveries with either small yellow panels or full yellow ends. This livery variety stayed with me, but modelling the scene only became possible around 1980 when Westerns and Warships became available RTR and the Hornby Class 29 made a Class 22 look......well, possible. Especially when the A1 Models conversion kits appeared. When I finally built a layout with exhibiting in mind, with such a variety to display it didn't make sense to produce duplications. I only had space for a BLT or an MPD but wanted to run trains so a BLT it was. With no two locos the same I ended up with 5 D8xx Warships (only Gfye was missing as the two examples D808/10 were ex-disc h/c so extra work) and 4 Westerns (I never saw a green one). For nostalgia purposes I only required to see one in each livery on the layout. The two Hymeks and two Class 22s had to be in the most common liveries (Gsyp and Bfye) due to the amount of work involved and D6307 and D7088 were essential (these were all Lima-powered, as were the Warships - Mainline bodies on Lima chassis). I bought the nameplates for D601 'Ark Royal' in the Kings Cross model shop in 1974 shortly after seeing the real one at Barry and finally stuck them onto an MTK kit 19 years later - with only one pair of Tri-ang EM2 bogies to hand (purchased in 1977 for a fiver) there was only ever going to be one of those! I also had D1677 'Thor' in Gfye and D1932 in early Bfye, and DMUs in similar variety except Gfye which was unknown on the WR. Oh, and D3255, an upgraded Wrenn model of the only hinged side-door 08 in the area.

 

Had I missed all this and only got into railways in say 1974, the Westerns were all Bfye but one wouldn't have been enough. In this case I'd have gone for different external conditions (standard scruffy and Laira repaint) and/or physical differences (e.g. D1028 was one of the five with the small front-end cab ventilators but this one was also one of the five Swindon built without headboard brackets). Having two models exactly the same in all but identity is not for me - maybe it's all that variety I recall from decades ago.....

[Clive martin]

I think you can have as many as you want of the same class of locomotive  in the same livery as you want as long as they dont all have the number,our model railways are small bits of a much larger system, the real railways have fleets of the same types of locomotive that more than one example can often be seen at the same location ,my local station Ipswich back in the 1980s was always full of class 31 37 and 47,so my advise is have as many examples of any type of locomotive as  you want !

[OnTheBranchline]

On 06/10/2023 at 08:40, Clive Mortimore said:

Hi ya,

 

Not really too sure about your question.

With only 2 painted the wrong colours it is hard with Brush type 2's in my modelling period not to have more than one in the same livery.

 

Even harder with English Electric type 4s

 

And type 3s

Again Brush type 4s are a problem, thankfully Lion and Falcon throw in a bit of variety. 

 

Some lazy bloke in the paint shop still hasn't got round to painting the black one.

 

Black Class 08: "it's been 34 days and they seem to have adopted me into their clan"... 😆

[County of Yorkshire]

On 07/10/2023 at 01:12, OnTheBranchline said:

I decided to get a 2nd King which has the shirtbutton as I am missing one of those (I have a great crest western and working on a black GW one).

 

edit: first loco purchase in 5 or so years.

Kings never carried the GWR wartime black livery. Kings, Castles and Stars got unlined GWR green during WW2, all

other classes were turned out in unliked black however. 
 

On this topic, I’m very much in the camp of “it depends where you’re modelling”. I have a stack of Kings, Castles, Halls and Granges because ultimately I want to model a mainline or secondary main line location in the late 1940s. For the same reason I don’t have many 56xx’s for example, which were very geographically restricted. 
 

Loco fleet composition is as intrinsic to period accuracy as are buildings, the street scene and rolling stock! 

 

CoY

[OnTheBranchline]

25 minutes ago, County of Yorkshire said:

Kings never carried the GWR wartime black livery. Kings, Castles and Stars got unlined GWR green during WW2, all

other classes were turned out in unliked black however. 
 

On this topic, I’m very much in the camp of “it depends where you’re modelling”. I have a stack of Kings, Castles, Halls and Granges because ultimately I want to model a mainline or secondary main line location in the late 1940s. For the same reason I don’t have many 56xx’s for example, which were very geographically restricted. 
 

Loco fleet composition is as intrinsic to period accuracy as are buildings, the street scene and rolling stock! 

 

CoY

I know that they never actually wore black - just thought it would have been an interesting ‘what if’ scenario.

[rob D2]

One less than would make you unhappy ?

[Phil Mc]

Just found this pic, from when I got to one of each member of the class.....

 

 

Cheers,

Phil.

[njee20]

I ended up with at least 20 EWS 66s, because they're everywhere, so it seemed appropriate. Then I decided that was a bit daft and thinned the collection. Still got 5-6, plus a similar number of FL green ones, and DB red ones (albeit various different logos). The reality is that most locos are 'vanilla' ones, so whilst it's nice to have loads of quirky one-offs it's comparatively unusual. GBRf are doing their best to render that untrue, mind!

[adb968008]

Start selling chassis’s and keep the bodies.

[Michael Hodgson]

On 05/10/2023 at 20:10, OnTheBranchline said:

How does everyone else look at having multiples of the same loco class in the same livery?

 

That is what you should have if you want to model the prototype accurately.  Most sheds were allocated several of each of only a few classes, and they would all be the same livery at any one time, except during transition from an older livery to a new one.  Whilst you can jutify a few others as visiting locos, a decent sized shed with no two locos the same would be unprototypical.

[MarcD]

I have 9 o gauge Dapol Terriers 6 of which are in Improved Engine Green all different numbers and names two have even got different brakes. I have one more to get to have all the IEG locos. Just need a layout to run them on.

[Rich_F]

14 hours ago, Phil Mc said:

Just found this pic, from when I got to one of each member of the class.....

 

 

Cheers,

Phil.

 

I have 'Glorious', 'Eagle' (& Accurascale 'Defiance' on order). Got a way to go to collect all 50, even if I don't care if they're a mixture of manufacturers! 😁

[Phil Mc]

22 minutes ago, Rich_F said:

 

I have 'Glorious', 'Eagle' (& Accurascale 'Defiance' on order). Got a way to go to collect all 50, even if I don't care if they're a mixture of manufacturers! 😁

They're all Hornby models, I won't be swapping them for Accurascale ones.....😆

Although I do have their H&H 'Thunderer' on order, as I figure it won't be seen in close proximity to the others, it won't show the others up !

 

Cheers,

Phil.

[Clive Mortimore]

15 hours ago, Phil Mc said:

Just found this pic, from when I got to one of each member of the class.....

 

 

Cheers,

Phil.

You could have laid them out in number order............only joking. They look wonderful.