CullingworthGNR Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Hello all, I've thought about this several times, as I've often wished I could start completely from scratch with model railway layouts and locos. So, here's the question - if all your gear disappeared (in a fire or stolen) and you got an appropriate insurance payout, what would you buy? The same stuff again, or would you start something completely different? I think, for me, it'd have to be something different. Either a European HO layout with ovehead catenary, or an N gauge tail chaser based on ewcastle or York. It'd be hard not to buy a couple of Heljan McRats though, even just for display purposes! What about you? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastwestdivide Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 What do you mean, start again? I'm having enough trouble starting the first time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 ^ LOL I think I'd probably blow the insurance payout on some Weinert German loco kits with P87 wheels by Witteyer. EDIT: Actually, no, I'd probably buy a horse instead. At least that comes ready built, and you don't have to worry about scale. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Colin_McLeod Posted July 19, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 19, 2011 I would concentrate on Irish prototypes, 4mm scale 21mm gauge. Possibly based on Lisburn station. I would have difficulty limiting myself to a particular period. Anything from GNR(I), through UTA to NIR. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mucky Duck Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Space (or lack of it) is my biggest issue so I would possibly buy most of what I currently have but with fewer Hornby Black 5s and more mineral wagons. I'd also buy a few loco kits – Dave Bradwell, Brassmasters or Comet… and go P4. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamieb Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 i'd probably buy a lot of the same stuff,provided it had been run and/or built.Anything (and theres lots) which has been sitting in the unbuilt box for more than 3 years wouldn't get a second chance. Jamie Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raffles Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 What do you mean, start again? I'm having enough trouble starting the first time. That's my quote of the day sorted. Pure class. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Happy Hippo Posted July 19, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 19, 2011 When my dearly beloved saw the cheque from the insurer and saw how much 40 years of railway modelling was worth, we would go on a long cruise....and I would have no say in the matter Regards Richard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Ian J. Posted July 19, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 19, 2011 I have to admit to myself that if I lost all my model railway stuff for whatever reason, I'd seriously consider giving up the hobby so that I could focus more on some other things that don't get enough time spent on them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brossard Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 I have two possible paths. 1) If I stayed with 4mm, I would go straight to EM. P4 is nice but the extra 0.5mm of gauge translates into about double the work to get the standards right. A friend of mine who did a P4 layout says he wished he had stayed with EM. 2) Intermediate 7mm (Finescale not ScaleSeven). There is a lot of RTR and trade support these days. With a fat cheque I could buy enough stuff to do a modest layout. John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Had I known how fast the RTR gear was going to improve, I wouldn't have bought twenty Bach split chassis locos in the 1990s. Who am I kidding? I had great fun with them, and they proved that this hobby from my youth was definitely worth re-engaging with. If buying now, it would be equivalent purchases, in other words; with the major benefit of the the more modern mechanisms and bodies in quite a few cases. Taken all the cruises that interest me, though my other half might want to vire some of the loot in that direction... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Trevellan Posted July 19, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 19, 2011 Had I known how fast the RTR gear was going to improve, I wouldn't have bought.... I was saying something similar recently after having a massive sort-out at home. I pulled out some Lima locos I bought in the late '80s when they were regarded as state-of-the-art and they look incredibly crude now alongside contemporary models. More worryingly, the layout they were bought for still hasn't been built. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 If you could start again.... I would do it all over again and (hopefully) make a satisfactory job of it next time! Happy Hippo : When my dearly beloved saw the cheque from the insurer and saw how much 40 years of railway modelling was worth, we would go on a long cruise....and I would have no say in the matter When she saw how much you had spent in 40 years of railway modelling, she might have to kill you...B) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kris Posted July 19, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 19, 2011 I went for more or less the same, however the location would change. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewC Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 I couldn't face starting from scratch again. Chances are I'd pick up a couple of things for display only and convert the train shed into a micro-brewery. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenton Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 I couldn't start the same again - I simply don't have that many years left. The shock of all those lost hours might just make me take up a more instant hobby, though I've no idea what could be as challenging and as satisfying. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruston Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 If I had to start my N gauge layout again I'd make sure I wired it in a way that was understandable a couple of years on and that could be got at to fix without personal injury. I haven't run it for months and when I went in the loft, last week, I thought I'd have a play with it. I forgot that I'd robbed one of the CDUs for the points to use on my O gauge layout and had just left the (all black!) wires dangling. Cue short-circuit, burning, melting, smoke and panic! Other electrical faults also seem to have appeared in the time I've left it and now I haven't the faintest clue what all the multi-coloured spaghetti does! I've no chance of getting it to work again without days laid on my back or twisting my neck for hours on end and, to be honest, I don't have the time or the interest anymore. So I haven't picked any of the choices in the poll. Mine would be to wire it up better. That or spend the money more usefully and pick the beer & chips option! Anyone want to buy a load of N gauge stuff? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hollywoodfoundry Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 I couldn't face starting from scratch again. Chances are I'd pick up a couple of things for display only and convert the train shed into a micro-brewery. I'm with you on that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 What do you mean, start again? I'm having enough trouble starting the first time. :laugh: :laugh: Brilliant!!! No idea what I'd do though if starting from scratch... I can't focus entirely on one Scale or 'Theme' as it is, so I'd probably end up again as I am now, with several layouts in different Scales in both US & UK Outlines... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allegheny1600 Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 No idea what I'd do though if starting from scratch... I can't focus entirely on one Scale or 'Theme' as it is, so I'd probably end up again as I am now, with several layouts in different Scales in both US & UK Outlines... In all honesty, that's probably what would happen with me, too! However, ideally I'd stick with 0 scale for UK, US and German - too many varied interests not to have those three! Cheers, John E. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sailor Charon Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 I dunno. I'd like to think I'd get the right size baseboards this time. And do a better job all round. There's moments when I wish I'd gone for OO, but they're few and far between. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stuartp Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 Same era, location, theme, scale; at least that way the years of research wouldn't be wasted even if the man hours were. I'd probably change to EM/P4 though, and if I did I'd spend at least half the payout on letting someone else do the steam loco chassis for me. It would have to be less ambitous though, it's taken me 20 odd years to build up the stock ready for The Big One and I just couldn't face doing all that again. Millisle or Garlieston in P4 perhaps. Having said that, I'm not sure most of my stuff is actually worth anything - what value would the insurer put on a load of half-started kit-bashes and conversions ? Boxed Ivatt 2MT, fine, no issues even if has been re-numbered and weathered. But a shoebox containing one and a half Dapol railbuses, a DS10 and a home made gearbox bodged from brass strip and bits of an old Airfix tender drive ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 I'm not that interested in model railway building to be honest. The only reason for a layout is to recreate the muck and grime days of steam. The trouble at the minute is the absence of any desire to start building anything outside of bread 'n butter work. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glover Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 It's an interesting question. I suppose a variation on it is 'what if I won the Lottery?' Given that I've been at this carry-on for 50 years or so, one key lesson learned is to focus on one key vision. Therefore, I would keep to my current plan of building a layout set in a rural area served by the Great Northern Railway of Ireland, but set in the mid 1960's. Like Colin McLeod, I would love to do it on 21mm gauge track but I suspect that would require the Lottery win, as I would need someone to build track and locos. I would most certainly re-start using DCC. The sound element is, to me, a winner. But, as someone pointed out, I would also need to be aware of time remaining...... Glover Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted July 20, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 20, 2011 I'm not that interested in model railways to be honest. . . . . . it is absence of any desire to start building anything outside of bread 'n butter work. I did a year working for a model railway manufacturer and practically stopped my own railway modelling, (and went with 7 1/4 and 24inch gauge real ones instead), as I was doing it all day. I eventually settled working with the the full size railway so spend my spare time playing model trains rather than full size ones! I would do exactly the same again although I would save last weeks winning lottery numbers to use as well Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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