Choosing stock

2595 Views 20 Replies 12 Participants Last post by Dan Hamblin, Nov 15, 2008

eddscott

Discussion Starter · Nov 12, 2008

So, how do you go about collecting stock for your railway?

Certainly, era is the first decision to make. I'm doing modern era but its mostly what I like the look of as I fancy a couple of steam locos too.

Is it a case of buying odd locos and rolling stock or having an idea or photo of a prototype in order to model it?

For me its a little of both. My first purchase a Hornby ARC class 59. I am going to buy the new railroad ARC wagons to match the loco. This will be my guinea pig for track testing. My 2nd was the Medite 66 from Hornby but I'm not sure what to use it for. I will be able to run 6 trains on my loops so at the moment I'm planning 2 passenger and 4 freight trains and jotting down various stock lists to compliment locos I want to buy.

1 - 20 of 21 Posts

dwb

· #2 · Nov 12, 2008

QUOTE but its mostly what I like the look of as I fancy a couple of steam locos too.
If you restrict yourself to prototypes which have a mainline "ticket", you can still maintain your time consistency. There are examples of the larger locomotives from each of the big Four and some BR Standards too. The liveries used on the coaches in these trains can be interesting.

I try to stick to the period and area I model, but if a model is particularly interesting or has a sentimental connection, it gets bought. How else do I explain an SBB IC2000 train? Or Eddie the Engine or perhaps a BLS lorry train? I do at least intend to "hide" these interlopers in the storage sidings most of the time. They'll get an airing when there's nobody looking

David

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john woodall

· #3 · Nov 13, 2008

I think it is about being disciplined. I am now at a stage where I am buying more on a quality rather than a quantity basis (perhaps that means I have far to much anyway!).

February is the bad time of year (Nuremberg Toy Fair) and while there is lots to buy, I am very selective. If the NZD/EUR stays at 0.43, I will be buying even less anyway!

John

34C

· #4 · Nov 13, 2008

My layout is run to represent both a time and place, and as such the vast majority of the stock is representative of what actually would have been seen there. (Time and place carefully chosen to enable it to legitimately have one of the most varied steam loco and stock collections possible, and most of the BR early diesel electrics, amounting to over sixty locomotive classes.)

Then there are the whole trains that represent loco and stock that operated over the location at other times, and HO models of trains that operated elsewhere in the world. They come out for fun.

Brian Considine

· #5 · Nov 13, 2008

When running "privately" just about anything goes, but when SL is in the public eye we try to get the train consists correct, but run a variety of era's.

How else could we explain an era II freight with an ex Prussian G8 passing a (multi-regional) ICE going the other way ?

There are many other varieties running as well - that way there is a "train for (almost) everyone".

As for sourcing stock, some comes through the trade, some from exhibition sales & some from fleabay.

Dave Kent

· #6 · Nov 13, 2008

[quote name='eddscott' date='12 Nov 2008, 22:34' post='67112']
So, how do you go about collecting stock for your railway?

It is down to planning what you want to achieve. Period, region or anything goes? At one time if I liked it I bought it. My wallet didn't like the idea and so a more disciplined approach was needed. Modellers licence allows you to run what you like but as mentioned above, on the exhibition circuit a degree of prototype running is expected.

Dave

Chinahand

· #7 · Nov 13, 2008

Like 34C I have set my layout in a specific place (SW England) and a specific time (Late Summer 1946).

I therefore try to be very careful when buying stock to make sure it is representative of what was actually running at that time and place. I must admit, however, that I do sometimes step outside these criteria if a particular wagon catches my eye. Usually it's a 'private owner' wagon with a particularly attactive livery.

When it comes to locos and carriage stock I stick rigourously to the rules and I can thus get away with the odd freight wagon or so.

Madkitten

· #8 · Nov 13, 2008

of course if you do narrow gauge pretty much anything is possible!!!

7113

· #9 · Nov 13, 2008

I have to admit that mostly I stick to what would have been there at about that time but even then tend to get the occasional "timewarp" model.

BTW Brian the G8 passing the 66, both on long freights looks a bit odd as well!

Regards

5696Arethusa

· #10 · Nov 14, 2008

Hi Guys

I suffer from a complete lack of disiplin and buy whatever I like the look ofbnand justify this by claiming to be a "Heritage" railway but unlike the real world I doo tend to try and match the loco and stock to both time and place, As such I've spent more on rolling stockthan I care to remember. I'm sure that my stock is worth more than my car, fortunatly it's in the loft and SWMBO hasn't seen the whole lot together for some years.

Andii

Dan Hamblin

· #11 · Nov 15, 2008

I'm exactly the same - I buy items that I like and justify it by saying my railway is based on a fictional preserved line. As the first time I travelled on a train was on the Bluebell Railway, I prefer the preserved scene anyway.

Since joining the BWWMRC and working on the club's modern image layout 'Horton', I have taken up the remit of providing heritage traction for railtours. Now as these will be appearing at model railway exhibitions where a significant proportion of the public will pick up on any detail errors, I am starting to have to justify compromises made. I am, for instance, providing the Riviera Trains 'Royal Scot' railtour rake of blood & custard Mk1 coaches, and as Bachmann doesn't produce an FO or BFK I am having to use an RFO and BSK suitably altered.

I am also having to chooose locomotives that will be on the main line for the next 5 years or so.

Regards,

Dan

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dwb

· #12 · Nov 15, 2008

QUOTE I am, for instance, providing the Riviera Trains 'Royal Scot' railtour rake of blood & custard Mk1 coaches, and as Bachmann doesn't produce an FO or BFK I am having to use an RFO and BSK suitably altered.

But curiously you can use the Bachmann blood & custard RMB even though these were introduced too late for this livery, they are a frequently present in rail tour trains to provide light refreshments.

You don't have to restrict yourself to B & C as this photo of "The Torbay Express" from a couple of years ago shows!

David

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pedromorgan

· #13 · Nov 15, 2008

i too am completly undiciplined. i buy what ever i like. i do have a loose rule that the stock hat to match the loco but i will happily run stock from any continent together.

I have stock from America, UK, China, Germany and France and perhaps another one or 2 i cant quite think of.

Peter

Dan Hamblin

· #14 · Nov 15, 2008

QUOTE (dwb @ 15 Nov 2008, 12:18) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>You don't have to restrict yourself to B & C as this photo of "The Torbay Express" from a couple of years ago shows!
That is true, but another member already has the maroon rake and as we are uncertain about the availability of it I have to put together another one in a different livery.

http://www.riviera-trains.co.uk/theroyalscot.htm

I could have gone for the chocolate and cream rake but that rarely sees service off the Torbay Express and as Horton appears to have a vaguely Midlands bias the Royal Scot just seemed a better choice.

Incidentally, I think the Mk1 RU is more accurate for the Royal Scot than an RMB - took me ages to work out the most suitable one based on long distance photographs of the real train!

Regards,

Dan

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dwb

· #15 · Nov 15, 2008

The point I was trying to make is that not all rail tours turn out in a single livery. On the two I've been on the trains have been quite an assortment of liveries. In the case of The Torbay Express, it included cream and green, maroon, blue & grey and chocolate & cream. The latter being 6024's support coach. A similar assortment appeared on the tour from Reading to Carlisle via the Settle line, the difference in this case being that Princess Elizabeth's support coach was blood & custard. Most of the journey was diesel hauled - a class 67 - with Princess Elizabeth taking us from Preston to Carlisle via the Settle line.

David

Dan Hamblin

· #16 · Nov 15, 2008

Sorry, my mistake - I wasn't reading your original post correctly! You are right in that railtour rakes aren't always uniform, something that the Royal Scot set hasn't even escaped from yet:

http://philmetcalfe.fotopic.net/p54162690.html

Ahh, railway modelling - an absolute minefield

Regards,

Dan

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5696Arethusa

· #17 · Nov 15, 2008

Just to chuck another spanner in your works, you'll have to make sure you coaches are running on the correct type bogies. Most railtour stock is running on either B4 or Commonwealth bogies, both available from Bachmann as replacements for the B1 bogies fitted to most of their Mk1 stock. T
he Commonwealth bogies are quite cheap now but the B4 is still commanding a premium at over £6 a pair most places, which really pushes up the price of each coach.

Andii

Dan Hamblin

· #18 · Nov 15, 2008

Funny enough I have a BSK in front of me that I converted two nights ago from B1 bogies to B4 type. I'm taking it up into the loft later to try out.

I've also got a load of the new Hornby couplers (Roco type) specifically for this rake so that I can get them close coupled. I just wish I could find some of the Commonwealth bogies ready for when the next batch of B&C RFO's is released.

Regards,

Dan

dwb

· #19 · Nov 15, 2008

QUOTE Ahh, railway modelling - an absolute minefield rolleyes.gif

That's why I take a lot of photos when I'm on a trip. I've just been checking through the Torbay ones again and have noticed that I forgot to mention that two of the coaches were green......

David

5696Arethusa

· #20 · Nov 15, 2008

QUOTE (Dan Hamblin @ 15 Nov 2008, 17:46) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Funny enough I have a BSK in front of me that I converted two nights ago from B1 bogies to B4 type. I'm taking it up into the loft later to try out.

Regards,

Dan

Hi Dan,

Have you found a supplier that sells them for less, I think it a bit much that I can buy a whole coach for £17 yet a set of B4 bogies is £6+ whilst all other types are £2-£3 a pair.

Andii

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