reducing rolling stocks

[NVSrr1500]

So what ways could be used to reduce the locomotive and rolling stock collection? other than using the ORER to narrow it further. what other ways do other use to determine what stays and what goes. example, fleet of coal cars that needs to be culled. what are the determining factors.

 

[Old 97]

I've never had to reduce the rolling stock.
It is an interesting question.
Have always been reluctant to give up items because I may want them later.

 

[dave1905]

Depends on your focus. If you are following a prototype then seeing what the prototype its different that if you are not following a prototype. You can get rid of the "foobies" (unprototypical cars), all the cars that are out of era, all the cars with bad paint jobs or bad numbers. You can look at what the prototype had in the era you are modeling, and then reduce in proportion to the prototype.
If you aren't following a prototype then get rid of the cars that are poor runners, cars with bad paint jobs, those with less detail, cars for railroads you don't want or cars that don't match your railroad's industries. If you have more cars of a type that your industries use than can ft at the industries, reduce some of them.

Or.....

Buy shelving or storage tubs/boxes that fit under the layout and store the excess.

 

[Mixed Freight]

So what ways could be used to reduce the locomotive and rolling stock collection? other than using the ORER to narrow it further. what other ways do other use to determine what stays and what goes. example, fleet of coal cars that needs to be culled. what are the determining factors.

Well, one way might be keep the bigger share of your cars as home road cars and then nearby connecting road cars. Using your coal cars as an example, if you're modeling the Southern Pacific in the 1950's era, then that string of really neat Clinchfield coal cars could probably be culled. I really don't think the SP would have hauled Clinchfield coal cars at any time. Or for a more modern era example, a unit train of coal cars destined for a coal plant in central New York state probably ain't quite right to run on your BNSF layout centered around the Tehachapi Loop area in California. They could also be culled.

And loco's are pretty much the same way. Although never say never. Example: Somewhere in my fairly healthy collection of Rock Island books and magazines, I've seen a picture of three or four Rock Island locos and a Western Maryland loco MU'd together sometime in the late 60's/early 70's. A rather odd combination, but necessary due to a record harvest in the Midwest that particular year, the local railroads were having to reach out quite a ways in order to lease the extra road power needed to handle the big increase in grain traffic at that time. But that's the exception and not the rule. Although I'm mainly a Rock Island fan, just because I have a prototype picture of the MU'd R.I. lash up with a Western Maryland locomotive, I don't have a WM loco nor do I plan on getting one.

 

[PNKFLOYD]

Buy shelving or storage tubs/boxes that fit under the layout and store the excess.

This has always been my solution.
I enjoy a wide range of road names but have managed to keep from buying the consolidated railroads like Conrail and BNSF.
I have many fallen flags and shortline road names in my collections.
Whatever criteria you decide on will be okay since it is your railroad.

 

[logandsawman]

I recently sold off about 1/3 of my rail cars and locomotives. My primary criteria was the era that the rolling stock ran in. I used to model Transition but dialed back to pre-war with this new layout. I still have about three times as many freight cars as I can comfortably use on my layout at a time. I like to switch them out every so often.

However, all the locomotives I kept fit nicely on the layout with none in storage, that is three locomotives. I emptied one complete storage tub. I do not miss anything and did hold a couple freight cars back that I rarely use, for sentimental reasons.

Dave LASM

 

[MOWboss]

I keep upgrading to smaller size cars - why run 2 65' gondolas when I can pull 3 40 footers.
More traffic and less space... I grab ever 24' flat car I see at shows. I can make industrial loading
docks (sidings) shorter and have better scenic compression.

 

[logandsawman]

I keep upgrading to smaller size cars - why run 2 65' gondolas when I can pull 3 40 footers.
More traffic and less space... I grab ever 24' flat car I see at shows. I can make industrial loading
docks (sidings) shorter and have better scenic compression.

Part of the reason I went pre war, 36' box cars, 30' flat cars, shorter locomotives, gives me the impression the layout is larger than it really is.

 

[MOWboss]

Part of the reason I went pre war, 36' box cars, 30' flat cars, shorter locomotives, gives me the impression the layout is larger than it really is.

AND The best part of that era is NO EPA or OSHA involvement...!

 

[Mghanna]

I buy more shelving too. Which means at some point I'll start a question about thinning my herd of shelves I suppose.

 

[Twinboystrains]

I prefer branchline to mainline modeling. I do have 2 Dash 8-40C’s for mainline drop offs and pick ups. But I run Dash 8-40B’s and GP 38’s as primary locomotives. No intermodal or auto racks. I try to keep as close to 60 feet maximum length. I do run a caboose sometimes. Brings me back to watching trains as a kid, can run them just like I remember them.