James May top toys from the past (TV program)

Hi all I was watching James May top toys last night on Sky TV ( Watch). This program has been on TV before. The number one toy was Hornby 00 train sets. In the program there are people out there that only collect locos/rolling stock and would never consider running them on a layout. Are you one of these collectors. I can’t see the point myself buying locos are then never running them.

 

I know someone who had bought loads with the intention one day of running them. However the 12 inches to the foot keep getting in the way!

 

To be honest, I've bought loads of stock and never run it. The reason being that my layout is leaning against a wall, waiting for me to buy a house (its got a long wait ahead) while i am 300 miles away at uni. in the 3 years since i started uni, i have bought the following: hornby M7, county, stanier 8F, terrier, 2 bulleid pacifics, T9 (most recent), princess elizabeth, bachmann super D, 9F, J72, ivatt class 2, mainline dean goods, several others i wish i hadnt....

eventually i will build myself a layout (don't know how, can anyone suggest a location where T9's, 9F's, austerities, J72's and princess's all visited?) but until then, i will have to content myself by looking them either in their boxes or my display case. and even if i don't build myself a real layout, i know they're not depreciating drastically in their boxes. it sounds strange to those with the space, but i know i probably won't be able to build a layout for another 10 years, so until then i'll prepare myself by buying new and old stock when i find it.

 

Simple answer - build yourself a model Heritage Railway... No problem mixing them all together for a gala - you can also have a beer tent & mix of modern/older vehicles in a field nearby.

On thread - I have subscribed to the "buy it and run it when the rails are down" school of railway model collecting, mainly because some of the bits I wanted were limited runs (Bachmann Bulleid coaches for example) and if I hadn't got them when I did they would be more difficult to get now.

 

I invariably use my new locomotives, but I make sure the boxes are kept, although I like to add the separate details to my locomotives. I've got a glorified 6'x4' oval (I've added a tunnel and a couple of road over rail bridges to help disguise the fact, and my station is at the back, not the front), with a 2'x4' 'L' sticking out on the left, which is my MPD.

I have about six servicing sidings on MPD, but as I have 18 locomotives (10 Bulleids of various types, a 'Britannia', 9F, Std. 5MT, Std. 4MT 2-6-4, 'Terrier', M7, N15, N), I have no hope of storing them all on the railway at once. This is what I do. I look at the withdrawal and rebuilding dates of the various locomotives, and if they tally, they are on the layout. Then if I feel like portraying a different time period, I just change the affected locomotives. Therefore, there's always room for half of my locomotives. The only problem now is to store those which don't feature on the layout. I've recently put a carriage shelf below the layout which is home to three rakes of carriages at any one time (Pullmans, Bulleids, Maunsells or the green Mk.Is which provides my longest rake of five carriages), whilst the fourth is on the layout. The only problem is when I want to run a freight (my railway is single-line although used as a secondary route inspired by Hampshire/Surrey, therefore justifying the use of Merchant Navies), and the fourth rake has nowhere to go!

 

I have over 150 OO gauge loco's and no track.

I like them for what they are well built models. All are in glass cabinets & I have the boxes for all except for a few items purchased 2nd hand on Ebay to fill gaps in my collection.

My Money, My Choice. When eventually I depart this mortal coil then my Daughters should have no problem changing them back to cash, until then I have the pleasure of looking at them. I am sure that some will disagree but that is your choice.

 

Well said guys. My own collection, since I re-caught the bug about 5 years ago, has expanded out of all proportion. From 15 engines, it has grown to 120 or so, and I have still only built one third of the layout. Having said that, the layout is 20ft by 12ft by 2ft deep, and is built on two levels, too. Nothing like making things easy for yourself.........

http://modelrailway.fotopic.net/

 

If only I had the space, I'd scratch build Worting Junction and Battledown Flyover, slightly modified to fit within a space limit. The Salisbury line would form an inner oval, and the Weymouth line would form a larger oval, entering a tunnel west of the flyover. There would also be a station based on Basingstoke/Woking, too, and another representing a more rural outpost of the Southern. One can but dream!

 

Its like people say, you pay your money and take your choice. I just paid over £200 for a Bachmann Cambrian Coast Express pack - the 1 with a Manor, 43XX and 6 Mk1's in. Didn't stop me taking the locos out the pack and running htem probably for the 1st time since they left the factory

 

Anyone one wishing to see this TV program again or haven't seen this program it's on again Sunday 10th May BBC2 7.30pm.

 

It's also probably also on Dave on alternate days ending in a Y