For years--literally--I planned an HO scale ACL layout. Bought lots and lots...and lots...of rolling stock, locos, structures, you name it. But I've moved around a lot due to my job, and I only had the room for the HO layout I wanted once. I lost my one and only basement-with-a-house-on-top in my divorce. Now, I am doubting I'll ever own a home again. I currently live in a studio apartment and I have built my first really portable layout in N scale (ACL, of course) and I'm working on it steadily. I don't have much room now, but at least if/when I move again, I can take a 2'x4' layout with me. Meanwhile, the tubs of HO stuff, which I have now moved twice, sit in storage. What would you do? The smart thing would be to sell it to finance the N scale layout, but I worry that...someday..I might want it.
Unless you are pressed for the storage space, or need to raise some money, what is the harm of keeping it?
No sir! If you're modelling the ACL in any scale = if you got them, keep them! They just don't do too many models of the ACL. Especially if you model the period 1957-1967. ACL is my secondary prototype, the SAL being primary (and Southern third), and the ACL, except for that purple and silver scheme ain't too common. Models for both the SAL and SOU are far more common than ACL. So if you sell them off, figure the probability of replacing them or finding new ACL models being introduced. I'm in the process of dismantling my current layout, going to have a "lot" of boxes of SAL, SOU and ACL locos and rolling stock and I'm going to keep everyone of them.
Dave, that was my thought process. I bought a lot of it at hobby shops on the East coast. Out here in the West, it's impossible to find on the shelves. So I will probably end up hanging onto it. Still looking for purple and silver N Scale stuff. eBay has been very helpful.
Two cents: You mention buildings and track? If you feel like HO is eluding you, maybe there's a safer way to prune back: keep the ACL stuff, consider wooden display shelves, and if space or effenciy is an issue, maybe you could cut loose of the straight track (keep switches, those are aspensive now) and maybe more generic/easy to find/popular buildings. I'm in a similar boat. Dad and I were going to build a layout in HO, and then he went home. I have a storage unit now full of train stuff, and my next few homes after moving out of Mom's are certain to be apartments. I do have an HO club I can run it on, but for apartment living, maybe I should be considering N scale after all?
Cull your collection of HO scale stuff. Sell off some of it and keep what you truly love. It's a really liberating feeling to unload useless junk.
I'm in the same boat as you. I had a house, lost it in a divorce and other problems at the time. Will most likely not ever buy another house, so its rental city for me. I would do as many have said. Keep the road specific stuff and sell the items that are not road specific. Life may change for you in the future, that is why I have not sold a bulk of my O scale.
Purple and silver, in N scale? The last one I rcall was that E-6 that P2K put out years ago, tho' InterMountain has announced/delivered the FT-A/B set in both P&S and the "Black Maria" scheme. In HO I passed on the P&S, but gotta have a set or two of the black & yellow when they're delivered. I've e-mailed Athearn several times about releasing their GP-7 in both black and yellow schemes - no answer as yet, but they are doing SCL GP-9s - better than halfway there! Since I model 1957-67, and I know that ACL had some P&S geeps until 1963, well hey, it's my model RR and who knows, maybe some of the Fs and FPs stayed P&S 'til then.
