I hear you Doug. Amplified by the fact that anything in SP, ATSF, DRGW or CRI&P I'm constantly looking for ways to justify it's appearance @ Vaughn. I've already worked out my scenario to justify the UFIX cars through there. We even ended up with a pair of DRGW and a pair of CRIP SD70MACs.
Santa Fe boxcars & reefers from my period; everything from the "Route of the ______" with maps, "Ship & Travel" schemes, Indian red, to the 72 Billboard; special logos with Damage Free, MTC mechanical in the reefer orange; Auto Parts as big as HO cars, oddball schemes..... I bet I don't have any two cars exactly alike. I love the variety that a single railroad like ATSF can produce, all the color, and the subtleties of weathering, upgrading, etc. Most have been painted and decalled, others are the beauties from MT. The layout is getting kinda polluted! I have a home-road ratio of about 75% including all the unit-train ATSF hoppers; I'll bet that's higher% than about anybody out there with a small-layout 250-car live roster or so.
Atta boy, Randy! Now that's what I'm talkin' about! Count me in for grain cars, too. How about a 120 car unit train, complete with RCE helpers!
I have to agree with Doug "the ones that have wheels". My closest to a favorite are the Canadian covered wheat hoppers. If I get any more I will have to get some CP Rail power. Len
Hmmm, the ones with wheels But seriously, I too am one for covered hoppers, PS-2 and AFC CF, I also like coal hoppers and anything steam era
edit : some one already said that. but i like cabs, all cabs. just wish i could find quality models in deep south roads (ie, slsf, sou) david oglesby
A lot of you have very specific interests. I wonder what attracts you all to your favorite cars. For me I love heavyweight passenger cars because those folks are going somewhere. I love billboard reefers because they're pretty. And I love coal hoppers and tank cars, but I don't have a clue as to why. Well, maybe the tank cars are a Freudian manly thing. ???
for me it's a memory of the first trains my dad had - even though the autoracks themselves look more toyish that realistic (although I am looking to repaint ALL the autos on all 10-12 autoracks so that they look more like cars, not toys)
CRIP 70MAC's? I'd like to see those. I've always thought it would be cool to do some of those, or better yet an MKT "Texas Special"-inspired scheme. I'd like to hear about that UFIX scenario, too! I've already found actual occurances of TC Roadrailers running (rerouted) on the FW&D, as well as another reroute of an Amtrak "freight train" (all MHC's and Roadrailers) that normally ran on the old ATSF line from FW to OKC. That one was a bit out of my time frame but oh well. Also, I plan on having a BNSF/Amtrak "ski train" that runs on my empire. So fudging a little is not out of my realm of possiblities. Well, I guess I'll answer the original question. Mostly I like unit coal gons (especially the UFIX coalveyors!) and Intermodal stuff. But sometimes it's just completely random what interests me. One of my favorite cars is a MP boxcar from M-T that has combo doors and one of the doors was some type of plug door that had decent detail to it...just a cool looking setup. I also kinda like those 70-foot Cryo reefers (like the Walthers version) because they always stood out in a freight train...especially the Carnation ones. I also like the Ortner rock hoppers with the "porches", pretty unique cars.
Just lately I've been getting covered hoppers, centerbeams and coal hoppers.......I think it would be easier to say what I don't like.....shorty tank cars, I've only got one....ughhh! ConrailPete Conrail lives on in the UK
Like many others, I seem to like em all, providing they are somewhat modern. I don't like the smallish cars, I like massive cars, like Hi Cube and 89 foot box cars, auto racks, long tank cars, etc. Having spent some time in the Iron Range the last few years, I am seriously thinking about modeling ore trains, even though those new Atlas cars will be shorties, to boot.
Gondolas in my favorite roads (Chessie System, Conrail, RF&P, N&W, Southern, Seaboard System, Family Lines) Especially the really weathered beaten up ones.
for freight cars I really like cylindrical covered hoppers, especially the Canadian schemes ones. I also like woodchip gondolas and centerbeam flatcars. As far as locos go I'll have a CN widecab anyday.
I seem to have an affinity for heavy duty or specialty flats, OB boxcars, and, lately, pre-streamlined passenger equipment.
