Question to all, out of curiosity

How much do road numbers matter to you when buying rolling stock? Let me give you an example of what I mean.. Let's say you are interested in buying some Atlas PS-2 covered hoppers. What if you'd like to have 6 of a certain road name, say Union Pacific. Well, if it is currently available in 2 different road numbers in Union Pacific, would you just buy those 2 and wait for more to be released (or hunt down previously released), ow would you just buy 6 of the same road number and call it a day??

I'm sure that matters to some people and some maybe not. How do you feel about it?

-Everett

 

When I can I buy the road numbers available as long as they fall into the roster of the Railroad I am modeling. If I can not get the numbers I want I buy Undecorated units and paint and decal them to specs.

"Still Training After All These Years"

 

For me personally, the only road numbers that matter are locos. On cars they're usually so small that I can't see them too well in nScale, so I figure that other people can't either.

Dave.

 

multiple numbers are good

I'll buy all the factory made numbers then if it's something I really want more of I'll buy some extra to re-number but if they want to sell the MOST amount of cars they should make it EASY to buy more numbers without decaling, I'd buy many more if they were available.....dave

 

I agree,I have a 75 car coal train and alot are the same road number but they are so small that nobody knows but me.

 

I would prefer to have them all different #s, but sometimes you have to make due with whats avilable 12 or less same cars with different #s might be possible from the manufacturer but when you want that 50-100 long drag you will have duplicate #s for sure.

 

Interesting. Thanks for the responces and keep them coming!

 

If you are into operations and not just simply running a train back and forth/round-and-round the layout, then each car pretty much better have an individual number so it can be set out and picked up on demand.

In a pinch, I erase, change, paint-over, or re-decal the reporting marks. I do note that Accurail provides a small sheet of alternated # for certain of its rolling stock. The background color of these matches the particular car's color, so you can put them right over the existing numbers.

NYW&B

 

Personally, I am not a "proto" modeler, so I dont care if the numbers are accurate to any specific cars to specific roads. On locos, I do like to stay in the same numbering system as the road, say, Rock Island steamers ussally run like 25XX, I will try and make my numbers fall in that range. Now, my 2554 might be a 2-8-0 consolidation, and the real one (assuming it even exsists) might be a 4-8-4. But I do not get "that" anal. As far as cars go, I dont care if they match a proto car or not, BUT I do like my cars running to have different numbers (no doubles). If I wanted many cars of the same type, I would simply buy as many as I want, and renumber the matching numbers. Even if it means whiting out the number and numbering with numbers that dont nessisraly match. If you look at many cars, especially if they were a merger, or lease, they show signs of obvious re-numbering as well, and they weren't too anal about matching it on the real car, so why should I on the small ones?

 

Good Evening. When possible I buy what is available and what can be afforded at the time. Then when I can and afford, I look, shop and purchase the other road numbers. I do not paint well and besides, sometimes half the fun is searching. It is supposed to be a hobby. Whatever works for you.
Have fun
Jerry

 

That's a good darn point I never thought of!

Sounds like everyone has their own system and that what I wanted to hear to get ideas of how I will do it. Keep the responces coming, thanks!

 

I can't seem to make out the numbers on those cars? Or, was that your point? LOL

 

Definitely a good point. I like to get as many different numbers as I can, but if they aren't offered then what else can you do? One of the things I do on all of my coal hoppers is I might have the same number, but one has a load and the other doesn't. So if someone did happen to see the same car twice, then perhaps it gives the illusion that this car has gone somewhere and either was unloaded or loaded.

If a manufacturer releases a car in a lot of different numbers then that's one thing, but if they don't, and you really want to have different numbers, then just go ahead and reletter them. I have Bowser H21a hoppers in dozens of different numbers (and paint schemes!) and a set of NS coalporters from E&C/LBF in 61 different numbers. I guess what really matters is if it matters to you. After all, it's your hobby - have fun the way you want to.

 

That might work for a unit train where the cars are handled in blocks but for most freight trains the cars need unique numbers so they can be routed to where ever they are wanted. The numbers on models don't necessarily have to be prototypically correct or even neatly applied (a lot of modern cars have replacement numbers sprayed on with a spray can) but they do need to be unique to the car if one wants to operate smoothly .....dave

 

Forgive me for this newbie question, but how does one go about changing the numbers exactly? Going back and using those Atlas Union Pacific PS-2 Covered Hoppers for an example. I say that because I assume the different N scale manufacturers use different methods originally and I really can't tell one from another. What do the manufacturers use? Is it paint or decals, or some sort of screen printing?

 

That's the best quality video I've ever seen on YouTube. Beautiful locos, beautiful cars and an awesome bay window caboose! Too bad the road numbers were all the same! (Just kidding... couldn't make out any on the hoppers.)

Your audio track needs work. Maybe you could make one with that LokSound project extractor that they've been talking about on the DCC forum and the open source Audacity sound editor.

 

If the number can't be read from over a foot away, by these 51 year old diabetic eyes, I don't care one way or another. even if it doesn't pass that rule, if it were cars that would not necessarily be with each other in a train, and alternatives are not likely, I'd still probably spring for duplicates.

 

Jerry... I think I saw 19 different numbers on those sugar beet gondolas... I just couldn't actually read them...

I don't know exactly when I began to be concerned over the different road numbers on the same cars. I know that I used to buy old Atlas rolling stock in 1980's which always seemed to have the same number from one run the next. Probably in 1990's... when Intermountain began to offer a dozen cars with unique numbers... did I appreciate the extra care taken by a manufacturer to give the modeler a way to have the same car with different numbers applied. I've pretty much felt that I liked the uniqueness even though... we really can't see those numbers while the trains are running. An E-tailer accidentally sent me duplicates of a re-run of Atlas 90 ton hoppers... I kept them instead of sending them back... If I want... I can re-number them... or not.