... how many trains do you guys have?
... No, I don't laugh evilly in my basement watching my trains go by. I much prefer laughing with friends as we get together to make a lot of trains go by, or with guests as they discover yet another mini scene on the layout, or best of all with children as they see a miniature world for the first time, or with older children, as they run trains for the first time. To me, this epitomizes the best of model railroading - sharing.
Jim,
Very, very well said. This, to me, is the essence of model railroading ... 'sharing' and bringing a bit of 'joy' and 'excitement' to others (specially my wonderful grand kids

) , while finding one's self able to sit quietly and relax as trains run by.
I have way more locomotives, cars and kits than I need. But I enjoy building kits and kit bashing locomotives. I too, in a few days, will be 'thinning' my rr empire of very high quality HO trains to make room for the kit built stuff that is slowly taking over.
The most recent addition, thanks to my dear son, is one the grand kids are really excited about. It is the UP #844 4-8-4 (last run of this model by Rivarrossi, an absolutely gorgeous model and incredibly powerful, smooth runner) that we recently saw when it ran through central Iowa. I have added 5 con cor passengers cars (72' variety), and have found an old Ambroid H-5 UP postal storage 60' box car kit which will complete the 'excursion' consist when I get it built (I may even add the special UP tender if I can ever find one at a 'reasonable price').
I mainly model the 1945-1960 era (heavy on the steam) of the ICRR, but my son has a three very modern trains which I am currently building staging yards for, so they can be stored. (one is a Chicago Metra train, one will be a 'long' UP grain train pulled by a Kato MAC SD 90 and a Bachmann diesel ... can't think of the model number, but its the big Spectrum diesel that Bachmann used to sell), and the UP #844 excursion train).
I have a lot of Bachman steam and a couple of Bachmann diesels (all Spectrum), three BLI (steam and diesel), a resin HH660 I purchased in kit form and built into an ICRR switcher that is running on a Proto S-1 chassis, and some IHC steam that has been or will be 'bashed' into ICRR style steam.
Except for the modern trains that will occupy storage tracks until they run for 'exhibition' , my rolling stock is being sold off (shake the box stuff ... but nice quality Atlas, Athearn Genesis, etc). They are slowly being replaced with various mfg's resin kits, Tichy kits, Branchline Blueprint kits, Intermountain kits, Red Caboose kits and other high quality, craftsman type kits.
Its all fun and relaxing, even though I am constantly loosing some 'necessary part' on the floor and have to spend 10 minutes searching for it

To me, if mrr'ing gets too technical or heavy on the 'rivet counting' side, I loose interest. But each person finds some area in model railroading that particularly interests them - scenery, DCC operation, special layouts, club, protoype operation, rivet counting, etc.
It's supposed to be fun!

lanny nicolet