# ever been told what to run?



## Zug (May 4, 2012)

This actually happened to me a few years back.. I was told I should be running Canadian RR because I'm Canadian..
I'm no flag waver. Born here, but have lived in Florida for a year in the past. So I'm just kind of neutral.. (I fly the flag of the Conch Republic and a Jolly Roger btw
So don't make this a political topic, just wonder if you've had people tell you what you should run and why you ignored them 

I run Santa Fe, mainly because I had them as a kid and love the red/silver and yellow/blue warbonnets. (that pumpkin paint job kind of make me want to barf a little... 

So just wondering if anybody else has had somebody try to tell them what to run?


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## cole226 (Feb 8, 2013)

they tell you what to run, and why
you tell them where to go, and why!:cheeky4:


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I've been told a lot of things, and I've had the proper response for each demand.


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## Pine Creek RailRoad (Jan 20, 2016)

*Told what to run*

ZUG,

Even my Boss who was a very powerful man, always recommended things I should do, now my wife even after 40 years still keeps trying to tell me what to do. That guy might have had a little to much woman in him.

PCRR/Dave


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## leadsled (Dec 25, 2014)

Tell them if that is the case, than they need to provide the recommended hardware! Free of charge!


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

I've never been told what to run, but I have been told what *NOT* to run. 

Years ago, my wife bought me a New York Central GP9 for Christmas. Nice looking engine.

My uncle, who worked for the Pennsy, had a thing or two to say about the New York Central.


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## Tallaman (Oct 23, 2012)

You make the rules on your own railroad. Enjoy what you want to.


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## mesenteria (Oct 29, 2015)

I know what I like. That's my response. I run what I want to run, but thanks anyway. They get the hint. The more obtuse ones, poorly socialized ones, sometimes need something a bit more direct, and a different tone, but very rarely.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

My guests are awed, thunderstruck and at a loss for words 
when they behold my magnificient Bachmann EZ DCC layout
with it's Atlas Flex Track and it's myriad of Peco Insulfrog 
turnouts. They have nothing but praise, but, in truth,
that's all they can say since they're totally dumb about trains real or hobby
and wonder why a man of my advanced age wants to play with toys.
But no, no one tells me what to do, period.

Don


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

I am a firm believer in the Your Layout, Your Rules philosophy.

I have had several people try to tell me what to do and what not to do on my layout. The most common reaction I get is "You can't run steam on your layout because it's set after 1955!" This is obvious to New Haven fans because of the McGinnis paint scheme (black, white and orange) on some of my diesels. The New Haven took its last steamer out of service in 1953.

I have also been told not to purchase a certain model, because the body panels did not have the correct number of rivets on them. Or that it was 4 scale inches too short (how you can see something that small with the naked eye is beyond me).

My wife's suggestions are usually good ones, even if I don't always take them. The only thing she ever tells me NOT to do (at least WRT my hobby) is spend too much money. I usually listen, and even comply sometimes.

And as for why I still "play with toys", see my signature block.


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## Zug (May 4, 2012)

Interesting replies 

Kind of what I expected to hear of course, but still nice to know it's not just me..

I run Santa Fe, dash 8, and the like. but I have Doodlebug and a F loco too.. and a CP Rail RS-3 that I bought just because I thought it was cute.

Because I had to severely down size my layout, (which is part of why I lost interest for a long time) I plan on leaning more to passenger trains instead of freight since I can't have 6 foot long parking sidings and now only have about 30 feet of main loop vs over 100 before.
I would like to a a P42, but can decided to go Via, Amtrak.. or just repaint one SF red and silver ...


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## captaincog (Oct 7, 2012)

I am told this several times a year by "experienced" club members. I am told that during any running of any display only postwar conventional engines or MPC era style are acceptable. They refuse to accept anything that involves technology so there are several times that I was berated by a couple of very opinionated people that got the group together against me and running any kind of command. The next display was no command at all and then everyone realized that it was a bad decision to do so. Last weekend we ran a TMCC engine almost 2 days straight for a show and I finally gave it a rest since it was hot and needed to cool down. Another command engine ran the full two days on a smaller loop with no issues. Go figure.

There are days when I think that some train club members want to go back to playing with rocks...


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## Zug (May 4, 2012)

captaincog said:


> I am told this several times a year by "experienced" club members. I am told that during any running of any display only postwar conventional engines or MPC era style are acceptable. They refuse to accept anything that involves technology so there are several times that I was berated by a couple of very opinionated people that got the group together against me and running any kind of command. The next display was no command at all and then everyone realized that it was a bad decision to do so. Last weekend we ran a TMCC engine almost 2 days straight for a show and I finally gave it a rest since it was hot and needed to cool down. Another command engine ran the full two days on a smaller loop with no issues. Go figure.
> 
> There are days when I think that some train club members want to go back to playing with rocks...


Reminds me of the time I when to the open house for a local model railroad clubs a decade ago... only 2 of the newest members where there, they said the older members don't bother with open house events.. So I decided if they didn't want to be there neither did I.

And on a non train note, when I first got my ham radio license 6 years ago I reused the high quality connectors I had left over from R/C car days on my radios. They were called _Lightspeed Super Connectors_ back then for the RC market, now known as _Power Poles_. I wired them the same way I did for the RC stuff, which is the opposite of what the ham club uses... And the then president of the ham club to me I should change mine to conform to their standard. Which of course never happened. Never joined the local ham club either. Come to think of it, my way of hooking them up was around decades before hams started using those connectors, they should all switch to match MY standard which came first :cheeky4:


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

I have also experienced what has been described above. Clubs of whatever kind seem to be full of this kind of infighting and disagreements. It will always be present as some try the control or dominate others by imposing their ideas. Best take Groucho Marx's advise:' I would never want to belong to any club that would have me as a member'.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

If someone tries to tell you want to do or run, just smile and nod.....then let them belt sand! :laugh:


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## rogruth (Mar 6, 2012)

I know a person that lives in Western Australia and models U.S. prototype.
It is his layout and he has several "mates" that run trains with him.
I did ask him why U.S.and his answer was because he likes them.
Nuff said.


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## Lee Willis (Jan 1, 2014)

Your layout. Your rules.

Santa Fe? Yes! Nothing is finer than Warbonnet!


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## doneuald (Jan 2, 2016)

I belong to a "N" scale club but their are mostly "HO" guys because we don't have room for layouts, we are building free-mo modules in the future. now the jest of this, I have several members make the comment my "stuff" is to modern IE AC6000's, SD70M's, and such all I tell them is "I buy and run what I like including a challenger" . I like BIG locomotives and will run what I want in club or at home when the layout is built.


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## Ken O. (Mar 25, 2014)

I think everyone should run the exact same thing I run. Right down to the same style and color of cars....
Wait... I don't have a layout yet.... Darn! 
Waiting for the basement to be vacated. Daughter, Fiance and Grandson are staying down there.


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## SDIV Tim (Nov 19, 2015)

Since I belong to a club, sometimes we coordinate to have the same railroads, trains or locomotive types.


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## Sweet Dreamer (May 13, 2013)

leadsled said:


> Tell them if that is the case, than they need to provide the recommended hardware! Free of charge!


That would be my answer as well. You buying? I'll run whatever you buy. 

Otherwise you'll have to convince my cat, he's the manager here.


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## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

The Southern Atlantic Seaboard never stopped running steam! They just added ditch light to them. I have been told that is wrong, but it is my world not theirs. I even put a decoder in Thomas. Next he is getting Kadee's

73


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Southern said:


> The Southern Atlantic Seaboard never stopped running steam! They just added ditch light to them. I have been told that is wrong, but it is my world not theirs. I even put a decoder in Thomas. Next he is getting Kadee's
> 
> 73


Just a note on that: if you're converting the Bachmann Thomas stuff, the couplers are way too low. You will have to perform major surgery on the uncoupling pins to get that to work. I ended up just cutting them off.


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## doneuald (Jan 2, 2016)

I've chipped Thomas and Donald but have not kadee'd them , thinking of making a converter car out of Clarabel


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