N + 1 Principle: Collecting Appliances

[sprog]

From a colleague:
For collecting old appliances: the correct number to own is n + 1, where "n" is the current number (i.e. there's always another).

Caveat: the equation must be rewritten if one has a partner as s - 1, where "s" is the number of appliances that will result in separation from your partner.

I have to admit, membership in AWORG has uncovered a whole new world of "+ 1" scenarios. Just this morning I saw Adam's wonderful post on his Westinghouse dryer and thought I would love to have one of those... "+ 1". I'm fortunate that my wife is extremely tolerant of my vintage appliance tinkering.

 

[swestoyz]

I'm fortunate that my wife is extremely tolerant

You are a lucky guy!

 

[vacerator]

Yes, as am I also lucky

because I collect model trains from europe. Since 1990. They are not cheap, many digital, die cast, with many functions like speed control for grades, remote couplers, LED high beam headlights, rear, running gear/ditch, or cab and or engine room lighting.
Newer ones also have sound. First came along horns, bells or a whistle. Then overhead pantographs on electric models of prototypes that raise and lower digitally via a piezo motor.
One even has a driver that turns his head to look out the side window.
Now many have engine, diesel, steam, traction motor sounds, squealing brakes, and dialogue by drivers, passengers, and or station announcements. Unique to the era of the model.
Some have a switched current conducting coupler for car lighting.
My ex considered them toys, and did not like my hobby, but since 1994, My partner and spouse is supportive. Even helps me in building my new latyout.
I couldn't do much during the big recession, as my income was limited.
My retirement came through in time for me to reboot into the hobby when the covid 19 lockdowns hit last year.

 

[vacerator]

Oh, and;

do or does the prtner(s) collect anything? Handbags, shoes, computers, gadgets, crystal, porcelain, jewelry, hummels, cars, boats, fashion attire?
Don't smoke, don't drink, what do ya do? Casino's? Lorttery tickets?
Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg Germany has ober 325 full time employees. Artists, modelers, electronic and computer experts, carpenters, etc.
Over a million visitors per year now.
Have a look see on youtube if inclined to. I havn't been yet, but it's on my bucket list.

 

[petek]

Mike; re trains

I love model trains ever since I got my first trainset when I was around 3 or 4. Had my little Triang setup on the ping pong table in the basement which I'd add to as I could with birthday and Xmas presents. Along with a Motoriffic roadway I begged for. In 1966 when I was 11 my mom took me and my sister to England to visit relatives and we stayed with an uncle just outside of London. One particular day he took us to Alton Towers and I'm thinking "oh another boring old grand estate sort of place. The surprise was that inside this grand mansion in the country held was at that time the worlds largest model train setup. It was wonderful. I'd never seen such a thing, dozens of trains running through this gigantic setup all controlled by some sort of electrical timing setup. You could view all the gears etc controlling everything like the switches, the lighting in the room, in all the little villages. The model trainset is gone now apparently and the all the lands surrounding the mansion is a huge theme park. There are youtube videos of it in its heyday if you haven't seen it. The other really memorable thing to me about that trip was when we left London for Newcastle to visit more relatives we were at the station and to my delight we were going on the Flying Scotsman. I was thrilled about. I still have a few pieces of my old Triang set left as I'd given most of it away to a neighbor kid before I left home.. Mom stopped me before it all went and kept them for me until we moved back here in 06.. Anyways I could go on and on... Perhaps you could post a few pics of your setup or email some to me. I'd love to see it. THe stuff today is amazing.

 

[vacerator]

That's so cool Pete!

Thanks for sharing the video too! I didn't know Alton Towers had that. I wonder if it'd been updated or enlarged? The bridges resemble older Marklin when they were metal, but could be Hornby, etc. Marklin did make a few British models, the MLS in burgundy, etc. but none after until the Harry Potter set. The Flying Scottsman must be Hornby. Mine are Marklin of course from Goppingen Germany, a few Fleischmann from Nuremberg, Piko from Sonneberg, Roco from Austrtia, a Jouef TGV set from France, one from Lima in Italy, a Eurostar also Jouef, but after they were bought by Mehano in Slovenia. Of course some newer items are made in China, to compete in the hobby markets, as well as Hungary, Romania, Thailand, and Vietnam. A new feature since last year is dynamic smoke, on a few steam and diesel models. The smoke huff's are in sync with the sound of the steam cylinder chuffing or diesel engine r.p.m.s.
Might your motorway set have been a Faller from Germany by chance? They were not slot car race sets, but more like a highway with two lanes or more, scenery, buildings.
There are a lot of us who post photos and videos of our collections and layouts on Instagram.

 

[petek]

The Motorific car set was made by Mattel in the 60s. The cars ran on two AA batteries with removeable body shells, motors, etc so you could mix and match. It was a single lane slot with chicanes, brickwalls etc..There were numerous different sized kits. Triang also made a somewhat similar thing called Minic Motorways but I never recall seeing it for sale over here. It had two electric slots and was more of an urban setting with cars, buses, trucks etc. Another interesting thing I found out was that when we lived in Vancouver there was a Siemens monorail built on the Expo 86 site. After the expo it was dismantled and sold to Alton Towers where it's still apparently running.

 

[adam-aussie-vac]

Hey

Thanks for the shout out Sprog

 

[vacerator]

Pete,

thats the first one I've seen. It is very similar to a Faller. They are highly collectable now. The cars were true to scale and detail Mercedes Benz, etc. Faller ceased production in the 70's and now only makes scale building kits and the "car system" which uses a guide wire embedded in the roads, and a digital drive by wyfy option. Each vehicle has a recharhable flat round battery, motor, lights, and solenoid steering.

 

[foraloysius]

Faller

The Faller set looks a bit like the Motorific set, but it was totally different. The Faller tracks had two power strips in the tracks and the whole set had to be connected to a transformer. We had a set more or less similar to the one in the picture. The tracks and the connectors in the cars had to be cleaned regularly and there were some reliability issues. My car was a Cadillac convertible I believe from 1964.

 

[vacerator]

Sweet Louis!

You can see more like these on "Marklinusers.net" forum under the collection's subject threads.

 

[foraloysius]

I'd better not Mike. My father would be spinning in his grave when one of his children had a look at Märklin. It was only Fleischmann and Trix in our family, nothing else!

 

[vacerator]

I haer you Louis, but

Trix is Marklin now. Fleischmann is Roco. All were in trouble early last decade.
Marklin aquired Trix in about 2005. That got them into the N scale market. Trix now has ho scale dcc digital and N scale digital dcc. The decoders are all compatible with both brands controllers, and LGB G (1) scale, also under the Marklin banner.
Simba Dickie is the current owner. Knigsbridge capital owned them during the recession and almost ruined them. Quality had suffered, and two models were plagued with zinc pest. A green Trostberg Kof II, from China, and a brown Swiss SBB Seetal de 6/6 crocodile lcomotive on the frame.
Plants are in Germany, Gyor Hungary, and China.
Fleischmann was the last German company to outsource anything in Asia. They aquired Roco and now Roco is the ho line, and Fleischmann only N scale. Plants are in Romania, Vietnam, and head office still Austria near Salzburg.
Piko is still in Sonneberg, but does import some items from China. Their product line is very extensive, and of high quality and detail. They offer most locos. in a hobby analog version, basic digital dcc, digital a/c, and Expert with sound.

 

[foraloysius]

I haven't looked at model trains in ages, but when I was young my father found Fleischmann and Trix more natural looking than Märklin.

My older brother is the expert in the family. Here are a few examples of the things he has built in the past. These videos were filmed by someone else at conventions. My brother has won several prizes.





These are replica's of historical sites. The small village in the second video never had a railway connection, but there were plans in the past. That video shows how it could have been.

 

[vacerator]

Nice videos Louis!

Late era 3, early to late era 4. Late 1950's, early 60's layout.
Today, several Marklin/Trix ho passenger car items are of excellent detail but not exact to scale. Many are 26 cm. rather than 28 cm. for 1/100 to 110 scale. Piko and Roco are all 1/87 exactly, but longer cars require a wider radius than R1 to run without derailing or hitting a passing train on a curve depending on the layout geometry.
I have many Roco cars and freight wagens. I run them on Marklin C track as well as 2 rail d.c. You don't have to change the wheels anymore. If on occasion a Roco car derails going through a Marklin turnout, I simply use a .030 x .060 styrene strip cut the length of the inner or outer frog, (depending on a std. or a curved turnout) affixed with a bit of white glue. It is not permanent that way, and keeps the wheels from jumping the frogs by narrowing the space.
Realism is also an illusion in the hobby. While some may insist on a true smoke generator for a smoke stack on a building for ex., many of use will use cotton.