A couple of years ago I started to transition from HO to O. I had limited space (8' X 15') so I decided a small industrial branch would be best. Using FasTrack I built a layout with 5 industries and a yard/interchange. I got a Lionel Alco S-2 and 10 freight cars, a Legacy controller, and started operating. It was fun! Then about a year ago I saw a Lionel GP35 and just had to have it. The problem which soon became apparent was the there was no easy realistic way to integrate a second train into the layout: it took up half the yard and just didn't fit into the operating plan I had. The result was that slowly my enthusiasm for the O layout waned and I stopped running it.
About three weeks ago my wife said she would like "that pretty engine" on the mantle over the fireplace. I brought it from the layout room and set it on some track with the caboose I had for it. While I was at it I decided to run the S-2 a little and move a few cars around. After about an hour the fun was back, and I've been running trains again almost every day.
I have started watching O-Scale layout videos on YouTube, and one thing I notice is that almost everyone of them has storage/display shelves with locomotives and perhaps passenger cars on them. So the lesson (I'm trying to convince my wife) is that you can't have too many locomotives, but you can have too many on your layout at once
About three weeks ago my wife said she would like "that pretty engine" on the mantle over the fireplace. I brought it from the layout room and set it on some track with the caboose I had for it. While I was at it I decided to run the S-2 a little and move a few cars around. After about an hour the fun was back, and I've been running trains again almost every day.
I have started watching O-Scale layout videos on YouTube, and one thing I notice is that almost everyone of them has storage/display shelves with locomotives and perhaps passenger cars on them. So the lesson (I'm trying to convince my wife) is that you can't have too many locomotives, but you can have too many on your layout at once