The Model of the Year, Downsizing with Spreadsheets, and More! - Dan's Backshop December 2024

[@Eagle91382]

I like the model of the year idea. After watching the reviews all year, it's a nice way to recap the best models. Regarding your spreadsheet, you might want to filter your rows so only your relevant era locomotives appear. You might find that instead of 26 UP locos, you might have a lot less that are relevant for your mid-1990s era.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked the model of the year feature. I'll have to look into the filtering thing. I am not a spreadsheet guru at all, but it has been a useful exercise. Happy New Year! Thanks for the suggestion and for watching!

[@paulkirkmanMYTRAINS]

Great video !!! I have used the spread sheets for a while. Those can be pulled on you phone for train shows and hobby shops. Happy New Year !!!!

[@DanielCortopassi]

That's a good reason to use them, too, though I am a little daunted by the thought of trying to inventory my rolling stock. It would be nice to make sure I don't buy any duplicates, though. So far I think I've managed to avoid that by sheer luck, but that's not the most reliable method. Happy New Year and thanks for watching!

[@PhilBender612]

Hey Happy New years guys.

[@DanielCortopassi]

Happy New Year and thanks for watching!

[@Steamer96]

Nice to see how you've been doing Dan! I've been feeling more confident after my grieving last summer and recently did surgery on my Mantua General and Little Six, installing Precision Scale Single-Phase Westinghouse Airpumps. I plan to build my first small layout in 2025, set in a rural 1905 era.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you're feeling more confident about your modeling. That's a cool era, and not one that a lot of people model. Good luck with your layout and thanks for watching!

[@SPSteve]

Happy New Year, Dan! Good luck on 10,000, should be soon. The models you sell would make a nice cash fund for the layout room. Best wishes for 2025!

[@DanielCortopassi]

Happy New Year and best wishes to you, too! Thanks for watching!

[@thomasdarwin6174]

Happy New Year and yes that little ST SP SD40T-2 is a stunner!

[@DanielCortopassi]

ScaleTrains did a great job with that one. Happy New Year and thanks for watching!

[@estebanmartinez7428]

Happy new year! I really hope you get the train room ready this coming year. I look forward to seeing your layout

[@DanielCortopassi]

Me, too. I really want to get that room done this coming year. Happy New Year and thanks for watching!

[@GruffaloDrone]

Thank you Dan for all the information you provide, all these are very helpful

[@DanielCortopassi]

You're welcome. I'm glad you're enjoying the channel. Thanks for watching!

[@Manchild-o7d]

You've pushed my guilt button Dan. The last time I catalogued my collection around 5 years ago I was over 200. I daren't admit how many loco's I've bought since. I really must make some tough decisions... Happy New Year to you both...

[@DanielCortopassi]

Sorry, didn't mean to guilt trip anyone. I understand, though. I was surprised my tally was as high as it was. Happy New Year to you, too! Thanks for watching!

[@jimnicholas7666]

Happy New Year Dan and Nichole. Looking forward to future model reviews!

[@DanielCortopassi]

Happy New Year to you, too! Thanks for watching!

[@atsfandy]

Impressive Dan can't wait to see what you do next year

[@DanielCortopassi]

Thanks so much!

[@BronsonTheCat]

Happy New Year to you and Nicole! We’ll see you next year Dan! 🎉 Keep up the good work!

[@DanielCortopassi]

Happy New Year to you, too! Thanks for watching!

[@davestrains6816]

Happy New Year to you and your family. Very nice collection. Thanks for sharing. Dave

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Happy New Year and thanks for watching!

[@randallellison6421]

Happy New Year, Dan! Nice "Year in review". It's funny, I've actually been going through my own collection and debating on if I should start downsizing myself. While I agree with the saying that you can never have to many trains, you can run out of space and funds which prevents you from adding to the collection! At some point I'll have to make some hard decisions, and I definitely don't look foward to it!

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Downsizing can be difficult. Some models were easy to let go of, but now I'm getting down to ones I like more, and it's gotten harder. I've kind of had a rule for the past couple of years that if I buy a new locomotive, I need to sell an older one. I may have to increase that ratio if I'm really going to make a dent in the collection. Happy New Year and thanks for watching!

[@RFMCabooseNP1713]

Great job. I have several of the Tangent NP cabooses. They are right on. Happy New Year

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked the video. I have another Tangent caboose review coming out soon. They're making some really nice models. Happy New Year and thanks for watching!

[@ultimateinspector4901]

Thank you for sharing. I have a couple of those Tangent caboose models (Illinois Central and Illinois Central Gulf), and they are wonderfully made.

[@DanielCortopassi]

Tangent has been making some great models. I have a review of one of their CNW cabooses coming out next month. Thanks for watching!

[@ismaelvillarino9258]

Feliz año nuevo. Un abrazo a la distancia.

[@DanielCortopassi]

Muchas gracias y feliz año nuevo! Thanks for watching!

[@michaelcudby787]

Thanks Dan. I might have to look at doing the same, with around 300 locos, & still aquiring the odd loco. I just cant resist a good loco at a good price. Yea, I have booked myself in for some therapy, lol. Mind you, I am a slow learner, it seems, as what appears as a $48 US turns into a $188NZ loco, with the exchage rate being 56cents to our $ plus pretty hurrendous shipping costs, too, I might get the message, someday....or not, lol Thanks againDan.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I can relate. I still buy new locomotives now and then, though not nearly as much as I once did. I also try to sell at least one for every new one I get. It's hard to resist the temptation sometimes. It's also getting hard to let go of models, as after getting rid of all the ones I didn't care about that much, it's now getting into ones I like. The shipping and exchange rate where you are adds a whole other wrinkle. Good luck with your collection. Thanks for watching!

[@davebnsfnscale4433]

I have to many models,locos,rolling stock,building kits

[@DanielCortopassi]

I think a lot of us do. I have a friend who is into airplane and car models and he has a lot of those... a whole lot. So it's not just a model railroader thing. We have a lot of company. Thanks for watching!

[@StephanWershoven]

Good luck with the 10k thankfully i made such a list from the get go when i started. not only for engines but also for my rolling stock.

[@DanielCortopassi]

Thank you. It would have been easier to do a list from the beginning, probably. I am a little daunted by the idea of trying to inventory my rolling stock at this point. It sounds like you have a better handle on it. Thanks for watching!

[@watchtrainsnow1099]

That is good advice: If I sold one locomotive per week, I would have sold 52 engines by this time next year. That would make room, and I could by more locomotives...

[@DanielCortopassi]

I've had an informal agreement with myself for a while now that I should sell one locomotive for every new one I buy, though now I'm thinking maybe I need to sell two. One per week would add up like you said, though. Thanks for watching!

[@ApproachAspect]

Microsoft Excel?! I've been using Google Sheets to maintain price and rate sheets for selling models. An inventory spreadsheet is a great idea.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I wasn't familiar with Google Sheets. I may look into it at some point. Thanks for the suggestion and for watching!

[@davidballoid2118]

Dan I think that's classified as hording, give those Loco's up nice and smooth! 🤣🤣😂

[@DanielCortopassi]

This week on Train Hoarders... haha. That could make a funny April fool's video. Thanks for watching!

[@Jeremiaha284]

Dan, good discussion. The math I used was based on this word problem. Solve the following; how many locomotives do you really need for X number of trains on my 2006 era based Alaskan RR layout? Solve for X. Turns out this all EMD roster will have: five SD70's, two SD40-2T's, four GP40-2's, one GP60, two GP38-2's, one GP35, one GP30, one F9A&B, one SW1500, one GP15, one SD9 and one CF7. For steam excursion's I need one 2-8-2, two 2-8-4's, one 4-6-4, and one 2-10-4. X = 27 locomotives ! Looks like I'll be selling my 20 steam and the other 90 plus diesels. Math class is fun!

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked the video. 27 is a good size! Part of my push to reduce my fleet was working backwards from the plan for my Donner layout and figuring out how many locomotives I could realistically use. It's a lot less that what I have currently, so I am going to continue to sell off some models. Thanks for the feedback and for watching!

[@Jeremiaha284]

BTW, Happy New Year Dan and Nicole.

[@NicksCollectableCreations]

Maybe you and Nicole should do some localish train shows to sell your models. Vendors seem to really like doing them. I know from watching your videos the past few years now, that you have a big collection and probably could make some good money at train shows. People might recognize you too.

[@DanielCortopassi]

That might be an option. I've got more HO locomotives to get through and a ton of N scale that I'm not sure what to do with. Thanks for the suggestion and for watching!