In the last six years I have purchased four complete 12-car passenger trains.
1. A complete Walther HO Santa Fe Super Chief purchased 1 or 2 cars at a time over a 14 month span. The A-B-B-A F7 were purchased 2 years before the cars.
2. The complete Golden Gate Depot O-Scale El Capitan set. I had to wait almost 3 years before Atlas O offered F7 A-B-B-B-A Units for power. I ran that train for six months and sold it as a complete set to a forum member.
3. I purchased the Atlas O Western Pacific California Zephyr 12-car set and had to wait almost 3 years for the Atlas O Western Pacific A-B-B F-units.
4. The complete Walther HO Premium Series (fully populated) El Capitan. The power for these are Athearn Genesis F-units which I have owned for a few years before.
Prior to that all my the other passenger trains were purchased as sets including:
MTH dealer appreciation package CP Passenger train, MTH Northern Pacific,