Mike;

Quote - I guess you just have to consider each part and pick the most appropriate modeler.

 This is exactly right, and is as true for the guys with multi-million dollar render farms and Maya/3DS/Lightwave as it is with those of us that do this as a hobby.  Sub-division, bump mapping and displacement maps are all tricks that were developed to keep the poly count below the crash and burn memory thresholds (and speed rendering time of course.). For hard edged objects you can't beat the spline modeler.
  Not trying to insult anyone's intelligence, only throwing out ideas..  If I were doing your  loco. I'd probably do most of it in the spline modeler, except for the cab and the backhead of the boiler.  I would probably add the rivets on the smokebox, boiler, and firebox with displacement maps and probably model the staybolts as the 3d equivalent  of NBW castings (nut-bolt washer) with surface replication, but that would be me,  I tend to build 3d models as if they were here in the real world with me, and there are a thousands ways to do it. My other hobby is model railroading so I tend to get a little carried away.
   My standard plug for Mark's classes, you can't beat them, and I've tried most of the classes available on DVD/online.. 
           R/S
Patrick "Sully" Sullivan
 

Mark; as usual, a very professional job(the parts I've seen anyway).  Well done.

As a network designer/admin I joined VTC for the techy classes(you know all that geeky router and sysadmin stuff) But then I found Marks tutorials, and had the answers to questions I've had for years.. The other graphics courses are good as well,
 I am glad that the Carrara 7 courses are almost ready.. Can't wait.

Ravenous; additional information can be found over on DAZ forums,  topic 46544 and 42466 have a lot of info on how particles work and how to shade them.  Topic 37596 is a long list of tutorials available.  Another source is Polyloop, you have to sign up but it's free.
    I hope this helps..

Ravenous; I'd imagine the Mark Bremmer will answer fairly soon, but he has a tutorial for free on his Dark Art's site, it's not a beginers tutorial, but it has a lot of good information in it, also his series of tutorials at www.vtc.com are well worth a months membership. Plus if you sign up you can study any tutorial they have for the whole month.
    Now for the disclaimer, I have no commercial interest in either site, other than being a very happy customer.

   Thank you all for the input, Especially Mark, despite the fact that I wasn't  that coherent with the original request.  A deck is exactly what I need. I seem to have problems with the easier things and and can figure out the tough ones.
  BTW, Mark, the VTC tutorials are great, they really helped me figure out a couple of things that were bugging me..  I found them by accident when I was studying for one of my techy tests, that led me to dark arts,  and the road down the mountain side that leads to the pier,  that I need a deck on. So I guess this is your fault anyway  :lol:
  Thank you all again,  It's great to be back in 3D