100 Grand, but I have to spend it on trains. I can answer in 3 words:
Hello Live Steam!
I'm not sure that 100k would be enough to build a loco, cars and track in 1 1/2 inch scale, but it would be a heck of a start.
In terms on model railroading as I do it now - HO scale in the basement - money isn't a limiting factor. It's making the time. After the World Series, I usually can find about 10 to 20 hours per week to work on trains, but right now I have other priorities.
Phil, I'm not a rocket scientist; they are my students.
OK put me in the greedy column too. Since time is currently my most limited resource,I think it would be easy to spend and here's how:
1 finish the layout room 26x30 with a 12x15 extension. Drywall, drop ceiling, carpet, lights and lots more outlets (which will require a new breaker box) I hate doing this work especially drywall so figue this can run 10k on it's own
2 finish the frist section of my layout (12x24 "L") plus staging so it will be operational while the rest is constructed. The staging yards will probaly add up to 300 feet of track with a few double slips in each yard. And an easy 20 turnouts in each yard. I've got the benchwork for the layout built but haven't started laying track yet (some cork) whats the going rate for someone to lay track? Figure about 300 more feet on layout. Does another 3k sound reasonable?
3 Get my structures built. This means purchasing some kits and building them and the ones that I already have. Plus a few scratchbuilts. I see 3000 going pretty quick here
4 wire up the dcc system. This I'll handle so I know how it's done in order to effect reapairs and mods later but I'll need several reversers and turnout motors. 1k sounds about right.
5 Scenery. Landforms and balast I can do and it's inexpensive enough. I'll need about 40 feet of photo backdrops and they will need to be custom made to fit the area I'm modeling. Between multiple reprints to get the size right this could run another 1000
6 I NEED rolling stock! Probably about 200 hoppers, 400 boxcars and a smattering of flats and gons and tanks. Fortunately I'm not one who requires high detail so figure an average of $15/car can push 15K in a hurry
7 I NEED locs too! All dcc and half with sound will work. Need maybe 50 total average at $100 or so eats 5k
This should get the first section of the layout operating nicely for just 38k. And except for #1,6 and 7 this will be a rinse lather repeat for the next 10 towns /major scenes on the layout but also add benchwork and partition walls to support the rest of the nolix design. Hmm I think I've just spent 102k. So where does one find these lotto tickets?
Yes I know I could save lot's o bucks doing some of this myself, but since I'm currently working 60-70 hour weeks it's far more practical to pay someone else to do the not so fun stuff. I wanna play trains!
Modeling the Cleveland and Pittsburgh during the PennCentral era starting on the Cleveland lakefront and ending in Mingo junction
Burn 100K on a layout? - That should be easy - lets see here:
4 X Brass - Division PT (or similar Quality) SP consolidations snd/paint/DCC - $7K
4 X Brass Division PT (quality) SP articulated snd/paint/DCC- $9K
5 X Brass small Prairies/Mikes Division PT quality snd/paint/DCC - $9K
2 X DP quality small 2 truck Brass shays snd/paint/DCC - $4K
25 Brass YV rock hoppers - $5K
25 custom built YV log Bunks (100+ per) - $3K
Expert Painting of all current brass rolling stock - $5K
Custom painted backdrops - $5K
1,000 Hand made trees - $30K (this may be way too low)
500 Preiser (quality figures) - $1K
New monster camera/laptop, multi - lens,lighting gear software setup for train photography $5K
New super sleek trainroom stereo sound system - $3K
Silflor, Hekki, Noch, WS etc...scenery products - $15K
Well that does it...I'm over $100K. Most of the items listed could be put in use on my current 13' X 22' double deck layout.
Guy
see stuff at: the Willoughby Line Site
Half would be spent on a large as possible outbuilding. The other half would be spent on Sn3 locomotives and cars for a proper DRGW narrow gauge layout There's just something about that size that seems perfect to me.
glutrain I think that I would use the money to improve the house that houses my layout. The simplistic rational is this: happy wife=happy life. Since my latout is only a tiny fictional slice of railroad life, investments of more that pocket money become real only in consultaion with she who holds the purse strings.
I think that I would use the money to improve the house that houses my layout. The simplistic rational is this: happy wife=happy life. Since my latout is only a tiny fictional slice of railroad life, investments of more that pocket money become real only in consultaion with she who holds the purse strings.
You nailed it. Other than finishing the basement, the $100K would be my bargaining tool: You spend $25K on the house, and I'll spend $20K on the basement and $5K on my layout -- no questions asked. Don't forget, the government is gonna take about $50K of that windfall.
But seriously, unless I'm going to win about $10M, so that my annual payout for 30 years is about $150K or so after taxes -- so that I can afford to quit my job and and maintain my standard of living plus a little bump up -- I'm realistic about how much I really have the time and inclination to do on my layout. I've priced out everything I want to do, and 5 grand covers it nicely.
Connecticut Valley Railroad A Branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." -- Henry Ford
John, you were right, that IS easy.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
jwhitten So My Question For Today Is: -- Whatcha gonna buy? How are you going to spend all that loot? Are you going to build a new layout? Add on to your existing layout? Hire Tony Koester and Allen McClelland to come build it for you.... what would you do if you suddenly won a hundred G's and had to spend it on trains?
So My Question For Today Is:
-- Whatcha gonna buy? How are you going to spend all that loot? Are you going to build a new layout? Add on to your existing layout? Hire Tony Koester and Allen McClelland to come build it for you.... what would you do if you suddenly won a hundred G's and had to spend it on trains?
While these replies are all noble, most are not directly answering the question. You have to spend it on a layout, your layout.
So, I will take a shot at this one. I would contract with a top notch layout builder and work with him to design, build and test a Santa Fe layout from California to Chicago with a fully featured Dearborn Station. That's it, pure and simple. It would fill my 22' x 60' basement.
Rich
Alton Junction
I'm perfectly content with what I now have, so I would make our basement wheel chair accessible to allow my daughter to see the layout for the first time---in person.
After that, I would find other children in need of wheel chairs, purchase the wheel chairs, so they too could see the layout. That way all the money would be spent, albeit indirectly, on my layout and the proceeds from the winning lottery ticket would be put to good use.
Wayne
Modeling HO Freelance Logging Railroad.
It´d be a real problem to spend that kind of money on my "trains". First of all, I am quite happy with what I am doing now - it suits my modeling needs and my skills, and I don´t have the space to do much more. I would probably buy some brass steam locos from World Craft, a little kit manufacturer in Japan, making kits of Japanese prototype steam and electric locos. Yes, I I could also use a little more rolling stock.
Not being able to use the remaining 95% on other purposes, I would probably also "sponsor" a charitable, train related institution
Boy, what a `problem' to have.
Actually, I could go through about half of it just by replacing some of my `foobies' with proper, high quality, fully-detailed models of the same locomotives, EMU and DMU. Upgrading my freight fleet would kick the rivets out of another $25 K or so. (If you don't think so, check current prices for 1:80 scale Japanese prototype models in Japan, and the current $ - Yen exchange rate.)
That would leave just about enough to cover the trip for two to Japan so I could acquire those models, and inspiration for using them, at the source...
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
This is my hobby. I have more fun from what I build instead of what I own. So, I don't know if I could justify spending $100,000 on my hobby even if it were given to me.
I like Brent's answer of spending some of the funds on a children's hospital train layout.
Also, there are some railroad museums needing funding and some could be donated to them. Perhaps, they could use some of the $100,000 towards restoring a locomotive.
I supposing having an extra $100,000 would be a good problem to solve.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
I don't know if I would expand my layout room. It is 15" x 24" and I think I will do well to get that space to the very detailed stage I want. I can expand if I choose. Money isn't an issue, I buy what I want but only what I will build or use in the near future. Things don't sit on shelves here. I hate clutter.
I have a fully landscaped back yard about an acre in size and with a glass of wine in hand, often plan where the garden railway would go. It has perfect topography for a garden railway. But it is not something I would spend money on unless I had to blow the wad. So that is where I would spend the money if it could only go to trains.
First thing though would be an HO layout for B.C. Children's Hospital. As my special needs son is a frequent flyer there. We are in to the place for seven figures by now. I have never taken out my wallet. But it would be nice to contribute something. So that would get a big chunk of $$$.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
MisterBeasley I'm afraid it would be about the same if I won $2000. It's not about the finished product for me, as much as it is in finishing the product. As I've discovered over the past few years, my current income keeps me in train projects pretty well. Since I'm a Builder and I enjoy every step of making my layout come together, I'm more short on time than I am on projects. Face it. You've got a shelf-full of kits in your workshop, too, don't you?......
I'm afraid it would be about the same if I won $2000. It's not about the finished product for me, as much as it is in finishing the product. As I've discovered over the past few years, my current income keeps me in train projects pretty well. Since I'm a Builder and I enjoy every step of making my layout come together, I'm more short on time than I am on projects. Face it. You've got a shelf-full of kits in your workshop, too, don't you?......
I'm of the same mind as Mister B on this one: a couple of thou would finish-off the list of materials needed to complete layout construction, and I've got more than enough projects awaiting completion. I'd have to decline the prize under those contest rules.
Hmm... I'd be hard pressed to spend that much just on the RR. My layout already fills every inch of available space, and there's no way to buy any adjoining land for expansion. I don't need any much in the way of locos or rolling stock. All my structures will be scratch-built, and eventually most of my rolling stock with either be kitbashed or scratched.
Mine's an outdoor layout, so there are a few things I'd like to do that are at least somewhat related to the layout. For instance, I want a new shed off to the side, so I can tear down the old shed that blocks the view. I'd also get a second entry put into the wrought iron fence in front of the layout; the existing single entrance is a real bottleneck on open house days. And I'd put in some nice stairs with handrails going to the layout, instead of the stacks of concrete blocks I'm currently using.
Build a "train palace" for my trains.
Width in 8 foot increments--4 foot aisle with 2 foot shelf each side. 24 feet for 3 aisles, maybe 30- 35 feet long. Gotta keep it in some kind of limit so its not too big to maintain.
I used to want vertical entry, walk up or down stairs... with no door where track has to turn and go back. But my knees aren't what they used to be, so i am discarding the vertical entry dream.
I might build the benchwork myself to save this precious LITTLE money. After all, $100,000 only goes so far. But I would try to find someone good to lay track and do wiring.
I would build the dream layout I have been designing and adding to in my imagination for 30 years or more. Rough schematic--
I built the Johnston/ East Texas scene and had to tear it down 5 years ago or so - curves too tight.
But I would have more out in the woods part of the scene...
This was one dream version.
I am building the karankawa, Texas Coast portion of the scene.
I would probably make this scene only 30 to 40 percent more thwan I am already building in an 11 foot square space.
That would give me more for the railroad going past the isaldn community's above-ground cemetary, somewhat like the ones in New Orleans. I could not work in this prototype scene into what I am currently building. (Oops, don't have the proto pix in railimnages any more..) I would also work in this ship motel which had to be left out.
Sorry, prototype no longer exists. I would have the blimp base a working switching area along the mainline. (I have it now only as a separate 2x3 foot poortavble layout)
I would have a refinery district nearby at my version of the edge of Texas City, and I would have a major city like Houston, but nSanta Fe would run through a thru Spanish mission style station, a Santa F version like the SP one at San Antonio...
Lots more things too. I don't think $100,000 would be enough. But having the train palace and someone to lay track and wire, I could d the rest the old packing styrofoam and cardboard houses and use the trains I already have and be quite happy. Most of what I don't have is not available and I would have to build it myself. There's not much I want that I don't have.
I usually don't bother entering the Model Railroader sweepstakes because there is hardly anything they offer as prizes or anything I could buy at hobby shop that I want. Space to build leisurely and time to work on MY projects from not having to figure out wiring etc what I would miost want to "buy" if it could be bought.
But I am too chinchy to spend money on lottery tickets. Maybe if I see a train lottery ticket.
I'm afraid it would be about the same if I won $2000. It's not about the finished product for me, as much as it is in finishing the product. As I've discovered over the past few years, my current income keeps me in train projects pretty well. Since I'm a Builder and I enjoy every step of making my layout come together, I'm more short on time than I am on projects. Face it. You've got a shelf-full of kits in your workshop, too, don't you?
So, I'd install a couple of sets of operating crossing gates with infrared detectors, which have always seemed like an overpriced extravagance. I'd get one of those RRampmeters that shows how much power my system is using, even though I don't need it. I'd get a Frog Juicer to power the frogs on those Atlas turnouts where nothing ever stalls. (Right, again, something I want but don't need.)
Maybe I'd convince my wife to go on a vacation to Colorado to ride the Durango and Silverton, and perhaps hit some of the other premier excursion trains as well. She's not into trains, but there's plenty of other fun in Colorado to interest us. I suppose I could convince her to ride the bullet trains in France, too, if I twisted her arm a bit and said sil vou plait.
And when I got home, I'd go down to the basement, pull a box off the shelf and start building one of those kits I've already got. It's all about the journey, anyway.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
First I hire a contractor to finish the basement (a nominal 1500 sq ft) for the layout. Then I start building, buying supplies as needed. At the end if there is any left over I buy some brass locomotives I have my eye on.
Enjoy
Paul
"The Gravy Train"
I just have one question this week and it may not be as easy as it sounds... you see, earlier today you stopped in at the local Gas-n-Go to fill 'er up and pick up a bag of chips and a six-pack of your favorite beverage. On a whim, while you were standing at the counter waiting for the pimply-faced kid to hand your change, you decide to blow a buck on a lottery ticket. So you're looking over the tickets in the case and there's a new one that's got a picture of a steam engine on it. Obviously that's the one for you, so you pay the clerk, toss it all in the bag and head on home. Later that evening you've got your feet up and perusing the Model Railroader forums site, when you remember the ticket. So you pull it out and scratch off the numbers-- the numbers were cleverly disguised as the drivers on the locomotive-- and sure enough-- you're a winner! Turning the ticket over to see what you've won, it turns out that you've won the grand prize-- $100,000 dollars. There's just this one teensy weensy tiny little catch.... you gotta spend it all on your layout...
As usual, I'm looking forward to your thoughts and opinions!
Photos are always fun too.
John