How Much have you spent???

[dragonriversteel]

Geez ,thats a good question. Let me ask the wife,she knows the dollar amount,LOL. I've had a layout and many trains in my teens. Then through out my twentys lost intrest,and broads ,beer became my hobby. I settled down after meeting my wife in 1996.Settled in the whole marrige thing and then one faithful day while in Savannah,Ga we came across a hobby shop. Just like that the train bug bite me again.As for how much I've spent......lets see. Over three hundred cars ,twelve locomotives,a forty car work train,all the walthers "the works" steel mill kits.Three huge rubbermade containers full of trains stuff. I'd say about $7000 clams so far.I'm only 35,so that means more to come.....Patrick

[Anonymous]

Approximately $100 (this time around).

I started a couple layouts as a kid with my dad. My dad would take all of his change and dump it into a coffee can - before we knew it, there was $100 in there - time to have it rolled at the bank and go the MRR'ing shop.

I'm getting back into the hobby, and have bought 1 locomotive (Athearn BB switcher), an MRC power pack, two pieces of flex track (as a test track), an NMRA gauge, and some rail and ties to practice handlaying turnouts.

I'm going to me making a small module-sized HO layout. I am very determined to not spend a lot of money on this.

Having recently started my own business, and having a new baby, I simply don't want to spend my money on this hobby, but I want to enjoy it anyway!

Some of the most beautiful work I've seen is by the scratchbuilding types of modelers anyway, so that's the road I hope to go down.

A few things I'll do to keep costs down:

1) Layout will be small (focusing on quality, not size)

2) Handlay track and turnouts (BIG savings in handlaying turnouts)

3) Use real dirt for ground foam (modeling California, real dirt looks more real than anything else I've seen anyway)

4) As someone above said, sticking to a prototype location and era. (I may bend the rules here and focus on two eras - maybe I'll stick with one first, then another later, etc.)

5) You won't see me spending big $$ on locomotives. The craziest I will get is maybe an Atlas or Kato diesel.

Wish me luck in my savngs plan! I'm also planning on tabulating all my costs as I go, or at least all of my materials (so that if I really wanted to, I could estimate the cost).

[ChessieFan13]

well if I had to make a guess ill have to say around $1000 thus far like every one has been saying 10 here 30 here a nother 17.50 there it adds up fast. If i quit smoking i can have another $ 2180 a year to spend on the trains.....................(lights another up) ........ think i may NEED to quit so I can spend more on the train

[Anonymous]

As the late John Allen once said,"Less than the cost of a pack of cigarettes a day."

[:D]

Cheers,
George

[Anonymous]

Taking a look at this another way, the $450 I have spent since January works out to about $11.50 a week. Even if I only spent 2 hours a week at it that is inexpensive entertainment. I would feel comfortable spending $20 a week on the hobby and counting the tools I have purchased that is probably closer to reality. Over time that adds up, $1040 a year, $10,400 a decade, and some people here have been doing this for twenty, thirty, even forty years.

[rolleiman]

There is no "norm"... You can spend as much or as little as you want.. I know people who will spend 3 hours building, painting, and lettering a simple HO scale RR crossing crossbuck, to Exact scale, and it will look fantastic. All of thier tools fit in a small shoe box. No power tools, you won't see them drooling over the latest P2K, BLI, Genesis release. They couldn't care less. I also know people who will spend 3 hours looking for the same item online or driving to a hobby shop to buy it. Not that they lack the skills to build them but because they just don't want to.. I know people who's goal it seems to be to have one of everything ever made. They will buy entire collections just to get one or two items and then spend the next several months traveling to shows to unload the rest. These same people are paying rent on storage space to keep all of it. Yes, some of them have layouts too.

The numbers I gave in my answer were original outlay.. At one time, I had over 50 brass steam locos, each costing (used) an average of $300. That number is down to 10 now because I sold off all the AT&SF, SP, UP, D&RGW, NYC, NKP, etc. Only the Wabash ones and my NYC 4-4-0 #999 remain.

If you are trying to get some idea as to what it'll cost, here's My advice.. Pick a Roadname, Theme, Era and stick with them. Yes, Check the dates on the prepainted rolling stock. You would be suprised at how much you'll leave on the shelves that way. Even if it's all freelance. Maybe your freelance road only owned second hand F9A diesels. Keep your track plan simple and interesting. Power tools for model building are great but there isn't much you can't do with a nice set of small screwdrivers, files , and a few other essential tools. You can put as much or as little as you want into it.. Eventually, the kids will move out and the mortgage will be paid off. There's no need to get nuts.. Even with the limited run stuff.. One thing I've noticed over the years is that most of the "limited run" stuff gets repeated. The main goal should be to have some fun and to relax..

Jeff
[swg]

[selector]

It was a perfectly reasonable question, and the answers, although reasonable to their authors, are sometimes going to be shocking to those who have invested time and talent beyond the norm...whatever the norm is. We can't all be top shelf at everything we put out minds to. There will always be trade-offs in time, talent, money, and support from other influential people. For example, there are single people on this forum, unemployed, childless, homeless, and a host of other categories or descriptions...if you are used to dealing with people that way. Personally, I think there is room under the large tent of "model railroading' to include everyone who turns a knob, solders a wire, or weathers a structure relating to trains. Some have deep pockets and won't spend a dime, others have no pockets, and spend every spare cent they can set aside on the hobby.

Whatever turns your drivers...

[Anonymous]

Ryan here, I started this disscusion. I just wanted to say thanks to all who have replied. It gives me a good insight of what i have ahead of me. I didn't mean to bring anybody down by revealing or reminding those how much they have spent. Nobody here is trying to prove anything, be proud of what you have accomplished. I have two children, mortgage, and car payment. Its hard to get this hobby off the ground. Thanks again for all your inputs.

[Anonymous]

Oh my God !!! I am 68 years old (or young, depending on which way you're coming).
I started in model railroading when I was a very young boy - maybe 6 or 8, with Lionel.
It didn't take me very many years to fill up my parentas basement with trains. Since that time I have built maybe 5 different HO layouts. The smallest of which was about 4 x 12.
My present layout is about 6 x 30, and has 35 loco's and 100's of cars. all sceniced.

I don't even want to know how much I've spent on trains. My wife would kill me DEAD !!!
Just to give you an idea - I have a complete set of both RMC and MR from 1960.
And Toy Trains mags from 1952 on up till they quit publishing. I had so much Lionel stuff I don't even remember how many loco's I had at any given time. And more HO equipment than i can ever remember. I am still in the hobby and expanding my present layout. Enjoy every minute spent with trains too.

God Bless, Bill.

[TrainFreak409]

I have over $2,000 invested in this hobby. Recently, within the past few months, I have spent...roughly $368.50. So that's just more put into it. And I don't have a layout yet, so it is mostly locomotives and rolling stock.

[whitman500]

Tatans:

I think there is a natural tradeoff between time and money invested in the hobby. If you don't have a lot of time to scratchbuild, etc. you compensate by spending more money and vice versa. If I spend a lot of money on the hobby because I don't have the time to build things from scratch this shouldn't annoy others anymore than I should be annoyed that some people can spend more time on the hobby than I can.

[tatans]

TA462, Disgruntled? hardly, as the above comments state some very low to moderate sums with some very satisfied hobbyists. I think a lot of MR people really do get a little annoyed (not mad or disgruntled) at the enormous amounts of money some people pour into the hobby (if "stuff" turns you on,it's tour priveledge) as a couple of statements mentioned how some are returning to scratchbuilding and finding the pleasure in that, this was the intent of my statement, not to equate the amount of money spent on the hobby, and is anyone else really interested just in how much money you actually put in the hobby? Keep trainin"

[cwclark]

over all I've built 5 different layouts and I would say that since 1977 i've spent well over $10,000 on model railroading stuff....chuck

[Anonymous]

How about this... I have two small children, a mortgage, a small college loan left and house repairs to do.

I just threw down $800 for an HO engine overhaul and about $50 to $60 a month on blank kits and details so I can have them for a rainy day. I don't have a layout, just two 3-foot pieces of test track.

My wife thinks I'm nuts.

When I was still in Lionel.... O-27 ..... I could easily go through $100 a month. Serious modelers do much more.

Most importantly, I buy junk when I can just so my children have something to play with too. I am starting to work in fine detail, where mistakes mean 20 man hours of reworking. So my 3.5 year old daughter gets a Crayola Brush, acrylic paint and a few old buildings to "paint" and she loves it.

Above all, spend what you can afford and keep your kids involved. Or else, your hobby isn't worth a dime.

[Anonymous]

About $800.00 on stock in 5 years the list is in the order I got them.

$50. (SF) browser dosksider
$50. (SF) lifelike Gp-35 set
$14. (UP) bachmann F-7
$20. (UP) lifelike 0-4-0
$10. (SF) lifelike docksider
$29. (AMTRAK) lifelike FP-40, dummy, & caboose
$45. (CONRAIL) athrean GP-45 & dummy SW-1000
$60. (W & A R.R.) IHC 4-4-0
$30. (UP) athrean F-7
$20. (none) bachmann BRILL trolley
$14. (none) bachmann gandy dancer
$80. (SP) bachmann 4-8-4
$20. (UP) bachmann 0-6-0
$165. (UP) rivrossi 4-8-8-4
$20. (NYC) rivrossi 4-6-4
$44. (UP) athrean SW-1000

& about $150 in freight

[selector]

fievel, I was not aware of your circumstances. I am glad that you shared your point of view, and that model trains are helping you to cope. May they always do so for you.

[egmurphy]

Since I got back in the hobby about 3 years ago I figure I've spent something between $1,500 and $2,000. That doesn't include books and magazines. Could have done it for less if it had been necessary to do so.

The layout is small and didn't really cost all that much. One hollow core wood door, one sheet of extruded foam, 18 manual switches, maybe 50-60 feet of flex track, some cork, ground throw switches and scenery materials. Including wire, electrical switches, and two used MRC power packs, maybe $450-600 in total?

I spent the biggest chunk on locomotives, but I have more than a layout this size can really use. Likewise with cars. I don't have a huge amount but more than can fit on the layout. I don't purchase very expensive locos and cars. My most expensive loco was around $100, and I picked up a lot of my cars used, either at shows on on ebay.

Just starting with structures, but I expect that most will be either scratch built or some kit-bashing.

The biggest outlay was during the first year and a half, my purchases have really tapered off since then. Now it's an occasional car or two. I might get one new locomotive this year. Last year I probably averaged maybe $50 a month in expenses. This year will be less.

But everyone has different wants, priorities, and budgets.

Regards

Ed

[Train 284]

I have spent to much, around 2 grand by now.

[tatans]

Hopefully this forum is not a statement (a few are) about the more money I spend the more enjoyment I receive from the hobby, the astronomical sums from a few of the replies seems to indicate this is the intent, so be it, (it's a free country) but there are a few out there that still get a thrill from scratchbuilding or assembling their twice a year car kit. Hopefully this scenario is not "He who has the most toys" I wonder how many of the above would reply to the question " How much money do you have"

[ereimer]

don't know , don't care [:)]

if i had to guess i'd say about $1500 (canadian) for 4 loco's , a small amount of rolling stock , some track and switches , a few building kits , and my zephyr and a couple of decoders . most of that has been spent over the last 10 months . add to that a couple of dozen books , 20 years worth of magazines and tools bought specifically for model railroading . over the next year i'll probably spend at least that much trying to get some sort of layout started , more if i end up doing any renovations to the room

[orsonroy]

Well, I've built two large home layouts, a 4x8, and something like nine Ntrak modules. Since I've been active in this hobby since about 1985, I'll say that I'm WELL over $20,000 in spending.

I'm about to build a new, third large home layout (I just moved), so the figure will be going up about $800-$1000 for new benchwork materials. Thankfully, I was able to salvage most of the track, and some of the benchwork, on my old layout.

[fievel]

Over 11 years, I've spent around 14,000 dollars. I spent around 3 to 4 thousand
for my first layout (gone, but not forgotten). The 14,000 averages out to be 106
dollars per month. I feel guilty about the total I have spent, but my VERY
supportive wife reminds me that it is money well spent, as it is a release for
my emotional problems.

It has been an educational experience for me to have a model rr. It helps me
to think through problems that arise,both on the layout, and in real life as well.
I kind of think of the price tag as a sort of tuition or therapy. Still, I was shocked
when I added it all up,and started thinking of all the things I could have done with
the money in terms of our house. But I think I'd rather live in a modest home with
a great,relaxing hobby, than to live in a mansion and have nothing to really
capture my interest. I would probably stare at the ceiling for hours on end.

I have made some mistakes buying "junk", but overall I am satisfied. Lately, I've
been getting back to scratchbuilding, instead of buying commercial kits. Man,
it sure is wonderful to sit down and calculate what you can do with a bunch
of styrene,wood and recycled trash.

[:)]

[mustanggt]

I have no idea, maybe a grand in equipment?
$100 or so on lumber for benchwork + deisel for my dad's Dodge Ram
(another $40, back when it was cheap, 2 years ago)
$125 for an Atlas DCC system ( a big headache, it never worked good)
$100 on decoders
$200 or so on vehicles (my newest the $23.98 GMC Fishbowl bus[xx(])
$100-$130 on various structures now in various stages of completion.
$100 on track, wiring, ect.

No real scenery was included in the building of this layout[:p]

Altogether, about 2000 dollars.[:0]

[lesterperry]

Do you want me to include the building in the back yard to house it? That would be about $8,000 according to my insurance company. As for the contents of this building well lets just say i started to add it up a couple 3 or 4 years ago and when I got to $9,000 I quit adding. So now the building & contents are good for $20,000 insurance speaking. That is probably not enough but it would get me started if there was a fire or something.

[cheese3]

I have spent at least $3000 in five years but, most likely more though

[Anonymous]

Up_SantaFe you have spent $2500 on 4x8 that is alot for the square footage it seems. Well On my layout which is about 18'x25' I have invested so far about $7000 at most. I have started spending February of 2004 so that is 1 year and 8 months.

[selector]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tatans

About $450.00 and I'm still trying to imagine some of the above figures, boy, did I miss out on something along the way. I can't even, in my wildest dreams imagine some of those vast amounts(if they are fact) and I'm sure there are are plenty of others out here still in shock at those sums.

Well, my hat is off to you, tatans. Anyone who can spend that little and find contentment with what that offers in this hobby is okay in my books. [8D]

[selector]

QUOTE: Originally posted by 4884bigboy

More than my parents know I have......

correction..."had"....[:D]

[Anonymous]

More than my parents know I have......