Thanks for the help everyone. I decided to go with the SD70M and well cars, just because of the price of the well cars. Next will come the track, followed by the DCC system, then the turtles and finally the Amtrak equipment.
4884bigboy wrote:CSXFan, go for the P42 with Superliners. By the way, is it one of the Walther's sets? If so where'd you find it? i've been hunting one of those babies for a long time.
I'm in N scale so I am going for the Kato equipment from N scale supply. I can't tell you where to find the HO superliners, I gave that search up long before I switched to N scale.
-Ken in Maryland (B&O modeler, former CSX modeler)
I dont know. I look at each part of the railroad from the track on up to scenery as a seperate project.
I would grab the train because some of the stuff is limited or out of production. That way you know you got it and can box it until you are ready to run it. With today's emphasis on pre-orders, you better get that train while you see it. The next time you go back to actually buy it will see it already bought and gone.
Track and switches you can always get. It's best to identify the need for specific trackage and fill that need as you go. I usually work at the mainline, then staging then yards and finally towns and industry. It's best to go to the Hobby Shop and buy a little track that you know you are going to use RIGHT away than to go all out and end up with a truckload of stuff you dont know what to do with.
Slow and easy does it.
Scenery, wiring, structures and all the other things have a cost. When taken into consideration overall, that little railroad can get a little bit pricey.
Those of us who are on a budget are always looking to make old Abe groan under the stress of trying to get something at a dime to the dollar.
I am on disability and have to squeeze a penny till old Abe hollers "let me go". Then I squeeze a nickle till the buffalo poops. Every time I squeeze a quarter, you should hear the people in the state on the back scream!
I am building a new layout, and in a new scale (HO). I have gone for cheap as I find it. Right now I have the basic table and mainline and risers in. I do already have some cheap trains I can run. I need more track, more layout structure, and turnouts. I want a turntable (the cheap one non-motorized and no, not the Atlas one). I have gone with DC. I figure after the outlay of building it is done, and my consist is one I can run with, I will then go about upgrading to the more expensive things in both trains and DCC, when I don't have so much else to buy.
If you have no train, I'd say look at the train. Working on a layout w/o having something to run can be tedious and, hey, how do you know it works well before set in stone and risk a tear-out/ rebuild???
I'm going to a train show in 2 weeks, and I may find some more rolling stock, steam locos. If I do, I'll wait on the other track and TT, If I find nothing there, I will get more track and TT.
Because of my finacial situation, every project I do I do this way:
1) get the basics needed to get started, as inexpensive as possible.
2) continue as needed, finding the least expensive.
3) when project is complete update every mo/yr as needed. Often, the more/most expensive seems the most desireable, but the least expensive does the job well.
4) Move on to next project when have some $ saved.
I hope this helps. Good luck. Oh, and try here :
wholesaletrains.com
They have super great prices and are good to deal with. I have ordered online, Several orders never had a prob. One defect return, prompt exchange at their expense. and I have the advantage that they are 1 hr from me to go shop.(or complain LOL)
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
Wow, there are lots of good points here! I was expecting a unanimous vote on one thing, but there are many different opinions .
I figured out the approximate cost of each of the items.
Track (not including uncoupling magnates)... ~$160
Amtrak P42 with four superliners (without decoder)... $146
CSX SD70M (without decoder) with three Walthers five car articulated well car sets... $126
Nine Tortoise switch motors... $134
NCE Powercab (without extra throttle and plug in plates)... $138
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
If you already had some trains to run on it I'd say go with finishing the track. Since you don't and the SD70 is 1\2 price, I'd go with that and the well cars.
Runnin trains ain't no fun when ya ain't got nun ta run!
Then I'd go finish track,buy DCC,buy Tortoise. In that order.(that's just me though.)
Looking at you list, not many of those things can be bought with your budget, except the rest of the roadbed and track. So my advice is get a bigger budget! Just do what you can with what you currently have until you have a hundred or two hundred dollars, and then I would buy the DCC powercab, and some track and roadbed to finish the track. Just my
-beegle55
Hi all,
I'm having trouble deciding what the smartest purchase would be for my N scale layout. I have about $50 (max!) a month to spend on my layout and I have $150 burning a hole in my wallet. Right now, I have only the main line track laid. I still need to buy and lay the sidings, spurs, and branch line. I only have one piece of rolling stock, an Atlas N&W caboose. Now what should I get next.
1) 9 tortoise switch motors to control the mainline turnouts?
2) A whole train? (Either a kato SD70 and 12-16 of the Walthers well cars, on sale for less than 1/2 price! Or a P42 and a set of superliners)
3) An NCE powercab? (layout is built to be used with DCC. Right now I have on old MRC powerpack that I can use)
4) The remaining track and roadbed?