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Two points: First, I'd suggest you turn the choice of road on its head. Make the choice of period, then what industries you prefer to depict, then landscape, finally what, if any, prototype road. The choice of equipment follows from those choices. Remember always you can reasonably run older equipment, even castoffs and hybreds, on branchline roads. Second, and perhaps more important, let it be known who you are: A teen new to the hobby with more interest than wallet. Trust me, you are not the first and definately not alone. You will be amazed what older, more experienced, less interested people will give away or donate to someone who will use it. You mention your LHS doesn't have a 'bargain bin', Why not? Next time you are there you might ask the clerk or owner what people do with their no longer wanted equipment? With a little talking you might be allowed to post a notice that you are a ' Teen beginner will take any HO equipment, any period, working or not.' Also make the rounds of garage sales and rummage sales. Do it late in the day when people are more of a mind to take nothing or next to it for the odds and ends. Always ask: 'If it doesn't sell will you give it to me.?' It costs nothing to ask and often the answer is yes. There 2 model railroad clubs within your range. Do they have websites? If so, contact them and ask more or less the same questions about unwanted equipment. If they have only a mailing address send them a letter (direct, neatly typed and correctly spelled) AND a return address and stamped envelope for a reply. Then make sure you go to an open meeting of the club in the near future. Very likely someone in the club will already know who you are and introduce you to someone wanting to 'thin the roster'. Be polite, ask questions such as: how they picked their period, locale and prototype. Listen to the answers, its information you can use. What is all of scavenging likely to net you? At least: the raw material for a fleet of MoW equipment, a long list of repair and rebuild jobs for your repair and paint shops, a hobo camp, materials for a flush deck trestle or two, enough junk to fill an industrial scrap yard and loads for any number of gons and flats, and perhaps a fair-sized fleet of high milage rollingstock and a runner or two to pull it and the track to pull it on. Which sounds like a small branchline to me. With the money you haven't spent you can afford to buy an item or two you really want. Most importantly you will have met some people in a hobby you are interested in. Give it a try. Randy
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