Is your railroading hobby worth your investment?

[Anonymous]

"Is your railroading hobby worth your investment?" Should hobby and investment be in the same sentence? I don't look at any of my hobbies as investments, rather I view them as enjoyment. Yes, it seems like the cost for railroad related hobby supplies and tools is rising faster than inflation which means I can't get as much each month as I used to but IMHO a hobby is for enjoyment not an investment.

[Anonymous]

I was lucky, during the three years I spent in Germany, the dollar soared against the mark [euro had not been installed yet] so I spent a bundle on locos, rolling stock and structures which I shipped home. That was the start of my layout. Looking in Walther's catalog, to replace what I brought home would cost me an arm and a leg.

[CP5415]

I added up the cost, what it cost me to purchase what I had a few years ago & it was $3500 Canadian, & that was only locomotives & rollingstock.
Does not include powerpacks, switches & track, structures & the wood.
Is it worth it to me, sure it is. Just being able to shut out the world for an hour to spend working on my hobby is worth what ever I spend

Gordon

[liquidcross]

We all know model railroading is a costly undertaking (especially lately!). Do you find it worth the money over time? Locomotives don't seem to depreciate much in value, but what about the money you've spent on power systems, track, accessories, etc? When a layout's complete, do you stand back and feel that it was cash well spent, or do you always wish you could do more?

Just picking your brains a bit...it's always cool to hear opinions on stuff like this.