$500 layout

[on30francisco]

I thought it was a good starter layout. It's enough to whet one's appetite for model railroading without investing a lot of time and money. The paper buildings leave a lot to be desired but they're better than nothing and can be replaced with better structures in the future. The track plan as well as the layout can always be incorporated into a larger layout in the future. The rolling stock can also be upgraded in the future if so desired but I believe they should have used higher quality rolling stock (Athern, MDC), and locos. Nothing can turn a person off of model railroading faster than poor quality, bad running equipment.

[hminky]

I thought the track plan would drive most people out of the hobby after being bored by the lack of operational potential. I am building a 4x8 in On30 and believe with that my layout will have less than $500 invested in the end.

http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/

Just a thought
Harold