How do you get your funding for your railroad?

[SilverSpike]

QUOTE: [i]Originally posted by Darren[i/]
Ok..just to let you all know..Our new site url is up and running www.samschocolate.com

Model railroading and chocolate? Hummmmm........

Chocolate.... railroad.... chocolate.... railroad..... chocolate..... railroad..... railroad.... chocolate.....

Oh, where was I.....
........day dreaming of a railroad made of chocolate!

Now that is one food group I left off the 'favorite food' poll post!!!!!!!

Hey, I bet a chocolate shaped loco NPR berky would be neat!

Oh, my wandering mind........

Back to topic!

I use my trusty Visa, MC, American Express....... Don't leave home without it, .... err them!

- Ryan

[davekelly]

Visa is such a good friend. When I was deployed to Mogadishu Somalia as part of Restore Hope, the first mail I received was from Visa! I guess they were just hoping that I was safe and sound. What great guys! (Oh yeah, they wanted my monthly payment also lol).

[SteelMonsters]

Can I pay my Visa with my MasterCard?

[xx(]

[JPowell]

I ask the CFO how the books are looking. Usually I get a 'great' out of her...and then a 'Why?' Once she hears train table, she gives me a figure to not exceed and then off I go. Usually I stay WELL below my alotted amount!
JP

[Anonymous]

We are looking into chocolate trains! I`ll keep you all posted!

[vsmith]

How do you get your funding for your railroad?


Selling body parts to medical science...what? doesnt everybody do this?[(-D][:-,][D)]

[simonjeff1]

Oh, I hate to do this, but.......

I have a great job, and after normal expenses I just go to the LHS and buy whatever I want. And the guys there are great. They set aside everything they know I would want, and when I show up on Saturday morning, they retrieve the bin with my name on it and I pony up.

Life's too short to ration happiness. And my trains are my therapy.

Anyone buying this......anyone.......anyone........Beuller

[SilverSpike]

OK Ferris, where are you?

Choco loco, mucho gusto!

Si!

[Anonymous]

With a stage name like BoRockhard, how do you think I earn money? [:-,]
I work for it. [swg]

[davekelly]

JP,

Smart move staying under budget!!! Sounds like you have a cool CFO there - perhaps she needs a bonus this weekend at her favorite resturant?

Actually I'll admit to the crew here that I'm a pretty lucky guy. My fiance knows what my trains mean to me. Even though things are rather tight right now, she has never questioned any purchase. Of course I've kept things pretty conservative the last couple of months. She knows that working on a project is good stress relief, and when you think about it - my current projects are actually quite economical. I've spent the last 2 weeks painting, detailing and lighting a Walthers Merchants Row structure. If I figure it out, I'm spending around 50 cents per hour. Heck renting a movie is more expensive.

[jhoff310]

LIE, CHEAT and STEAL............ no not really. I haul scrap metal and cut grass during the summer plus work a full time job to finance my hobby. I am in control of the budget so my loving wife just tells me to buy what I want because I know what the bills are. I got myself a winner when it came to the wife pool.
Jeff

[Anonymous]

Uhm... this weird wonderful thing called a job.
Plus selling all of my cats to some dude named Wong helps.

I need to sell some old trains I don't want. Sometime.

No wife, no girlfriend, and I still live at home. And no real expenses, minus some for the car.

Alvie.

[Anonymous]

Well, I am 13 and not old enougth to get a job (though I would like one), i don't get an allowance from my parents, but hey, they pay for my food, my clothes, guitar lessons, Fencing lessons, Latin and algebra Classes ( I am homeschooled ), church camps, and all the gas it takes to get me everywhere. my money comes from what I can scrape up from dogsitting and lawnmowing....not much so i am currently and armchair modeler.....though i hope to change that this summer by building a very small layout. thats how I get my funding.

[claycts]

SIMPLE www.leatherique.com and work like H#$%^

[brothaslide]

How do I earn money for trains?

I pray.

I scan: www.twinimaging.com

[AggroJones]

My crappy, low paying job where I make less than some of the teenagers on this forum.

Minus medications and transportation (bus), I spend most of my money on my "hobby".

Like Alvie, I still live with my parents. No major bills to pay.

[jdolan]

I am medically retired so the CFO thinks my hobby is good and keeps me sane. She is also into it so that helps. Monthly budget supplies the finances and self control keeps me under the budget.
Jack

[mersenne6]

The way most enterprises get funded - check with the CFO concerning available funds - put together a dog and pony show (or should I say a geep and iron horse extravaganza?) - make a pitch for funding my latest wants and see if it gets approved. Since this is my one and only hobby involving expenditures of any size I usually get approval but every now and then something else takes priority. If it does well, as they say, them's the breaks.

[cnw1995]

Unfortunately, my circumstances (3 children ranging from 2 - 14) make the hobby a zero-sum game - I have to sell something to be able to afford something. Or rather I have to sell someting from another defunct hobby - though I'm running out of things to sell. It really serves to quench the 'gotta-have-it' which occasionally rears its head. Also, makes me look twice and three times at using found items for the layout - perfume bottle cap and packing shreds for a median planter. Tin can for a oil tank...

[bruce22]

collecting beer cans and bottles from the side of the road???

[douginut]

When I was married (widower) I just figured out my Beer and Cigarette budget and was then allowed that for the Hobby shop. fortunately didnt do either and had all of that cash for the train store.
now that I only have to justify my expendatures to myself seem to find a much greated sack of cash harder to spend.

Doug, In Utah

[Anonymous]

My CFO budgets some of the money I work for to put towards my hobby usually around 50-80 a month. I am supposed to teach music lessons soon and that will be extra money for the trains. I sort of want a Trix bigboy I found I can get it for 650.00 which is 150-200 less than the LHS. The CFO still thinks I am crazy but I told her it can pull 133 freight cars and she said ??!! Really??!!
So who knows I might still wait for Hornby to get thier act together or I will go the route of Bowser and do it myself.

Oh if I was 3 and liked trains I could get what I wanted anytime. Last trip to LHS I got a turnout some new xuron cutters and traction tires for a steam locomotive. My son just points to a Thomas tank engine and the CFO says "I want to get him the whole set".
Go figure

[davekelly]

Douginut,

I would be more than willing to help you spend part of your hobby budget on my railroad. It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make to help you out.

Sean,

Yeah them CFO's seem to have a soft spot for the junior members of the staff. But look at it this way -- you could always train him to say "I want a big boy!"

[Anonymous]

Ok page 3 of our products is up! Also page 4 should be out within the week..Which should have few chocolate trains

[Anonymous]

Hey great site Darren!

I got so hungry looking at all those goody's I had to order some...

[Sunset Limited]

From the Train Jeanie! really! One day I was working in my backyard and found this lamp, when I rubbed the lamp, this Jeanie popped out! ........ But seriously, it 's that famous 4 letter word! WORK !!!!!!! I'm already brainwashed! Pay bills,go to work! Pay bills,go to work! Pay bills,go to work! Pay bills,go to work! [xx(]

[Anonymous]

well, i spend my evenings beating up little old ladies and taking their money to fund my train addiction....



hehe but honestly, i drive a truck. i am single and i make around 50 grand a year, so I have lots of money to go into my retirement account, and lots to spend on trains. them women things are too dang expensive[:D][:D].

[gvdobler]

The best way is to set aside say $1,000 a month in a special train account. When the CFO says that's too much, say OK and reduce the amount to maybe $600.

Then you can say "See I gave up 40% of my train budget for that sofa that just sits there with no sound or smoke or anything.

Jon - Las Vegas

[Anonymous]

Ok guys/gals page 4 has been added! Thanks to those that have order! The support has been great! Also look forward for more products to come available! The url has changed over 100% to www.samschocolate.com Hope to hear from you all!

[ksax73]

I always love the opportunity to answer this question.

Since I love Amtrak operations and passenger train operations in general, I like to parallel real world scenarios; right down to funding.

I treat the money I earn from working as money from the Federal Govt. I'll only appropriate so much and I have to admit, I am being stingy just like the Fed Govt. is with Amtrak (not because I don't care about the hobby but I do have other priorities; mainly college).

I treat the left over chage that I accumulate like passenger revenue. I put what I collect into a change sorter and save up that way while using the "appropriated" money for other things, like maintenence, and "needed" new equipment (spending spread out)