How Much have you spent???

[tatans]

TA462, Disgruntled? hardly, as the above comments state some very low to moderate sums with some very satisfied hobbyists. I think a lot of MR people really do get a little annoyed (not mad or disgruntled) at the enormous amounts of money some people pour into the hobby (if "stuff" turns you on,it's tour priveledge) as a couple of statements mentioned how some are returning to scratchbuilding and finding the pleasure in that, this was the intent of my statement, not to equate the amount of money spent on the hobby, and is anyone else really interested just in how much money you actually put in the hobby? Keep trainin"

[whitman500]

Tatans:

I think there is a natural tradeoff between time and money invested in the hobby. If you don't have a lot of time to scratchbuild, etc. you compensate by spending more money and vice versa. If I spend a lot of money on the hobby because I don't have the time to build things from scratch this shouldn't annoy others anymore than I should be annoyed that some people can spend more time on the hobby than I can.

[TrainFreak409]

I have over $2,000 invested in this hobby. Recently, within the past few months, I have spent...roughly $368.50. So that's just more put into it. And I don't have a layout yet, so it is mostly locomotives and rolling stock.

[Anonymous]

Oh my God !!! I am 68 years old (or young, depending on which way you're coming).
I started in model railroading when I was a very young boy - maybe 6 or 8, with Lionel.
It didn't take me very many years to fill up my parentas basement with trains. Since that time I have built maybe 5 different HO layouts. The smallest of which was about 4 x 12.
My present layout is about 6 x 30, and has 35 loco's and 100's of cars. all sceniced.

I don't even want to know how much I've spent on trains. My wife would kill me DEAD !!!
Just to give you an idea - I have a complete set of both RMC and MR from 1960.
And Toy Trains mags from 1952 on up till they quit publishing. I had so much Lionel stuff I don't even remember how many loco's I had at any given time. And more HO equipment than i can ever remember. I am still in the hobby and expanding my present layout. Enjoy every minute spent with trains too.

God Bless, Bill.

[Anonymous]

Ryan here, I started this disscusion. I just wanted to say thanks to all who have replied. It gives me a good insight of what i have ahead of me. I didn't mean to bring anybody down by revealing or reminding those how much they have spent. Nobody here is trying to prove anything, be proud of what you have accomplished. I have two children, mortgage, and car payment. Its hard to get this hobby off the ground. Thanks again for all your inputs.

[selector]

It was a perfectly reasonable question, and the answers, although reasonable to their authors, are sometimes going to be shocking to those who have invested time and talent beyond the norm...whatever the norm is. We can't all be top shelf at everything we put out minds to. There will always be trade-offs in time, talent, money, and support from other influential people. For example, there are single people on this forum, unemployed, childless, homeless, and a host of other categories or descriptions...if you are used to dealing with people that way. Personally, I think there is room under the large tent of "model railroading' to include everyone who turns a knob, solders a wire, or weathers a structure relating to trains. Some have deep pockets and won't spend a dime, others have no pockets, and spend every spare cent they can set aside on the hobby.

Whatever turns your drivers...

[rolleiman]

There is no "norm"... You can spend as much or as little as you want.. I know people who will spend 3 hours building, painting, and lettering a simple HO scale RR crossing crossbuck, to Exact scale, and it will look fantastic. All of thier tools fit in a small shoe box. No power tools, you won't see them drooling over the latest P2K, BLI, Genesis release. They couldn't care less. I also know people who will spend 3 hours looking for the same item online or driving to a hobby shop to buy it. Not that they lack the skills to build them but because they just don't want to.. I know people who's goal it seems to be to have one of everything ever made. They will buy entire collections just to get one or two items and then spend the next several months traveling to shows to unload the rest. These same people are paying rent on storage space to keep all of it. Yes, some of them have layouts too.

The numbers I gave in my answer were original outlay.. At one time, I had over 50 brass steam locos, each costing (used) an average of $300. That number is down to 10 now because I sold off all the AT&SF, SP, UP, D&RGW, NYC, NKP, etc. Only the Wabash ones and my NYC 4-4-0 #999 remain.

If you are trying to get some idea as to what it'll cost, here's My advice.. Pick a Roadname, Theme, Era and stick with them. Yes, Check the dates on the prepainted rolling stock. You would be suprised at how much you'll leave on the shelves that way. Even if it's all freelance. Maybe your freelance road only owned second hand F9A diesels. Keep your track plan simple and interesting. Power tools for model building are great but there isn't much you can't do with a nice set of small screwdrivers, files , and a few other essential tools. You can put as much or as little as you want into it.. Eventually, the kids will move out and the mortgage will be paid off. There's no need to get nuts.. Even with the limited run stuff.. One thing I've noticed over the years is that most of the "limited run" stuff gets repeated. The main goal should be to have some fun and to relax..

Jeff
[swg]

[Anonymous]

Taking a look at this another way, the $450 I have spent since January works out to about $11.50 a week. Even if I only spent 2 hours a week at it that is inexpensive entertainment. I would feel comfortable spending $20 a week on the hobby and counting the tools I have purchased that is probably closer to reality. Over time that adds up, $1040 a year, $10,400 a decade, and some people here have been doing this for twenty, thirty, even forty years.

[Anonymous]

As the late John Allen once said,"Less than the cost of a pack of cigarettes a day."

[:D]

Cheers,
George

[ChessieFan13]

well if I had to make a guess ill have to say around $1000 thus far like every one has been saying 10 here 30 here a nother 17.50 there it adds up fast. If i quit smoking i can have another $ 2180 a year to spend on the trains.....................(lights another up) ........ think i may NEED to quit so I can spend more on the train

[Anonymous]

Approximately $100 (this time around).

I started a couple layouts as a kid with my dad. My dad would take all of his change and dump it into a coffee can - before we knew it, there was $100 in there - time to have it rolled at the bank and go the MRR'ing shop.

I'm getting back into the hobby, and have bought 1 locomotive (Athearn BB switcher), an MRC power pack, two pieces of flex track (as a test track), an NMRA gauge, and some rail and ties to practice handlaying turnouts.

I'm going to me making a small module-sized HO layout. I am very determined to not spend a lot of money on this.

Having recently started my own business, and having a new baby, I simply don't want to spend my money on this hobby, but I want to enjoy it anyway!

Some of the most beautiful work I've seen is by the scratchbuilding types of modelers anyway, so that's the road I hope to go down.

A few things I'll do to keep costs down:

1) Layout will be small (focusing on quality, not size)

2) Handlay track and turnouts (BIG savings in handlaying turnouts)

3) Use real dirt for ground foam (modeling California, real dirt looks more real than anything else I've seen anyway)

4) As someone above said, sticking to a prototype location and era. (I may bend the rules here and focus on two eras - maybe I'll stick with one first, then another later, etc.)

5) You won't see me spending big $$ on locomotives. The craziest I will get is maybe an Atlas or Kato diesel.

Wish me luck in my savngs plan! I'm also planning on tabulating all my costs as I go, or at least all of my materials (so that if I really wanted to, I could estimate the cost).

[dragonriversteel]

Geez ,thats a good question. Let me ask the wife,she knows the dollar amount,LOL. I've had a layout and many trains in my teens. Then through out my twentys lost intrest,and broads ,beer became my hobby. I settled down after meeting my wife in 1996.Settled in the whole marrige thing and then one faithful day while in Savannah,Ga we came across a hobby shop. Just like that the train bug bite me again.As for how much I've spent......lets see. Over three hundred cars ,twelve locomotives,a forty car work train,all the walthers "the works" steel mill kits.Three huge rubbermade containers full of trains stuff. I'd say about $7000 clams so far.I'm only 35,so that means more to come.....Patrick