What are your Occupations/Jobs

[Anonymous]

What I do: Technolgy Wrangler (make the stuff work no matter what)
What I spend: More than I tell my Wife, but still less than retail

[Anonymous]

I own a Mechanical\Electrical contracting business, spend around 700-1000 ann. ,the wife and I wish we had more time than money to spend on this hobby

Weave

[Anonymous]

I'm retired at age 58, and liking it better and better each day, As for dollars spent, well last year that would have been around 1000-1500 for the year, and I've been in Modelrailroading, both Euro and American since 1953, or about 50 years if my figgeren is correct.....D

[Anonymous]

I'm a nures ane spend between $0-$500 a month depending on what i'm doing

[Anonymous]

I've been a truck driver for the last 20 years. I've always been into trains as long as I can remember. I had a Tyco set I got for Xmas one year. I nailed the track to 4x8 sheet of plywood and played for hours. I'm 43 now. I had mentioned to my wife that when I retired I was going to build a model railroad,something I always wanted to do. That Xmas she bought me a loco and three cars and now she's a train widow. That was three years ago. I only work on my layout in the winter mos. as I'm too busy in summer. If you averaged it out I probably spend $25-50 a mo.

[krump]

QUOTE: Originally posted by pschmidt700

I launched a new career late last spring as an insurance agent. It's going well; I was offered a promotion yesterday to sales trainer for all of central and part of eastern Washington. The money is especially good, and I'm on a path to retire in 14 years at age 55.
Paul Schmidt

Congrats Paul. (I hope I didn't mess up the quotation - new at that)

[Anonymous]

I'm a structural engineer and project manager for a medium sized construction company. After 30 years of marraige and rearing a family I started back into HO railroading using my 40 year old track and equipment. I probably spend about $30 a month and rely on a lot of help from my 3 year old granddaughter. I'm more into creating the scenary and structures than I am into operations and my expenses reflect this.

[Anonymous]

Retired giggolo[:D]
No really
Customer Service Manager for a large GM dealership. Sounds great, but after taxes, bills, ins, a new roof on the house, all 3 kids needing braces, and this weeks disaster (Its new every week), I don't spend nearly what I would want to. I probabably average about $100-150 a month, and a large chunk of that comes from doing paint and dcc installs for other modelers.
And the GM thing brings no special favors, my favorite diesels are still Alcos![^]

[Z For Me]

43 years old and retired.
I was severly injured on the job five years ago changing my life forever.
Prior to becoming diabled I was a Chemical Operator processing nuclear fuel for commercial nuclear power plants. Was making over well over 50K and man do I miss the money but also the ability to work.
Right now I only collect old locos and cars in HO and can't spend too much ca***hese days because my wife and I are starting a family. Low bills and we own a home on three acres up in the hills in NE Nevada at 6500 feet. It has been snowing for the last three weeks so we are settling in for a long and brutal winter. Perfect time to start my first layout after being interested in the hobby since I was seven. I have subscibed to MR since the early 70s but have never laid a single rail of track. Nows the time don't you think?
That's all folks!
Mark

[Anonymous]

After a 17-year career in journalism, including a year at MR as an associate editor and nine months as an independent contractor writing for Trains.com, I launched a new career late last spring as an insurance agent. It's going well; I was offered a promotion yesterday to sales trainer for all of central and part of eastern Washington. The money is especially good, and I'm on a path to retire in 14 years at age 55. I'll have the means in a couple years to construct whatever size layout I wi***o, in any scale I choose. Probably OO scale British Railways circa 1950. Right now I'm quite happy with my room-sized HO scale switching layout, for which I spend about $50 a month.

Journalism had its rewards, but money wasn't one of them. At the end of the day it's overall quality of life for my family that matters, and building real wealth in my new profession is the vehicle to that end, as well as the means to building my dream layout.[^]

Paul Schmidt

[vw-bug]

I'm a really poor ex-college student turned intern-architect. right now, I have bills to my eyeballs to I spend about $0.00 lately. I haven't even been to the Hobby store or any shows b/c I figure I might have a mental break down.

[preceng]

I'm surprised. No male prostitutes among us? Fred Garvin must not subscribe. I was intersested in the occupation, but did not have the body, personality, or other required traits. Oh well, I'll staywith MRR'ing

[Anonymous]

Like brakie

i am just a lowly forklift operator for the Kalil Bottling Co.restocking the warhouse full of soda in all shapes and sizes
from 6pk cans up to 2ltr bottles so the drivers can go out and deliver it to you local grocery/convienience store

i hav not bought anything in the last 6 months or so due to extremely tight buget what all i do make 99.9 goes to rent utils. car gas and insurs. leaving me with maybe 20 bucks a month to live on top ramen mac and cheeze for me ya know

Regards

Larry

[FThunder11]

I spend what ever i can. probably about $200-$300 a year unless im buying something like a locomotive. And I don't even have a job. I a kid who gets my money from allowence, and all of it goes to my railroad. I have a 4x8in my room that looks pretty good.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Nope. But I'll give you a hint. Does "duraplate" sound familiar?

Ya know...i have never heard anyone complain about Waba***railers...personally i dont pull dry van...and never will (im not a door swinger). I pull a 48 spread axle flat....a Fontaine...and i just wanted to vent about it a little LOL

[Anonymous]

I'm an architect with a small firm in St. Louis and a musician with the church I belong to. Contrary to the popular image of those professons, I don't make the big bucks, but I don't starve either. My model RR spending is minimal as I make decisions as to the nature of the layout I want to build. My house is small with no basement (but it's paid for!) so space is tight. I'd like to build something small but high quality, but I also have a teenage son getting close to college age, so creative use of what I have will be high on the priority list.

[GerFust]

Career Coach for MBAs at a top university. It's fun work - nice to do what you enjoy (wouldn't expect less from someone who claims to be a career coach, eh?)

-Jer

[coalminer3]

mining

What money, by the time mom, kids, and dogs get done with it (LOL). I "get out" maybe twice a year, and budget for those "buying trips."

work safe

[Anonymous]

Currently I spend no money on this hobby yet, I want to but I'm still planning things out. I overplan everything in my life which probably makes me good at my job. I am a manufacturing engineer and company administrator. I do everything from drawing prints to designing the process to make it and I also build/maintain the companies computers system and machine program network. I'm very busy and wear alot of hats but I prefer it that way. I spent 5 years after college graduation just "designing" and that wasn't enough for me. I work for a small company now 60+ people and don't get paid as much as other people in my field do (45K a year) but alot of the rewards are of accomplishment, I love my job and that is worth money to me. I plan to spend as much as needed to accomplish my "vision" of a MRR but for now the only money being spent is gas to the local hobby store to look and the occasional book or magazine.

[Anonymous]

I am a millwright and I spend approximately 200 or more every month[:)]. Right now I am out of work in my occupation [:(]so I set up my garage as a wood shop and build furnature in my spare time[:)] . I have a 32' X 3' layout consisting or three towns a turntable and railyard , mountains trees and every train being CP steam era. I live in the steam capital of Canada and love it here. But occupation shouldn't have anything to do with expendature ! [:0]You have to have a theme to what you are building [:0]that's where you may be just collecting and <a onMouseOver="self.status='http://www.trains.com/spending';return true;" onMouseOut="self.status=''; return true;" onClick="window.open('http://lo45.com/kwin?cl=K8L7G7ES6L043LO1CL4FYVXH04JTAUEU&mcl=ae540e09c1a03050d0640f38990dcc0a&kw=spending','_new', 'toolbar=no,menubar=no,location=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes');" href="#">spending</a> money in places where it need not be.[:0] Pick an era or time frame where you can research and take it from there[?].

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Johnnydash9

MiniCG you dont work for Fontaine do you???? If you do i have a complaint [:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]

Nope. But I'll give you a hint. Does "duraplate" sound familiar?

Cindy

[Hawks05]

hopefully i'll make some money as a Journalist or history teacher to help out my train collection after i graduate.

[krump]

QUOTE: Originally posted by locomotive3

QUOTE: Originally posted by krump

that's classified, well "almost" [;)] criminal[:p][:D][:D][:D]

You probably got your start as a HOBO and thats what got you into the World's Greatest Hobby.

[^] close, but not quite Chuck. I work on the wrong side of the tracks (Probation Officer), but every now and then they give me a 'get out of jail FREE' card. [:)]
Have a good weekend all.

[Anonymous]

I fix air compressors (big ones, average size is 100hp). I go to factorys and take care of the air compressors, from changing filters to major repairs. (I perform under pressure). I make about C$50 K a year. However, I only spend about zero to $50.00 a month. Thats because I like the resin kits. It takes me about 20 to 30 hours to build one. Also I am cheap Dutchman so I will never buy RTR.

[Anonymous]

I am a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer and I work for a fairly well know bank which employs roughly 130,000 people. I don't have much of a train budget YET but I imagine I'll have one when I get married in May 2004.

In the past 12 months I've spent $4,300 on a fleet of 44 locomotives and 202 rolling stock. Since this is my first year of model railroading, I spent an additional $1,500 on benchwork, track, PECO turnouts, a DCC system, 30+ decoders, and other misc. hobby supplies and accessories.

During the spring/summer/fall months, my money goes towards racing motocross although I'm thinking of giving that up for a while in favor of starting a family and being safe so that I can be a stable provider for them.

[Anonymous]

Turd herder [:D]-plumber, mostly commercial and industrial. Get to see some neat stuff sometimes.

[rambo1]

I am an aircraft assembler in toronto canada . Every so often the wife lets me purchase a proto 2000 loco or kit depending how much I let her spend on shoes. rambo1.........

[cmitcham]

engineer at the parent company of EMD. once, i got called to help with an engine-related project at EMD's engine build plant in chicago. the place is absolutely amazing.

so anyway, as you might recall from a couple of weeks ago, i'm just returning to the hobby after many years, so there's alot i need to spend money on. i'm no rich guy, but this is alot funner than when i was twelve, and had to mow yards for two to three weekends to have enough money to get one snap switch.

calvin.

[cp1057]

I work in Quality Assurance for a manufacturing company and have a background in Electronics Technology. That comes in handy when wiring my layout (Yes, I can solder!) My wife is at home with our 2 kids right now which makes things mighty tight financially, but I suppose I spend about $300 canadian a year, sometimes less if things are really bad. That's around $200 US bucks.

Charles
Hillsburgh Ontario

[BRAKIE]

Me I just a lowly forklift driver that works union and unload trucks or if I get lucky boxcars(only if the guy that does that calls off or goes on vacation) I spend to much money on trains..But I can do that..You see I am a bachelor.In 4 years 3 months at the age of 60 I will become a full time model railroader and Railfan bid a fond farewell to propane fumes,bosses and truckers.