Help me choose my next purchase

[CSXFan]

Hi all,

I'm having trouble deciding what the smartest purchase would be for my N scale layout. I have about $50 (max!) a month to spend on my layout and I have $150 burning a hole in my wallet. Right now, I have only the main line track laid. I still need to buy and lay the sidings, spurs, and branch line. I only have one piece of rolling stock, an Atlas N&W caboose. Now what should I get next.

1) 9 tortoise switch motors to control the mainline turnouts?

2) A whole train? (Either a kato SD70 and 12-16 of the Walthers well cars, on sale for less than 1/2 price! Or a P42 and a set of superliners)

3) An NCE powercab? (layout is built to be used with DCC. Right now I have on old MRC powerpack that I can use)

4) The remaining track and roadbed? 

What would you do if you were in my shoes? Right now I'm leaning toward getting the whole train just so I have something to do while I save up for something else. Thanks in advance.

 

[soumodeler]

My vote (not that it counts, being your layout and all) would be for the complete train. That way you can have some fun while you're working on the rest of the layout. The SD70 sounds good...

[SunsetLimited]

If you already have trains to run with decoders, i would say get the powercab! Otherwise the amtrak superliner set is a great buy! Good luck.

[Anonymous]

CSXFan, go for the P42 with Superliners. By the way, is it one of the Walther's sets? If so where'd you find it? i've been hunting one of those babies for a long time.

[Railfan1]

I would complete the track first. That will make running the trains even better to have every thing complete.

[NS2591]

Its hard I know, A couple months ago it was me in your shoes. I ended up buying the track. The trains don't do you any good without the track, the tortises don't do anygood without track. the DCC doesn't do any good without track. Track is the key ingredient to your Model Railroad. Now if you have the mainline down and can run trains then go for the engines and cars. If you find any Kato or Athearn SD70Ms in NS(Besides 2591 and 2605) Lemme know, Becuase I'm after the same beasts you are.

[beegle55]

Looking at you list, not many of those things can be bought with your budget, except the rest of the roadbed and track. So my advice is get a bigger budget! Just do what you can with what you currently have until you have a hundred or two hundred dollars, and then I would buy the DCC powercab, and some track and roadbed to finish the track. Just my

 -beegle55

[railroadyoshi]

I'd say go with the train equipment. Here is my reasoning:

The supreme end goal of building a model railroad (in most situations, and if this point wants to be argued, different place, different time) is to operate trains. In this way, since you have the main all laid down, it's time to run some trains.

The two consists you are considering are mainline trains. That is, you won't have unit intermodal consists and amtrak consists moving onto spurs and branchlines. Therefore, laying the rest of the track isn't very necessary.

Whatever turnouts you are using right now can be operated without the motors.

You have a power pack, albeit old, to run trains right now. Therefore, the DCC system can wait.

Now, after laying your main, you might be a bit burnt out laying track as well. So it can wait.

My order of purchases:

The mainline consist
The DCC system
rest of the trackage
turnout motors

Another point to consider is why do you want to purchase a mainline consist right now? At this point, the most you will be able to do with it is run laps. Purchasing cars useful for the industries planned on your railroad is a better decision to me. Then, you can run it in laps for now, and once you have the cash, you can lay the rest of the trackage and get operating.

Good luck.

[conrail92]

Id go with track... I have about 100 as well, and im finishing off the track and road bed. But then again i have a good bit of roling stock too keep me entertained. Not sure its a tough.

[loathar]

If you already had some trains to run on it I'd say go with finishing the track. Since you don't and the SD70 is 1\2 price, I'd go with that and the well cars. 

Runnin trains ain't no fun when ya ain't got nun ta run!

Then I'd go finish track,buy DCC,buy Tortoise. In that order.(that's just me though.)

[MisterBeasley]

I'd get the DCC system.  All the other stuff can be bought piece-by-piece, a bit each month using your $50 allotment.  Right now, you've got a big chunk of cash, but once that's gone it will take a long time to save it up again, particularly when you need to buy wire and toggle switches for tortoises, or another car for the train, or roadbed to go with the track.  Right now, you've got the capital for your biggest single purchase, so go for that.

[CSXFan]

Wow, there are lots of good points here! I was expecting a unanimous vote on one thing, but there are many different opinions .

I figured out the approximate cost of each of the items. 

Track (not including uncoupling magnates)... ~$160

Amtrak P42 with four superliners (without decoder)...  $146

CSX SD70M (without decoder) with three Walthers five car articulated well car sets... $126

Nine Tortoise switch motors... $134

NCE Powercab (without extra throttle and plug in plates)... $138

I'm torn between the track and the train sets. If I get the track, well... I'll be done with the track laying and I can focus on other things. If I get the trains, I'll be able to check clearances and fix track problem areas, and I'll also have something to do while I wait for more money. Then comes the dilemma about weather to get the freight or passenger equipment. I'm still leaning toward the freight train just because the cars are so incredibly cheap right now, comes out to about $3.40 a piece!

 

[galaxy]

I am on disability and have to squeeze a penny till old Abe hollers "let me go". Then I squeeze a nickle till the buffalo poops. Every time I squeeze a quarter, you should hear the people in the state on the back scream!

I am building a new layout, and in a new scale (HO). I have gone for cheap as I find it. Right now I have the basic table and mainline and risers in. I do already have some cheap trains I can run. I need more track, more layout structure, and turnouts. I want a turntable (the cheap one non-motorized and no, not the Atlas one). I have gone with DC. I figure after the outlay of building it is done, and my consist is one I can run with, I will then go about upgrading to the more expensive things in both trains and DCC, when I don't have so much else to buy.

If you have no train, I'd say look at the train. Working on a layout w/o having something to run can be tedious  and, hey, how do you know it works well before set in stone and risk a tear-out/ rebuild???

I'm going to a train show in 2 weeks, and I may find some more rolling stock, steam locos. If I do, I'll wait on the other track and TT, If I find nothing there, I will get more track and TT.

Because of my finacial situation, every project I do I do this way:

1) get the basics needed to get started, as inexpensive as possible.

2) continue as needed, finding the least expensive.

3) when project is complete update every mo/yr as needed. Often, the more/most expensive seems the most desireable, but the least expensive does the job well.

4) Move on to next project when have some $ saved.

I hope this helps. Good luck. Oh, and try here :

 wholesaletrains.com 

 They have super great prices and are good to deal with. I have ordered online,  Several orders never had a prob. One defect return, prompt exchange at their expense. and I have the advantage that they are 1 hr from me to go shop.(or complain LOL)

 

[Anonymous]

I dont know. I look at each part of the railroad from the track on up to scenery as a seperate project.

I would grab the train because some of the stuff is limited or out of production. That way you know you got it and can box it until you are ready to run it. With today's emphasis on pre-orders, you better get that train while you see it. The next time you go back to actually buy it will see it already bought and gone.

Track and switches you can always get. It's best to identify the need for specific trackage and fill that need as you go. I usually work at the mainline, then staging then yards and finally towns and industry. It's best to go to the Hobby Shop and buy a little track that you know you are going to use RIGHT away than to go all out and end up with a truckload of stuff you dont know what to do with.

Slow and easy does it.

Scenery, wiring, structures and all the other things have a cost. When taken into consideration overall, that little railroad can get a little bit pricey.

Those of us who are on a budget are always looking to make old Abe groan under the stress of trying to get something at a dime to the dollar.

[KlickyMobster]

If I were you, go with the train that is on sale...because they don't go on a half price sale very often.  Once you have that, you can operate on your existing track and slowly expand your sidings each month.

[CSX_road_slug]

Get the 1/2 price trains.  DCC gear, track and turtles are always available, but your favorite type of train[s] might not be...

[CSXFan]

Thanks for the help everyone. I decided to go with the SD70M and well cars, just because of the price of the well cars. Next will come the track, followed by the DCC system, then the turtles and finally the Amtrak equipment.  

CSXFan, go for the P42 with Superliners. By the way, is it one of the Walther's sets? If so where'd you find it? i've been hunting one of those babies for a long time.

I'm in N scale so I am going for the Kato equipment from N scale supply. I can't tell you where to find the HO superliners, I gave that search up long before I switched to N scale. 

[loathar]

Cool! Great minds think alike.