What do you think of MR’s $500 project layout. ? not the fact that it showed how to build a layout under $500, but the layout itself. It had nice sencery and good efect but the trackplan is dull in my opinion.
It’s not bad. If space permits, a layout like this can EASILY be expanded lengthwise. More industries and a larger town created. Possibilites are endless.
For me this layout wouldn’t work as I’m more into the flatter terrains of the Eastern U.S. It would be neat if they did offer $500 type layouts with various terrains and geographic areas.
Actually, Kalmbach copied my $500 layout idea, published in their Sept03 CTT magazine. Mine was much bigger.
In all honesty, this layout is a throwback to the kind of thing you saw in MR 50 or more years ago and falls far short of what I’d think the expectations of most new hobbyists are today. Paper buildings might be acceptable if half hidden in the background but as your primary structures they just don’t float. I won’t even bother to comment on the scenery.
As to the trackplan, with the space allotted, there isn’t a whole lot more you can do, especially on a very limited budget. Even just adding a passing siding would have started to jam things up.
Overall, $500 is just not a realistic figure these days to spend, even on a first layout (except perhaps for something like a modest shelf layout).
CNJ831
I didn’t like how the buildings were paper.
it helped a lot. that was what convinced my dad to let me get started seeing that i didn’t need to spend hundreds of dollars. heck the wood for my benchwork was $44 or so. i still need to get either homasote or the foam stuff.
the layout doesn’t look to bad. i don’t plan to copy it at all but it will be helpful to see how to do differen things.
It looks bland.
It’s not bad for $500 US.
Just a basic table top for those who are getting started into the hobby.
Gordon
Frankly I thought that layout had NO REAL VALUE. You see its no more then a glorified train set set up…Surely they could have none better.I truly doubt if any serious modeler from years ago would even bother to look more then once at it.
I thought the Tuttle Creek Central was a big joke but, this $500.00 layout is far worst then TCC.
I thought it was an excellent starter layout. My first layout used brass track and a Tyco train set on a 4x8 sheet of plywood. I had only 3 structures (all from Atlas). Sure I’m a more sophisticated model railroader now, but you know I had as much fun starting out as I do now. But if I had, had to spend more to start, I might never have got into this hobby. The thing about a starter layout, is that it gets you going. Then you can start upgrading - better buildings, more cars, etc. $500 is still alot of money for someone to commit to a hobby just to find out if they will like it. Raise the entrance fee and we’ll have a lot fewer new modelers. i say good job MR.
Enjoy
Paul
I’m gonna agree with you here. I think they could have gotten a higher quality small layout out of that $500.
Little tip about wood for benchwork. Home Depot has a cart laying around the store with misc. pre cut wood. Most of it is 2x4 around 4 ft in length at 51 cents each. Much cheaper than buying an 8ft board at $2.49!!! I liked the layout it was simple and basic. You could greatly expand on it if you wanted to. The paper buildings looked good at a distance and gave room for thought on possible uses i.e. background structures maybe. The fact they showed kids building it was a big point.
RMax
In point of fact $500 isn’t much money to build an A-Z layout in a short timeframe and involve the kids. I would grade it highly on accomplishing what it set out to do.
Here is a proposal for what Einstein called ‘a thought experiment’…anyone care to propose a more personally satisfying layout for an initial outlay of $500? I’m a scratcher and basher but I don’t think I could bring it in under $500 and be satisfied with the result.
Any takers?
Randy
I thought it wasn’t too bad - agreed, the buildings were a bit unconvincing, and I would have used Peco track (cheaper than roadbed track, leaving you more ca***o spend on other parts), but generally I thought it was OK. I might well have used a different source for the loco and cars, such as buying them as “Blue box” kits and building them, which would probably bring the cost down.
It sure seems like the $500 got eaten up fast. It’s too bad the hobby is getting so pricey without enough lower priced alternatives.
I like what one of the other posts said about Blue Box kits by Athearn. It’s an inexpensive way to build up your rolling stock collection.
Personally I can’t see the point of a trackplan without some kind of runaround track. Without that, operations and switching are really limited.
The paper buildings are a good start to provide basic scenery on a budget. When I came into the hobby I found that the Design Preservation storefronts were excellent low cost structures. They aren’t that hard to pain if you’re slow and patient.
Charles
Hillsburgh Ont
I sometimes wonder if these simple oval layouts do more to hurt the hobby than good. Trains going around a circle becomes boring very quickly and I can see many becoming disillusioned very quickly unless you have a bit of diversity and lots of interactiveness. There are some great 4X8 layouts out there, What makes them great is that they have all kinds of possibilities. such as tunnels, cuts, turnouts, up and overs, etc
You have to keep people captivated if you are to keep them interested.
I’m very into structures myself, and don’t care for the paper structures at all. They might be suitable in the very short-term if I had to have some sort of diorama done on short notice and could later go back and replace them with real buildings, either kits or scratchbuilt.
True, the $500 layout isn’t really that satisfying for an experienced modeler–but that isn’t its intended audience! It’s a sort of thought experiment, and a way to get inexperienced modelers into the hobby for a relatively small investment. New modelers don’t freak out about realistic track planning or operation and still think that just running the train around in a circle is loads of fun–and, frankly, MR’s focus is the beginning model railroader these days!
One other thing to consider–a new railroader who builds this $500 layout and then decides he wants more will be less hesitant to start from scratch if his initial outlay wasn’t that much to begin with…it’s just a way to get 'em hooked, they’ll come back for more before too long!!
and a final thought…like drugs, they’ll start out with harmless stuff like this, and then graduate to THE HARD STUFF!
Feels good, huh? Watching the trains go round and round?
What’s that? It doesn’t give you the same buzz it used to? Well hey pally, if you’re ready to graduate to some REAL kicks, try a hit of this here scratchbuilding…or just taste a dose of this here card-order operation!
What’s that? Oh, no, man, I don’t think you could handle that stuff yet…stay away from the Proto:87 my man. That stuff’s for my ahem specialty clientele. You’d OD on that stuff in a minute…
I havent seen this layout that is being discussed, but as these post seem to imply, the modeler didnt get much bang for his buck.
personally because i have very few funds to work with, i serch for bargans. If i had $500 to put into my 4x8 HO model, it would be one worth publishing.
For a begginer, best way to start is an a 4x8 sheet of pli wood, but that can be ratther expensive for some, but you would be surprised what some family members have hanging around (my inch thick peace of pli wood came from a junk pile, was in excellent shape, and all i did was every 2 feet add a 2x4 across to add strenght to they pliwood. My dad and myself built legs out of 2x4 that we found also in that pile. We had to do some sanding, and sawing, but overall it was a good looking sturdy structure, built for the price of nothing.
Track, i find that at train shows you can usually find some good deals on older track. i picked up a box with used flex track approx 100 feet of it for $20. The problem comes when you want to add switch tracks, i find atlas code 100 #4 switch is good for myself, because on a 4x8 sheet of pli wood, there isnt room for lets say a #8. Its best to buy these brand new, if your lucky you will get them on sale, but for me they are $20 dollars a peice at a local hobby store, 3 left, and 3 right hand switches can give a begginer many possibilitys. so $120 approx for switches.
Scenery, At my local hobby store, scenery that you have to build yourself is fairly cheap, to cover a 4x8 layout grass, balast, trees, and shrubs, will probably run you about $40-$60 dollors, and occasionally at hobby shows you can find such items in bargan bins, and save yourself more money. I find the best way to creat hills, is to use styrafoam blocks and cut them to a shape that i like. then use just white glue, water, and detergent mixture to apply scenery, most people are willing to just give them to you, and in my case there was lots laying around my home.
Buildings, i kno
Hmm $500 for a starter layout seems like a good baseline. I think the point of the layout was to show what you could do with limited materials. Show that you can use alternative materials i.e. paper buildings. Are they convicning to an experienced modeler? No of course not but watch a 5 year use a bottle of balast as a water tower and you understand who the intended audience.
Of everyone kid will tell you that all layouts have mountians and tunnels on them just ask .
DT