Considering getting into the hobby, can't decide if I should pursue it or not. Need some opinion/advice!

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
21

Now don’t go freaking the guy out. Good grief!

For what it’s worth, I built the basic benchwork for my 10x18’ layout between $300-400 - that includes wood, legs, drywall screws, sub-roadbed and homasote. It’s got two levels on one side to include staging. I mean a sheet of 7/16" OSB is only $8 at home depot - homasote $26. Of course it doesn’t have to be packed with expensive buildings and stuff. so it doesn’t have to be bad news. Use Atlas turnouts to and flex to keep costs down or get track at train shows and Ebay - doesn’t have to be anywhere near 1 grand for a simple 4x8. Just sayin …

22

Kind of a strange thread, in my opinion. Of course we are all going to encourage participation in the hobby since we are model railroaders. And, now we are backing into forbidden territory - - a discussion of the high cost of the hobby, or not.

If the OP wants an objective, unbiased opinion on whether to enter the hobby, he might be best advised to inquire elsewhere. Now, I am sure that some will disagree with my stance on this, but if I were in that position, I would be more inclined to talk to friends about their hobbies and whether they are costly, whether they hold their interest, whether they have any regrets.

Rich

23

Well, may I add… I find it “odd” that one would seek others input concerning whether they should enter a hobby or pasttime. If I am going to get into something, the main drive would be my want to do so - and not from the encouragement or discouragement of others.

If the OP is interested in pursuing the hobby, then get some how to mags and go to it. He will soon find out if it is for him or not.

24

Xterminator, whether you get into the hobby will probably depend on how much time you have to devote to it and your state of health and mind. For me, its a great retirement outlet for creativity and many of the skills I have picked up over the years. Like others I built craftsmen car kits and some structures when I first got into the hobby and my kids were really small. Along came kids sports and more job demands and the model stuff all went into storage for roughly 40 yrs. When I retired from general contracting I was ready to get back into the hobby. I have limited financial resources so model railroading is a budget hobby for me. Hand laying all track and scratch building all switches which I find fun and rewarding. Spend as you have extra funds and have fun.

The comments about visiting a club or train show are good advise. Highly recommend at least trying to go to a local NMRA event. Most are held monthly. Regions are not to large so it is feasible to attend a meeing in a day without having to pay for a motel room.

Good luck on your decision. Everyone needs some type of hobby.

Jim

25

First of all, I would like to thank everyone for their replies and input, I’m amazed by how many people chimmed in and how willing to help you all are. :slight_smile: I have already learned some new things and gained some ideas based off of people’s suggestions.

In response to the few people who questioned my intentions when making the thread to begin with, I want to clarify some stuff: I didn’t make the thread to have people make the decision for me because as you stated, pretty much everyone here will be at least a bit biased. Really I was just looking for information and viewpoints/experiences from people who have had experience with the hobby, because I have very little knowledge of it as a whole.

Now to just clarify a couple things I neglected to mention in the original post… I live in Colorado, however at the moment I am living kind of in the middle of nowhere so unfortunately train shows or clubs are out of question right now. As for finding deals though I have looked on ebay quite a bit and spotted several good deals (or at least what I think is a good deal) on some things. Also, I’m in my early 20s so eyesight and precision aren’t a problem right now.

I’m actually pretty inexperienced in this realm so right now I’m just trying to learn as much as I can before I decide to jump in or not, hence this thread. :stuck_out_tongue:
In terms of budget, I’m pretty limited but can spread out the purchasing of things over time as people have suggested. I also have access to a lot of the actual materials for things because my dad does tons of carpentry/electric work etc and I live near by. In fact I’m hoping to perhaps start this up with him, but that remains to be seen. Haha

Any other info or opinions or anything is greatly appreciated! Also any info or tips you can on the pricing of things would be very helpful because I’m not actually sure what really is a good deal or not at this point. I saw someone mentioned code 100 track, and in fact I had be

26

Honestly I do not find it odd at all. A little research might keep one from “buyers remorse”. While I can’t speak for others, I can attest to the fact that my wife and I have both made investments into hobby (jewelry making, scrap booking, woodworking) supplies that are quite literally collecting dust…

Cheap or expensive matters not, if one does not feel as though they have gotten something out of the investment, than one will not feel that investment was wise.

As for advice, I agree that asking those who have a passion for the hobby in question may result in a rather biased response, but I would say the responses so far have been rather good. I too would advise the following:

Find a train show - this gives you the oppurtunity to see both cost and quality, and may help solidify your intrest in things like scale or prototype.

Purchase the following; x-acto knife, styrene cement, tweezers, nail files (the double sided foam backed kind), small screwdriver set, one basic freight car kit (for instance in HO Accurail, Bowser, and Atlas Trainman have basic kits), and one basic building kit (in HO the Atlas signal tower is what I usually recommend)

Purchasing a beginer’s book tailored to your chosen scale is a good investment, but you can also check online for how-to videos, some of which are very well done.

Now give it a try! Even if your intention ends up being the use of all “ready to run”, you will still need the basic skills that building a couple of basic kits can give you. If the model railroad bug bites, that’s great! You can look into purchasing a train set, or putting together a set yourself. But if you find this hobby’s not for you, no harm no foul. You are only out the co

27

Perhaps ask yourself what is it about this hobby you’re most interested in seeking. Some might disagree, but the size of the layout really doesn’t matter. What matters far more is flawless execution of the trackwork and the layout. Some enjoy having a train go around in circles. Others, like replicating a realistic operation of trains picking up or dropping off cars. Still other esteemed colleagues prefer something in between or totally different.

Reading on the forums, getting books, and talking to people are great ways of getitng into this hobby. I too was quite hesitant to start this hobby after worrying that it was a time and money sink. Instead, you can go quite far in this hobby cheaply without the layout looking toy-like.

Feel free to contact me privately and I can see about helping further. You might decide to build a layout and discover a novel way of doing something. Goodness knows that’s happened to me. Whatever joy you get from this hobby, those who see your work will get more.

28

Something that has not been mentioned is that one of the best ways to keep costs down is prototype/era discipline. If (and its’ a big if) you can indentify what it is about model railroading that interests you it can be a big help. A lot of money can be wasted buying one of everything that catches your eye. That can be a way to enjoy the hobby but if your funds and space (and time) are limited, buying things that fit into a cohesive whole can really help with the overall budget. Reading and planning at this stage to try and identify what really attracts you to trains is time very well spent. As an example, if what you like is tunnel motors through Moffat Tunnel, then purchasing a wooden caboose does not further your goal. Setting up a 4 x 8 starter layout does not need this kind of goal setting but the sooner you can move in a specific direction the more it helps in keeping you going in the hobby.

29

[quote user=“Xterminator”]

First of all, I would like to thank everyone for their replies and input, I’m amazed by how many people chimmed in and how willing to help you all are. :slight_smile: I have already learned some new things and gained some ideas based off of people’s suggestions.

In response to the few people who questioned my intentions when making the thread to begin with, I want to clarify some stuff: I didn’t make the thread to have people make the decision for me because as you stated, pretty much everyone here will be at least a bit biased. Really I was just looking for information and viewpoints/experiences from people who have had experience with the hobby, because I have very little knowledge of it as a whole.

Now to just clarify a couple things I neglected to mention in the original post… I live in Colorado, however at the moment I am living kind of in the middle of nowhere so unfortunately train shows or clubs are out of question right now. As for finding deals though I have looked on ebay quite a bit and spotted several good deals (or at least what I think is a good deal) on some things. Also, I’m in my early 20s so eyesight and precision aren’t a problem right now.

I’m actually pretty inexperienced in this realm so right now I’m just trying to learn as much as I can before I decide to jump in or not, hence this thread. :stuck_out_tongue:
In terms of budget, I’m pretty limited but can spread out the purchasing of things over time as people have suggested. I also have access to a lot of the actual materials for things because my dad does tons of carpentry/electric work etc and I live near by. In fact I’m hoping to perhaps start this up with him, but that remains to be seen. Haha

Any other info or opinions or anything is greatly appreciated! Also any info or tips you can on the pricing of things would be very helpful because I’m not actually sure what really is a good deal or not at this point. I saw someone m

30

With Ebay deals, be sure to include the shipping cost in your eveluation; sometimes an item is priced low, but the shipping is high

There is lots of track plans on the Model Railroader site; you may have to be a subsciber to access them however

http://mrr.trains.com/how-to/track-plan-database

http://mrr.trains.com/track-planning-operation

31

Xterminator,

First, a big [#welcome].

I, will, (regrettably possibly) counter something posted earlier:

If your current locomotive can be made to operate smoothly, keep it. Many of us started with “cheap” Life-like, Tyco, Bachmann, etc… equipment. If a cleaning and tune-up makes it run smoothly, use it. You will save some money this way. Nothing is wrong with that.

Once you decide to upgrade, you can, but do not feel you must right away if it can perform reliably and smoothly.

Same could be said of the track, clean and polish properly, replace rail joiners as needed, and if it operates smoothly and reliably, there is nothing wrong with saving money that way either.

What I will emphasize however: Smooth and reliable performance. This is not an area you want to compromise on. The “fun” factor goes away very quickly when reliable and smooth operation is missing.

Once you have smooth, reliable equipment, it does not matter if that equipment cost you $5 or $5000. It will bring more enjoyment than a $30000 paperweight.

32

As you can see, lots of opinions on this forum - which means lots of people who want to help. I’ve gleened much info from here and I’ve been involved with model railroading for most of my life. My dad (as with many others here) got me started with his Lionel trains, and bought me my first HO train. If you can do this with your dad that would be great. Many of us are old enough to wish we could build our layouts with our dads, but unfortunately cannot.

As far as costs go, you can do much with little - but as many have said, make sure your trackwork is well done. I’ve put a lot of time into an N-scale layout that has poor trackwork - and that is not fun.

Model railroading is an excellent hobby - no matter what size layout you start with. I encourage you to follow some of the great advice you’ve received here and keep exploring.

33

Lots of people get into this hobby and unfortunately, some leave it. So take it slow with the spending.

A 4x8 can be a great space saver if you put it on casters and shove it against the wall. When you want to work on the back side, roll it away. The other half of the room can be used for whatever.

Pick a road name and era and try to stick with it. It helps keep you focused and avoid buyers remorse.

Use ebay to find great deals. Lots of great running and looking equipment can be found. Buy good quality and avoid junk.

34

Build a 4x8 and have fun! I got back into the hobby 2 years ago (hadn’t done anything with it since my early teens and Tyco train sets) and – having a little too much space and enough funds to be stupid – built something beyone my ability. Bad track plan, bad solder joints/connections, bad trackwork, I made a LOT of mistakes. 2 months ago I tore down that entire layout and am now starting over (oddly enough with no regrets – more on that later).

New layout is not much smaller than the first, but I learned a lot with that first attempt, and there’s nothing I could not have learned had I stuck to a 4x8 with that first try, regardless of space or funds. The most surprising thing I found is how relaxing this hobby is. There’s no time limit, no real end-game, no finish line unless you impose one. Go down to the train room and mess around for awhile. Did you accomplish something? If so, great! If not, so what, tomorrow is another day. Like I said earlier, no regrets on the mistakes I made first time round, its just part of the fun. I’m sure I will make plenty of mistakes this time around, but hopefully planning and trackwork will be done to a level that they are not key problems.

These forums are a great resource. 95% of the answers you need are already here (hint: instead of using this site’s search funtion, use google and search cs.trains + whatever you are looking for).

As far as cost, it is what it is, and it is what you make of it. I’m not much of a poster (this is #2, haha), but I read these forums often. And it seems most of the “too expensive” whiners want to run huge articulated steamers in a basement size layout for less budget than they pay for internet and cable every month. Stick with your current space and budget reality and you will be fine. You can always buid bigger or or move to high-end equipment later. The Broadway Lion (frequent poster her) has done amazing thing on a shoestring budget.

An side, heal fast &

35

Always seems like basic common sense with any purchase made. I always look at the shipping cost as part of the total cost when I decide if something is worth it or not. There have been a few cases where shipping was $10 or a bit more but I still bid because if I could win the item at or near the cost listed, the price was low enough to offset the higher shipping and make the win worth it to me.

36

Life-like Proto 2000s are some of the best performers I own (2 SD60s, SD9, BL2, GP9, 3 E7s). They may require tune-up out of the box but on the whole they are well detailed and the above absolutely knock the socks off of anything else I own (for a comparable price.

Back to the OPs topic, getting into the hobby. The most important part in my opinion is determining what is most important to you. Everyone is different. Some are builders (build many layouts/modules in their life time) they enjoy the getting to the final product part. Some are operators, they enjoy running a layout prototypically according to the real railroad rules. Others enjoy watching a train run throught an excellently detailed scene. There are many other types, and you cant really put us all into neatly defined boxes.

The most important part is deciding what you want from the hobby. I personally enjoy running wayfreights or locals. They switch out cars at industries along the railroad line. I built several layouts that had a continous circle before I understood that. My best advice to you is to think outside of the 4x8 box. Look at the track plans on this website and others to get an idea. Do your homework first. Others suggested figuring out what your interests are, what appeals to you. Maybe right now you cant afford to build your dream layout (in time, money or space) but you could build a component section of your dream layout. Leave connections in your track plan for expansion. Make your layout semi portable (you’re young like me, dont build a layout you cant take out your front door). In my case my benchwork and legs are recyclable into a new layout incase

37

BMMECNYC:

I agree that the Life Like P2K locomotives are good runners, but I believe that tinplatacis was referring to the older Life Like toy train set stuff that preceeded the P2Ks.

Dave

38

Dave,

I have little knowlege of those. I stear well clear of anything you find on the shelves of a department store or general toy store, unless I have evidence to prove otherwise that it is a good performing item. I just wanted to make sure the OP wasn’t steared away from some of the highest quality trains in the hobby.

Andrew

39

I was. My first (and only, thanks to its poor performance) Life Like engine was a ATSF F unit from a train set. Most of it outlived the engine.

40

If nothing else, try one aspect of the hobby: car building, operation on a club or guest operator layout, or collection of prototype information until you decide what/when you want to model, and in what scale. There’s nothing says you have to jump in with both feet all at once. Dip one toe in the water and check it out. C’mon in the water’s fine. [Watch out for the alligators tho]