I’ve almost completed this 4 X 8 in my 9 X 12 computer room (10th story Apartment). I’ve added two outside stub sidings, one on each side, DCC and tortoise switch motors (not all installed yet).
I’ve put some of my old buildings in place as well as a couple of scratch built efforts and one craftsman kit. Boy what a lot of works is involved.
Of course with all the additions, it’s come to slightly more than $500!
Huh?
What you talkin bout, Willis?
That sounds about right…$500 for that size if you have a fair bit of stuff left over from previous layouts. Well done. I bet you had a lot of fun for that $500.
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-Crandell
4x8 track plan from Model Railroader Magazine, Jan 2004, also shown in the book “102 Realistic Track Plans”. Single loop, 18" radius, two turnouts - one to a single spur, one which splits into two spurs. Road across from top right corner to lower left corner, smalltown buildings, some trees, a little water etc.
Track plan database: http://www.trains.com/mrr/default.aspx?c=a&id=1318
Main point of article and layout was to illustrate how to build a layout at (fairly) low cost.
Grin,
Stein
the layout I am building in what space I have in my laundry room is based on this layout. I am doing it in N scale. I was happy to see a layout that was so simple and yet had some buildings, etc and was affordable.
George;
You still live over by the lake? I live across town by Bristol. The layout is still in a state of “flux” another way of saying it is torn down in part.
EF_3 yellowjacket
$500.00, for a 4X8 layout. How was the money spent. Locos, rolling stock, etc.? To me $500 seems like a lot of money
See the January 2004 issue. I’m sure at today’s prices it’s a little more. It’s surprising how fast costs can add up in this hobby. But if you spread the costs out over several months it’s more affordable.
Enjoy
Paul
Look at it this way. There are seven houses on that trackplan. If every house was City Classic’s Company House, you’re already in $120.
I once read an article in MR that used buildings made of cardstock, I believe, to keep the cost under $500. Don’t know if this is the same article or not.
Interesting trade offs you used. You maybe spent half the $500 on DCC and tortoise switch motors, but were able to keep the cost in line by finding (your own) used buildings.
I think part of the fun of the hobby is to see how little money can be spent, within reason, to achieve good results. While it is generally desireable to always have the best of the best of everything, throwing money at the hobby may not be the most rewarding way to approach it.
I don’t know if I’d go so far as to say that seeing how little you can spend is part of the fun. But it’s certainly satisfying to stretch my hobby budget a little bit.
Kind of an interesting benchmark, though. I often tell people that, excluding structures, trains, and DCC / power, you should be able to build a layout for about $20 per square foot. At that rate a 4x8 would be expected to cost $640 – which isn’t too far off the mark in this case.