I really think polls like this is totally useless. It’s like asking, what hand do you use to paint your track, left or right?
No offense, but I’m pretty tired of reading things like this.
Sounds like something Ken Lay said in a boardroom once!!![(-D][:-,][(-D]
Fortunately, my hobby is partially self supporting, but I am getting to the point where I want to stop fixing other folks stuff and go nuts on myself for a bit.[8D]
One of my first interests was restoring and street racing a 68 GTO. Needless to say that took a lot of money.
Later I enjoyed bass fishing. In the beginning I spent several thousand dollars buying the necessary items such as reels, rods, lures etc. After that it was maintenance and upkeep that amounted to a few hundred a year.
In the late 80’s I became involved in racing radio control cars. I actually added up everything I bought and was asthonished to find it totalled over $12K. That was over a 3 year period. The problem with racing is you have to stay ahead of the competition so you end up spending several thousand each year to have the latest and greatest technology.
I’m now just starting into model railroading and have spent in the neighborhood of $2,700. Like all the other hobbies or interests in the past, there is an initial amount that you pay then you end up in the maintenance arena and spend a few hundred a year.
If you wanna to play…you gotta pay![:D]
Happy railroading
Bill
Last year I was over 5000 dollars but this year I’ll be around 1000. Like what Bill54 said, its the initial cost that hurts, lol. Bill I race a 78 Trans Am once in awhile. Post a pic of your Goat, I’d like to see it.
I have been forced into rebuilding Botchmann, Corpse-Like, and WHYCO’s for a few years. I am clearly in the $500.00 and less. Next project on the bench: Rebuilding a Tyco 40 foot Reefer and trying and make it resemble a PFE R-40-23 Or something.
TA,
Here is the link. The car was restored in 1981 at that time it was immaculate. The pic’s I have of it are of November 2004 the day it left my home and my son-in-law took possession of it. It sat outside for 21 years and the sun messed up the paint on the hood. At this point it needs to be restored again. But the 30 over 400 is still cranking out 450+hp. My best times were 12.77 @ 105mph at Maryland International Raceway back in the 70’s.
It still looks to be in great shape over all, I always liked 68-69 GTO’s. My car has a 30 over 455 in it with a Ram Air 4 cam among other goodies, thats how I got my user name, T/A462, lol. The torque the old Pontiac motors make just puts a smile on my face.
Torque was what Pontiac was known for.
I never got a chance to take it to the track after I rebuilt the motor. The 12.77 @ 105 was with the 400 with a crane fireball cam, set of headers, Edlbrock torquer intake and a 780 holly. At the time It had a TH400 tranny with a Hurst shift kit, Fairbanks 11" stall converter and 355 gears. I wish I could have taken it to the track after the engine was redone. I probably could have cut a couple of tenths off the time. Still not bad for a daily driver. At least it was a daily driver when I raced it.
After I did all the fixing and reconditioning I let it set. You see what happens when you let it set! I’m just glad my son-in-law has the same interest with it that I had and it is still in the family.[:D]
Bill
In my family hobby spending is classified, “Drop dead before discussing.” I don’t ask my wife about her golf, she doesn’t ask me about my model railroading.
I think our expenditures are about equal, but my results are longer lasting - and I don’t have to moan about the putts that didn’t sink.
Chuck
[#ditto] Amazing that is exaclty how much I’ve spent too!
Well, no not really, that amount was just my last order[xx(]. Getting serveral sets of BLI California Zephyr cars, and having the 4-6-6-4 that I ordered over 18 months ago suddenly show up didn’t help. I keep telling myself I am going to reduce my spending by 50% from the previous year and have yet to do it. On the other hand, my storage area is totally full. I don’t think I can squeeze another Athearn blue-box in sooo maybe that will help.
Instead of the ubiqitous (and often nonsensical) “Other” category, you should add $5,000+. I think I spend probably $5-7,000 per year.
I actually think this is a decent poll topic. Understanding what others spend can give you a sense for how much the hobby is likely to cost and therefore how big a layout is within your means.
As for all those who wrote a post to say “Who reads this” or “What is the point,” why did you open the link? The answer to “who reads this” is you!
sometimes less than 500 (much) and sometimes 500-1000. Its been creeping up a little lately, and when I build the new layout, I bet it goes up alot.
Rick
The funny thing for me is that about half of what I spend on this hobby each years is for gas, food and other travel expenses to go to friends’ operating sessions.
Good evening Tracklayer,
An interesting subject regardless of the grumbles. Helps one keep a gauge on spending, so to speak!!
I’m often in the $500 - $1k category. Although all of these new HO steamers can really wreck a budget!!
Probably somewhere between $100 and $600, so I voted “$100.00 - $500.00.”
$1,500 Last Year
(Hopefully $1,500 for this year.)
I guess I’m a little above the average quoted above. 2004 was $2000+, 2005 $1400, this year so far $600 and I still need at least one BLI Niagara and an E8.
Oh yeah, I forgot to count that. And the trips to other cities for operating “weekends”, and trips to the NMRA conventions and other shows… Film for the camera, storage for the pictures taken. etc… Just keeps going up.
I’m in the $100-$500 range, but I’ve got almost as much roling stock as track in a 10’X20’ trainroom. Beside upkeep on that, I have a double tack branch of modules. As money allows I build another module. Hopefully one day I’ll make it to the kitchen on the other end of the house. Lol. Bill54 and TA462, when I was in high school I had a '73 Dodge Dart with a 340 4-speed with a 850 Holley that would haul booty. I never clocked it, but I put alot of GM big iron down. I was just a kid, but I could work that 4-speed tranny.
$25 a month in Club Dues… $250 in Freight car kits last year (Approximately two kits per month at $10 per kit …no ready to run B.S.) and $265 with two engine purchases. (Both P2k GP-9’s… one with sound and the other without)