I am just a poor ol’ country boy and I have only been doing this for a year so take that into account. Benchwork $35.00 (a slab of 3 inch foam and some hardware the rest of the materials recycled from other projects). Track and power pack $120 (I made a mistake with the cheap power pack) Locomotives $50 (E8, 0-6-0 and trolley all from eBay) Rolling stock $50 (eBay) Paint and scenicing material $150 This is not counting tools because of course they are all multi use and not JUST for the trains.
Please don’t ask how much I have invested in books in the last 7 years.
Judging by my own running tally and those of others I’m acquainted with in the hobby, the figure typically grows by $15,000 to $20,000 per decade for most dedicated modelers with average-sized layouts. Perhaps not a shocking figure in this day and age of extravagant hobbies but still a lot more than most newbies ever imagine. Hard to believe? Just look at the layouts that appear in MR these days…most are probably in the $25,000 to $75,000 range and many of the larger ones far in excess of that amount. If you don’t think so, ask any custom builder what they’ll charge you to construct a mid-size layout nowadays!
I don’t have the slightest idea. I could give you a figure and be $20,000 off or more.
I have been in HO since about 1958-9 and I had Marx sets before that.
Of course, my parents paid for those.
I would say at least $35,000, probably much more., maybe even twice that. But remember, that’s spread out over 46-47 years.
I would have to include magazines and books, NMRA conventions, stays in motel rooms while railfanning and visiting other layouts, gasoline in the thousands of gallons, cameras, film, eating out while railroading, train trips, museums, etc. Add it all up and I’m sure it would surprise me.
That sounds about right. Although the first decade is probably the most expensive, as you’re still building benchwork, buying track and scenery items, accumulating tools, and have all those other “start-up” costs associated with beginning any new hobby.
I’m still laying some track on my layout but so far I’ve spent around 2000.00 on just the benchwork, track, DCC and some buildings. I’ll probably spend another 2000 on it before I’m done. I’ve spent probably 5000 on Loco’s, 2500 on rolling stock and around 800 on decoders for the Loco’s. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DON’T TELL MY WIFE!!!
Over 30 years of model railroading, I’ve probably spent about $30,000 or so but a lot of that has been sold to refinance a change in scale or change in era or change in electronics. I prefer to think of the cost in hobby-hours - that is, the expense for my escape/liesure time - as far as I can tell, that’s a lot closer to about $5 an hour. I probably have around $7500 in my current On30 layout (in a two-car garage). The great thing about this hobby is that once the skills are developed and the innovation sets in (I still need to figure out how I can use dryer filter stuff on the layout), the costs go down and the enjoyment goes up!
I built 3 layouts with almost no money: used stuff, friends and a few Christmas presents. I was poor and the hobby served me fine. Many hours of building after many hours of scrounging for stuff. Now I have a little money and I have spent it all. If I had $50,000, that is what I would spend. I still scrounge, got all the foam for both floor to ceiling mountains from dumpsters and roadside trash. At any price building a pike is cheap per hour. I suspect that collecting is MUCH more expensive.
Only about 2 grand so far.I’m figureing 15-20 thousand by the time the new layouts done.My trains are really the only thing I spend money on anymore and spend I will!
Art- Thanks for that foam scrounging idea. Their building a lot of homes around me.
Since I started in 1970, I have spent about 20,000 Dollars on 5 layouts and the engines and rolling stock that I have, so I figure it as money well spent .
Jack
About $450.00 and I’m still trying to imagine some of the above figures, boy, did I miss out on something along the way. I can’t even, in my wildest dreams imagine some of those vast amounts(if they are fact) and I’m sure there are are plenty of others out here still in shock at those sums.
My dad spent all the money for the layout, but since I started buying trains 4 years ago, I’d have to say about $4000 ![:O] Most of that is locos.
I didn’t know I made that much from mowing the lawn!
Matthew
Oh, I’m sure most of them are fact and probably on the conservative side… There’s one I’m having a hard time believing… I’ve kept a running tally on this stuff for years. Before I started thinning out the train collection, just engines and rolling stock alone (HO, Lot of brass), it was over $17,000… Add to that, buildings, electronics (especially since dcc sound hit the market), benchwork (for several layouts), tools, magazines and books… It adds up… It can add up fast or slow depending on what you buy and for how long…
By the way, Those of you begging us not to tell your wives, Either You just did or they already know… [;)]
I don’t know how much I’ve spent but I really ought to find out so I can tell the insurance company. But I do know FedEx has another $190 worth in there possesion right now.
When you spend it over decades it doesn’t seem like so much. I figure I average $50 a month - for 34 years that is a total of $20,400. (That’s in today’s dollars). $50 a month is less than smoking or playing golf or several other leisure activities (priced a boat lately?). And I still have most of the model railroading stuff.
Enjoy
paul
My layout is not even close to running yet, but I have all the track and other items needed to get it going except for switch machines. (I will drill holes for them now but install the later on) My benchwork was free, half of my track was free, a majority of Woodland Scenics risers and inclines free, and a 4" thick 4x8 foam sheet was free. I have spent #150 on track, $20 on WS risers, and assorted items here and there. I have a Digitrax Zephyr, $160. So about $350. Over a year. not bad.