I’d do it all over again. I most likely die before i get done , but at the least i’m playing on a toy of my making and not someone elses toy. I do know people have limations and and different ablities, but if you love the hobbie like fishen cars, which I also enjoy , you make the time.
Building is what the hobby is about.
Other: I might consider hiring someone to help it the project was large.
i would like won that had all the track down and wired so i could do scenery!!! Tim
I would design and build it to my specs and ideas just like the one I have now. I am always open to new ideas and even help with some of the construction, but the bottom line is: It’s my hobby, my money, and my fun. To have someone else do all the design and work for me would be like supporting their hobby and not mine.
REX
buying a layout kinda ruins the experience of it all. You don’t learn as much as you would building it yourself.
James
Same with me.
Victor
Happy Railroading.[swg][swg]
Even if I had $100,000,000 I wouldn’t buy a layout. There is no honor in it. Satisfaction comes from doing it yourself and learning in the process.
I will always build. When you think of the advancements in this hobby it shouldnt be hard to buy the material and build one. Ok i will admit I use Woodland Scenics foma risers inclines etc but still use alot of extruded foam for things. And the scenery Material is awsome I use to be a 100% Woodland Scenics fan but now I enjoy using Scenic Express material.
I’m building my HO, but I did see a guy selling pre-built N layouts on a 2’x4’ board with all the track,turnouts and wiring done for about $140. (just add trains and scenery) I wouldn’t mind buying one these for my bedroom.
With all of the new elements available to help with construction of a model railroad, it seems to me that it’s almost as easy to build one these days as to buy one. And besides, what happens if you have a change of mind while the layout’s under construction. Do you phone the custom builder and say–“Hey, I’ve decided that I want the passing track THERE instead of HERE” and he answers, “Oh great, I’ve already installed it HERE–” when you could have done the change right then building it yourself?
When I built my latest version of the Yuba River Sub, I had the whole thing planned out to a T, but during actual construction, I made some changes in the track-plan that better suited what I was aiming for. Frankly, I would have driven a custom builder nuts with the changes I made–probably would have ended up costing me at least twice what I eventually spent on the construction.
Nah, I’ll build–planned out or not, LOL!
Tom [:P][:P]
I almost voted BUY… Maybe I should have.
Before I get flamed, here me out.
I ya got the money, dont have the time, or not intested in that part, buy it.
I have always been favorable to the RTR roll stuff and think its great. Some folks bag on it and the whle trend to ready to go out of the box. No skills they say. Say its killing the hobby. I cant imagine would they Old Timers said whenthey came out with plastic kits. No more wood, no more painting. THAT most have been a darn near revoltuion back then.
The one plus, or draw back is the amount of time this hobby can take. And like any road trip vaction, some people love the trip, while others cant wait to get there and enjoy the view.
I think its wrong to keep someone out of the hobby.or in a way puni***hem, if they dont have the time. I am 31, a father, 50+ hours a week or more at my own business, a house to take care of, pets too feed, and a family to support. Sometimes all i have is 20 minutes. And when that happens, its cool to have a car to take out of box and have 17 minutes to run and enjoy it. As far as I am concern, any form of involvment in the hobby, is invovlment in the hobby.
BUILD IT OR DIE!
James
There are two aspects to ‘buy.’
One is to buy a generic, out-of-the box layout kit that assembles quickly into a generic, out-of-the-box layout.
The other is to purchase the services of a professional layout designer-builder to get the personalized layout you want and can afford, but haven’t got time and/or skill to build yourself.
Rather like the difference between buying a tract house or modular and hiring a world-famous architect to design and oversee the construction of your personal abode.
As for me, I don’t have the money, do have the skills and have some very personal ‘givens and druthers,’ as John Armstrong would have said, so I’m building.
I agree with Big John. While I’m building (slowly) my own layout, I have no problem with anyone who has the desire to operate and who doesn’t have the time for (or who isn’t interested in) constructing his own layout, hiring someone to construct one for him.
When we start to criticize people in our own hobby who do things differently (in this case, preferring operating to constructing), it doesn’t help the hobby. Not accepting the idea of custom layouts smacks of the same elitism as the the scratch builders who look down on the people who run r-t-r, or the faithful-to-prototype crowd (okay, (the rivet counters’) who get outraged at modelrailroaders who run equipment that isn’t accurate, or operation fans who pan those who let their trains run ‘roundy - round’.
There’s enough room in the hobby to accomodate widely different likes.
Regards
Ed