New to Scale world, really new.

Howdy ya’ll, I just got permission from my parents, to build a n-scle layout in a 80’‘x60’’ space. I’d like to get an estiment on know how much this could cost me, considering im a junior in High school .- Andrew

Sorry to say it, but the answer is probably “serious money.” The initial investment will be a few hundred dollars, but then you’ll be spending pretty freely for a while.

But, for a young person that is asking permission from his parents, the real question is, “What am I going to gain from all of this?” Well, let me tell you my story…

I had an O-gauge Lionel layout when I was a little boy. It was already pretty extensive when I was 7, and I remember getting the Milk Car when I had my tonsils out. Eventually, though, I outgrew “toys” and transitioned to HO. This was entirely my layout, without any help from my Dad. It was basically all my money, too, again, without any help from my Dad.

So, the first thing I learned was Economics. Ouch, that was painful. They don’t call it “the dismal science” for nothing. The cash I got for my Lionels was chicken-feed. My allowance for the next 5 or 6 years went entirely into my layout. I learned to scratch-build, and to make scenery from common household items.

I learned about Carpentry. I learned that I wasn’t very good at it.

I learned about Electricity. I had to wire all of this stuff. No, I didn’t even think of asking my parents about this one. Talk about clueless grown-ups. Likewise, Structural Engineering and the like all kind of had to be developed, often from first principles. Hey, I was a teenage kid. I couldn’t read engineering books. I had to learn this stuff by myself.

And so, by the time I was in high school, I knew I would be an engineer. Not the railroad kind, but the high-tech kind. I felt really comfortable with this stuff. I’d already lived and breathed circuit diagrams before I could even get a learner’s permit. And so, they were happy to have me at MIT.

So, when you ask what it will cost, also ask, “What will it cost not to do it?” Go for it

geeps: it can cost you as much or as little as you want. If you buy everything in sight, it will take your allowance, your lunch money and both after school jobs. The other extreme is building whatever you can out of recycled materials. One of my friends built exquisite little N scale buildings from corn flakes boxes. You can learn all sorts of skills and it will take up time which is good value for money. (I learned that I’m not very artistic, but quite mechanical. Then I found which friends were artistic.)

The basic layout there may cost a couple of hundred dollars.

Very thoughtful comments already, geeps.

This really is one of those “It depends…” questions. If you were just as intent upon buying your first car about now, what would we be looking at…seriously? Are talking a $3500 Civic with 170K on the clock, or more like a $350 will-it-even-start Yugo in mint condition?

The thing is, your costs will be entirely dependant upon what you decide you “need” in order to enjoy your experience. If you can get by, for the time being, with good old fashioned DC operations, then you can be up and running on a plywood state railroad for about $350. This would include the plywood, a couple of sawhorses freshly made, a DC powerpack, some attaching hardware, about 30" of track and cork roadbed, a relatively inexpensive decent locomotive ($70?), four or five good items of rolling stock, and maybe enough left over for a couple of plastic structure kits and some glue.

However, just a basic DCC controlling system will be in the range of $120-140, and you still have no locomotive. If you want a DCC locomotive and a controller, the Bachmann EZ-Controller might still come in a package with a diesel locomotive and a decoder installed. I can’t recall, but it seems they can be found for around $100. No sound, but you are all the way up to the minor leagues in the digital world.

Your parents may still be a resource, so don’t discount them. While they may not spring for dozens of dollars, they may be persuaded to help you out with the plywood.

Lastly, it is the finer side of model railroading that gets the cash a-flowing. When you get to sound-reproducing engines, lofty hills with trees and bridges, and so on, it will be very time consuming if you make them yourself (and doing some of that is highly recommended, by the way), or it will be very costly if you purchase them, even in kit form. If you could learn to lay your own track, that will save some dollars, but only really when it comes t

Hi Andrew,

The guys ahead of me have given you plenty of good advice. All I could say is I wish I was you starting out with a new layout like I was about 50 years back.

See if your old man will stand you $1,000. That will not be enough, but it would be a good start and then you would have to find the rest. Break down for one grand:

  1. DCC controller $160
  2. Track $150
  3. Turnouts $120
  4. Locos $200
  5. Cars $150
  6. Benchwork & wire $100
  7. Scenery $120

To be honest these are WAGs. All depends which part you like best. If you don’t like scenery, don’t bother with it. But heed the voice of experience (sometimes bitter experience), don’t skimp on track quality, turnout quality and a solid base for them to sit on.

Do not be frightened by some of the prices quoted. If you are on a tight budget consider looking for second hand stuff. The internet (e bay) is a good scource but the real bargins can be found in yard sales were parents are selling of the kids toys and just want to clear the stuff rather than get top value.

Andrew,

Yes, look for some bargains, but don’t buy rubbish someone else is throwing out. Set yourself some standards of what you can accept. What track are you going to use? (Finescale or not) Wheels to suit that decision. Control - DCC it’s a no brainer these days.

I am probably old fashioned, but I would rather have one good loco that runs like a dream than 10 that need a finger to help them start half the time. For my money go for reliability. You will have the pleasure of running trains long after the pain in the hip pocket has faded.

Unfortunately things like a good entry level controller like NCE Power Cab or the Digitrax equivalent are too new to find parents selling them without knowing their value. Old locos they are disposing of are probably not DCC.[:(]

Look for bargains by all means, but don’t get stuck with outdated junk. Things have changed so fast of late. There is just so much good stuff available. Besides that, it’s coming up to Christmas. Drop some pointed (unambiguous) hints. [swg]

Things to avoid.

Any and all brass track. About all it’s good for is the display shelf.

Like-Like Standard line locos. These are 4 wheel pickup and 4 wheel drive. JUNK.

Old (80’s-90’s) Bachmann standard line locos. Cheap junk.

Tyco, IHC and AHM diesel locos, Tyco steam locos. Junk.

Model Power locos. Severe quality issues, junk.

Others will have more to add, I am sure.

My advice: Find a nice N scale starter set to begin with and set it up. Bachmann sells quite a few ranging from modern Acela sets to old time steam trains, and everything in between. (Google for Bachmann’s website to view all they have to offer.) Their sets include a basic locomotive, a few freight cars, some track, and a DC controller.

Now once you get it up and running, expand to your own desires and budget. Maybe you want to replace the plastic wheels with metal. Maybe you want a few structures. Or a new locomotive. Maybe you like scenery, or working signals, or ??? Don’t look at the OVERALL cost when it’s all done (it won’t ever be…). Just go a little at a time. There is no rush.

Andrew

Things to consider if I were in your shoes:

You are a junior now. Will you be moving out after you graduate (college, your own apartment, etc)? How much time do you realistically have to devote to layout between now and then?

You didn’t say what your hobby budget was like. The space you did give, and spec’d N scale.

Given the likelihood this is a low budget operation, and the layout will probably be disassembled or put into storage in less than 2 years, I would do a door layout in N. This would be only 30" or 36" wide instead of 60", but will be quite quick to build. Add a layer or 2 of pink or blue foam on top of the door to cut the below track scenery into, and I’m in business fairly quickly and fairly inexpensively.

Pick a track plan and control system that fits within the budget. For a small layout with one operator, a used MRC Tech series power pack is sufficient. As others stated, better to have 1 to 3 quality locomotives than a bunch of static displays. Decent track may or may not be available from garage sales, but some Atlas flex track for a small layout is not too expensive. Flex track will teach you skills that sectional track won’t, and will help you start your tool collection (soldering iron, needle nose pliers, rail nippers). Start out with 4-5 turnouts, add more as funding and time permit. Add some scenery and structures as you go along.

Most of all, have fun.

yours in training

Fred W

I’m a Junior in college and was just able to (finally) convince my parents to allow me the room for a layout… so I guess I’m in the same “no-funds” situation as you are.

I’m going with HO as opposed to N (I have more room… and I like HO better) - but many of these ideas can still apply.

I’m building a modular benchwork, with roughly 2’x4’ sections (some will be smaller though), for ease of movement when I finish up here, and move to my own place. I’m still in planning stages, but like what others have said, I’m going to be buying the best locos/track that I can afford. Which means skimping out on the scenery (no biggie for me), structures (although I’d like to have a few), and DCC (for the time being) so that I can afford to purchase things that won’t cause me trouble in the future.

Also, as others have said - Ebay is nice for picking up used stuff, although sometimes even the lower-quality stuff can get expensive (esp. when the seller wants you to pay >$10 shipping for a light item). I would recommend that you look up upcoming trainshows in your area - there can be some really nice finds there. I know the main trains.com website has a trainshow schedule, but you can also check local newspapers for ones that may not be advertised on the trains.com website.

For someone on a budget, DC might be a more viable option (certainly for the immediate term while he saves up for a DCC system). Remember, the $160 probably doesn’t include the decoders needed for each locomotive.

MRC has a variety of DC controlers, such as …

  • Railpower 1300 $35 USD
  • Railpower 1370 $40 USD
  • Tech IV 200 $55 USD
  • Tech IV 220 $69 USD

While DC does mean more complicated wiring, its an affordable way to get started when you have a very tight budget. If DCC is an investment you’d like to make in the future when you have more money, build and wire your layout now as if it were for DCC (ie: forget about using the common-rail method often used in DC, and gap both rails for your blocks which will become DCC power districts when you convert).

The cost of track and turnouts all depends on how much and what brand you use as prices can vary. Turnout costs will also be affected by how you operate them – Tortoise, Atlas, or Peco motors (to name 3 possibilities).

Again, the costs here will vary depending on the manufacturers and models you choose.

Whatever you do, buy the best quality you can afford. You won’t regret the investment.

I’d second that, although I would reccommend the Tech 4 220 over the 200 - sure its a little more expensive, but you get the psuedo-DCC feature of momentum/weight behind the loco…

Andrew, first you only have to spend what you want or have. You don’t needed to throw money at a hobby like some people can and have fun. For me, the real fun is making something run well that I am told is junk. I buy junk off E-bay then up grade and make it run like the good stuff. (rolling stock and old Athearn engines)

I am new to this hobby started Feb of this year so I am still learing. To date I have 114 rolling stock, 30 engines, 14 cabooses, 9 passanger cars, A and B lines on a U shaped 8’ X 19’ X 13 foot board, MRC DC 2500 thottel and MRC 2500 thottel 14 turn outs APX 300 feet of rail, 60 trees +and around 20 bulidings. Now at your age this may sound like a lot but total out lay is around $2,000.00 with the mostly costly iteam being the MRC 2500 at $79.99.

Board is far from what I want, still child like in many respect. But what I have found the quest is the fun part. You don’t need this to have fun.

My quest is to take what I have to what I posted PIC of.

I was ticked with with a 4’ by 6’ and cheap LL set then I got hooked and it grew. But the quest is the best part.

Cuda Ken