I guess that I’ve been doing “modelling” on a budget for years and years. Last new locomotive I bought was 1976… Haven’t bought a new car kit since P2K brought out their 50’ SRR auto car. I’ve scrounged garage sales, estate sales, E-bay, Goodwill, etc for years.
Done some scratchbuilding but haven’t had much time I could devote to the planning aspect. I finally finishing some of those old wooden kits I picked up years ago.
But here are some tricks I’ve learned over the years;
Dean Freytag taught us in his industrial modeling book that Teddy Bear eyes from Michaels/Hobby Lobby, painted makes great roof vents for industrial models. He has a somewhat elaborate but easily built setup he puts his on. I place mine on a small pedestal made out of a cardboard/styrene strip so it looks like an exhaust vent for the air handling system.
Need wire for handrails and the like on structures, how about car grabirons? Use bare florists wire.Cheap, easy to bend, nice to use if you need elaborate bends. Need corrugated tin for a roof? Take a large single cut b*stard mill file, lay aluminum foil on the file and press the foil into the file’s grooves wiith a pencil eraser. Remove and cut the appropriate size and glue down using a contact cement.Want singles, Cut them from typing paper by cutting a strip 2’ wide and then “fringe” this strip about 1/2 way thru.Glue down using white glue. Start at the bottom of the roof, applying glue to the part that isn’t cut and overlap each row about 3/4 of the fringed section. Stain with washes when dry.
I’ve made car underbody brake levers and such out of desktop staples, and file card.with florist wire as the activating rods running toward the trucks. Deskstop staples also make great stirrups for any car. After painting, you can’t tell them from the fragile plastic ones. Want some airhoses, again Florist wire with one end flattened and inserted into the car end or locomotive.
All of those things are definatly good ways to pinch the pennies. And I several of those items already in my bag of tricks.
The one thing that is alluding me though is the 4X8 sheets of styrene. There seem to be no plastics supply houses in my area. At least none listed in the yellow pages. However foamcore is a suitable substitute for most of my modeling needs.
One thing I need to find a less expensive source for is model paints. With the amount that I have to do. Paint is simply to expensive to get in the quantities provided. Then for me mail order is the only viable solution as the only options for model paints around here is Testors.
Depending on what kind of paint you use, lacquer based, enamels or acrylics, if you have a hardware store, home improvement store, auto paint store etc, these are excellant places to pickup basic colors.
All you have to do is look for the small quart, pint or smaller cans of paints these stores handle. Just because it doesn’t say “model” on the bottle/can, doesn’t mean it can’t be used.Some will mix specific colors in amounts less than a gallon.
Auto paint/body repair supply stores are an excellant place to get custom mixed colors as well. They will mix paints in colors down to a pint. In fact one of my friends in South Al. is the painter for Overland. He uses paints from the local auto body supply store. These are all lacquer based paints and he goes there with a paint chip and he has them mix whatever color he needs. He will buy a quart at a time . He says he hasn’t bought a “model” paint for over 15 years.
Not to sound redundant, but I’m in the same low budget boat. If it was not for eBay, I would not be in the hobby. Although I think the deals are getting more sparse there - but that’s another issue for another day.
I think the second hand market is only going to expand. A large segment of those in this hobby are currently in retirement and (trying to put this as tactfully as possible) are starting to reach the end of the line. Estate sales of pre-owned equipment are already on the rise. I’m hoping that a flood of quality second hand equipment will force manufactures to rethink their pricing.
Of course this could all change if people start taking on the practice of having their trains buried with them… [;)]
I’ve been following your posts with interest because, as I mentioned to you once in an email message, I was in a similar situation to yours in the early 1980’s. Like you, I had a core group of friends and family who eased the pain enough to help me dig my way out. Since then I’ve gone thru cycles from having plenty of cash to being broke [my kids’ school tuitions aren’t cheap![:O]].
One thing I’ve learned [and I have to keep re-learning it unfortunately[B)]] is that, mrr is only a hobby - it cannot be The One Thing In Life that brings me happiness. If I try to use it as a means to stardom - trying to impress everybody - then I’m setting myself up for disappointment, big-time! But when I casually spend time building a kit, painting a structure or doing some other type of train-related activity — and sharing with a small group of friends, locally or online — that’s where the hobby ‘payoff’ comes in. My fondest hobby-related memories are of my late teen years, when I did not have a layout of my own but collected [and painted] Athearn BB locos and ran them on the BSME club layout. It was those memories that nudged me back into mrr’ing in my mid-thirties.
I stopped subscribing to Model Railroader and the other mags because I noticed the ads were making me anxious that I “just gotta have” this latest-and-greatest new product that’s beyond my budget. The stuff I’ve accummulated that’s sitting on my shelf can keep me quite busy for a few years, even though I realize my end results are unlikely to land in the pages of MR. As long as I accept that I’ll continue to enjoy the hobby - even on my limited budget.
I always look for used equipment at train shows or hobby shops. Sometimes, you can get a real steal on something, even if it’s the wrong roadname. A little oven cleaner or Castrol Super Clean will fix that. Nearly all of my N scale stuff was used, with the exception of my Kato E unit. So far, I’ve stripped the paint from many of the passenger cars and repainted them for PC–not too hard; spray the cars aluminum, the letterboards black, then use the Microscale diesel set.
I’ve found train shows to be an excellent source of inexpensive used equipment and structures. Don’t overlook these venues. Many craft stores sell bottles of acryllic craft paint that dries very flat for $.50 each. Sometimes on sale 3/$1. Jim
I am in G scale and have modeled in On30 and HO. A lot of items in Large Scale (and On30) are about the same price and even cheaper than items in HO or O. I too am a cheapskate when it comes to paying for modeling supplies, rolling stock and locos and will not pay MSRP if I can help it. Trainworld, Ridge Road Station, and MB Klein are a few online hobby shops that have good customer service and deep discount prices on quality supplies. For scratchbuilding supplies, paints, stripwood, styrene etc. I get these at either Pearls, Michaels, Blicks, or Walmart for a fraction of the price the LHSs charge. The selection of colors of paints, both acrylic and solvent-based, at these stores is humongous and the prices are a fraction of what the so-called “model paints” sell for. These stores also are much better stocked than our LHSs. I also make use of common objects such as beads, handicraft supplies, turkey basters (makes great water spouts for water tanks), clothespins etc.
I know you are talking about the model railroad colors paints, but it reminded me. I never buy specific paint for scenery. I watch the “oops” bins at Lowes and Home Depot where they put paint that they have mixed for people that came out the wrong color. They often have quarts for $0.50-$1.00 and gallons for $2.00-$5.00.
If it is any shade of green, brown, or grey I buy it, and then mix to get whatever color I really want. But even that isn’t necessary, when one starts mixing violet, orange, and other yucky colors they eventually turn dirt brown! Mixing blues and yellows turn some shade of green.
Yes, last time Hobby Lobby had a sale on these (I think it was actually 4/$1) I bought 2-3 bottles of every color they had. Even the pinks and violets. They are wonderful for painting structures, automobiles, and for weathering. Since they are cheap it is easy and fun to mix them until the exact desired shade is achieved.
I haven’t done it, but there isn’t any reason one couldn’t mix them up into a batch of big sky blue and then over coat it with clear gloss.
I ordered big sheets of styrene from U.S. Plastics, the Rubbermaid people. I think it’s www.usplastic.com but the site seems to be down right now.
I use cheap acrylic paints from Michaels or A.C. Moore (art supply places) or Wal-Mart. For large areas, I thin them with water. Our local Moore’s has the small containers for a quarter most of the time.
In recent years, my biggest source of items to kitbash or horsetrade has been yard sales - my sister is a big yard sale trader and I seem to end up with every rail-related item she finds.
I have also learned to hand-lay turnouts and specialwork from raw rail, partially to get exactly what I want in the way of track configuration, partially to save $$. I can assemble a whole yard throat for the price of one pre-assembled crossover. Lately, the raw rail has come from damaged flex track bought at a discount. Ties (and sometimes roadbed) started life as sheet balsa purchased at the local craft shop.
In the same vein, my manual point throw mechanisms are built up from such exotic materials as paper clips, straightened wire coat hangers, round head wood screws and el cheapo DPDT slide switches. I used to use expended ball pen cartridges for 1/8" brass tube, but now they’re made of soft plastic (not a suitable substitute.) Powered points are the same, except for the addition of a motor (mine are ancient, and were bought for very little. I’d hate to have to replace them!)
I have bought something from every LHS that I’ve ever visited, but usually the something was an under-track magnet or a pack of Kadee #6 couplers (best size to use on TER 4-wheel freight cars.).
As a character in a book set in the early 20th century said, “I pinch every penny until the Indian screams in pain.”
Incidentally, I checked Mr Beasley’s styrene site. The prices quoted for 40 x 70 sheets of high-impact polystyrene are very reasonable. Thank you, sir!
JAMES: Internet Trains has a nice sale going on right now, check it out. Car for $7.50 to $13.50, sounds like the old days to me. Also, Diesel locos at very reasonable sale prices as well as some steam. $499 list now at $109, how does that fit your budget?
James,Its not all doom and gloom and WOW! I can afford the hobby…The BEST price Buster you have is your computer.There are deals to be found IF you know where to look.
On line shops such as First Hobby M.B. Kliens,First Place hobbies,Toy Train Heaven,Train World/Train Land and Wholesale trains has price busting prices.
There are other options then paying near or full price from your local shop.
Is it doom and gloom or shop smartly pay low prices ? Its YOUR CALL…[:D]
I know if the LHS’s near me had a good selection of used stuff I’d buy much of my stuff from there, but they don’t. I also don’t like when there is a consignment section but all that it contains are a bunch of $400+ brass locomotives. I would love it if an LHS near me would get a good consignment area, hopefully they could craft it so it’d be profitable.
I agree with Brakie 100%. i go to online shops all the time and find great deals on products that MSRP at the LHS can’t touch. IF you check in with these sites once a week there is usally a sale going on or an item thats on discount because they only have a few left. Now that i said that though about a year and a half ago my LHS told me that RTR was all they could get - no more blue boxes. But about 6 months ago they told me that Blue boxes were back and in full force. True to thier word they now have a shelf dedicated to blue box cars and locos and a seperate shelf for the higher RTR w/ sound and DCC locos and cars. The best of both worlds. My LHS also throws me discounts on my purchases no matter what i purchase and when I order the high dollar RTR loco that prices for 250 it might cost me only 200 to 210. I’m still building blue boxes to this day and if a LHS says they can’t get them its because they don’t want to not that they can’t order them.
Wow, take some time off to attend a family reunion and your whole thread takes off on you.
Well after many months of working with sketchy numbers, I finally measured my train room. Was a wee bit dissapointed. It measures 10’ 5" X 11’ 5" (I still have to double check. But It seems my mountain climbing layout I had envisioned is off the table for the time being. I don;t have eneugh room to do what I want and maintain the grades I want to have. So instead of focusing on the mountain, Im going to focus on the branch line that I had exiting the layout and make that the primary modeling focus for now. Considering that I already have half of what I want to do built. Sounds like a good way to do all the things that this thread is about. I will end up with a 6’ 6" X 11’ 5" T shaped layout. Based on Atlas Plan HO-30 the “Morgan Valley Railway”. Incidently I couldn’t think of a better name so its going to be called the “Morgan Valley Branch” under my GN scheme. What I plan will involve construction of a 2’ X 4’ section, and a 2’X 3’5" section. These will connect to the main 4’ X 6’6" section to create the T shaped layout. These two sections will in later phases (As in I finally build me a house with a dedicated basement for the trains) be the transitions from where the branch line comes off the main line, and goes to a Milw Interchange in the town of “Bedford” 25-30 miles hense. (I havn’t quite decided yet, I will when I cross over that bridge) and where the Morgan Valley Branches off of this branch. The next segment east of what I will model will be the 8’ X 8’ Layout shown in the Book “Ho Layout: From Set to Scenery” That will Most likely be Phase III. The next segment West of what I will model will be the 8X12 L shaped mountain climbing layout I had been hoping to build but can’t due to the 7" short of length I need to build this layout. This will most likely be Phase II.
Also in keeping of pinching pennies. I decided with the massive roster that I have. That I can not afford to con
Cool. I live in Bedford, and most of my motive power is Milwaukee. I guess I’ll have to put in that interchange track a bit earlier than I had planned. By the way, James, my town ships coal and, in keeping with the generally Scottish nature of this thread, haggis.
Exellent, there is a power station on my branch that is going to need 210 tons (3 70 ton Hopper loads) of coal delivered 3 times a week. Would be more than happy to set up an interchange routing and schedule with you, I will send you a roster of my hopper cars so we can work out a rotation. However what is Haggis?
James
P.S. My Bedford is set in Montana, And will be mainly comprised of building kits made by Life-Like.