Can It Be Done


Greetings from Indiana.

You have built into your assumptions things that are useful to the project that have already been paid for, but that a beginner won't have, like existing locos, rolling stock, and a wood shop; however, I think it can still be done.

To do this for $250, I think an assumption must be made that the beginner has a certain amount of patience and skill that would replace buying power.

I can't believe that some of the posters think that DCC is essential, and are saying that your project can't be done because of the price of DCC. It is absolutley not essential. In fact, a beginner will probably operate as a lone wolf, operating only one train at a time. In which case, even a cheapo Bachmann EZ Command is way too elaborate.

A MRC Railpower 1300 should power a well factory-detailed used P2K locomotive just fine. About 75-80 bucks for the two. Nickel silver track and about five pairs of Atlas terminal rail joiners should cost about another $100, depending upon how many switches you use. That's where you can break the bank. Good trackplan design can minimize the number of switches needed. You have $70 left for rolling stock, lumber, plaster, newspaper, and some generic pikestuff kits to divide as building flats (skill required). The loco, cars, and structures can be found on the Bay or at train shows. Probably would have to go with plastic wheels on the stock. Fine, just clean the track more often. Scenery materials would have to be natural materials, along with mixing some big-box oops paint for color variation. (skill required)

I would model an aggregate carrier, stripper pit coal mine hauler, or granger line to keep the need for scenery and structures to a minimum.

It wouldn't be the V&O, but I think it could be prototypically accurate and enjoyable to operate, depending upon the trackplan. It could be reasonably detailed as well.

You could do a MUCH better job than that layout MR built a while ago, mentioned by someone else on this thread.

Would be a cool project to share on this forum. And if it ended up costing $300 I don't think anyone would complain.

Doug
 
The storyline, or premise, is that Homer, the character, found a "kit" layout, like the ones Bachmann, Atlas, or Athearn peddle, at a rummage sale for $10. Set it up and has become disenchanted with the basic "'round and 'round". He wants a BIGGER and more diverse layout and scenery. We've all been there. But, there are kids to feed, bills to pay, and clothes and shoes to buy. So, the need for a budget. He also lacks the space for the "dream" layout.

I think an 8x12 L-shaped basement, or garage, layout is feasible and probably one of the most reproduced. And being a bit single themed, as you suggested, can still make an interesting operation. I am leaning toward an agricultural or a coal mine. Either is pretty simple in planning. The coal mine MAY be a bit more out of the pocketbook due to the number of switches needed for the "lay" tracks, those holding empty and full coal cars. An elevator, or two, is certainly cheaper to build. Add a couple of depots, one passenger, the other a freight house, a house and a couple of rural businesses and you have it. A turnout or two could be added if desired.

I think DCC is the way to go. Homer's boys may want to "play with the trains" and that should be engineered into the design and construction. It should be somewhat "bullet-proof", simple yet flexible and challenging for the operator. It should excite the imagination.

Using cheap, or recycled, material is gotta be the way to go. Things laying around the garage, in the basement, or attic, from projects long past are fair game. Also the use of items found in nature will be used to defray the cost. And "seconds" or mistint paint are other ways to lessen the burden on the wallet. Still, $250 is a pretty tight budget. Still working on the plan and looking for supplies to get some idea on exactly what I want to do. Sometimes that is harder than the real construction.

Bob
 
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Sounds like a great idea. However, with DCC and as many structures you say you want, I would give myself some cushion and make my limit $325. That would still be quite an achievement.
 
I just won a depot, feed mill, and elevator on eBay today and didn't spend $25, including shipping. And I'm bidding on a box lot of other structures. So far, the bidding is very low there. They will need a bit of fixing, but that's what this whole deal is about.

And I found a guy, locally, with an unopened box of Atlas Code 100 Flextrack that he's sold me for $25 along with a handful of Peco turnouts, (3)#6 lefts, (3)#6 rights and (1) each #8's(brand new by the way). Now, that is what I'm talking about!!!! Oh, I forgot the two beers I bought. Oh, well, he bought two back so I guess it's a wash there. Unless the cost of refreshment is supposed to be added into the budget. In tht case, we might be in trouble.

I guess it begins. I'd better get busy build the tables and benchwork, eh?

Total so far: $47.87

Balance/budget to spend: $202.13

Amount over budget: $0

Bob
 
Bob, you are doing a good job of a Scrooge imitation. :) I'll be interest to see what else you can scrounge up. And the beer thing has to be added in, assuming you got better beer than him. As long as it was the same brand, then it's a wash. :D
 
Jim, on the nursing home layout I spent over $600 out of my pocket. Had it not been for the donations by people like you and the others, that number could have easily tripled. (thanks to you and the others again by the way). But, I bought "fresh lumber" and materials for that. I didn't want it to look pieced together. And we didn't have quite enough track and the list could go on. Still for $600 and with the donations, that layout is REALLY nice. I don't think this one will have quite the frills.

I just called a guy that I heard had a Bachmann DCC for sale. I bought it for $50 with one decoder. So, add another $50. I don't think the power supply furnished with the "kit" Homer has is powerful enough to run the layout planned. Still we may need to buy another power supply.

And I found a second decoder for $15 plus 2.50 shipping on HOYardsale. Another $17.50.

I am going to the gravel pit Monday to see if I can find some ballast and some dirt, actually limestone dust. Hopefully a "freebie" there. I'm hoping for that anyway. Also heading to the flea markets, too.

TOTALS

Budget $250
Spent $115.37
Balance $134.63
Amount over budget $0

So far, so good, I think. And the beer? All Silver Bullets, it's a wash.

Bob
 
Bob, glad to hear you're at least not trying to top the guy on his brews. :) $50 for the E-Z command and a decoder is a great deal. How did the one on the nursing home layout work out? For all its faults, I still think it's by far the most intuitive way to get into DCC, precisely because it doesn't have all the bells and whistles to confuse people who have never run a train.

I have another cheapie idea for you, depending on how things are done in your town. Most playgrouds now use ground rubber beneath play equipment to cushion a fall. I was at a playground the other day with a neighbor's daughter and was thinking that the gound rubber could make a good, rough gound cover, even talus for creeks and other slopes. Now, if you have this stuff in your town, it's just a mater of taking one of the grandchildren down there with a pail and shovel...you know, so the kid can play in the sand box. :) Speaking of sandboxes, some of the contents, once you scoop out the uwanted material :eek:, also make pretty good ballast for side tracks and yards.
 
In spite of hijacking my own thread, The EZ Command system did the trick for the nursing home. They run four engines at once, including the yard switcher. That means three engines on the main. I am in Indiana(again) and have been for the past few weeks, but have been too busy to visit the home. I plan to get there this week. From my understanding, and in conversation from some of the guys that helped when we were all at Tom's funeral, the layout is "played with" everyday. That's good to hear. That was the whole idea behind building it. One engine did have a "floor meet" and had to be replaced. I guess bad eyes and shaky hands was the cause. Expected with folks that age. Odd how we go full cycle in life. Young we are novice and clumsy, old we are clumsy, too, but for different reasons.

The idea of using the shredded tires is a good one. I don't know how well Elmer's Glue would hold. I'm going to the local gravel pit this week to see about getting some "dust and bits". I've done that before and gotten a couple of 5-gallon buckets of material. for ballast and scenics, and never had to pay. And a trip to the "farm" for some dirt, another 5-gallon bucket.

I am in a dither on landscaping. I don't know if I can afford, well, the budget can afford, any "hills and 'scapes". I will decide once I get more into the project. I use the "lattice" method for hills and dales using cardboard boxes cut into strips. Those are free. I then cover them with plaster cloth and apply the finish of Hydrocal and a wash for color.

I was going to start the benchwork today, but we have some of Jeffrey Wimbrey's weather. Heat index is 105. Humidity is even higher. And the shop is not air conditioned. I think I'll stay inside where it's cool.

So far, I think I've done OK with the budget, but not great. The price of the DCC unit was probably close to what I would have paid for a power supply upgrade. And it allows Homer's two boys to play with the train together with Dad. The price of the box of track was excellent though. I just hope 75' will be enough. And there should be enough Peco switches to do the job. They are all in excellent shape. Two are still in the packaging and the other four have never been used, but are out of the package.

I had a voice mail today that the guy that sold me the track found 2 boxes of cork roadbed that he wants to get rid of. I called him back, but got his voice mail. Playing phone tag I guess. I won't need that much for the layout, but I could always use it myself and would just adjust the cost for the project.

Going to the flea market down the road in a bit. I'll see what I can scrape up there.

TOTALS

Budget $250
Spent $115.37
Balance $134.63
Amount over budget $0

Bob
 
Bob Have any luck at the flea market. I have never tried garage sales or flea markets for RR ing supplies. The few I have been too did not have anything so I must be going to the wrong ones.
 
Larry, we have a couple here in Marion that, at times, have some interesting finds. I bought two Atlas, undecorated, GP9's about 3 months ago at one for $10. The guy, obviously, had no clue, and, I confess, I took advantage of the fact. Today the same guy wanted to sell me (10)LifeLike/Model Power cars for $60. I told him that I wouldn't pay $5, and surely not $60. But I did find a couple of Walthers' Cornerstone factories for my layout. I talked him down to $15 or the pair.

Estate sales have also been good to me. A train club buddy died last year and I made off with a bundle on the cheap. I have his two Rivarossi C&O Alleghenies for $10 each. And over 150 other cars that no one bid on but me, $8. All in all, at that auction, I spent about $100 and came home with over $4000 in merchandise. I wish they would have put his layout up for bid. His coal mine would have been integrated into my layout. It was fantastic.

I also bought bunch of stuff at the Indiana State Fairgrounds when they had the "yard sale" there last year. There were a dozen tables with train stuff. The deals were good, but not great. I got one of my Mallets there for $20, probably the only "great" deal I got. The box was a bit beat up, shelf wear, but the engine and tender were grade 8. I bought a bunch of cars, maybe 24, that averaged about $3 each. The better half talked me into going. She didn't even offer to take me this year.

Bob
 
OK, tomorrow is the start day. I'll begin by "sketching" the track layout in the insulation board. Maybe laying down a few pieces of track and the switches to get a better perspective of what's going on. Then I'll build the benchwork/tables. I found (6)sheets of Luaun in the overhead of the garage, I may put them to use too.

Been a bit tied up here the past week with court dates, appointments, and such with a friend's estate. And there was canning to do. I hate picking beans!!!! Corn is not so bad, but, beans kill my back! It's supposed to rain every day next week so I might be forced to stay out of the garden. Too muddy.

Anyway, I haven't bought anything else since the last post. So, the totals remain the same.

TOTALS

Budget $250
Spent $115.37
Balance $134.63
Amount over budget $0

Bob
 
Well, no progress what-so-ever. Life, and "honey-do's", keep getting in the way. But, one of these days, hopefully sooner than later, I'll be able to get on this thing. Located a set of switches(a double cross-over), on the cheap, and may do a section of double track, maybe in the area of the depot. Then we will be able to have a passenger train.

As near as I can figger, so far, it's in the budget as long as no MAJOR unforeseen problems arise.

TOTALS

Budget $250
Spent $115.37
Balance $134.63
Amount over budget $0

Bob
 
I cant say the same may apply when building a model railroad but the other hobby I come from, the classic car hobby (hense username), whaterver budget you come up with when restoring a classic car, you might as well double it. But thats an apples to oranges thing if it were compared to model railroading. But I usually have a similiar mentality in this hobby too, maybe not quite double it. But I would at least suggest leaving a some extra money for breathing room.
 
The deal here is that not everything will be new. I can use leftover lumber from the room addition for the benchwork. I can use stryofoam sheets left from enclosing the front porch last year(actually a neighbor gave me (10) sheets). I can use paint from repainting the house this past spring. The luaun from repairing the bathroom floor two years ago.

The rules are if I already have it, there is no charge to the budget. All scrap and leftover material from those long finished project are a 'no charge item". If it's laying around the garage, in the attic, down in the basement, it's fair game a "no charge".

The reason hot rods, and train layouts, cost so much is the "wants" and not the "needs". We'll get the needs taken care of then, if we have any money left, we'll add the wants.

Bob
 
Cheap and Dirty!

I want to give note to my post #90 on this forums thread "MR's Reliable and Realistic Track". I know most of you will poo-poo much of it but it fits an idea and restrictions I placed upon myself: a portable layout to be taken to schools, clubs, rest and care homes and RV parks. It had to fit in the rear of my wife's suv and be able to be setup in 15 minutes or less. And it had to affordable for me. After 50 years in the hobby this will be my first "complete and running" layout.

I started with a little over half a sheet of 5/16" plywood and some 4' 1x2 sticks, an old 3/4" sheet of 2'x8' styrofoam, and my unused flex-track, switches and roadbed in the garage.

I checked the suv and I could fit 49" square in the back. I cut the plywood to 48" square, put a rabbit in the sides of the (4) 48" long 1"x2" sticks. I glued them to the edges of the plywood and fitted scrap in the corners. This gave me a flat box 3/4" deep on top and 1/4" clearance on the bottom for wire, etc. I then cut the foam in half and glued it inside the frame.

I took several HO Atlas #4 turnouts and played with what I could fit into the space. Using 6 turnouts, and curves with 22"R to 16"R I began gluing down roadbed, added two coats of gray and began nailing down track.

I am also using this layout to tryout and learn new ideas and skills. The buildings are cardstock freebee's from the internet. The ground-cover is sifted and dyed sawdust, dirt and sand. Hopefully my friend and I may be able to use it to entertain the public and possibly encourage others to get active in the hobby. I have attached an overhead shot of the present state and have more on the forum thread listed above.

So gang, give me your best shots. I know it won't run my Big Boy, but I will try my CB&Q Pioneer Zephyr. With the single truck between cars I think it just may make the outer loop.
 
Pretty nifty track plan for a small layout. As you say, you can't run big power but F units and eight wheel Geeps should do fine. Since this a layout to show off to non-MR's, they'll think any train looks great.Just had a freind of mine over who's not into model trains but the fact my GP-9 made noise and had a horn and bell got his attention. He also thought the working traffic light and jail exercise yard were cool. Sometimes we forget that the expectations of the general public are somewhere back in the tinplate days so anything that looks more realistic than that wows them.

Same thing with structures. Well made cardstock buildings fill space and the lack of small details will never be noticed. I have a lot of structures that I spent tons of time painting and detailing. He never noticed any of my "pride and joy" type things but thought the animated billboard on top of one of the buildings was amazing. I think you're going about this just right for your audience.
 
Kind words

Thanks Jim.

Inside all (most) of us is a little kid excited to see things seemingly move on their own. Most automation could be hidden away but we often put it front and center. Think of a record changer (1950) vs a radio. Miniature amusement rides, propeller turning, lights blinking, etc. I still remember the department store Christmas windows of the 1940s where arms and legs moved and rockers rocked. Even back then we were nostalgic.

Then we got sophisticated and wanted things to be really real and we started counting rivets. I would say I hate them........but.......I just re-looked at the April 2009 cover of RMC and saw parting flash on the Kaydee coupler. I have joined the enemy.

I think our hobby is great because we can have fun (Thomas the Tank Engine) and learn skills (scratch building). This morning I watched the F1 European GP, lots of skill. A few years ago I took my 23 year old Datsun 280ZX to Laguna Seca in Monterey and ran laps as fast as I could, lots of fun.

Lots of fun makes us a playboy. Lots of skill makes us a craftsman. I would like to become a playboy craftsman.

Sorry about all the words, just some thoughts from an old man.

Armchair aka Glen in Yuma AZ
 
Another brain fart

Jim and all,

Most kind souls get their givens and druthers together and then design a layout to suit. I only had one given, it had to have continuous running. On a 4x4 that makes a circle. With that in mind I added track and turnouts without making it a spagetti bowl. (I do have my pride.) With a railroad that goes around and round, and never goes anywhere I needed to find (create) a reason and purpose. The attachment is the result of a fertile, but twisted, mind.

Glen
 
Well, the Genesis has yet to be conceived. Life, and it's distractions, have kept me at bay. Still I have found, and purchased a couple of additional items. Found a batch of Digitrax decoders on hoyardsale for $15 each that I was able to get for $12.50 if I took all 5. Which I did. I don't think I'll use all 5 on the layout but, I will add the total in and adjust at the end of the project. I did buy a 5' stick of 2" PVC for the grain elevator, too, $3.65 at our local ACE hardware.

One of these days, I'll get to start this thing.


TOTALS

Budget $250
Spent $181.02*
Balance $68.98
Amount over budget $0
*includes all 5 Digitrax123at decoders. Adjustments will be made at the end of the project for any unused decoders.

Bob
 
Nice Layout Armchair! I to had the same Idea when I built my layout Small quick to set up and Not a economical nightmare on the wallet! Now that my carreer is in the toilet I'm glad the new layout is way smaller. I want to do the same things with mine too!:D all-in-all I got around $300 invested...Plus I recycled my old layout and a good 1/2 of it is in the new one which saved me $200 in lumber:D
 
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