on average, how many $$$ do you spend


L

latenttrainfan

Member
each year on your trains?

I know it will vary, but what's the range? (I haven't even been to a train store yet, so have NO idea of what anything costs.)

you don't even WANT to know what I spend on the horses each year, I have a feeling the train thing won't be nearly as expensive. (lets hope not. I can't afford TWO expensive hobbies, even though the horses are how I make my living).

just ballpark it.
 
Despite what I say to myself and to others, and despite my best wishes, self-chastisement, and real needs, I manage to spend near $1000/annum on the hobby. Rolling stock runs me about $150 typically, engines run me about $600-700 typically (this is per annum), and odds 'n sods the rest.

We haven't talked about the costs of layout construction...wanna go there?

-Crandell
 
It depends year by year but on average I spend around $1000 - $4000 a year depending what comes out that I like, Most of its on freight cars and I get a lot of my stuff directly from a distributor so I pay 40% - 55% off retail which means I can get twice as much then if I shopped at a hobby shop. Luckily I do a lot of Electronic work and DCC installs which keep the hobby money coming as if I didnt do that then I couldnt afford everything I get.
 
Are you doing a survey for a company of somekind? Just asking.

Well its a state secret, so can't tell you! And I don't know what's the exchange rate from Yen to Euro. So...:p
What I can say is this: It's never the same. Too many factors come into play. Take for example
a "big ticket item". These are usually a "one time" purchase, so that's gonna skew your finding.
Collectors can spend a lot and may not have a layout or any tracks whatsoever. And if you live
in a remote, or isolated location, shipping can be 2-3-5-10 times the amount of the "item". How would you classify that?



.
 
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I can't afford TWO expensive hobbies,
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Well don't know much about the horses, and maybe not a lot about model trains. In the past year I doubt I spent very much, most expensive was a bunch of 1/87 model cars from Wal Mart. About 52 of them and a couple trucks lets say average 3.50 ea maybe $200 all told. These are just optional scenery so in reality to run trains I didn't spend anything.
I guess the first thing I'd advise is not to go out and try to buy everything at once. For a start up all that is required (for enjoyment) is stable bench work. (Hmm since you have the stable you'll only need the bench work :D)
Seriously one locomotive, enough freight or passenger cars to call it a train, then some track to run on and the bench work to support it all. When you have assembled a track pattern that you are satisfied with then start adding scenery and buildings to go with it. A track plan could be a simple loop or an end to end plan. For a first or starter layout keep it simple and learn the "very basics" then delve into building a more complex railroad.
Cheap train sets "do not last" they are not designed to with the exception of the Mehano train sets sold at Christmas time at Loblaw's Super Stores. These are proven to be decent. They also can be purchased used at train shows some times. Also at train shows some good buys on track and accessories can be had. There are many ways to spend money and there are ways to make a $ sort of elastic (stretch further). the bench work on mine is made of 3/4" scrapped plywood salvaged from a hwy construction dump. I had to clean the cement off it but it was free. The rest of the wood was economy grade or bought on sale. Just about everything was purchased over a long period of time. So start small then add to it as time and $$ are available. Have a look at some of these plans by Atlas, keeping in ming they're in the business to sell track, pick out something you like and discuss the pro and con of it here on the forum. When you purchase the track, buy locally (Canada Post is murder on shipping) http://www.atlasrr.com/Code100web/index.htm Just click on each track plan for a more detailed picture. Ignore the price they quote I'm sure you can do better.

Cheers
Willis
 
It's just over a year since I started. I built up a decent amount of N before switching over to HO. With Engines, rolling stock, scenery, track, DCC and benchwork I'd say about 8-10k or more when looking back :eek: At the current pace now that things are settling down I'd say future will be about $1k per year.
 
I'm like Willis. The past year I've spent about $1500.00 on this new giant layout. Normally I only spend about $200.00 a year if that. I make a lot of my own stuff & use a lot of ""Found Items"".
I never buy anything from a hobby shop. Lot of stuff from train Shows & everything else is mail order. ToyTrainHeaven & StandardHobbies is my stores on line.
When I had a good paying job I spent an average $1000.00 to $2000.00 per year. It's kind of hard to buy a lot on Social Security & Medicare.(retired)

larry
 
MR did a survey a while back and found that people spend somewhere between 50 and 100 dollars per sq ft.
 
I'm just getting back into it, and am still in the "gotta get it" phase. I'm in a state of catchup right now. What I have to work on is, "wait a couple of years, and they'll release it again/something slightly different."

Until this year, my last purchase in 1989 was a Athearn blue box GP83-2 ICG, and it was $27.50. Prices have increased a little in almost 20 years.
 
I'd say future will be about $1k per
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You must be a rich man or have a darn good sized income ;) I've always have more pressing things to plunk down the $$ on. :mad: I'd like to have DCC but don't have the loot so I do without, for now :( When I do start in Dcc, I'll buy piece by piece until I have enough to equip a decent number of the locos before running it.
Things here in Canada are much more expensive including shipping by post. For example shipping from X USA to Y USA would cost $6.50, also same item shipped from X USA to Y Canada would be $25 to $30 most goes to Canada Post Office
Like Larry I'm on pension, there's enough $$ for everything we need if we are frugal have patience and buy a bit at a time. My MLW C630's are bashed, certainly not top of the line (at the time I built them only Overland brass was available you can put the price on them, I believe they were $750 ea) My wife would have shot me for spending that much on a choo choo. As it was I had a lot of pleasure and the sense of accomplishment by building my own rendition, maybe all told they might have cost me $100 Cdn each. The Cdn $ was worth about 80 cents then so I saved a bundle on each loco :D When I had enough material I started to build my layout which I'm now in the process of tearing down so as to start over and do it right. I've redone Athearn GP7's into a GP18 and a GP9, a LifeLike RS-11 to a MLW RS18 on an Athearn Chassis. Now these are not top quality, and maybe not 100% accurate, but I'm more proud of them than anything I could get off a store shelf, it's the sense of accomplishment and it's hard to put a $ figure on that. I can recall the modern tower buildings on Larry's layout, they were made out of the darnedest things, but they looked great and impressive to look at, definitely hard to figure out what they were in their previous life.
So I guess I'll end my rant now :D with a little reminder that it's not what $$ you spend that counts it's the enjoyment of doing something that you enjoy. If it's spending money and you can afford it, you have my best wishes for a happy life :D If it's enjoyment by accomplishment then you have my best wishes for success on the first try (that won't happen very often) but when you finally do succeed the enjoyment is so much sweeter.

Cheers
Willis
 
Nowadays I probably spend between $1,000 and $2,000 per year, mainly because I'm now retired, my layout is nearing completion and I have virtually all the operating equipment I'm ever going to need.

If one wishes to talk layout costs, then $5,000-$7,000 is about right for a really nice looking 4x8 with appropriate locos, rolling stock and structures. Beyond that, quality layouts generally can be figured at around $75-$100 per square foot if you do the modeling yourself, as most do. Thus, medium-sized layouts cost $15,000-$20,000 and up...sometimes way up! Custom built layouts (by Dunham Studios for instance) range anywhere from $175 per sq. ft. for a quite simple layout, up to $450 per sq. ft. for their top-of-the-line examples.

NYW&B
 
$15,000-$20,000 and up
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Good Post
Guess mine isn't what you'd call quality eh! :D
Ah! well the price was right, so I guess that's why I'm not having any pains in tearing it down and starting over :D Well maybe one when I tore a couple finger tips on a staple. :(

Cheers
Willis
 
Lots of good answers so I won't repeat it all again. Just plan on spending that $50-$100 (USD) per square foot of layout for everything but really high quality locomotives and rolling stock. If you're going to populating your layout with lots of Big Boys, the cost will go up. :) As Willis said, you don't have to spend all that money at once and everything can be done in increments. It sounds like you're already very handy with tools and construction and that will save you a lot of money since you'll be able to use a lot salvaged goods and do your own labor. At this point, don't let money scare you. You can really spend almost as little or as much as want (or can afford) and still be a happy model railroader.
 
Prob about $1k a year, if not a lttile bit more, But I also do alot of trading to keep expenses down. I did buy a "lot" from a guy of 65 cars for $360 inc shipping, with the intention of selling some of them to cover the cost of the purchase, but didn't get to sell but just a few, so that didn't really help other than to build up my coal hauling fleet.:cool:
 
latenttrainfan said:
each year on your trains?

I know it will vary, but what's the range? (I haven't even been to a train store yet, so have NO idea of what anything costs.)

you don't even WANT to know what I spend on the horses each year, I have a feeling the train thing won't be nearly as expensive. (lets hope not. I can't afford TWO expensive hobbies, even though the horses are how I make my living).

just ballpark it.
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Try having four. Warhammer 40k, Airsoft, Computer building, and this.
 
Good question. Makes one think about just how much they've spent over the years. What to include and what to exclude. Does a trip to a model rail exhibition, preserved steam railway, or NMRA convention count? Do home renovations to accomodate a layout count? How about tools. Do I put that new Bosch jigsaw under my modelling budget or under the household expenses. If I count everything last year was about $500, this year its already over $12,000. If I only count stuff that is directly related to the layout, I'm still over $5000 for 2008. Then again I'm starting over in a way by adding HO North American to my ever growing list of genres. Next year I think it will be around £2, not including the masses of British stuff I plan on culling to make way for new stuff. :D
 
thanks! that give me a pretty good idea of what I'm getting into.

tools, mostly I already have. I use them in the house, the barn, so they don't REALLY count, do they! I LOVE my Bosch hammer drill, it'll be useful for building the benches.

compared to the horses, the numbers you're all quoting don't even come close to what they cost me. hell, new boots run up to $800 a pair, a new jacket will start at $500, saddles, well, anything decent is $2,500 and up.

good thing I know how to custom tailor. and I pick up a lot of free horses off the race track. hay, grain, bedding, well.

I think I'm going to enjoy this new hobby a LOT. PLUS, there doesn't seem to be any animosity and backbiting. You'ld be amazed how viciously competetive it is in horsey-world.

this is a nice change. :)
 
Your observation [about no backbiting or animosity] truly fits this forum, because it is well-moderated. Unfortunately, model railroaders are human too, and our slice of the population has its own share of snobs and troublemakers - many of whom can be found on other forums [which shall remain un-named :D]. I simply stay clear of them, and focus on the many more decent folks such as those who hang out here.

Spending-wise, I'm probably at ~$1000/yr. Once in a while it spikes when I have unexpected cash influxes, such as profits from the sale of a house in July 2000, or a modest inheritance when my mother passed away in 2004.
 
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I would say that that I'm on track to hit that $75 a square foot number. My spending has been high in the last year. Bench work lumber, DCC, track, etc. But I can see the pace of spending slowing down as I get into building senery and structures becouse I'm slow at it! I'd say I average $100 a month at this point. Better spent on trains in the basment than at a bar!
 
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