I guess an introduction is in order. I am Brian and I have fallen in love with these little trains. It started when I took my brand new son to his very first doctor visit. The office had a large train running around the room suspended from the ceiling. I went home and started making a plan for his room. A few weeks later I ended up with an old but quite fantastic running Tyco HO train set from a thrift store. It had tons of track that and I could have built my dream layout, but space quickly became a concern as my new family lives in a fairly small apartment. so for a month the track was a circle sitting under his bed. This was once supposed to be a grand idea for his bedroom, but it quickly became.. MY hobby. I made a decision after much though to just start over and switch to N scale. Luckily I didn't have much time or money invested in HO. It I will be the first to tell you, I probably shouldn't have picked this hobby. I have a new family so my budget is quite limited, but I'm going for it anyway. Doing research I noticed a LOT of very expensive locomotives. DCC and the whole nine yards. To keep this from being a wall of text, I will keep it short. I did some research, and ended up with a Bachmann Spectrum locomotive that was $25 with free shipping. My local hobby shop is having a 40% off sale on some train items, So I also got 2 cars for about 15 dollars. (I know the loco and the cars are different types, I like CN and plan to build on that more... But the locomotive was affordable). I also started building a layout for the first time. feedback is welcome. here is where im at so far.
Welcome, Brian! Glad to see you jumping into the hobby and enjoying it. There's a certain learning curve to this model railroad thing, but that's part of the journey we all took at one point or another. The best way to move forward is to start. When you run into difficulty or have questions, don't hesitate to ask. And post pics of your progress. Don't let the limited (or nearly non-existent) budget stop you. Sure, there are some things you shouldn't skimp on (quality locos and rolling stock), but building scenery and scratchbuilding structures is relatively cheap. And you can usually find used but still serviceable locos and cars on that online auction site for about half of the original MSRP. In the four years since I switched to N scale, I've acquired more than a dozen locos (most DCC) and about 100 freight cars; about three-quarters of the locos and 90% of the cars were bought used. Building a model railroad (or becoming a model railroader) is a lot like eating an elephant. The best way to do it is one bite at a time. Good luck, congratulations on your new son ... and have fun! Jim
Never heard the elephant analogy before, but it is quite appropriate. As with so much else in life, the first step is often the hardest. Interesting idea you seem to be working on, not too complicated but lots of potential for scenery. As much as anything, remind yourself that the first attempt (or attempts) will be as much learning experiences as end points. And while many aspects of the hobby can be weaked and fiddled with, do try your best to get the track laid smoothly each time and test it out before going too far in scenery. Poor track and poor running can do more than anything else to discourage.
Actually, I find that model railroading on a limited budget is better than being able to spend whatever you want on it. Simply put, it forces you to think carefully about what you are spending money on and to take your time to ensure that you do things right the first time since you may not be able to afford do-overs.
foxx182- Welcome to TrainBoard! The up side to model railroading is it's always waiting for you, when you have the time, and/or money. If you shop around, carefully, for quality used items, you can usually do quite well. Meanwhile, there is plenty to read and learn, free, right here on the Internet.
I agree with you on the first part, Doc. The second point, however ... Well, I've found that kind of thinking to be counterproductive, personally. When it comes to tackling some aspect of the hobby for the first time, I usually procrastinate as long as possible and worry about screwing up. But it's only when I force myself to try that I actually get things done and start learning new skills. That's why I thought it was kind of cool the OP just dove in and started working on a layout. Best way for a beginner to learn, without the pressure of feeling he has to get it right the first time. Just my two cents. Jim
It's true that it can lead to procrastination. However, I was thinking in terms of pushing the "measure twice, cut once" mindset.
Ah. Guess I was just projecting my own shortcomings then. :uhoh: Back to our regularly scheduled programming. Jim
Welcome aboard. Very few people have been able to just simply jump into the hobby with both feet unless their ancestry includes a Carnegie or Vanderbilt somewhere. Like that first dip in the pool on opening day it is cautious dip of one foot at a time until the body accepts the water temperature. It is beneficial to have a hobby since wrestling with some of the facets of the hobby can occupy the mind and give a good deal of stress relief. However like all things do in moderation and strive for balance in your life and don't become locked into one thing. If you are able to get but two hours a week into model railroading it is still two hours of quiet and stress burning time. But always place family first and time for the family first, and everything else just falls in line after that. This is coming from a guy that has been married to the same woman for almost fifty years, raised four kids, and has twelve grandkids. I managed to retire in one piece from one of the most dangerous and hazardous jobs around and my hobbies and other pursuits certainly have contributed to a huge amount of stress relief in my life. And as far as the first layout think of it as a test bed to research and develop your skills. One can read all the books in the world and listen to reams of advice, but until you get in a start doing is when you will develop your skills and knowledge. Having a particular railroad and an operating era can be a big help because it can determine the type of motive power and cars to gradually acquire over time. Choosing an operating locale can give you something to try and recreate the feel of in miniature. Even in N scale space will always be a problem and so selective compression becomes the norm. Staying small and compact can have many benefits since a young family will end up having several moves in their lifetime and by small can means you can easily take it with you and continue on.
Welcome to N scale and TB. What does it say about us when a first timer half expects flames shooting his way? Great start. As to the limited budget, there are many examples of people enjoying the hobby on small budgets, whether via smaller layouts or joining clubs, if available. Glad to have you as a +1 on that. Also, while I have spent far more on this hobby than probably most, (200 locos, 800 cars) I can tell you that most nights, I get off work and am happy to run what is on the track, even if it ran last night, over some complicated ops scheme. (which my layout is also capable of) So, no need to really go nuts on the loco/rolling stock buying, as it doesn't proportionally increase your enjoyment as much as you might think (heck, as much as I might think) The only locos that will increase your enjoyment is an iconic (to you) loco you saw somewhere and "have to have" or one that runs better than the one you already have.
Hey Brian, I have only been into this awesome hobby a little over a year. When I first started I asked ( ballpark ) what would a 3x9 layout cost, I was told $300 a square foot. WOW pricey right. Track will cost what it cost an yes Good Locos can be had on the E site, ( Got all 9 of mine ) on there. And all DCC. Most I spent for any loco $80. But when you get to the scenery, This is where you can save huge amount of $ I made all my own trees as well as the ground covering. I used cross grain sawdust, the kind you get when you use a chop saw.. Pine 2x4 works great. just start shave cutting away. Then get some cheap acrylic paint in the colors you need Thin it 50/50 with water. I worked with 1 or 2 cups at a time of sawdust, mix in the thin paint ( just enough to get the sawdust wet) like real thick oatmeal, mix well spread out on news paper and let dry. stir it around every few mins. until dry. or can speed the whole process up by popping in microwave for about 15 sec. mix it up and spread it out again on fresh paper. it takes a bit to dry and you may have to micro the stuff 3 or 4 times. i use this stuff for trees grass you name it. Best part it's pennies spent not dollars. And I try to scratch built as much as possible. Having fun and learning as I go. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Brian welcome. I am in a the same boat as you, a family man expecting a 3rd child on a very tight budget. I have learned that being thrifty and frugal on layout structure material by reusing wood (in my case a 8 foot skid) and building a strong but light layout using cardboard, foam board, and paper towels dipped in plaster go a long way. Most of my electrical has been reused wire as well. You can follow my progress on my kicking horse pass thread. Doing so has saved me a few hundred dollars easy. Just remember to plan well and spread your time out by taking it nice and slow. KEEP FAMILY FIRST, use the trains to bond. My six year old daughter and four year old son, love the trains. Once they are older and still interested its a good hobby to share. Keep us posted and don't hesitate to ask lots of questions, done well model railroading is a life long hobby that dose not have to cost you an equivalent to buying a house or luxury car. Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
