Plenty!
..........

I voted for between $250.00 to $500.00. I only fool around with the layout from October to April, the rest of my time is taken up with other activities. I'm sure there have been years where I have spent more like $1,000.00 to $2,500.00; but, they where unusual years. Since I am now completely devoted to DCC and I find installing sound decoders in older DC locomotives is a bit of a pain in the ___! I am also a Northern Pacific modeler; so, being prototype specific is important to me. These things actually increase the needed investment; but, cut down on random purchases. My estimates are only guesses, like everyone else, I don't keep track of how much I've spent.

With our economy in the dumper, I fear I have picked the wrong time to jump from Ho to HOn3 (Blackstone Models). That being said, so far I have sold off a lot of my previous HO motive power & rolling stock to help ease the pain. All in all, however, I'm still satisfied that I have made the switch to narrow gauge, as it is really bringing a lot more "life" back into my modeling. I just need to sell off the rest of my HO gear, so I can finish up my wish list and once that's done, my annual expendatures will be modest hopefully.

Bob

Travis, I agree. Sometimes trading down in scale can make spending worse!

Having gone up from N to HO, I found the opposite. I don't spend so much.

Having said that, I'm trying to restrict myself to a more specific era / timescale. Keeps you more focused rather than when I was in N and buying anything remotely possible, and trying to make up long trains too.

Brian

A few years ago when the economy was good I didn’t care what I spent on the hobby. It was a nice relief from all the long hours. Well, I’m still employed and working long hours but now I’m only making a fraction of what I used to. Subsequently I need to watch my budget very closely. My living space was also reduced by 75% so I thought I’d give up on On3 for HOn3. But after spending about $500 on one Blackstone locomotive with sound and four cars I’m starting to rethink my plan. Yes, it’s amazing stuff but at $60+ per car it might be a little too nice. Sure I can build kits but I figure they will be nearly $30-$40 per car once I add the B.S. trucks and Sergent couplers. Still not bad but it does add up. One more factor might sound strange to most but I’m sure some will understand it. I wondering if the D&RGW is “narrow gaugey” enough for me. I’m thinking something more like the SPNG for little desert mining railroad is more my speed.

All this has me reconsidering my decision to leave On3 for the smaller scale. I’m starting to think I’d be better off modifying a nice Bachmann On30 2-6-0 and turning it into an On3 beauty. Hand laid track and scratch build cars and structures would be a great way to save money as well. I’m basically starting from scratch so I’m going to budget $100 (which includes magazine purchases) for my modeling. That should be enough to keep me going. It seems like a good idea to develop a plan to go along with the budget so I’m going to come up with a list of freight cars and a structure or two which will be completed over the next six months. If I like my progress then I’ll keep going. If not, time for a new plan.

Travis in Tempe

Being an anal-compulsive-twit, I log in all my expenses each month on everything: dogs, sailing, garden, food, Wally world, trainstuff, books, restaurants, etc. I'm retired, have no outstanding debts, all 3 guys are long out of college and grad school, no mortgage, sailboat sold May 2012, no car or truck payments. Credit cards are paid off each month. I don't smoke or drink anymore; so I'm saving zillions a month. I like to build stuff and will never finish all my stash, a small habit. And I don't golf or own a horse.

Bernie

Interesting topic, guys...

I used to keep very accurate records of how much I spent when I was building my last (final, I mean) HO scale layout. Everything (except electricity and my own man-hours) was included, and after five years, I had a very tattered, A4 book, with subtotals at the foot of each page.

One wet afternoon, when the house was quiet, I decided on an impulse, to tot it all up. Out came the calculator, pencil, paper, receipts, and after about an hour, I had arrived at.... AU$12,545-15... :erm:

I almost had to spend a week in the isolation ward in a straight jacket[:-censored][:-weepn]

So far then, on my current On30 venture, I am retaining the receipts, but I will not be going to the folly of totting it all up again![:-sick]


AIN'T RAILWAY MODELLING FUN???????[?][?][?]


John

At this point in time.....spending very little as i have to much now that im doing nothing with :crazy:

Over $1000 but less than $2000. I'd hate to guess the actual dollar value that I have spent over the years.

just bought a new house rr money gos for bills

HA, HA !!

Just saw this old topic has popped up again so thought I'd check my original response from 2006.

Seems 2010 was 5 X scarier than 2006.

And 2009 was only 2 X more scary.

What's worse is that I really only have a junk room full of boxes to show for it all.

Is there a 'Biggest Loser' version for ToyTrain Fatties that I can go to ?

I'm going to have to go on a diet and ban myself from eBay, Brasstraiins.com and everybody else.

Phil Morrow.

He who dies with the most trains WINS !

I spend a lot more then my wife allows. LOL close to $2,000.

Something I learned when I restored a 74 VW Beetle several tears ago...

If I knew how much I really spent on this stuff, I'd probably have a stroke; if the wife found out how much I really spent on this stuff, I'd probably have a divorce...

I take a little bit out of my pay each time and put that into a hobby fund but I've also used gift cards to various home improvement stores to support the construction work I've been doing so that lessens the impact on the hobby fund and allows for other, larger purchases throughout the year,

Phil

We're on a limited budget, since I have two kids in college/on missions. I would have to estimate somewhere around $1000 a year, but I think that depends. One, on whether I go to any shows, like Timonium, MD or the Craftsman Structure Show/Convention. Two, what do I need/want? I'm still pretty new to the hobby, so I'm building up inventory of tools and materials (paints, wood and stryrene stock, adhesives, etc) so most are still small $ items. I don't own many big named craftsman kits (yet) - just Scott Mason's Laskey Cabinet Company, and I buy everything for the layout at discount, or not at all (i.e. Atlas Flex Track, switches, and rolling stock/locos, etc). Plus it's a small layout, so I don't need much.

R/,

Norm