[Mr N. Ladd]

As prices in the hobby seem to be rising faster then inflation, along with the hidden tax of inflation itself, our budgets get squeezed tighter and tighter. What are your ideas on how to model on a tight budget? How would you advise a beginner to start?

 

[DC Marvel]

The obvious way is to buy second hand locos and rolling stock and stay with DC as DCC adds considerably to the cost, but buy new track as used can be damaged depending on how carefully it was lifted previously.
You can switch to DCC later once you have got going, although for a home layout as opposed to an exhibition one I don't see DCC as worth the cost as only loco sound really adds any big step in realism, but then it can also be rather annoying. Your choice though.
You can cut costs in landscaping by using some non-standard products and not following the normal methods, such as using aerosol builders expanding foam rather than card/wire formers and modroc and coating with tile adhesive/grout, both of which you can buy in amounts that will cover massive areas for much less than dedicated modelling products. Use match pots of emulsion for initially coating scenery but there is no substitute for scatter that is worth messing about with although teddy bear fur is a good way to get areas of long grass cheaply. Buy products intended for other hobbies as for some strange reason the same thing sold for model railways seems to be higher priced as if the sellers think we are all rich.
Also never throw anything away, keep offcuts, left over kit parts, cornflake boxes etc as they always come in for something eventually.
Never cut corners on the initial joinery though, a dud base board makes a duff model. Also plan, review, modify and really think though your design before starting anything. Never build your baseboards before designing an accurate plan then work the board supports and frames, levels and scenic breaks into the base during construction, then when you start laying track you don't fall foul of supports being where point motors need to be and having to compromise your track work. Get it right first time saves a lot of both cost and messing about and compromising. Don't design your layout by hand on the back of a *** packet as it just won't work out, do it properly with a layout design software then you know the geometry all works, and take your time.
Also work out all the wiring on your plan before you start to lay track then add droppers to the rails and feed them through the base as you lay it. Work out the feeds and isolators and lighting requirements and keep your wiring tidy under the board(s) as it helps in keeping wires short and also troubleshooting is easier.
Ask advice but also think laterally, you don't have to follow what others have done although some things are done the way they are as experience has shown it is the best way. Be inventive and you can save a lot with no compromise on the result.

 

[Maz066]

Well Dave, just about everything you suggested I didn't do. Made the baseboard first before deciding on a layout, didn't plan the track laying just made curves with flexitrack and then wondered why track didn't join properly as they were supposed to on the layout diagram. My wiring looks like the dump master outside an Italian pasta restaurant, went straight to DCC (although I don't regret that). Still have a mix of insulfrog and electrofrog, have a mixture of code 100 & 75
But I have learnt an awful lot fixing my mistakes and had a lot of fun learning from this forum.
Ah well the next layout will be better

 

[kristopher1805]

Yes I have to agree with the above steps to happiness

1. Plan carefully
2. Work out how much space you have first, I build my boards 900mm high and up to 1 metre deep
3. Take as much space as you can get
3. Build a decent base, there is no correct construction but I use 12mm MDF on a free standing table with legs and stiffeners good enough to walk on.
4. Get the levels right
5. Plan plan plan, a good idea is to look at the Set track plans book by Peco not because you want to use this system but it helps you plan and to buy only what you need.
6. Secondhand track is OK if it is fairly new, older Peco and Hornby is not as good as more recent items.
7. Never use secondhand rail joiners these are a sure way of stopping the flow of electricity.
8. You need droppers with electrofrgo points but really on here they are a bit of a fetish, take it from me the manufacturers do not expect you to place them every two feet or they would say so.
9. DCC again go this way later it is pricey and if you want blown decoders I have about 40 of them (a good few hundred quid here alone)
10. Work out what you want, as you see we have evolved our layouts, mine is honing in on Buckinghamshire on 19th May 1962 as this area was the place you could see almost anything on the railway and 1962 was the last great year of steam so that sets the stock, locos and the scene generally.
11. Secondhand rolling stock might be OK but often people sell things because they cannot get them working so caveat emptor in truth new from Hattons is cheaper than eBay and sometimes they even honour a warranty.
12. You can also go cheap on the scenery, is your layout a beautiful scene with a train running through or a railway with some scenery added, it matters but I would suggest a spot of feng shui for now and keep it simple.
13. Yes keep a bits box, I catch build items from left overs
14. tools, you'll need Xuron track cutters both side and vertical types, magnetic screw drivers, tap hammer for pins.
15 My advice is to leave any ball;last until later, I use Noch underlay which is expensive because it comes up clean, ballast is a pain so I suggest getting the layout reliable BEFORE getting carried away with the messy stuff, add later.
16. Allow track gaps for expansion a millimetre here and there.
17. If you want anything ask, I am happy to sell surplus dirt cheap as it takes up space for instance and I often sell at shows locally and that can be a good source.
18. If DC older Hammant & Morgan controllers are tough and will last forever.
19 Although lovely slow action point motors can be pricey, only fit them where points are out of reach you can add them later.

Planning will help keep the surplus down to a minimum so you buy only what you need, as to insulfrog/electrofrog, code 75 versus code 100 well that is down to you but as a general observation use R£ and R4 standard curves in corners and avoid flexi for now - remember
RELIABLE RELIABLE RELIABLE and you can really mess up with flexi when you bend it into shape

Hope it helps but generally the two posts above I am in agreement with.

 

[34C]

It is all about managing a budget for me. The prices can go where they will, I'll have available for spending what the budget dictates!

Have a plan and stick to it. I keep a list of items to look out for, and patient fossicking around amongst s/h turns up real treasures for little money - over time.
Work on your skills to enable as much DIY as practical. Also know your limitations, what is worth paying for to have done at the standard you require.
Make as much as you can, rather than buying ready made (that's what many of the items on my list are for, 'feedstock' for projects.)
When you have some skills, trade with friends on the basis of 'I'll do you a model you want, you paint and finish one of mine' or whatever.

Only buy what in your opinion is a satisfactory quality standard for the money; look for value.
First on that list, I would say use of a flexitrack system is a must if moving up in size beyond the classic 8x4" baseboard in OO. This is simply for economy, as plain flexitrack is way cheaper than set track pieces: buy the flexi in 25 yard boxes to get the desireable low price.

 

[kristopher1805]

Yes I revisit my comments regarding flexitrack, of course you get a long piece for reasonable money and will pay around £90 for a box of 25 but you do have to be careful of bending this into tight bends, obviously the inner rail will stick out and need cutting and fitting. However when it comes to snaking track the flexi is great stuff but bending it into R2 is another matter and here the manufacturers curves are always precise it is easy to get kinks and other irregularities in flexi in such circumstances, for Towcaster I bought a box and used it all up.

As I say test test test such that your layout is reliable.

As a note of caution do not force the track to fit even by a little amount this will cause trouble and also save money by NOT buying these points

1. Set track curved points, ok on the outside but bad on the inside all manufacturers examples are not worth the bother
2. Peco long cross over a real dud and a dinosaur of a point.

Plenty of gently curved track in this view.

 

[Mark Campbell]

Be prepared to try things out. For instance, I wanted a little texture on my gravel boards (mine is going to be an outdoor layout) so on some small bits of board I tried a few ideas. Nobody was more surprised than me when the best option turned out to be grey fence paint mixed with washed builders sand. Trial pieces cost very little and can save on expensive mistakes.
As another trial, over winter I used different types of glue with fish gravel and painted with different techniques. They have been out all winter and with the results I can use the better ones to (hopefully) model a decent viaduct at some point.
Still working on making decent streetlights on the cheap. Tried a few YouTube ideas but mine aren't up to scratch yet. I'll keep trying though.
Get a train running, modelling can be done afterwards. Since starting on this hobby, speaking to various friends, it is surprising how often I have heard "oh my uncle, grandad etc had a huge collection of trains but never got around to building a layout for them". Layouts can expand, change, whatever, but they do have to start and surely a train running is going to drive you to keep at it. Now I must start laying track to get mine running!

 

[Mr N. Ladd]

I know many may disagree with this, but if one is on a very tight budget, go for DC. Also consider either older models in 00 or if one is handy with ones hands consider simple scratchbuilding in 0-16.5.
Most modellers dont consider the cheap little battery operated trainsets as a possibility, but last year on another site I have seen the construction of an amazing little layout which was based on a Christmas theme. It was so impressive when I heard that the whole layout from start to finish didnt cost much more then £20.
Also I've seen one layout where the modeller engages in 00 gauge freelance modelling where he takes various 00 gauge stock and repaints them to his one company livery colours. His collection of locos includes both steam and diesel, and they blend in well together. Somehow he gets the whole atmosphere to look realistic as if it were a real location, which is an even greater achievement when one realizes that the locos and rolling stock were from prototypes of a few differrent companies. It is budget modelling at its best and most effective it is too.
For me, I tend to like 7mm narrow gauge as the "Best of both worlds" approach as I can blend in scratchbuilt and (Where funds permit) simple kit built models. The scale I find easier to see, and the old 00 and H0 gauge mechanisms are used along with wheels etc. Even now as I speak it is still possible to make a little waggon for around £2 by using home made couplings (In my case a redesigned drawing pin for the centre buffer part and I use a paperclip as a source of stiff wire for a coupling loop).
Some have turned to 0 gauge to cut costs, though for me the increased cost of track, unless one makes ones own wheels, I can't see a great cost saving. Having said that, if one builds everything oneself, I do see there are savings to be made.
Sadly these days the sheer costs of model railways in ready made form adds quite a burden to the modeller who is finding that their finance does not stretch to buy the lovely new models. My concern is that those who were considering the hobby have second thoughts, which is a shame. One modeller I've been in contact was scratch and kit building lorries before he decided to take a look at model railways, and he has been doing an amazing job of buying old secondhand models and revamping them to modern standards. Another was into soldiers and has embraced model railways. The brilliant thing for both modellers is that they can combine their previous hobbies (And skills) with this hobby with amazing results.
So to conclude, those with little money spare can take up the hobby if one explores ways and means to do so. I will say be aware that if one picks up a model railway magazine and sees the term "Budget" being used, not to be frightened away as the term is so commonly used to promote anything and everything within the hobby that the term has almost become meaningless, so dont be put off when one sees the term used next to a hefty price tag!

 

[Michael Carter]

I always shop on-line for the absolute best price and also look for free shipping for spending over a certain dollar/pound amount, or a fixed shipping cost no matter how much you buy.

I don't agree with using DC over DCC when you can buy a complete starter system for as little as $150US. The versatility of these systems vs. cost is outweighed. What you spend on block isolation switches and extra wiring for DC could be put towards that entry level DCC kit.

 

[Ron2]

If you are starting out on a low or tight budget then go with DC, DCC can come later if/when your spending improves.

If money is tight then you will probably need to consider second hand rolling stock. Ebay is the obvious choice if you want to see a large selection of what is available. However Ebay is a bit of a minefield, you can see brand new items costing more than you could buy it for at a local model shop, plus the carriage some of the sellers ask is daylight robbery. A lot of the second hand doesnt fair much better, items with starting prices at far more than they are worth so you really have to trawl through it all and try to find pricing you are happy with.

Providing they are complete second hand wagons and carriages shouldnt be much of a problem but loco,s are a different ball game all together. You need to be very careful when considering a second hand loco. A number of them are as advertised and providing the seller gives a full description and is honest then they "should" be ok. Its still a gamble though but its difficult to avoid, you just have to trust the seller is truthful in the product listing.

NEVER go for a loco where there is no indication of how it runs, you can ask the seller but some dont reply, if not stay clear. You really need to find items where the seller describes the running as good, very nice or lovely runner etc. Avoid "been in storage but it ran well before" "runs in both direction" "probably needs a service" "ok but needs oiling" "not been able to test but the motor works" You could be lucky but probably not and when you complain the seller will just point you back to their description and then you are stuck with it.

Having said all this I have half a dozen Ebay second hand locos and all but one run very nicely indeed. At the time they all were described as very nice or good runners and the descriptions seemed to ring true so I went for them.

If you can find second hand at a local shop and even better see it run then that would be a safer option, but we have two local shops and they never have very much in the way of second hand.

Ron

 

[Ron2]

Following on with considering second hand rolling stock on Ebay, you can sometimes find new bargains but I must admit they are very few and hard to come by.

However I have been considering a class 22 (Baby Warship) as I want to build up a small stock of older diesel types, I have a class 52 Western and want to add to it.

A few days ago I was trawling through the N gauge wagons section when I came across a Dapol class 22, why it was in the wagon section I dont know. It was described as unused, un-opened and "Brand New" with a starting price of £65. I had my doubts as the Hattons price is £113, and naturally thought there must be some catch or something is wrong. I checked out the seller and his rating was 100% so I kept an eye on it. Up until 15 minutes from the end there was no bids and then two bids came in so I joined in and won it for £80.

So you can be lucky but real bargains are very few and far between.

Ron

 

[Mickleover Test Track]

Watch the YouTube channel Budget Model Railways.