This Hobby is Expensive!!

[Bazza]

Chris,

Bear in mind, that the £99 meal provided enjoyment for four persons, not just for you. An equivalent $200 for a decent meal in Australia for four sounds quite alright to me.

Not sure a meal is a good comparison. There was a period when N scale models lasted about as long as a meal but these days they can provide enjoyment for far longer than a good steak.

But a good steak is a lot tastier . . .

[The Q]

Model railways expensive?

I sail..

Admittedly I'm on the cheap end of the market, per year..
Sailing club membership family £180
Broads tax sailing boat £74.22, paid that yesterday..
Insurance £96
Crane club membership ( to lift boat in and out) £75
Average cost of Maintenance £350
Mooring fee should be £320.

But costs are rapidly increasing, before Tango man's current adventures a 2 litre tin of antifouling £187... As the antifouling is made from oil based products.....
Then paint, varnishes, sailcloth, lifejackets, waterproofs are all made from oil...

[Richard Taylor]

Then paint, varnishes, sailcloth, lifejackets, waterproofs are all made from oil...

As, of course, are 90% of model railway items. If the current situation continues I suspect many of our suppliers will be reassessing how many new items it's prudent for them to produce and at what price points.

[Greygreaser]

Buying a train-set might be seen as expensive versus other toys!

putting hundreds of hours into railway modelling without charging for labour might be seen as unrealistic!

making one-off scale replicas of scenic items by 3D printing might be seen as costly though they would be unique!

acquiring specific rolling stock to match a period could be seen as extravagant but it complements the layout!

Gathering materials 'which might come in useful' only to be seen as Steptoe!

Saving unused quantities of anything you liked the look of, for the layout, then getting more storage!

Buying an expensive item you liked, which didn't quite fit the layout scenario, but was a bargain!

Now ask yourself if you've given a second thought to the cost of doing any/all the above in order to enjoy railway modelling?