Model Railway Hobby Costs

[steve836]

LMS & LNER are great but don't touch anything else! You should get enough on fleabay from that Western rubbish to buy some decent locos!!

Can we limit LMS to Princess Elizabeth only    Otherwise I fully agree 

Would that be the same "Princess Elizabeth" Class which was designed by William Stanier, a man who learned his trade in SWINDON?

Yes he went there to learn how not to build locos

[Tdm]

I have three vices, a car, Whisky and model railways.

The car is a Ferrari Dino, a family heirloom, which passes to the youngest son for some strange reason, I can't afford to run it, I can't sell it, and insuring it even for a couple of weeks when that big orange ball may make an appearance is too expensive on a Postmans wages. So its cost are low, a bit of a wash and wax two three times a year, and I give it a run around the farmyard on my birthday.

Being a Classic Car enthusiast I would like to see a picture of your Dino as they were a lovely looking model and the last one I saw was here in Tenerife at a Classic Car Show.

After I retired as an I.T. Manager I took on a retirement job as a Rural Postman between 1999 and 2004, and in those days there was a "2nd Delivery" round which you could do either walking, on a Bike, or in your own car, and I used my Triumph Stag when it was my turn to do second delivery which raised a few eyebrows from the mail recipients I delivered to.!

Like you I too like Whisky - either Grouse and Soda or Dry Ginger, or in the case of a single Malt - Isle of Jura.

[Graham Walters]

I have three vices, a car, Whisky and model railways.

The car is a Ferrari Dino, a family heirloom, which passes to the youngest son for some strange reason, I can't afford to run it, I can't sell it, and insuring it even for a couple of weeks when that big orange ball may make an appearance is too expensive on a Postmans wages. So its cost are low, a bit of a wash and wax two three times a year, and I give it a run around the farmyard on my birthday.

Being a Classic Car enthusiast I would like to see a picture of your Dino as they were a lovely looking model and the last one I saw was here in Tenerife at a Classic Car Show.

After I retired as an I.T. Manager I took on a retirement job as a Rural Postman between 1999 and 2004, and in those days there was a "2nd Delivery" round which you could do either walking, on a Bike, or in your own car, and I used my Triumph Stag when it was my turn to do second delivery which raised a few eyebrows from the mail recipients I delivered to.!

Like you I too like Whisky - either Grouse and Soda or Dry Ginger, or in the case of a single Malt - Isle of Jura.

I'll try and dig some pics out, I haven't got any digital wise, so it may take me a while.
The Dino I have is all Ferrari, a lot of them that were made had Maserati engines will a Ferrari cover, I have checked the engine no against Ferrari records and it's genuine. Mine is also yellow, the true Ferarri yellow, again most think Ferraris should be red, but Dino's colour choice for his was yellow.

Grouse is a blended whisky, made from the ends of barrels from a lot of the small distillery's and from their own, they actually use caramel to get a consistent colour in the blend.
I get a fir bit of mine from the Blannoch distillery, the southern most in Scotland, they do a 16yr old with the fats still in it, it's a lovely tipple.
Jura is a good malt, but can be a pit too peaty for me.

[Tdm]

I'll try and dig some pics out, I haven't got any digital wise, so it may take me a while.
The Dino I have is all Ferrari, a lot of them that were made had Maserati engines will a Ferrari cover, I have checked the engine no against Ferrari records and it's genuine. Mine is also yellow, the true Ferarri yellow, again most think Ferraris should be red, but Dino's colour choice for his was yellow.

Does it look like this?

[D1042 Western Princess]

LMS & LNER are great but don't touch anything else! You should get enough on fleabay from that Western rubbish to buy some decent locos!!

Can we limit LMS to Princess Elizabeth only    Otherwise I fully agree 

Would that be the same "Princess Elizabeth" Class which was designed by William Stanier, a man who learned his trade in SWINDON?

Yes he went there to learn how not to build locos

No Comment..... EXCEPT 

[Chris Morris]

LMS & LNER are great but don't touch anything else! You should get enough on fleabay from that Western rubbish to buy some decent locos!!

Can we limit LMS to Princess Elizabeth only    Otherwise I fully agree 

Would that be the same "Princess Elizabeth" Class which was designed by William Stanier, a man who learned his trade in SWINDON?

Yes he went there to learn how not to build locos

No Comment..... EXCEPT 

LNER locos - weren't they the ones that kept breaking their middle big ends until GWR methods of construction were introduced after nationalisation?

[D1042 Western Princess]

LMS & LNER are great but don't touch anything else! You should get enough on fleabay from that Western rubbish to buy some decent locos!!

Can we limit LMS to Princess Elizabeth only    Otherwise I fully agree 

Would that be the same "Princess Elizabeth" Class which was designed by William Stanier, a man who learned his trade in SWINDON?

Yes he went there to learn how not to build locos

No Comment..... EXCEPT 

LNER locos - weren't they the ones that kept breaking their middle big ends until GWR methods of construction were introduced after nationalisation?

Correct Chris, and LMS were the ones who needed a GWR trained man to show them how to build a decent engine.
Stanier's name is still regarded as one down from Quisling in some houses in Swindon and, only a few years ago, I made the mistake of daring to mention the 'S word' in the home of a former GWR man. I was asked to leave.
The fact that the GWR man was FW Hawksworth probably didn't help! 

[Graham Walters]

I'll try and dig some pics out, I haven't got any digital wise, so it may take me a while.
The Dino I have is all Ferrari, a lot of them that were made had Maserati engines will a Ferrari cover, I have checked the engine no against Ferrari records and it's genuine. Mine is also yellow, the true Ferarri yellow, again most think Ferraris should be red, but Dino's colour choice for his was yellow.

Does it look like this?

That'll be the one. although mine looks a bit duller after spending a lot of it's life under dust covers

[Graham Walters]

Getting back to costs, tonight I have just come back from a club meeting where I have had to put preliminary costs to the committee for the proposed exhibition N gauge layout.
Before I gave them the figures I warned them that these were estimates, and that they were more likely to rise than fall.

A few whistles went around the room when the broken down costs came to a total of £1500, and that is without taking scenery into account.

The biggest expense is of course the rolling stock, closely followed by all the DCC gear that will be needed.

[Ben A]

Hi Graham,

That's interesting.  Our club has a pretty diverse mix of interests, though being an NGS area group we at least all model the same scale.

So when we build a layout, while the club springs for wood and track, we all tend to pitch in with scenic odds and ends, and depending on the area/era depicted different members will contribute complete (usually appropriate) trains to run - certainly the club never buys any rolling stock to my knowledge.

What happens to your club's rolling stock down the line? Is it kept in a secure location, or loaned out to members?

cheers

Ben A.

[Graham Walters]

Hi Graham,

That's interesting.  Our club has a pretty diverse mix of interests, though being an NGS area group we at least all model the same scale.

So when we build a layout, while the club springs for wood and track, we all tend to pitch in with scenic odds and ends, and depending on the area/era depicted different members will contribute complete (usually appropriate) trains to run - certainly the club never buys any rolling stock to my knowledge.

What happens to your club's rolling stock down the line? Is it kept in a secure location, or loaned out to members?

cheers

Ben A.

It's very rare that the club actually buys any rolling stock, but an exception has to be made in this instance because the layout is being planned for DCC, and as far as I know I am the only one with any N gauge DCC stock.  My job means that I am only available 1 weekend out of six, and I am reluctant ( naturally) to let my stock out of my sight, so the club will need to buy stock.

The club runs a very healthy second hand market for stock by buying up layouts, stock in all gauges and scenics, so the stock would be sold off at our annual show.

I'm hoping that a lot of the scenics will be scratch built, but so far I am the only one who has shown any enthusiasm for this route, myself I feel that a club layout should show people what the club is capable of building, rather than what it is capable of buying.

[triumphdude]

Say the locos are worth $100 each to buy new

But they're not. British outline N-gauge locos are nearer the £100 mark ($216 Australian) and increasingly over that price.

If British N-gauge locos were $100 Australian, i.e., £46, then we wouldn't be having this discussion! We'd all be at the loco train shop buying new toys!

Cheers, NeMo

Hi NeMo

I'm new to N-Gauge and just outside of Melbourne Australia, by local Model shop carries a good range of stock, but not everything I need with 25% possibly N-Gauge. I bought a Dapol Papyrus 12 months ago it cost me A$225, they are now stopped selling Dapol loco's but equivelant Farrish Loco's are aroung it for A$350-A$400 mark. I cannot wait for my UK trip I'm chomping at the bit to get in to Hattons. A$400 is approx 180 quid for a Loco, I am looking for a N-Gauge Thomas model for my layout when the grandkids come around, but have not seen one in N I might have to buy a Fowler or Jinty 0-6-0 and repaint it.

[Sprintex]

Tomix are the only company that sell Thomas stuff in N gauge


Paul

[railsquid]

Tomix are the only company that sell Thomas stuff in N gauge


Paul

And it's out of production so only available second-hand. Goes for reasonable prices in Japan but I hear tales of extortionate sums demanded overseas.

[Tdm]

Say the locos are worth $100 each to buy new

But they're not. British outline N-gauge locos are nearer the £100 mark ($216 Australian) and increasingly over that price.

If British N-gauge locos were $100 Australian, i.e., £46, then we wouldn't be having this discussion! We'd all be at the loco train shop buying new toys!

Cheers, NeMo

Hi NeMo

I'm new to N-Gauge and just outside of Melbourne Australia, by local Model shop carries a good range of stock, but not everything I need with 25% possibly N-Gauge. I bought a Dapol Papyrus 12 months ago it cost me A$225, they are now stopped selling Dapol loco's but equivelant Farrish Loco's are aroung it for A$350-A$400 mark. I cannot wait for my UK trip I'm chomping at the bit to get in to Hattons. A$400 is approx 180 quid for a Loco, I am looking for a N-Gauge Thomas model for my layout when the grandkids come around, but have not seen one in N I might have to buy a Fowler or Jinty 0-6-0 and repaint it.

As Australia is not in the EEC, if you take your Passport & return flight details into Hattons you will be able to fill in a "Global Refund Form" that will enable you to get all the VAT back about a month later.

Of course if you order on-line and get Hattons to send it to you Direct - that will be VAT free in the first place. I should imagine that could make quite a bit of diffrence to the cost of your purposes.