Who's Buying?

[CNE Runner]

Thanks for the reply Jeff...I was worried that, in my frustration, I had ruffled some feathers - which was not my intent. And you are correct in saying there are some real craftsmen, artists, and women in the hobby. I only wish I had 1/100th of the model railroading talent Rod Stewart exhibits (his Songbook CDs are wonderful as well).

Ernie, I feel your pain. Not too long ago $100 was an amount of money that didn't even make my personal radar screen...my how times have changed.

Bob, I'll give you my special counseling fee of $75/half-hour. I'm sure we can work on your addictive issues. If we are unsuccessful, just think how far my fees will go toward my own layout. Just kidding...I know where you are coming from.

Thanks everyone for letting me blow off some hot air...no harm meant.

Ray

[Yampa Bob]

I've been "on the wagon", haven't bought a new locomotive for 3 months. I can't take it anymore, gotta have a fix.  

I ordered a couple Genesis SD70Mac, but they won't be in until November.  

Seriously, there are still locomotives and rolling stock for every budget. Remember there will always be people who have more dollars than sense.

I asked a salesman at Caboose Hobbies if the $5000+ brass locomotives were only bought by millionaires.  He replied, "no, just by those who think they are".

Ray,  I'm "ok", it's the rest of the world that's nuts. 

[pdlethbridge]

My fix will be here tomorrow or Friday. The $30 DCC equipped 44 tonner from the Favorite Spot

[chuff_n_puff]

Well, model railroading has went up in cost along with everything else. My dad, who retired from Southern Railway, died in 1979 and was born in 1905. I have an $18,000 HO layout I have built over the past 7 years and it's kind of a memorial to him, as all of it is in a Southern Railway format. I've had to just stop spending on it because of the rising costs of the hobby. But anyway my dad had a phrase he used to state all the time about the cost of living. He said that there was only two things left that you could buy for a nickel and that was a pack of gum or bag of peanuts. He would say, " Mark my words boy, the day will come when a man will have to pay for a drink of water!" Do you reckon he would turn over in his grave if he could see those prices now? I'm 60 years old now and I gave $50 for my first automobile, a 52 Studebaker. When gas went over $4 per gallon last year, it took around $80 just to fill my old farm truck up! So life goes on an on, I guess.

[Johnson Bar Jeff]

Remember there will always be people who have more dollars than sense.

You can say that twice and mean it!

[Johnson Bar Jeff]

I gave $50 for my first automobile, a 52 Studebaker.

Gee, I wonder what a '52 Studebaker would be worth today? 

[jettrainfan]

You know, i have some old model railroader magazines that are 1950-1980 style from a flea market back in 2007. Got 50 for $20. Some were in bad shape and smell like mildew. Anyway i look at these and some engines were barley $20! What in the world!?! And the sets were $15! What ever happened? I would think Thomas would be $5-$10! they would sell out fast!

[Jim Banner]

Hmmm.  In 1955, I would have had to work 6 hours and 40 minutes to earn enough to buy a $5.00 Thomas the Tank engine (minimum wage was $.75 per hour.)  Today at minimum wage ($7.25 per hour) I would have to work 4 hours and 34 minutes to buy a $29.95 Thomas.  In terms of hours worked, that $5.00 Thomas was almost 50% more expensive.

Based on hours worked, today's $400 locomotive was only $41 in 1955.  But lets compare that with a locomotive costing $20 in 1955.  The $20 locomotive was a diesel, probably an Athearn with a "hi-f" rubber band drive which would do zero or 160 with nothing in between.  The details were all cast on, the motor dimmed lights throughout the neighborhood, and the sound effects were gear whine and growl.  The locomotive worth $41 in 1955 has more details than 1955 brass, a quiet, efficient motor and gear train that can run smoothly at 1 mph and up, and the sound effects are true to life and limited only by the number of push buttons on your throttle.  Which is the better value for the number of hours worked?  You tell me.

I too am living on a pension.  That means I have to prioritize.  I don't smoke.  I don't drink.  I drive a 17 year old car.  And I am lucky enough to live in a country with medicare.  If I want a locomotive that costs $400, I buy it.  I may think about it long and hard, I definitely shop around for best price, I often take a large swallow just before finally making the commitment, but I buy it.  Having said that, I should also point out that the locomotives and their control system are the large expenses in my model railroading.  I love scratch building and get many hours of model railroad entertainment and a well populated railway at very little cost as a result.

Bottom line, I think we live in a wonderful time to be in model railroading.  Excellent models are available in all price ranges.  If we want the BMWs, we can somehow afford them.  If we want to or must spend our money elsewhere, we can still afford the Volkswagons.  And if we cannot afford any model railroading at all, we can still meet here for free and talk about it. 

Jim

[Pacific Northern]

Indeed,  the bottom line is disposable income.

Now that I am retired I have no bills, house is paid for. Bought a new car last year and that is also paid for. The kids are all grown up and have excellent paying jobs  so I need not worry about their futures.

My disposable income on my pension is substantially more than when I was working and raising a family.

Now where is that new engine I saw advertised?

[Guilford Guy]

I'll admit it, I've dished out cash for expensive locomotives.
However, on my model railroad, I'd rather have good running, nicely detailed locomotives, as opposed to poor running poorly detailed locomotives. For those not interested in detail or operation, then a 12$ Life Like F40 may be ideal, but I prefer to watch a high detailed train, crawling down street trackage.
Because of the high cost of locomotives I severely down sized my plans. Unless people have A LOT of money to expend, building a large layouts on a small budget can yield poor visual and operational results, but building a layout that is smaller than your budget can allow for more detailed scenes, and a better running railroad.
It all comes down to what the CEO of the Model Railroad wants.
Rant Out!

[Johnson Bar Jeff]

It all comes down to what the CEO of the Model Railroad wants.

Sure enough! It's just like Yampa Bob says: "Rule #1. It's our railroad. Rule #2. Refer to Rule #1." 

(Thanks and a tip o' the hat to Yampa Bob. I love his philosophy!)

[jettrainfan]

Hmmm.  In 1955, I would have had to work 6 hours and 40 minutes to earn enough to buy a $5.00 Thomas the Tank engine (minimum wage was $.75 per hour.)  Today at minimum wage ($7.25 per hour) I would have to work 4 hours and 34 minutes to buy a $29.95 Thomas.  In terms of hours worked, that $5.00 Thomas was almost 50% more expensive.

Based on hours worked, today's $400 locomotive was only $41 in 1955.  But lets compare that with a locomotive costing $20 in 1955.  The $20 locomotive was a diesel, probably an Athearn with a "hi-f" rubber band drive which would do zero or 160 with nothing in between.  The details were all cast on, the motor dimmed lights throughout the neighborhood, and the sound effects were gear whine and growl.  The locomotive worth $41 in 1955 has more details than 1955 brass, a quiet, efficient motor and gear train that can run smoothly at 1 mph and up, and the sound effects are true to life and limited only by the number of push buttons on your throttle.  Which is the better value for the number of hours worked?  You tell me.

I too am living on a pension.  That means I have to prioritize.  I don't smoke.  I don't drink.  I drive a 17 year old car.  And I am lucky enough to live in a country with medicare.  If I want a locomotive that costs $400, I buy it.  I may think about it long and hard, I definitely shop around for best price, I often take a large swallow just before finally making the commitment, but I buy it.  Having said that, I should also point out that the locomotives and their control system are the large expenses in my model railroading.  I love scratch building and get many hours of model railroad entertainment and a well populated railway at very little cost as a result.

Bottom line, I think we live in a wonderful time to be in model railroading.  Excellent models are available in all price ranges.  If we want the BMWs, we can somehow afford them.  If we want to or must spend our money elsewhere, we can still afford the Volkswagons.  And if we cannot afford any model railroading at all, we can still meet here for free and talk about it. 

Jim

Yes i was sort of kidding . I don't have a job and i look at these and think how much fun some of these models would be to have. I do understand cheap models....tough truth . A dockside i got($20ish) was alright but has horrible pick up. And my F7A&B unit ($70ish) is running for its second year and works like new. The facts are true. You wanna good engine its gonna cost you. I agree its worth it all the way ! I have no job so...you get my point

[jettrainfan]

I'll bet that MR and RMC are shrinking for two reasons - readership is down and the price of paper is very high. Many big papers like the NY Times are in serious trouble because of a decline in readers. The cost of paper is ridiculous. I chose a text book for one of my college classes and was going to order it until I saw a $140 price tag!

As for the price of trains, I remember paying $1.59 for an Athearn double door 50 foot boxcar kit (lettered for SP) when I was in high school; even the trucks had to be assembled (with a little rubber thing replacing the springs!) Today's model railroaders don't want to fuss around with kits; they want instant gratification and why not? For what you pay for some HO rolling stock it should put itself on the rails!

Kadee box car prices take my breath away. People today want cars that come out of the box and go on the rails without so much as tweaking the couplers. There must be buyers out there or they wouldn't sell the stuff.

I actually bought this kit for a nice 1950 era B&O boxcar kit and as i was talking to my dad, the worker there said"Teenagers buying kits?!? Am i in the right time period?"( I'm tall so yeah...it should have been kid,12 at time...lol)(starts to chuckle.) Do you go to a rail club or something? (i wish ) "no" i said. Then we talked about this local club and how they come there. The kit was on sale for $5.99 so i thought what the heck......buy it! . so i did and it was alot of fun to work on! And when it ran i thought it looked nice! It's not like they make the same model's ready to run...true? Anyway i don't know why people don't buy them. hard but fun!

[Guilford Guy]

Anyway i don't know why people don't buy them. hard but fun!

You answered your own question... Its too hard, and takes too much time for them. Some people don't have time or patience, or just want to run trains. Its a personal preference... I prefer scratchbuilding and kitbashing, others don't.

[pdlethbridge]

Alex , have you done a ambroid kit yet?