Sure railway modelling is expensive, but compared to other hobbies...

[The Johnster]

Reading this thread I've realised sleeping is seriously expensive.

 

Just think of how much modelling time I'm losing due to it!

 

Console yourself by offsetting the cost of the time you spent modelling that could have been used for sleeping...

[PhilJ W]

Reading this thread I've realised sleeping is seriously expensive.

 

Just think of how much modelling time I'm losing due to it!

Just think of the modelling time spent at the computer keyboard.

[Colin_McLeod]

Should've stamped on it and got the full amount back instead of being honest and trying to work out a fair cost - I sorted it so the purchaser could have the model they'd wanted, but lost time/money on the repair after I'd paid the postage.

 

"There's no good deed that goes unpunished" - Judge Judy

[holywell junction]

This is without doubt one of the best threads I have read on here! Well done!

In our house, we have a simple rule that tends to keep the brakes on:

 

New Loco = New Frock

 

Simples.....

[holywell junction]

Meant to say well done Onthebranchline.

[The Johnster]

This is without doubt one of the best threads I have read on here! Well done!

In our house, we have a simple rule that tends to keep the brakes on:

 

New Loco = New Frock

 

Simples.....

 

So you look lovely as well; win win!

[GreenGiraffe22]

It occurred to me today, that the combined cost of my 18 or so locos, several bought at half their RRP, is probably the same total cost paid for my Double Bass...  But that is a one off payment for life I suppose, I can't imagine there are many Double Bass collectors?

 

And for a grand piano, that I aspire to own one day.... Anything from £4000 to £40,000 .... 

[Dava]

Chez Dava a new loco involves a visit to Pandora for Mrs Dava, they even have a loco+tender bracelet charm of no known prototype. $60 or the same as 3 nicely built Gauge O wagons I bought.

[Colin_McLeod]

Be careful or this could happen:

 

[Jongudmund]

I belong to a Lego Facebook group and people often show off their 'modulars'. These are a series of buildings Lego have produced to a very high standard, lots of details, really clever building techniques and so on. They retail at over £100 each, many are nearer £200. So a shelf with 10 on... easily a couple of grand's worth of Lego, particularly of there are older models that the owner has bought second hand (they tend to appreciate in value).

 

Lego can be a cheap hobby. But it can also cost a lot more than model railways.

[The Johnster]

Was in town with the squeeze on Tuesday avo, and called in the new Antics for some solder and to see how they were getting on. Her amazement at the prices of some of the things in the window was comical!  She had a fair idea already how much model railway stuff costs, but some of the R/C and limited edition aircraft took her a bit aback.  She couldn't understand why N gauge wasn't half the price of 00 when 0 is twice the price of 00, though, and when pushed, I'm not sure I was able to explain it to her...

[johnlambert]

Was in town with the squeeze on Tuesday avo, and called in the new Antics for some solder and to see how they were getting on. Her amazement at the prices of some of the things in the window was comical!  She had a fair idea already how much model railway stuff costs, but some of the R/C and limited edition aircraft took her a bit aback.  She couldn't understand why N gauge wasn't half the price of 00 when 0 is twice the price of 00, though, and when pushed, I'm not sure I was able to explain it to her...

 

As an N gauge modeller I must admit I try not to compare prices of N gauge locos and stock with equivalent OO gauge items.  However; I understand the cost of production is similar, the difference in raw material cost is trivial and the economies of scale are worse as N gauge won't (more's the pity) sell in the same volume as OO stuff.  So it seems reasonable to me that the prices should be similar. 

 

I don't have space for a OO model railway and I'd be happy to pay more for a N gauge model than the same thing in OO because the small size is an advantage that is worth a premium price to me,

 

No idea why O gauge stuff is more expensive, it might be that economies of scale come into it again; I presume the O gauge market is smaller than the N gauge market.

[ejstubbs]

Another expensive hobby is scuba diving.  Not just the cost of buying the kit but its maintenance, plus the cost of periodic testing of pressure vessels.  On top of that there's travel, and boat hire (or even purchase - which is of course a whole other world of costs).

 

As a rough rule of thumb: the more your kit costs, the more likely it is that the kind of diving you buy it for can kill you. 

[Lacathedrale]

I think the issue with £/scale is that price doubles(or halves) whereas the model's volume is cubed (or cube-rooted) - so that to occupy the SAME SPACE 0 and 00 are equivalent in price, an N is much worse off. If you model the same scene/object then the price in N and 00 is equivalent, and 0 is much worse off.

[The Johnster]

My attempt to explain the situation to her was based on the idea that the cost of manufacture is a function of the number of parts that have to be manufactured separately, collected, and assembled, the cost of the last very labour intensive process being probably the highest of any individual part of the process.  My assumption is that 0 gauge models are more detailed, or at least should be, than smaller scale ones, and there are therefore more separate parts to assemble.  This argument breaks down when you compare N to 00, as there are less (admittedly smaller) parts to assemble.  

 

A part that is about half the size in N or twice in 0 of it's 00 equivalent does not cost half or twice to design, tool for, produce, or assemble; the only difference is material cost and that is a very minor consideration using such small amounts of plastic.  What I haven't allowed for in this argument is packing and shipping; I have very little idea of how these processes cost out comparative to scale of model.  Obviously the smaller the box, the more boxes you can ship in terms of space and weight, but the packing probably costs about the same.

 

Of course, there's an element of charging what the market will bear as opposed costs + fair profit margin, but in general I believe we are not charged unreasonable prices for our models when detail, reliability, and finish are taken into account.  Note I said 'in general'; I accept that some people who have had dodgy experiences with DJH 0-4-2s might have a different viewpoint, and some 'redacted' models seem a bit pricey (looking at you, Railroad A28/30), but it is easy for us to overestimate the savings of using old toolings and underestimate the cost of new ones!

 

I wince at the cost of a traditional 4-wheel wagon being upwards of £15, but I don't want the cheaper Dapols with moulded handbrakes, and I can't have both.  The answer is possibly Oxford in the case of wagons, but they make little of interest to me beyond BR liveried XPO's.  Coaches are usually the fat side of £40 and some a lot more; I'm lucky that I model a BLT that doesn't need 10 coach rakes, but again I want good detail and brake block in line with the wheels.  

 

Maybe the question should be whether there is such a thing as a cheap hobby.

Edited November 23, 2018 by The Johnster

[Lacathedrale]

The one true answer is to go 2FS - loco chassis and wagon kits for a few pounds

[Jongudmund]

I think the Johnster has a point. There are no cheap hobbies if you're going to do it properly.

[Dava]

Gauge 0 is not necessarily twice the price of 00. RTR locos from $150 [Dapol Jinty, Terrier, 08 NQP & Hattons sale]. I bought 3 good kit built wagon for less than $60 this month. Try the Reading trade event on 1/12 for more s/h and other bargains. Bundles of Peco flexitrack and points often available. You get a lot more model for your money. Join the Gauge 0 Guild for more access to pre-owned items. You can often pick up a good kit built 0-4-0T for $100, wagons from $15.

 

Dava

[still using US iPad keyboard with $ for GBP!]

[Andy Hayter]

But if you are going to quote prices for second hand and discounted items, then you have to take the equivalent 00 discounted and second-hand prices as the comparitor. 

[The Johnster]

Bu

 

The one true answer is to go 2FS - loco chassis and wagon kits for a few pounds :)B

But many thousands for the cost of therapy after attempting to put anything that small together, never mind lining or lettering it...

[The Johnster]

A

 

Gauge 0 is not necessarily twice the price of 00. RTR locos from $150 [Dapol Jinty, Terrier, 08 NQP & Hattons sale]. I bought 3 good kit built wagon for less than $60 this month. Try the Reading trade event on 1/12 for more s/h and other bargains. Bundles of Peco flexitrack and points often available. You get a lot more model for your money. Join the Gauge 0 Guild for more access to pre-owned items. You can often pick up a good kit built 0-4-0T for $100, wagons from $15.

Dava
[still using US iPad keyboard with $ for GBP!]

And you need less models for any given space; in this sense N is about 4 times the cost of 0.

[Northmoor]

And you need less models for any given space; in this sense N is about 4 times the cost of 0.

I disagree; you model what you want to model, within the constraints of the space you have available.  If you love and want to model branch lines, suddenly having a 20' long room won't change that.  Pendon seems to have a lot of scenery and not many trains on view at a time; Chee Tor, probably my all time #1 layout, has hardly any track in the scenic section.

 

Careful confusing "need" for "want".  Oh hang on, we all do that (says he with more part-finished projects than Carillion).

[Dava]

But if you are going to quote prices for second hand and discounted items, then you have to take the equivalent 00 discounted and second-hand prices as the comparitor.

 

I don't have to do anything of the kind. I was simply pointing out that gauge 0 need not be twice as expensive as 00 and your money can go further than you might think. Equally you can pay $3k for a Masterpiece or Lee Marsh painted brass loco. I'll leave you to compare MRPs for RTR across different scales!

[brack]

Look at what Jim read does in o scale, or sir Douglas of this parish. It doesn't have to cost a fortune.

Likewise if you're happy making your own models in n or 00. Although parts for mechanisms are trickier to get in n, and slaters wheels aren't cheap in o gauge either. For 00 Gibson's don't break the bank.

[Andy Hayter]

I don't have to do anything of the kind. I was simply pointing out that gauge 0 need not be twice as expensive as 00 and your money can go further than you might think. Equally you can pay $3k for a Masterpiece or Lee Marsh painted brass loco. I'll leave you to compare MRPs for RTR across different scales!

 

But on a like for like basis then O is still twice the price or more.  I am not denying that you can build in 0 gauge at affordable prices, but it is more expensive (generally) than 00 and a factor of 2 is probably not that far from the truth.

 

Hornby 0-4-0 locos from £16 upwards in running condition and BEC kits for 0-6-0 tender locos for £50 upwards - compared with your 0-4-0 kit built O gauge at a ton.  Current sale of the century prices and I did not need to go to page 2.