Collecting Trains (1 Viewer)

[Jack]

I have just sent away for a subscription to a TS magazine but I had another look in a very large newsagent to see if I could grab one for some holiday reading and, as always, came away empty handed. What I did notice was the range of magazines for train collectors. Is it really that big a hobby? It seems to me (based on a few rather quick viewings at a hobby shop) to be an extraordinarily expensive hobby. Thoughts? As an aside, I also noticed a number of magazines devoted to tatoos. Are people with tatoos big readers?

 

[larso]

I think the tattoo people might be more into looking at the pictures.....

 

[lancer]

Can't speak to the tattoo question, but trains are very much a popular hobby. And it is an expensive hobby. I had Lionel "O" scale trains as a kid and I still own a couple of sets with enough track to set up but I have nowhere to set them up so that stay boxed. It is what is called a basement or garage hobby as that is where many of the collectors end up building their displays which can become hugely elaborate. Pick a scale and prepare to go broke. It is a hobby that is age sensitive, like TS, with most of the collectors being older and well-off financially. If I didn't do TS, I would find a way to do trains. -- Al

 

[johnnybach]

I have just sent away for a subscription to a TS magazine but I had another look in a very large newsagent to see if I could grab one for some holiday reading and, as always, came away empty handed. What I did notice was the range of magazines for train collectors. Is it really that big a hobby? It seems to me (based on a few rather quick viewings at a hobby shop) to be an extraordinarily expensive hobby. Thoughts? As an aside, I also noticed a number of magazines devoted to tatoos. Are people with tatoos big readers?

Don't know much about train-sets - as when I was youngster, they were ALWAYS out of reach - because of price. Woolworth's Toy Soldiers, however, were just about in reach - for a few pennies each (on special occasions, of course).

However, I have always valued Hobby Shops - which, as in my local town centre here, are still set up to cater MAINLY for the Train Set Nerds. (they actually believe that the occasional Toy Soldier boys - are Nerds - the poor deluded fools!!!). Such shops still stock much of the stuff that I need to cater for my TS hobby - (which, for me, is more building, repairing and painting them). I can thus get my brushes, paint, metal parts etc, - just because the Train Set Brigade - and the Shops that cater for them, are STILL, thankfully, about.

As to the Tattoos - do you mean Big Readers - or - BIG PRINT READERS?{sm2} - Ouch! jb

 

[thebritfarmer]

Individually the pieces of a model railway are no more expensive than collecting toy soldiers. A locomotive can be had for the price of 3 toy soldiers (UK prices) but then you need wagons, track the controller, there is scenery to be bought buildings, a baseboard to be constructed to support the layout and of course your time.

If you took a toy soldier collection as a whole I don't think there would be much difference in the overall outlay.

 

[Louis Badolato]

One of our friends on the forum, Ed Curiel, is also a train collector.:smile2: I bet he could give a fair comparison of the costs of the two hobbies.

 

[waynepoo]

Out of a bus depot of say three hundred blokes there is about twenty who are model railway freaks, as far as I know I am the only TS collector but they still talk to me anyway. Of those three hundred or so blokes about a third have tats and seem to be able to read. I have noticed driving around all day the number of women who have tattoos has sky rocketed, it's all the rage it seems these days, why anyone would want a tattoo is beyond me but why good looking (and not so good looking) ladies would have tattoos is truly hard to fathom.
Wayne.

 

[jazzeum]

Can't speak to the tattoo question, but trains are very much a popular hobby. And it is an expensive hobby. I had Lionel "O" scale trains as a kid and I still own a couple of sets with enough track to set up but I have nowhere to set them up so that stay boxed. It is what is called a basement or garage hobby as that is where many of the collectors end up building their displays which can become hugely elaborate. Pick a scale and prepare to go broke. It is a hobby that is age sensitive, like TS, with most of the collectors being older and well-off financially. If I didn't do TS, I would find a way to do trains. -- Al

Scott may be right about HO gauge but I used to collect O Gauge before I became interested in toy soldiers and the hobby was expensive. The locomotives have more bells and whistles (including installed computer processors) and are not cheap. When I was collecting in the early 2000s, locomotives were in the $200 to $300 range and I had three or four of them. That has increased somewhat. Freight cars are around $70. The biggest factor is space. If you have O gauge you need a lot of space for layouts. You also need to factor in cost for a transformer, track and buildings.

Just as you have people on here who are skilled at dioramas, so you have people who are very skilled at ceating realistic layouts and buildings.

Fun hobby.

Brad

 

[lancer]

Scott may be right about HO gauge but I used to collect O Gauge before I became interested in toy soldiers and the hobby was expensive. The locomotives have more bells and whistles (including installed computer processors) and are not cheap. When I was collecting in the early 2000s, locomotives were in the $200 to $300 range and I had three or four of them. That has increased somewhat. Freight cars are around $70. The biggest factor is space. If you have O gauge you need a lot of space for layouts. You also need to factor in cost for a transformer, track and buildings.

Just as you have people on here who are skilled at dioramas, so you have people who are very skilled at ceating realistic layouts and buildings.

Fun hobby.

Brad

Very much agree. Trains are a lot of fun, but the hobby is expensive, takes a lot of room, and can become a real time-hog. And don't get started on brass or vintage aspects of trains unless you are willing to part with big bucks. -- Al

 

[jazzeum]

I didn't have a lot of room so with a friend I built a 8 feet by 8 feet layout (which is small) in one of our rooms. It just took over the whole room and you couldn't move. I eventually dismantled the layout and later on eventually turned the room into a room for my jazz collection, which then morphed into the room where I keep a lot of my toy soldiers. However, we still refer to it as the Music Room :wink2:

Brad

 

[thebritfarmer]

One thing I never thought about ( and was brought to my attention by other modelers) is that cost is relative to the scale you model in. A 4 X 8 for N scale would allow a very decent sized railway. You could have at least 10 locos @ £65 each £650.00) and the addition of many locomotives, rolling stock and such. Use that same board for O and it would be more of a micro layout with maybe one loco (£445.00 for a class 31) or a switcher or two £169.00 each). This also goes for scenery, buildings cars etc...... you would be able to have a nice street scene on the N scale layout using more buildings etc......maybe only 1 or two houses on an O scale setup.

 

[Jack]

A few interesting points.

The first is how did I mis-spell tattoo twice in the same thread?

The second is the question of how you would go about collecting trains bit by bit. I collect K&C's ALH series but I can buy it a piece at a time and sit it on my shelf and build dios of increasing size and complexity. To collect a train series from scratch the initial outlay would have to be more wouldn't it? Surely people are not buying a locomotive, than some wagons, then some track and so on and then twelve months later hooking it together. It is not a criticism of the hobby. I think big train sets look fantastic and I would love to have one but from memory some of the locomotives I saw were over a thousand dollars. It must be an expensive (as opposed to too expensive. Things are worth whatever someone is prepared to pay) hobby to start, particularly as an adult where you may not want a child's starter kit. We often say where is the cheaper entry point into TS collecting. Do train folk have the same issues?

The third is whether there is a train/military crossover. Are there military themed train displays?

 

[uksubs]

A few interesting points.

The first is how did I mis-spell tattoo twice in the same thread?

The second is the question of how you would go about collecting trains bit by bit. I collect K&C's ALH series but I can buy it a piece at a time and sit it on my shelf and build dios of increasing size and complexity. To collect a train series from scratch the initial outlay would have to be more wouldn't it? Surely people are not buying a locomotive, than some wagons, then some track and so on and then twelve months later hooking it together. It is not a criticism of the hobby. I think big train sets look fantastic and I would love to have one but from memory some of the locomotives I saw were over a thousand dollars. It must be an expensive (as opposed to too expensive. Things are worth whatever someone is prepared to pay) hobby to start, particularly as an adult where you may not want a child's starter kit. We often say where is the cheaper entry point into TS collecting. Do train folk have the same issues?

The third is whether there is a train/military crossover. Are there military themed train displays?

Jack I'm collecting figarti Tain range and it not that expensive but having the room the problem .i could post some photos when it set up if you like to give you a idea of military themed train dio ?

 

[Jack]

Jack I'm collecting figarti Tain range and it not that expensive but having the room the problem .i could post some photos when it set up if you like to give you a idea of military themed train dio ?

Yes ... that would be great. Thanks.

In a perfect world I would like a train set with a couple of Mosquitos on a low level run. But if I ever went big like a train setup I would have to be able to have it all on display. I could not spend the money and have it in boxes. The room is always an issue.

 

[villagehorse]

Cannot get enough of trains and is why my model maker is currently building another armoured one for me. Always wanted a garden layout, perhaps one day.:rolleyes2:Robin.

 

[jazzeum]

A few interesting points.

The second is the question of how you would go about collecting trains bit by bit. I collect K&C's ALH series but I can buy it a piece at a time and sit it on my shelf and build dios of increasing size and complexity. To collect a train series from scratch the initial outlay would have to be more wouldn't it? Surely people are not buying a locomotive, than some wagons, then some track and so on and then twelve months later hooking it together. It is not a criticism of the hobby. I think big train sets look fantastic and I would love to have one but from memory some of the locomotives I saw were over a thousand dollars. It must be an expensive (as opposed to too expensive. Things are worth whatever someone is prepared to pay) hobby to start, particularly as an adult where you may not want a child's starter kit. We often say where is the cheaper entry point into TS collecting. Do train folk have the same issues?

The third is whether there is a train/military crossover. Are there military themed train displays?

There is no such thing as ranges in trains. You get started by buying a locomotive, freight cars, track and a transformer. It's that easy. You can make it as simple or complicated as you want it to be and as expensive as you want it to be. I think I had three or four locomotives, a traditional steam powered one, the muscular Union Pacific Diesel and the others I can't remember. You can then add on by buying buildings, either ready made, which you can then or not paint, or kits. I had several of both, some of which I had put together and painted for me. G scale trains, closest to toy soldier scale, are expensive but like I said you can spend as little or as much as you want.

Years ago someone had posted some very unique dioramas of military trains but darned if I know where that thread is.

 

[larso]

"However, we still refer to it as the Music Room"

I can't believe it didn't become the 'Train Room'!

There is something about trains. Fisher Price made a wonderful series called Geotrax. It's all retired now but there were a heap of accessories and they are all available on ebay. In fact I'm getting quite the set together.... for my son..... and nephew....

 

[thebritfarmer]

You are correct Jack, you need at least an circle of track, a transformer and a locomotive to get started. Starter sets can be had for as little as £49. This will include a locomotive, 3 wagons, transformer, track and a layout mat to put it on. It is then up to you where you want to go after that. It can be a very expensive hobby as has been stated but it doesn't have to be.

 

[rekp]

Trains = money for me . I am now self employed and earning a living wage purely from selling Thomas the Tank Engine stuff. Ironically I am spending almost $7500 a month on imports from the US on what is intrinsically a British institution.

In the UK there are maybe 20 or 30 model rail exhibitions a week throughout the year and it is a massive massive market for traders like me .

 

[marco55]

Some people have fantastic layouts.