In ShuanCN's "How old are you" thread, new user "VB" brought up some points that I feel should be discussed and debated. I would like to issiue the disclaimer that this is not a "pick on the new guy" post but a genuine effort to discuss some issiues brought up I feel need some explination and discussion. In any event I thank Mr. (Or Ms. perhaps?) VB for being a good sport.

The first of VB's comments I would like to bring up is "It takes 20 years of savings to get into a good system!! That, and time....."

I do agree with the time comment. For me this hobby is more than just trains in flashy paint schemes. It is about building things. Be they bridges, bechwork, complex track work, or and intricly built contest model of your favorite "Union Station," all these things take time. However I find that one only needs to save for 20 years if they plan to buy everything at once. I have found during my travels related to the hobby that alot of model railroaders have followed the same path I have. They started as children. (I am uncommon in that I started at Age 4 and have been modeling ever since) and have slowly built into their system. Adding a little at a time. Yes having a Basment filler (or what ever larg space you have to fill for that matter) is the ultimate expression of one's modeling efforts, alot of modelers including my self lack such luxuries and have to find ways to make do with much more limited space. I my self have had to make do wiht a 4X6 foot layout that I have managed to package a high proportion of modeling vs space taken avialable. Only recently was I granted a space to add a 18" X 10' Yard off to one side. (Many may comment about my multi railroad modeling I do. I change roadnames on this layout as my mood suits me)

The Next Comment I would like to address is. "....Thats why you get quite a few old farts doing it."

Granted many of the older members of our glorious hobby have themselvs finacially set and the time to explore the more intricate facets of the hobby. I have again found that alot of the what I affectionaly call "oldtimers" and in some instances those with peculular talents or skills "elders" have been exposed to the hobby since youth. While a pattern of having left the hobby during their high school, college, and early career years is quite common, it is also quite common for many to return with a full head of steam once they have their lives established, which is what I suspect the story to be of the originanor of this rambling discord "VB." Again I concede that there are many exceptions to established patterns.

The next comment I would like to respond to is "You can do it for a lot less, but all the nice and up to date things are expensive." It is true that the new modern and up to date stuff is expensive. However, I find alot of what has been called "Up to date" to be well below standard. While the money paid for Proto-2000 or the new line from Broadway limited imports (No experience with BLI yet but their line looks exciting. Will be in my Loco ranking as soon as I obtain one.) are worth the money they are asking, alot of it is not. For example lets look at the updated "Ready to Roll" line from Athearn. I look at that line and ask "Why?" While Athearn makes some of the best kits around, they should have never started selling preassembled cars. Every Athearn Ready to roll car I have obtained has had to be nerly completly dissassembled things tweaked to NMRA Spects, and reassembled. While this still gives me the "fun" of putting my car together, I do not get as much satisfaction from it as it essentially doubled the cost of my freight car kits with no increase in skill demand. As I am in College, this increace in price has been ucceptable to my hobby goals. While this may be a bit of over kill. I have recently started scratch building alot of my rolling stock. While this may seem quite an expenditure in talent and effort, beyond the talents of most modelers, I have been suprised at how easy it actually is. I am presently doing a project and doccumetning it and will post it on the internet for all to share when I am done. The net cost of a scratch built car comes out rougly to $3.50 per car to $17.50 for something comprable from Athearn Ready to Roll.

The last thing I would like to respond to is "Well, here's to finishing my layout within a year, oops, nearly forgot, and another year for the scenery!" This response is partially in jest.

Two years for finishing a layout. Forget about it. Granted it may take two years to get the basic construction, scenery, and detailing done. I have found that on my 4X6 foot layout. There are all kinds of little projects I am always doing. Then there is the "I can do better than that" factor. Under such factor, I have completly rebuilt all my buildings on the layout twice, and have redone my scenery three times. The results of each redo have been better than the last. Now with my new 18" X 10' yard section to do. I will be spending alot of effort getting that intigrated into my main 4X6 foot layout and may end up redoing the main portion yet again because I can always do better.

However Like all modelers, I await the time I have more space so I can try out some new ideas, on a new layout (Canvas as you will) and see what fun I can have along the way.

If you are still reading by now. I would like to thank you. I thank "VB" for providing the spark to get me thinking about these things and compelling me to write about them. I am interested in your responses and please post them below. If you think I have some valid points, or that I am just plain nuts. I await your review.

Thanks again one and all.

Sincerely

No need to wait 20 years to accomplish their
hobby goals. A hobby should not be your IRA or 401K.

Conservative, incremental & selective investing
in the hobby will get you on track and to your destination sooner.

The hobby has Cadillacs, Chryslers, Lincolns,
Fords, Chevies, Imports and yes, a few lemons.

With a recommended loco/rolling stock listing
one may avoid expensive, unreliable-problematic equipment. This is one of the forum objectives"to share and to educate"
Seven years into the hobby and I'm still doing scenery.
Our hobby is an on-going project. Enjoy it now.

You certainly don't need to haave big dollars to enjoy the hobby, although it certainly doesn't hurt. It was my dad's greatest joy to find young guys interested in the hobby and help them get started. He would show them how to scratch build the most incredible stuff from nothing more than shirt cardboard.

When I was little and there wasn't much money available for the hobby, my dad scratch built all kinds of stuff from cars to models and all his own track. Later he did it just because he enjoyed the weathering and the details he could include. I can remember him starting with a two by four and ripping it to make ties. He and his buddies would swap dye recipies for the most realistic tie colours. He used bulletin board cork (the fine stuff) for his rail bed and I can remember him trucking along with his bug eyes as we used to call them and his rail guage and spikes.

He and his buddies would trade skills. If someone could do the electrical work to wire up scratch built track then he would teach or trade some other kind of work for that help. Once a week they would get together to help each other at a different guy's layout. They had a blast. They were all ages and all different social strata. What brought them together was a love of the hobby.

My hair became the raw material for a birds nest in one of his models. There were certain plants that my mom had to grow in the garden so my dad could make trees with them for the railroad. Being inovative in scratch building was something my dad and his buddies took great delight in. It was almost a competition to make something from nothing between them.

As some one trying to now deal with a lifetime 's collection of railroad paraphanalia I can tell you I would gladly give away some of the old kits and bits that I will never be able to sell, if I knew it would go to some one who loved the hobby as much as my dad.