Large Scale Trains on a Small Time Budget
Think you can't have a garden railroad on a shoestring? Think again!
Many
folks think that big toy trains equal big expenses - and they can...
But they don't have to. With a little thought, some patience, a bit of
creativity, and a willingness to compromise, you can have a very
attractive layout WITHOUT breaking the bank!
Lesson 1: Think Small while thinking big! - Sure those broad
curves, huge, smoke belching, proto sound equipped locomotives, and long, long trains are impressive. They also eat
up a lot of real estate and a lot of cash as well.... But real life
railroading isn't just big
mainline stuff. There are plenty of places that run much smaller
industrial or plantation equipment, and yet they are still considered
quite 'real'. In large scale this smaller stuff is often much, much
more
readily available AND affordable as well. --- and can use those less expensive,
sharper curves without it
looking totally silly. - Which allows you to do a lot more in less, with less....
On that note, starter sets, with their small locomotives and sharp
curves can often offer a great bargain. The only caveat is that
some brands of track, like that from Bachmann, are totally unusable outside.
The trains are OK, the track is just total junk.
Lesson 2: Resist temptation! - We've all done it. We
saw
something that we just 'had' to have, and totally blew our budget with
that single purchase. Let me share a secret with you. There's very few things in large scale that are truly "rare".... and of those, there are fewer still that you actually need. Most LS items simply aren't worth doing without basic necessities or making your significantother
upset for even 5 minutes over. OK, if you really, really want it...
fine. Save up for it and wait for a sale. Sooner or later another one
will probably come along, and at an even better price (or when you can
better
afford it). Trust me, I might sometimes stretch the truth to tell a
better story, but I'm not about this. Even if it sounds like a really
good deal, always, always, always shop around before you buy!
Lesson 3: Buy used, but not abused! - Ebay, Craig's List,
and train shows can be your best friend - or your worst enemy. There's
lots of great used bargains out there to be found.... and lots of total crap, too. Most sellers are honest - others, not so much. Likewise, sometimes problems are obvious, sometimes not quite so.... So how do you tell? Ask! If
the seller gives you a vague answer, or if he tries to evade or
misdirect, then walk away - or possibly - if you're feeling really brave, go
forward under the assumption that it doesn't run, PERIOD. Better
to be pleasantly surprised than disappointed and out good money.
Some fixes are easier (and less expensive!) than others, and you
can't always depend on being able to get parts.
Lesson 4: Inexpensive plants can help hide that empty look! - Some
garden railroads are a miniature railroad outside, and some are a
railroad in a garden. If you don't have a lot of money to spend on
trains and buildings, then plants will often fill up the space quickly
and cheaply. Yes, many folks coming up from smaller scales don't much
care for the "trains through the tulips" look, but faced with a choice of that
or "trains through a moonscape".... I know which way I'd go. A
single Petunia can fill up a pretty big hole and will flower all summer
if you keep removing the spent blooms. Don't like petunias? Try
impatiens or begonias, or even marigolds (which do discourage rabbits
unless they are really hungry) Word to the wise though... stay
away from Vincas, Ivy, or any other fast growing groundcover, give
them an inch and they'll take over the whole yard! If you're inside - then potted
plants, or even those little fake xmas trees can help dress up that plain
"Plywood Central"
Lesson 5: Can't buy it? Build it! - Scratchbuilding and
kitbashing give you a chance to explore your creative side.
Occasionally, you can even save money --- Just as long as you don't go
overboard purchasing detail castings! Basic buildings can be tossed
together in an afternoon from used scraps (see: here for
an example), or even made from birdhouses. Rolling stock, and., yes,
locomotives can be built from other people's cast offs, basic shapes,
and parts. Some perenial favorite materials of large scale builders
that can be gotten very cheaply or even free are: outdated coroplast advertising
signs, scrap lumber (aka "alleywood"), empty metal coffee, food, and soda
cans, and wooden coffee stirrers....Building from these is very low
risk. If you make a total hash out of it, so what? Salvage what you
can, toss the rest, and start over again (and perhaps again) until you
are satisfied with the result. It may also help to keep you out of bars - unless early frustrations drive you to drink. hehehe!
Lesson 6: KISS! (Keep It Simple and Solid) - There is a lot to be
said for simplicity. Less things to go wrong., for instance. Sure
battery, DCC, R/C with digital proportional sound, blah, blah is really
super cool. It's also an unnecessary expense if you can't afford it. Guess What? You can
still
run model trains quite well with (gasp!) analog track power! The train
itself really doesn't care, so why should you? A transformer from a set
is usually adequate for a small locomotive and flower garden sized
layout. Sure you'll have
to clean the track occassionally. Do it while you're weeding and
checking for obstructions. It only takes a few minutes. - If you have
trouble with your knees, a rolling garden stool is fairly inexpensive,
you'll just need to plan for wider access corridors..... Now, as
for
solid. Spending some extra time on your subroadbed now WILL save
you money later. Bent rail because it got stepped on (and it will) is
no fun. Neither is repairing a wrecked train. One other 'solid' thing
that is definitely worth the expense is rail clamps.... at least
one on every single track joint (outside on curves, staggered
elsewhere). Good electrical connectivity, and a strong
physical connection as the track moves due to thermal expansion, no
falling apart after a year or two, all equal
less headaches for you. If you can't afford enough for all at once, then
buy them 10 or so at a time - and start on the least accessible curves
first. Then add as you can.
There you have it. If I can manage to build a Large Scale layout
subsisting on Disability, you.can too -- no matter how much, or
little, you make! And remember, if you're having good clean fun with it, it's right, even if others say it's 'wrong'....