I think you did a pretty good job describing what Model Trains are... ESPECIALLY considering how recently you became interested in the Model Railroading Hobby! ... and Thank You so much for making this Video... It's not just anyone that can both promote the Hobby and be Honest and Realistic about it's Expenses...it takes a Special Talent to accomplish that level of Professionalism and I am in Awe of you! I have been 'Playing with Trains' for over 60 years, and in all that time I could never accomplish what you have with this Video in 7 minutes and 35 seconds!
I've been on and off in the hobby for most of my childhood, adolescence, and even for a short time in adulthood, but this video gave me the bug again and in just a few weeks I've already bought new track, new cars, and a new engine. Were it not for college, I might buy more, thank you for re-igniting my spark for it.
I model N scale. I recommend Kato and Fox Valley Models to start out. Kato has fantastic locomotives and passenger stock, Fox Valley Models have great freight stock. Kato unitrack is also fantastic for both N scale and HO scale.
I have been a model railroader for well... about 20 years now. I'm still young, but started trains at a young age. I personally believe in cheap model railroading. I buy a lot of used, but high quality equipment. For example, I bought and fixed a rejected bachmann DCC Sound berkshire for about $60 bucks. I had to fix it, but it's a huge savings. Local hobby shops are a very hand tool for building layouts and actually seeing the product. I admit, I work in a hobby shop. We are not always as cheap as online, but the main draw is that we can answer questions. I personally like stopping by other hobby shops on trips to see what they have. You never know what you'll come across.
Whenever I buy model trains, I usually go for the older stuff online since you can buy a lot of models from the 1990’s or earlier for insanely cheap prices. The most I’ve ever payed for one is 50 bucks.
Even newer trains can be found for really good prices on Ebay I bought a KATO R-2 for like 70 bucks without shipping it would've been 60. Recently got a Bachman Spectrum for like 35.
It's a great video for someone getting into the hobby I've been doing model trains for almost 10 years and it's refreshing to see other get into a great hobby keep up the great work
This is one of my favorite videos on your channel ive ever seen, mainly on how you produced the video with a joke style but still focusing on the basics
I’ve been in the hobby for about a year and four months as of now, (particularly ho scale) but I don’t have many locomotives that are nice. Probably spent about $300 total for like 6 pretty nice locomotives (although most of those are over a decade old) Along with those, I’ve probably spent about $200 among 20 more locomotives that either ran badly or didn’t run, and fixed them. An interesting part of the hobby is seeing a 60 year old locomotive that probably hasn’t run for 30 years start going again, even if it’s not the most beautiful thing in existence. I’ve probably put only $50 into rolling stock because I had a decent amount of cars as well as 6 locomotives passed down to me by my grampy. A lot of the stuff I’ve got would be considered trash by most modelers, but I just like that i can go get a 70 year old steam engine that I purchased for $5 and brought back from the dead and it will run fine.
Great vid. Don't ever get a sound unit, once you do, you will want all your locos to be sound. Lombard, Midwest, and spring creek are go to for all my train supplies.
Factory Direct Hobbies is a great one, you accumulate points as you buy stuff which you then can use as discounts towards your future purchases, but always support your local hobby shop!
FDH is great but you gotta stay on top of them sometimes. They've missed a few of my preorders - in spite of putting the models in stock for general puropse, and will not tell you if they can't fulfill your order. At least their prices and deals tend to be quite good.
If you have access to a model train show, then try going to one. There are very helpful people there (usually for the most part) and very good deals, pretty much the cheapest prices you will find.
Excellent video! Yes model trains are expensive, but it's also a hobby that can last decades. I still have model trains from the 1980's--a few are still running. Also, if you build a layout, realize it takes time to build. Start small, build as you can afford. Learn along the way. Model railroading is fun! It's also a fun hobby to share with family and friends.
Model trains are so fun, I did grow up with them since I asked my parents for a set when I was young. One year I managed to get a Lionel Polar Express for $16 on a black friday deal. $16 brand new. That was insane, and I loved it. I watched O scale 3 rail stuff on RUclips before but this was new to me in person. When I got into full scale models I went with the 3 rail O, but I still have a small table with 2 HO gauge tracks and 1 N gauge track, though I only have digital control for O gauge. My favorite online stores are Trainworld, Legacy Station & Mr. Muffins Trains.
I enjoyed your presentation. Scale trains is by far no 1. HO is also the best, it offers more of everything. Anyone wanting to get into the hobby should research and plan before purchasing anything, especially if they don't know much about it.😅
I have an O gauge train that was passed down to me from my grandfather. I use it around the Christmas tree, and the train is either 29 or 30 years old because it was built in 1993. It's basically a gem to me.
You could also buy from local shops like there is one in Illinois that can serve the whole country. (Lucky I live a few miles from Lombard hobbies) but Lombard hobbies is the best for me.
I have been in the hobby for a while now, and i recommend visiting not only using online websites for your locomotives and rollingstock, and instead recommend visiting physical hobby stores. The one i go to has a lot of second hand locomotives, that apart from being a bit older, are really cheap and quite commonly are reasonably detailed and run ok. this helps when starting off a layout, as second hand stuff is generally cheaper then brand new
I don't own many model trains, but I do build models of tractor trailers in HO scale. I've flipped through the Pacific Fast Mail brochures from the 60's and I'm blown away with the detail in some of the brass models PFM imported. United and Tenshodo seemed to be the main brands they carried but I'm also aware of other PFM lines consisting of models from Sakura and Toby Kogyo, whose models were a part of the PFM "Crown" line. My mother has a model railroad in our basement and I've tried to interest her in buying some PFM locos. The only advice I can offer to model railroaders comes on the front of adding vehicles to your layout. It can really help if you go the extra mile to study the cars and trucks of the era that your layout depicts, as well as the location you model. For example, a 1950's Peterbilt would look out of place on a NY Central layout but would be perfectly at home on a Southern Pacific layout. Also, study the various options you have for vehicles, especially in HO. There are often companies who will sell more detailed versions of the same truck, for example, a CMC or Boley Peterbilt is far superior to a Promotex Peterbilt in the same scale. You can also buy special rims and other detail parts to make the vehicles just as realistic as the trains. But also look at cheaper vehicles you can buy for your layout. The Matchbox "convoy" trucks will look at home on an HO layout, and the new Micro Machines are close to HO scale too.
Right on! Ever been to a train show? They’re not the greatest place to buy brand new items but if you look in the right places you’ll find some real gems for cheap! Some of my best purchases came from train shows.
I love model train stuff, I live in Baltimore so I usually just drive up to their warehouse and pick up my order it's delightful and the staff there are so friendly! Also there a great tabletop game store less than a mile away with a fantastic selection of paints & supplies plus they even have painting stations for customers to use if you don't have an airbrush or specialty tool.
1 some model train online shops have reward programs when you shop with them. 2 I mostly buy European models, and honestly if you want model trains, start with a budget set before going onto a scale model. It gives you alot of learning experience for a cheaper price. I recently picked up a decent size European starter set that included a larger 0-8-0 tender locomotive with 5 freight cars with metal wheels for only $120, an 0-4-0 Christmas locomotive with 3 festive cars ($85), and a decent sized industrial layout with curved turnouts. The track doesn't have roadbed though but it will be used on a semi permanent layout that is on hardwood so the gear trains don't pickup dust.
I tend to collect vintage model railroad cars and run them behind modern dcc locomotives so I tend to use eBay for rolling stock and sometimes the locomotives, although usually I use hobby shops. Since I’m limited on the amount of money I tend to buy Bachmann products, usually keeping to the Spectrum models as those are usually dcc ready or equipped.
Great video my friend. I've been in the hobby for about 3 years, I also make unboxing videos. Here in Brazil we have a national manufacturer called Frateschi, the trains of this manufacturer are not very detailed, but it is worth the cost benefit, each wagon costs on average a little less than 10 dollars. Unfortunately, the hobby here is not big and this company has no competition, many models of our trains are handcrafted, mainly in 3D printing. And yes, this hobby is very expensive, a Scale Trains locomotive arrives here in Brazil costing more than double its value in the store and our already weak currency, it arrives costing 2 to 3 minimum wages. Very pulled.
Was interesting to see your comment as I was reading them all. We Model Train Enthusiasts in the US often are mindless of the Challenges that face folks like you in Brazil... and sometimes we need to be Reminded that we don't have the only Railroads on the Planet! I am aware of Frateschi Model Trains... I have even seen some of their older models at Train Shows here in the US. It's been a long time, though... and I often wondered about the History and background of the Fratesi Models. Thanks to Your Comment, I have learned more about them since I first became curious about Brazilian Model Trains 30 years ago !!!👍
this is a great video for new people on model trains and you did it with H O trains i love the video keep it up im now subscribed hope to see more videos llike this
For HO, buy either Stewart, Bowser, Athearn, Atlas, Kato, or Scaletrains in terms of running quality. Models to be cautious of are Broadway, MTH, Intermountain, and Bachmann.
@@gamerfan8445 I never said anything about them being "bad". I said you should be cautious on which you buy. BLI has a history of having quite a number of stinkers, and less than optimal quality. For example, a good amount of the first BLI models to come out have the tendency to develop axle gear and/or idler gear cracking/failure problems. They were nylon gears. With that being said, spare parts themselves are not produced anymore for anything older than Paragon 2. You have to buy parts locomotives now or forge your own parts with a high quality printer. Speaking of Paragon series. There are around 6 lines that BLI produced models. Some are better than others. For Bachmann, the best models from them were the original Spectrum HO line. The Shay's and other geared locos had gear problems like the spectrum line diesels. Unfortunately, modern Bachmann steam engines seem to not be as strong pullers as their competitors. However lately, they seem to be putting in more torque motors now from what I have seen, but still, the best will the brands I have stated on my op including Walthers, which I forgot about however, even some of their newest return of the F40PH has issues too. Every brand has their duds, but some have more than others. Bachmann seems to be wanting to go more higher end with some of their models, but they need to up their motor power in order to justify some of their asking prices. Broadway has been doing better with Paragon 4 after their rollercoaster era of Paragon 3 motor and decoder quality. Now that they reintroduced DCC/Ready "Stealth" after almost two decades now, I'd say they are heading in a better direction and I hope they keep that direction from them on. Still, every new product could always have a possibility of being a dud. If you are buying used, then you need to know which ones to be more cautious about or to avoid.
I have found that the way for me to afford this hobby is to buy used and stick to DC. I especially like Athearn's blue box series from the 90s, the motors are like butter and the detail is pretty good compared to basic Bachmann stuff from the same era.
One thing I also recommend, look and see if there are local vendors who sell used model railroad stuff, as they will typically buy from a lot sale, and sell each item at a really low price, which works well especially if you're looking for a specific era, company, or locomotive type. Also, in my experience, purchasing DC locomotives and installing dcc chips in them can sometimes be cheaper, especially because of a lowered labour cost.
I’m a 3rd generation railroader and I’m lucky enough to model my old line of Chicago Northwestern, since my grandpa collected all of their models kits from the 70’s to the 90’s
That was enjoyable. You reached great beginner points some of us model train veterans would be so accustomed to that we would forget to mention them, things like batch productions and general pricing and detail quality differences. I live in Denmark and primarily run N scale. I do most of my shopping on model train meets, eBay and DMtoys, a German site specializing in N scale. I wish I could have said that I did more to support the brick and mortar shops for model trains that are out there, but sadly they don't really care that much for N scale here in Denmark so I pretty much only use them for paints, oils, micro-set for decals and other such tools and remedies. there are a few small manufacturers i call when i need sliding decals, which are really thin decals with lettering or graphics that you can see me use on a few videos. Oh and I warn you about DCC. once you get into it. you get addicted to using sound and lighting functions. I keep finding myself wanting to toot the horn when i run regular DC.
i'd love to see much more diverse content (such as this!) from you, it's way different than usual but very nicely packaged and informative to be interesting
Personally, I run HO and I never really buy any locomotives or rolling stock online. However, I have purchased track, scenery, track-maintenance and cleaning tools, oils, locomotive-maintenance tools online. When it comes to locomotives and rolling stock, my go-to would be hobby shops, antique stores, and swap-meets. Most of my trains are used, and I’m alright with that.
I've loved trains since I was like 2 or something and I still haven't gotten a proper layout in 17 years since. However there's a game called rolling line and it's been awesome to visualize and plan what I want to achieve and it's a superb way to get a similar feeling on a budget until I have the funds and space for a table
Crafty u need to get another British train, i belive the only one u have is the terrier if I’m not mistaken, u should get like the flying Scotsman or an a4 or maybe even a merchant navy :D, if u do decide to get any of those I recommend Hornby bc they are the best for those
I Actually Use Beckmann Trains The First Set Was A BNSF Set I Found From Menards It Was $200 And I Got A Beckmann Trains Railroad Crossing For Christmas Eve 2020 And I Save Some Older Cars From The 1950s or 60s or 70s With 2 Older ATSF Engines That Don't Run Anymore But The Original Cars Can Connect To The Bachmann Cars But They Sometimes Derail On The Track Switches
Well done!! Informative, exciting, visually appealing, but down right depressing once you added up the cost!! Thank you for honest helpful links and reviews!
My best advice for starting it in model trains is too find local hobby shops and see what they have. A lot of times you can find great deals and really unique vintage models. Next look for model train shows your can get amazing deals on great models as well as new connections to shops that you might not find as easily online. I spent $290 this year at a train show and got 7 locos, 2 of which were Athearn, and a bunch of rolling stock. I easily could've spent more and gotten some incredible models. Train shows are the best for great deals. Lastly you can always casually check eBay for specific models you want but I would only buy from there if you haven't found it anywhere else, if it's a great deal, or if you're looking for vintage or broken models you want to fix up
I recently scored a 27-car eBay lot of covered hoppers for about $600 plus shipping. If you check regularly to see if you can find lots like that. I also talked to the Saler to negotiate a price. Tank cars will for the most part are hard to get in eBay in lots. Crafty Fox is spot on with what he said about starting. A little bit here and there will get you your railroad.
If you want to save hella cash you need to go to swap meets, they usually have insane deals (half off or more) on everything, i got 2 dcc locos for 60 each! i got a trailer car set for 25$ some boxcars for about 6$ each. i spent 200$ on 2 locos, a 5 car spline set, 8 box cars and 4 passenger cars. It is insanely important to do this if you want to save money. If you don't want to spend money on track make sure to join a club. They usually have huge layouts you cant make yourself for maybe 20$ a month or less. It helps to get to know people there as they usually know more than you and can help you fix issues that crop up. Auctions on ebay can be a way to get cheap trains but make sure to read the description so you don't end up with the wrong thing. Happy railroading
I buy from scaletrains and trainwotld. Scaletrains doesn’t have other brands like trainwotld does though. Trainworld has pretty much every HO scale brand, my personal favorites are athearn genesis. Very detailed(and loud), and addicting.
For anyone who wants to get into it I have to emphasize the fact that it is EXPENSIVE, I use the cheapest scale and in my 10 years of collecting I’ve probably spent 20-30+ thousand and if I bought my entire collection new I’d end up spending closer to 60-70+ thousand. My collection is on the larger scale tho (500-1000 rolling stock and trains
Another bonus to ebay is if you're locomotive brakes down you can always find replacement parts also some model trains aren't quite as expensive (some older models) and at train shows you can find them pretty cheap
Nice video, worth a thumbs up. I will say though everyone will be different in their wants/needs so the cost of doing things can vary greatly. For instance what these models look like with a nice close up camera shot may not be what they look like to you simply because you'll either be farther away than the camera was most of the time or you simply can not focus at things that closely, so all that extra detail while it is there may not be something that you notice, and you do pay for details so YMMV on that regard. Also I'm a fan of getting my hands dirty, DCC ready is much more appealing to me than a fully on DCC/sound train, because decoders and/or speakers can often be added for considerably cheaper than the cost difference if you just buy it ready to go. Some people will be happy to set up track on the floor and let it run, others will want to have a nice "layout" which also would determine which direction you go. You like the double stacked freight containers, I'm a big fan of passenger cars, everyone has their own thing and those little differences can end up being the difference between a "holy hell this hobby is to cost effective!!" and "All aboard WOO WOO"
I've been model railroading ever since I was six or five years old and now I'm twelve years old my local train store is what has proved me with all my products except for two of my items which I got from online. All the freight car in the ho scale section are between 30 to 100 dollars depends on what your getting recently I went and got some athearn genesis tanker cars which were in a 3 pack it was $170 if I got them separately then I would have cost at least $200 because a single tanker car was $63 $64 dollar and locomotives are over $200 $300 dollars and steam locomotives are OVER $500 $600 I got my Union Pacific EMD SD90MAC-H2 in 2021 for $275 plus tax and and I saw a CSX ET44AH for $250 and I got the Union Pacific locomotive because the it had that bright livery unlike the CSX locomotive which its livery was very dark and in the night time I had a feeling that it would be camouflaged.
Something to keep in mind, if your looking for something custom be it a unique engine or rolling stock or something that's out of manufacture; you can reach out to a small 3D printing company. I've done a couple of custom orders for members of the Topeka Model Railroaders club where I designed and printed replacement parts for older rolling stock, and custom designed and printed 16 30ft long HO scale log cars with optional bunks so you could customize the placement of the bunks. All together it totaled 360 dollars, which works out to 22.50 per car for a custom designed car! If there's interest, feel free to reach out!
If you have a local hobby shop buy from them mostly. Eff online shopping support your local community. I DO use Amazon but only for smaller kinda disposables or items that get used up.
Intermountain does have a “Value Line” fyi! Good info in this video. I would highly recommend the KATO track, wish I would have started with that over Bachmann.
Another good place is a flea market. Normally you do not find the higher end product, but if you are looking to start out or just fill out a train you can usually find stuff for a pretty cheap price. Also typically when you find a person with only a few train items on a table full of non-train items you can get them for a very good price as its not what they normally sell and they do not know current market prices. I got a Bachmann spectrum daylight with the split chassis for dirt cheap because the wheels were out of quarter and with a new bushing I had a perfect runner.
I will also jump in and add that Model Train shows are awesome places to learn and get good deals on used, and even new models. Also, most trains that are new and just DC can easily be upgraded to DCC non sound by these locomotives coming equipped with a pin that the decoder plugs into. If not, you can hardwire decoders in, which is done in most models. A non sound dcc decoder can cost as little as $20 and a really nice sound decoder can cost $150. Also if you don't have the space for a layout, look for a local museum or model railroad club you can join.
I like to go to a model train store. They will have new and used trains also the people working there can show you what's up with every model. You can send locomotives there to get repaired as well.
Literally a dream of mine to have what you have. I’m just a kid so I don’t have enough money to buy model trains. Watching your Channel is all i need for now tho :)
From my experiance, shopping for models at a model rail show is the best place if you want to find good deals, you can also often come across rare items that don't usually appear online.
I mainly focus on N and O scales: For N scale, I prefer Japanese models, and it's usually cheaper to import from Japan than buy locally, most of the time; the places I recommend are Plaza Japan, Model Trains Plus, and Suruga-ya. Trainz, eBay, and Amazon may have good deals as well if you know where to look. I typically go with KATO locomotives with TOMIX rolling stock, unless it's something that only one particular manufacturer offers such as themed trains. For track; I use both KATO Unitrack and TOMIX (both their old style, and the current 'Fine Track'). And for O gaue (not always technically O scale), I collect mostly vintage models from Lionel, American Flyer, Ives, Marx, Hornby, etc... Most of my O gauge stuff was made between the 1920's to the 1960's, with a few modern stuff mixed in. There's several places to buy from, but for starters, I recommend Trainz, eBay, or even local second-hand/antique shops. I use traditional tubular 3 rail O gauge track; obviously not very prototypical, but it's cheap and the customability options are limitless (plus that's what they were designed to be ran on).
I have trains from most scales by this point, and almost all of them I got used. If you're not looking for modern model trains with advanced features, I would highly recommend looking in antique shops and model train shows. There are some really good deals, and if you get lucky you can find an HO set for $20-$30.
I'm into German H0 trains. And my tip for newcomers would be: If you want to start into model railways. Start with what your wallet can afford. If you get a job or something like that in the future you might be able to get more detailed and perhaps even sound fitted loco's. All step by step. And as long as you are satisfied with what you get for what you paid and are happy, that's a win. You, by no means, have to start off with the best, most detailed and most expensive model. Especially if you're still learning your where abouts. Stuff does go wrong after all. And you wouldn't want to break something expensive whilst still learning. Hope that helps.
Going to shout out my friend’s company Mario’s Trains. They specialize in O scale products but they have N and HO as well. No tax, free shipping, and located in Winchester VA.
hi, have you ever considered using a Tomix Power Unit? The Tomix Power Unit 5517 has what they call a CL (Constant Lighting) funtion, so you can have the trains headlights on while stationary, it even has delayed acceleration and deceleration, so its almost like running DCC 😀
Interesting to see the American H0 scale. im only used to european H0 (Märklin, Trix...) with 3 contacts called "Dreileitersystem" working on AC Power here in Germany. i´d love an ac 4400cw running on my rails but i havent found one with Dreileitersystem-compatibility sadly.
Another good model railroad brand is Bachmann. People Usually have a sour taste for them but if you take care of their products they are actually pretty good.
I'm a Model Railroad Freak from Germany and im active at the Fremo. Were building Model Railroad Modules in H0 in an specific way so we can stick them together and make big layouts which fits a whole gym hall. Were doing only DCC and in my case only with Sound. And we have a lot of exclusive models in germany like one specific loco with a unique livery or something, which costs 800 euros (800$) one year after production stop. Or specific coaches from my Hometown wihich now costs 200 euros per coach. Its really expensive, time and space consuming. But makes a lto of fun. If you want to see what I mean, search for "Fremo" on youtube. Btw. Its not HO with the Letter O, its the Number 0 (zero). H0. Because its Half of 0 (zero) and this is half of 1
I’ve been in the hobby all my life, I have mostly used trainworld but I have been willing to look at some other websites as of recent. I didn’t see any steam in the video, now that is a whole new level of money burning and are a little harder to find in stock, but man are they cool, I would say worth it to!
I recommend finding a local club or group first, see what you like, and have someplace to run your new trains without having to spend money on track, power packs/dcc systems. also, decide on what you want to model, otherwise you'll end up tryting to buy everything. This is a good way to end up with a bedroom full of boxed cars, since you've elimnated nothing. (everybody needs a bigboy, and an f7, and perhaps a shay, and the gevo that goes by nearby. of course none of these would ever be seen together, so now you need cars to go with each era of engine...)
Here are some of my tips. I have been collecting HO trains since 2014. I have built 3 layouts and currently planning the 4th layout 1. NEVER buy trains at full MSRP. You are just wasting money. 2. Purchase from reputable and established online retail stores. 3. Never buy trains from Amazon. They are just over priced junk. 4. Use a layout planning software before you spend on tracks. 5. Steam Locomotives are always more expensive than diesels. 6. Try to get DCC Ready. So adding a DCC decoder will be easy. 7. Do not get into the FOMO, some trains will have their prices reduced over time. 8. Road Numbers and Road Name plays a huge part in pricing. 9. Some brands have different versions of the same thing in terms of build quality and detail. 10. Not all brands are created equal. Some will have or lack features. 11. eBay is a great place for secondhand trains. But make sure you know the seller. 12. European is 1:76, Japanese is 1/80, and American is 1/87 13. KATO HO Unitrack is the most reliable and robust. But it is also very limited. 14. Startout with sectional track before you get into flex track. 15. An engine can look nice, but it does not matter if it cannot run properly. 16. Price compare from diffrent stores. One store will sell it cheaper than the other. 17. Train sets are good for starting out, but they are not high quality and have cheap rolling stock. 18. Do not run DC engines on a DCC layout, you will blow up the engine. 19. Wait for sales and use coupons offers. They will help a lot. 20. Know your worth. Is this locomotive or rolling really worth this much money?
I might add, in your area there might be local flea markets where you can get excellent prices. I live in Europe but love Americans trains. Getting American locos (I love EMD F7 or EMD GP35) is extremely difficult (if you search for a very specific model) and you usually pay a premium because they have to be imported. However I got a DCC GP35 from Bachmann in excellent condition for 60€ on one of those markets. A steal in my opinion.
Model trains are:
A) Expensive
B) Addicting
C) Fun
D) Worth it
Amen to that mate
even better with steam locomotives
E for All the above
Yes.
Definitely.
I do OO gauge. I recommend, if you’re gonna buy any Hornby products, DO NOT buy them from Hornby themselves.
I agree but I heard they were unreliable
Always buy Hornby models from a model shop or online store. That’s how I got my Hogwarts Express train.
I do O scale and I do the same thing with Lionel.
@@theamericanlocomotive then you’re on the right track (pun intended)
Also if you're an American and want OO, Hattons and Rails of Sheffield is your friend.
I think you did a pretty good job describing what Model Trains are... ESPECIALLY considering how recently you became interested in the Model Railroading Hobby!
... and Thank You so much for making this Video... It's not just anyone that can both promote the Hobby and be Honest and Realistic about it's Expenses...it takes a Special Talent to accomplish that level of Professionalism and I am in Awe of you!
I have been 'Playing with Trains' for over 60 years, and in all that time I could never accomplish what you have with this Video in 7 minutes and 35 seconds!
I've been on and off in the hobby for most of my childhood, adolescence, and even for a short time in adulthood, but this video gave me the bug again and in just a few weeks I've already bought new track, new cars, and a new engine. Were it not for college, I might buy more, thank you for re-igniting my spark for it.
I model N scale. I recommend Kato and Fox Valley Models to start out. Kato has fantastic locomotives and passenger stock, Fox Valley Models have great freight stock. Kato unitrack is also fantastic for both N scale and HO scale.
I also model n scale. I usually buy locomotives from Kato. I buy rolling stock from Fox Valley Models.
I have been a model railroader for well... about 20 years now. I'm still young, but started trains at a young age. I personally believe in cheap model railroading. I buy a lot of used, but high quality equipment. For example, I bought and fixed a rejected bachmann DCC Sound berkshire for about $60 bucks. I had to fix it, but it's a huge savings.
Local hobby shops are a very hand tool for building layouts and actually seeing the product. I admit, I work in a hobby shop. We are not always as cheap as online, but the main draw is that we can answer questions. I personally like stopping by other hobby shops on trips to see what they have. You never know what you'll come across.
Whenever I buy model trains, I usually go for the older stuff online since you can buy a lot of models from the 1990’s or earlier for insanely cheap prices. The most I’ve ever payed for one is 50 bucks.
Oh god i bought an LB&SCR 0-6-0T for like $65
... Yes it was because of Thomas
Even newer trains can be found for really good prices on Ebay I bought a KATO R-2 for like 70 bucks without shipping it would've been 60. Recently got a Bachman Spectrum for like 35.
Got a rivarossi USRA Heavy mikado for $60. It's one of my favorite in my collection.
It's a great video for someone getting into the hobby I've been doing model trains for almost 10 years and it's refreshing to see other get into a great hobby keep up the great work
I been in this hobby since I was 12 and living in Chicago and going to Lombard hobbies never disappoints
This is one of my favorite videos on your channel ive ever seen, mainly on how you produced the video with a joke style but still focusing on the basics
I’ve been in the hobby for about a year and four months as of now, (particularly ho scale) but I don’t have many locomotives that are nice. Probably spent about $300 total for like 6 pretty nice locomotives (although most of those are over a decade old) Along with those, I’ve probably spent about $200 among 20 more locomotives that either ran badly or didn’t run, and fixed them. An interesting part of the hobby is seeing a 60 year old locomotive that probably hasn’t run for 30 years start going again, even if it’s not the most beautiful thing in existence. I’ve probably put only $50 into rolling stock because I had a decent amount of cars as well as 6 locomotives passed down to me by my grampy. A lot of the stuff I’ve got would be considered trash by most modelers, but I just like that i can go get a 70 year old steam engine that I purchased for $5 and brought back from the dead and it will run fine.
Great vid. Don't ever get a sound unit, once you do, you will want all your locos to be sound.
Lombard, Midwest, and spring creek are go to for all my train supplies.
No offense but that isn’t the best advice 😭
That is so true it becomes an addiction 😂😂😂
Factory Direct Hobbies is a great one, you accumulate points as you buy stuff which you then can use as discounts towards your future purchases, but always support your local hobby shop!
FDH is great but you gotta stay on top of them sometimes. They've missed a few of my preorders - in spite of putting the models in stock for general puropse, and will not tell you if they can't fulfill your order. At least their prices and deals tend to be quite good.
Midwest Model RR is one of my favorite model train stores since it happens to be located in my hometown. I do like their selection.
If you have access to a model train show, then try going to one. There are very helpful people there (usually for the most part) and very good deals, pretty much the cheapest prices you will find.
Yea exactly I got Kato BN SD70MAC for $89 bucks it was good deal
I got a brand new bachmann set (locomotive and caboose) for $25. Unfortunately one of thr plastic gears split due to lack of use and run time
Excellent video! Yes model trains are expensive, but it's also a hobby that can last decades. I still have model trains from the 1980's--a few are still running. Also, if you build a layout, realize it takes time to build. Start small, build as you can afford. Learn along the way. Model railroading is fun! It's also a fun hobby to share with family and friends.
Model trains are so fun, I did grow up with them since I asked my parents for a set when I was young. One year I managed to get a Lionel Polar Express for $16 on a black friday deal. $16 brand new. That was insane, and I loved it. I watched O scale 3 rail stuff on RUclips before but this was new to me in person. When I got into full scale models I went with the 3 rail O, but I still have a small table with 2 HO gauge tracks and 1 N gauge track, though I only have digital control for O gauge. My favorite online stores are Trainworld, Legacy Station & Mr. Muffins Trains.
*the bots are coming for modelers now too*
I enjoyed your presentation. Scale trains is by far no 1. HO is also the best, it offers more of everything. Anyone wanting to get into the hobby should research and plan before purchasing anything, especially if they don't know much about it.😅
I have an O gauge train that was passed down to me from my grandfather. I use it around the Christmas tree, and the train is either 29 or 30 years old because it was built in 1993. It's basically a gem to me.
Hello fellow model railroader and Wings of fire fan.
@@believeinthelostengine3326 hello!
You could also buy from local shops like there is one in Illinois that can serve the whole country. (Lucky I live a few miles from Lombard hobbies) but Lombard hobbies is the best for me.
I live close to Lombard Hobbies and I have gotten a few things for there and I think they are a great store.
I have been in the hobby for about a year and a half, and I prefer to get my models from a hobby shop. Great video with good advice for beginners!
I have been in the hobby for a while now, and i recommend visiting not only using online websites for your locomotives and rollingstock, and instead recommend visiting physical hobby stores. The one i go to has a lot of second hand locomotives, that apart from being a bit older, are really cheap and quite commonly are reasonably detailed and run ok. this helps when starting off a layout, as second hand stuff is generally cheaper then brand new
I don't own many model trains, but I do build models of tractor trailers in HO scale. I've flipped through the Pacific Fast Mail brochures from the 60's and I'm blown away with the detail in some of the brass models PFM imported. United and Tenshodo seemed to be the main brands they carried but I'm also aware of other PFM lines consisting of models from Sakura and Toby Kogyo, whose models were a part of the PFM "Crown" line. My mother has a model railroad in our basement and I've tried to interest her in buying some PFM locos.
The only advice I can offer to model railroaders comes on the front of adding vehicles to your layout. It can really help if you go the extra mile to study the cars and trucks of the era that your layout depicts, as well as the location you model. For example, a 1950's Peterbilt would look out of place on a NY Central layout but would be perfectly at home on a Southern Pacific layout. Also, study the various options you have for vehicles, especially in HO. There are often companies who will sell more detailed versions of the same truck, for example, a CMC or Boley Peterbilt is far superior to a Promotex Peterbilt in the same scale. You can also buy special rims and other detail parts to make the vehicles just as realistic as the trains. But also look at cheaper vehicles you can buy for your layout. The Matchbox "convoy" trucks will look at home on an HO layout, and the new Micro Machines are close to HO scale too.
Right on! Ever been to a train show? They’re not the greatest place to buy brand new items but if you look in the right places you’ll find some real gems for cheap! Some of my best purchases came from train shows.
I love model train stuff, I live in Baltimore so I usually just drive up to their warehouse and pick up my order it's delightful and the staff there are so friendly! Also there a great tabletop game store less than a mile away with a fantastic selection of paints & supplies plus they even have painting stations for customers to use if you don't have an airbrush or specialty tool.
1 some model train online shops have reward programs when you shop with them.
2 I mostly buy European models, and honestly if you want model trains, start with a budget set before going onto a scale model. It gives you alot of learning experience for a cheaper price. I recently picked up a decent size European starter set that included a larger 0-8-0 tender locomotive with 5 freight cars with metal wheels for only $120, an 0-4-0 Christmas locomotive with 3 festive cars ($85), and a decent sized industrial layout with curved turnouts. The track doesn't have roadbed though but it will be used on a semi permanent layout that is on hardwood so the gear trains don't pickup dust.
I tend to collect vintage model railroad cars and run them behind modern dcc locomotives so I tend to use eBay for rolling stock and sometimes the locomotives, although usually I use hobby shops. Since I’m limited on the amount of money I tend to buy Bachmann products, usually keeping to the Spectrum models as those are usually dcc ready or equipped.
Great video my friend. I've been in the hobby for about 3 years, I also make unboxing videos. Here in Brazil we have a national manufacturer called Frateschi, the trains of this manufacturer are not very detailed, but it is worth the cost benefit, each wagon costs on average a little less than 10 dollars. Unfortunately, the hobby here is not big and this company has no competition, many models of our trains are handcrafted, mainly in 3D printing. And yes, this hobby is very expensive, a Scale Trains locomotive arrives here in Brazil costing more than double its value in the store and our already weak currency, it arrives costing 2 to 3 minimum wages. Very pulled.
Was interesting to see your comment as I was reading them all.
We Model Train Enthusiasts in the US often are mindless of the Challenges that face folks like you in Brazil... and sometimes we need to be Reminded that we don't have the only Railroads on the Planet!
I am aware of Frateschi Model Trains... I have even seen some of their older models at Train Shows here in the US. It's been a long time, though... and I often wondered about the History and background of the Fratesi Models.
Thanks to Your Comment, I have learned more about them since I first became curious about Brazilian Model Trains 30 years ago !!!👍
this is a great video for new people on model trains and you did it with H O trains i love the video keep it up im now subscribed hope to see more videos llike this
I modeling new Zealand railway in 1 64 scale on ho gange track and graymouth to rewanui in 1966 to 1980
For HO, buy either Stewart, Bowser, Athearn, Atlas, Kato, or Scaletrains in terms of running quality. Models to be cautious of are Broadway, MTH, Intermountain, and Bachmann.
Broadway and bachmann aren't that bad.
@@gamerfan8445 I never said anything about them being "bad". I said you should be cautious on which you buy. BLI has a history of having quite a number of stinkers, and less than optimal quality. For example, a good amount of the first BLI models to come out have the tendency to develop axle gear and/or idler gear cracking/failure problems. They were nylon gears. With that being said, spare parts themselves are not produced anymore for anything older than Paragon 2. You have to buy parts locomotives now or forge your own parts with a high quality printer. Speaking of Paragon series. There are around 6 lines that BLI produced models. Some are better than others.
For Bachmann, the best models from them were the original Spectrum HO line. The Shay's and other geared locos had gear problems like the spectrum line diesels. Unfortunately, modern Bachmann steam engines seem to not be as strong pullers as their competitors. However lately, they seem to be putting in more torque motors now from what I have seen, but still, the best will the brands I have stated on my op including Walthers, which I forgot about however, even some of their newest return of the F40PH has issues too. Every brand has their duds, but some have more than others. Bachmann seems to be wanting to go more higher end with some of their models, but they need to up their motor power in order to justify some of their asking prices. Broadway has been doing better with Paragon 4 after their rollercoaster era of Paragon 3 motor and decoder quality. Now that they reintroduced DCC/Ready "Stealth" after almost two decades now, I'd say they are heading in a better direction and I hope they keep that direction from them on. Still, every new product could always have a possibility of being a dud. If you are buying used, then you need to know which ones to be more cautious about or to avoid.
I have a HO scale layout inside of a O scale layout and I buy 90% of my stuff used on eBay and it usually always works out great! awesome video
I have found that the way for me to afford this hobby is to buy used and stick to DC. I especially like Athearn's blue box series from the 90s, the motors are like butter and the detail is pretty good compared to basic Bachmann stuff from the same era.
One thing I also recommend, look and see if there are local vendors who sell used model railroad stuff, as they will typically buy from a lot sale, and sell each item at a really low price, which works well especially if you're looking for a specific era, company, or locomotive type. Also, in my experience, purchasing DC locomotives and installing dcc chips in them can sometimes be cheaper, especially because of a lowered labour cost.
I was thinking of starting model trains as a hobby, I usually use the wooden ones, this video was really helpful, thanks!
I’m a 3rd generation railroader and I’m lucky enough to model my old line of Chicago Northwestern, since my grandpa collected all of their models kits from the 70’s to the 90’s
My first dash 9 came from spring creek model trains it’s a Kato one however I planned on buying more from scale trains in the future
That was enjoyable. You reached great beginner points some of us model train veterans would be so accustomed to that we would forget to mention them, things like batch productions and general pricing and detail quality differences. I live in Denmark and primarily run N scale. I do most of my shopping on model train meets, eBay and DMtoys, a German site specializing in N scale. I wish I could have said that I did more to support the brick and mortar shops for model trains that are out there, but sadly they don't really care that much for N scale here in Denmark so I pretty much only use them for paints, oils, micro-set for decals and other such tools and remedies. there are a few small manufacturers i call when i need sliding decals, which are really thin decals with lettering or graphics that you can see me use on a few videos.
Oh and I warn you about DCC. once you get into it. you get addicted to using sound and lighting functions. I keep finding myself wanting to toot the horn when i run regular DC.
You should do a video of you visiting trainworld in New York
i'd love to see much more diverse content (such as this!) from you, it's way different than usual but very nicely packaged and informative to be interesting
You can also buy DCC ready locomotives and add in DCC yourself for cheaper than already made dcc and sound locomotives.
Personally, I run HO and I never really buy any locomotives or rolling stock online. However, I have purchased track, scenery, track-maintenance and cleaning tools, oils, locomotive-maintenance tools online. When it comes to locomotives and rolling stock, my go-to would be hobby shops, antique stores, and swap-meets. Most of my trains are used, and I’m alright with that.
I buy most my stuff from Tonys Trains, Seeing as how it is in Essex Junction i just go to the store to pick up any orders after railfanning
Appreciate the NJ transit set you got! Used to ride it all the time in highschool/college
I've loved trains since I was like 2 or something and I still haven't gotten a proper layout in 17 years since. However there's a game called rolling line and it's been awesome to visualize and plan what I want to achieve and it's a superb way to get a similar feeling on a budget until I have the funds and space for a table
Train shows are also a good way to get model trains. I pretty much always find a good deal on something cool.
Crafty u need to get another British train, i belive the only one u have is the terrier if I’m not mistaken, u should get like the flying Scotsman or an a4 or maybe even a merchant navy :D, if u do decide to get any of those I recommend Hornby bc they are the best for those
I Actually Use Beckmann Trains The First Set Was A BNSF Set I Found From Menards It Was $200 And I Got A Beckmann Trains Railroad Crossing For Christmas Eve 2020 And I Save Some Older Cars From The 1950s or 60s or 70s With 2 Older ATSF Engines That Don't Run Anymore But The Original Cars Can Connect To The Bachmann Cars But They Sometimes Derail On The Track Switches
This is really good if your looking for model trains
Well done!! Informative, exciting, visually appealing, but down right depressing once you added up the cost!! Thank you for honest helpful links and reviews!
My best advice for starting it in model trains is too find local hobby shops and see what they have. A lot of times you can find great deals and really unique vintage models. Next look for model train shows your can get amazing deals on great models as well as new connections to shops that you might not find as easily online. I spent $290 this year at a train show and got 7 locos, 2 of which were Athearn, and a bunch of rolling stock. I easily could've spent more and gotten some incredible models. Train shows are the best for great deals. Lastly you can always casually check eBay for specific models you want but I would only buy from there if you haven't found it anywhere else, if it's a great deal, or if you're looking for vintage or broken models you want to fix up
I recently scored a 27-car eBay lot of covered hoppers for about $600 plus shipping. If you check regularly to see if you can find lots like that. I also talked to the Saler to negotiate a price. Tank cars will for the most part are hard to get in eBay in lots. Crafty Fox is spot on with what he said about starting. A little bit here and there will get you your railroad.
I would recommend train show I got a 300$ A AND B unit from KATO for only 80$ it was a huge steal
I have O scale trains and they are so cool I have had them since I was a kid I steam engines to diesel trains and I like Lionel for the O scale
I live in Canada/Québec and my fovarite store is MaxTrain or Walthers
If you want to save hella cash you need to go to swap meets, they usually have insane deals (half off or more) on everything, i got 2 dcc locos for 60 each! i got a trailer car set for 25$ some boxcars for about 6$ each. i spent 200$ on 2 locos, a 5 car spline set, 8 box cars and 4 passenger cars. It is insanely important to do this if you want to save money. If you don't want to spend money on track make sure to join a club. They usually have huge layouts you cant make yourself for maybe 20$ a month or less. It helps to get to know people there as they usually know more than you and can help you fix issues that crop up. Auctions on ebay can be a way to get cheap trains but make sure to read the description so you don't end up with the wrong thing. Happy railroading
4:35 Hey! I didn't know my reddit comment got featured! Thanks!
If you were to buy Bachmann I heard that we have to maintain every time because I used to have Chessie GP40-2 somehow the wires got disconnected
Hey, here’s a suggestion for a build; New Zealand railways number 949. I would love to see it!
Thank you, you answer to my question!!!😊
I am lucky and grateful to be a 25 minute transit ride from Charles Ro. I got my first model locomotive there for $100 and it really amazes me.
I buy from scaletrains and trainwotld. Scaletrains doesn’t have other brands like trainwotld does though. Trainworld has pretty much every HO scale brand, my personal favorites are athearn genesis. Very detailed(and loud), and addicting.
Highly recommend using Broadway Limited Imports for buying Steam Units. They have the best stuff as far as I have seen
note: this is the american version, if you're british, (like me) just go to hornby, hornby railroads or Bachmann mainline
For anyone who wants to get into it I have to emphasize the fact that it is EXPENSIVE, I use the cheapest scale and in my 10 years of collecting I’ve probably spent 20-30+ thousand and if I bought my entire collection new I’d end up spending closer to 60-70+ thousand. My collection is on the larger scale tho (500-1000 rolling stock and trains
Another bonus to ebay is if you're locomotive brakes down you can always find replacement parts also some model trains aren't quite as expensive (some older models) and at train shows you can find them pretty cheap
Nice video, worth a thumbs up. I will say though everyone will be different in their wants/needs so the cost of doing things can vary greatly. For instance what these models look like with a nice close up camera shot may not be what they look like to you simply because you'll either be farther away than the camera was most of the time or you simply can not focus at things that closely, so all that extra detail while it is there may not be something that you notice, and you do pay for details so YMMV on that regard. Also I'm a fan of getting my hands dirty, DCC ready is much more appealing to me than a fully on DCC/sound train, because decoders and/or speakers can often be added for considerably cheaper than the cost difference if you just buy it ready to go. Some people will be happy to set up track on the floor and let it run, others will want to have a nice "layout" which also would determine which direction you go. You like the double stacked freight containers, I'm a big fan of passenger cars, everyone has their own thing and those little differences can end up being the difference between a "holy hell this hobby is to cost effective!!" and "All aboard WOO WOO"
I've been model railroading ever since I was six or five years old and now I'm twelve years old my local train store is what has proved me with all my products except for two of my items which I got from online. All the freight car in the ho scale section are between 30 to 100 dollars depends on what your getting recently I went and got some athearn genesis tanker cars which were in a 3 pack it was $170 if I got them separately then I would have cost at least $200 because a single tanker car was $63 $64 dollar and locomotives are over $200 $300 dollars and steam locomotives are OVER $500 $600 I got my Union Pacific EMD SD90MAC-H2 in 2021 for $275 plus tax and and I saw a CSX ET44AH for $250 and I got the Union Pacific locomotive because the it had that bright livery unlike the CSX locomotive which its livery was very dark and in the night time I had a feeling that it would be camouflaged.
Something to keep in mind, if your looking for something custom be it a unique engine or rolling stock or something that's out of manufacture; you can reach out to a small 3D printing company. I've done a couple of custom orders for members of the Topeka Model Railroaders club where I designed and printed replacement parts for older rolling stock, and custom designed and printed 16 30ft long HO scale log cars with optional bunks so you could customize the placement of the bunks. All together it totaled 360 dollars, which works out to 22.50 per car for a custom designed car! If there's interest, feel free to reach out!
If you have a local hobby shop buy from them mostly. Eff online shopping support your local community. I DO use Amazon but only for smaller kinda disposables or items that get used up.
Intermountain does have a “Value Line” fyi! Good info in this video. I would highly recommend the KATO track, wish I would have started with that over Bachmann.
Another good place is a flea market. Normally you do not find the higher end product, but if you are looking to start out or just fill out a train you can usually find stuff for a pretty cheap price. Also typically when you find a person with only a few train items on a table full of non-train items you can get them for a very good price as its not what they normally sell and they do not know current market prices. I got a Bachmann spectrum daylight with the split chassis for dirt cheap because the wheels were out of quarter and with a new bushing I had a perfect runner.
I will also jump in and add that Model Train shows are awesome places to learn and get good deals on used, and even new models. Also, most trains that are new and just DC can easily be upgraded to DCC non sound by these locomotives coming equipped with a pin that the decoder plugs into. If not, you can hardwire decoders in, which is done in most models. A non sound dcc decoder can cost as little as $20 and a really nice sound decoder can cost $150. Also if you don't have the space for a layout, look for a local museum or model railroad club you can join.
I've been hoping for a brand to build some Metro-North M-7's and M-8's. I'm hoping for some more Metro-North P32's to be built too
I like to go to a model train store. They will have new and used trains also the people working there can show you what's up with every model. You can send locomotives there to get repaired as well.
Midwest Model Railroad is awesome and the shipping turn around is so fast! Also, the owner lives in New York City as well.
Literally a dream of mine to have what you have. I’m just a kid so I don’t have enough money to buy model trains. Watching your Channel is all i need for now tho :)
I buy o scale, and Lionel’s tiers are, VisionLine, Legacy, and LionChief
From my experiance, shopping for models at a model rail show is the best place if you want to find good deals, you can also often come across rare items that don't usually appear online.
I mainly focus on N and O scales:
For N scale, I prefer Japanese models, and it's usually cheaper to import from Japan than buy locally, most of the time; the places I recommend are Plaza Japan, Model Trains Plus, and Suruga-ya. Trainz, eBay, and Amazon may have good deals as well if you know where to look. I typically go with KATO locomotives with TOMIX rolling stock, unless it's something that only one particular manufacturer offers such as themed trains. For track; I use both KATO Unitrack and TOMIX (both their old style, and the current 'Fine Track').
And for O gaue (not always technically O scale), I collect mostly vintage models from Lionel, American Flyer, Ives, Marx, Hornby, etc... Most of my O gauge stuff was made between the 1920's to the 1960's, with a few modern stuff mixed in. There's several places to buy from, but for starters, I recommend Trainz, eBay, or even local second-hand/antique shops. I use traditional tubular 3 rail O gauge track; obviously not very prototypical, but it's cheap and the customability options are limitless (plus that's what they were designed to be ran on).
I have trains from most scales by this point, and almost all of them I got used. If you're not looking for modern model trains with advanced features, I would highly recommend looking in antique shops and model train shows. There are some really good deals, and if you get lucky you can find an HO set for $20-$30.
I found that train shows can also be a good place to find good prices on some things
I use HO and my time I am runing is around early 2000's brilingtun northern santa fe
Just got my model train yesterday. (Dec 25) I am definitely going to be using these sites. Thank you. (Got a Bachmann starter set)
Great video
I'm into German H0 trains. And my tip for newcomers would be:
If you want to start into model railways. Start with what your wallet can afford. If you get a job or something like that in the future you might be able to get more detailed and perhaps even sound fitted loco's.
All step by step. And as long as you are satisfied with what you get for what you paid and are happy, that's a win.
You, by no means, have to start off with the best, most detailed and most expensive model. Especially if you're still learning your where abouts. Stuff does go wrong after all. And you wouldn't want to break something expensive whilst still learning.
Hope that helps.
Athern locomotives, especially older ones from the 80s or so are my personal favorites for quality of how it runs for regular DC.
Going to shout out my friend’s company Mario’s Trains. They specialize in O scale products but they have N and HO as well.
No tax, free shipping, and located in Winchester VA.
hi, have you ever considered using a Tomix Power Unit?
The Tomix Power Unit 5517 has what they call a CL (Constant Lighting) funtion, so you can have the trains headlights on while stationary,
it even has delayed acceleration and deceleration, so its almost like running DCC 😀
Interesting to see the American H0 scale. im only used to european H0 (Märklin, Trix...) with 3 contacts called "Dreileitersystem" working on AC Power here in Germany. i´d love an ac 4400cw running on my rails but i havent found one with Dreileitersystem-compatibility sadly.
Well done. Lots of useful info, good video etc.
Another good model railroad brand is Bachmann. People Usually have a sour taste for them but if you take care of their products they are actually pretty good.
You should get a Proto 2000 there great quality and Nicely detailed
I'm a Model Railroad Freak from Germany and im active at the Fremo. Were building Model Railroad Modules in H0 in an specific way so we can stick them together and make big layouts which fits a whole gym hall. Were doing only DCC and in my case only with Sound. And we have a lot of exclusive models in germany like one specific loco with a unique livery or something, which costs 800 euros (800$) one year after production stop. Or specific coaches from my Hometown wihich now costs 200 euros per coach. Its really expensive, time and space consuming. But makes a lto of fun. If you want to see what I mean, search for "Fremo" on youtube. Btw. Its not HO with the Letter O, its the Number 0 (zero). H0. Because its Half of 0 (zero) and this is half of 1
Gotta love the best hobby store in Chicagoland, Lombard Hobbies!
I’ve been in the hobby all my life, I have mostly used trainworld but I have been willing to look at some other websites as of recent. I didn’t see any steam in the video, now that is a whole new level of money burning and are a little harder to find in stock, but man are they cool, I would say worth it to!
This is so many model trains you have!
I recommend finding a local club or group first, see what you like, and have someplace to run your new trains without having to spend money on track, power packs/dcc systems.
also, decide on what you want to model, otherwise you'll end up tryting to buy everything. This is a good way to end up with a bedroom full of boxed cars, since you've elimnated nothing. (everybody needs a bigboy, and an f7, and perhaps a shay, and the gevo that goes by nearby. of course none of these would ever be seen together, so now you need cars to go with each era of engine...)
Here are some of my tips. I have been collecting HO trains since 2014. I have built 3 layouts and currently planning the 4th layout
1. NEVER buy trains at full MSRP. You are just wasting money.
2. Purchase from reputable and established online retail stores.
3. Never buy trains from Amazon. They are just over priced junk.
4. Use a layout planning software before you spend on tracks.
5. Steam Locomotives are always more expensive than diesels.
6. Try to get DCC Ready. So adding a DCC decoder will be easy.
7. Do not get into the FOMO, some trains will have their prices reduced over time.
8. Road Numbers and Road Name plays a huge part in pricing.
9. Some brands have different versions of the same thing in terms of build quality and detail.
10. Not all brands are created equal. Some will have or lack features.
11. eBay is a great place for secondhand trains. But make sure you know the seller.
12. European is 1:76, Japanese is 1/80, and American is 1/87
13. KATO HO Unitrack is the most reliable and robust. But it is also very limited.
14. Startout with sectional track before you get into flex track.
15. An engine can look nice, but it does not matter if it cannot run properly.
16. Price compare from diffrent stores. One store will sell it cheaper than the other.
17. Train sets are good for starting out, but they are not high quality and have cheap rolling stock.
18. Do not run DC engines on a DCC layout, you will blow up the engine.
19. Wait for sales and use coupons offers. They will help a lot.
20. Know your worth. Is this locomotive or rolling really worth this much money?
I might add, in your area there might be local flea markets where you can get excellent prices. I live in Europe but love Americans trains. Getting American locos (I love EMD F7 or EMD GP35) is extremely difficult (if you search for a very specific model) and you usually pay a premium because they have to be imported. However I got a DCC GP35 from Bachmann in excellent condition for 60€ on one of those markets. A steal in my opinion.