This is a very often asked question: "How much is it going to cost?" If one looks at model railroading strictly on a dollar basis, then the answer is yes. But don’t let that scare you away. Can you spare five, ten, perhaps twenty dollars a month? On the average, a modeler spends about $25.00 per month. The amount spent is also determined by what scale is being used. HO scale is by far the most popular, commanding about 80% of the hobby. Therefore, it is the most plentiful and least expensive. The other scales; Z, N, G, and O comprise the other portion, and cost more.

Your spending will also vary as to what stage in the hobby one is at. If a hobbyist is just starting to construct a layout, it will be necessary to buy the lumber, plywood and other materials for building the benchwork, or supporting structure for the track and scenery. In this case it is best to make a list of what is needed, and purchase it all at one time. It is not very convenient to run out of screws or lumber at 9:00 PM during a benchwork building spree.

Rollingstock, the boxcars, flat cars, covered hoppers, etc. that comprise the train should cost between five and ten dollars, each. There is always the temptation to buy a few more of these, and a couple of those. Likewise for locomotives, for about $25-$50 each, one is often thinking that it would be nice to have a few more. But once these are placed on the layout, they should still be in use several years from now. If you average the cost over the period that the item is in use, the cost is minimal. Also, model railroaders look for bargains, which is a good reason for attending shows. Many vendors sell at less than retail prices, and often some used equipment is available as well.

Doing scenery on the layout will require an assortment of materials, varying in color and texture. The more that one has on hand, the more natural the final results will look. Take a look at your lawn, or the grass in a park. It is not just one uniform color, there are dark, medium, and light shades of green, as well as a few that are a bit brown or yellow. The cost to buy one package of each color and texture, all at one time, would easily approach $50 or more. But if you buy a few at a time, it is much easier on the budget.

Structures have a very wide price range, from less than $5 to $250 and more. An inexpensive kit may be completed in just an evening or two, and produce very pleasing results. At the other end, the most expensive kits may require more than 100 hours of work. But in the end, the cost per time required to build the model is not that different. Although it may not be cost effective to populate the entire layout with high-end kits, they still have their place to create a highly detailed scene. One soon learns to place the more detailed buildings in the foreground and the less detailed kits towards the rear. If a person viewing the layout sees a high degree of detail closest to him/her, they often assume that the same level of detail is present else where.

While explaining the level of detail, the subject of trees and figures (people) should be included. A layout can never have too many of either. If you add fifty trees, another fifty will make it look even better and the same is true for figures. But more on this in the Scenery section.

Model railroading does not have to be an expensive hobby, but there will be a few times that require major purchases. But if one is aware of that fact, it is possible to plan in for them in advance. Items added to the layout will remain in use for several years, and will give countless hours of fun and satisfaction.