Roo posted:We use lots of professional items on the Railroad but I don't like posting photos or talking about it because people have a tendency to say "OH! I would never buy that stuff for a Model Railroad to expensive"
Yet they go down to the hobby shop and buy another Big Boy locomotive that they don't need!
We are not pros just average blokes who like things to work the first time and just about everything we do is done by us (Bruce Temperley, and myself Neville Rossiter) we don't have access to endless people and resources in West Australia that can help us, I admit sometimes I wish we did, skyrocketing shipping costs, new custom duties all making it harder and harder to have USA O scale in Australia. Roo.
I just bought two cheap old AHM flatcars and the shipping was 35 dollars Customs 5 the cars were 15 ! so 55 dollars all up. I modify the flats into slab cars for the Steel Mill they are ideal for what I want. Sorry for the rant I apologise.
I can't imagine even doing it today here in the USA with $600+ engines and $80 boxcars not to mention the price of all the electronics. I got back into the hobby in 1988 and in the ensuing decade (when I amassed 15 of my 17 or 18 locos, 30+ passenger cars, and maybe 40 freight cars) the most I paid for an engine was $425; most were in the $200 - $300 range with a few under $100; boxcars at $15 (2 @ $24); passenger cars @ $15 - $30 each; 3 new TMCC Cab1's and a Command Base for $125. Over the years I learned to paint, add details, upgrade electronics, scratch build etc.; that to me was the fun of the hobby rather than checkbook railroading. Doing it in Australia or Europe shows a real commitment to O, scale or otherwise. Of course, then in the `70's I restored and raced pre-WWII MG's here in the states and can empathize with you.
