Something Special...

[Mountain Goat]

Today I purchased a Railway Modeller. I was impressed by the various forms of budget Hornby 0-4-0's which had been modified and pressed into service on more then one layout. I also love looking at the various budget 0-4-0's on this and other sites pressed into service.
In these days of austerity when pockets may not always go as far as one may have liked, it is pleasing to know that modellers will find a way even when there seems to be no way.
Something I will say to the modeller. A restricted budget doesn't mean you can't take up the hobby. Dont be scared to experiment. Just because you can't afford the latest model doesn't mean that you can't get a train to run. Budget secondhand is available and with a little care can be tarted up to look good. It actually surprised me at a model railway exhibition where I noticed that every other layout were not using the latest models but were actually using older models that were tarted up. This gives a few good ideas for budget conscious modellers.
I have heard it said to only buy new track but though I know and appreciate that new track is normally the trouble free option, but I must say that one can often find secondhand track so cheap that one can't say no. Does it matter if not all track is successful with a bargain bundle? As long as one tries them and sorts the good from the bad, as long as one has enough good to make buying the track worthwhile it can provide the answer. All some track needs are new rail joiners and a good clean.. Dont throw away old broken track. There are many modelling ideas that the rails and even sleepers can be used.
And then we have scratchbuilding. I hear of so many modellers who are changing to the lovely metal wheels. What do they do to their old wheels? Well, if they are available at a budget price, they are ideal for using for a wagon scratchbuilding project.