Mike’s post got me thinking of how my journey started. I worked as a mechanic. I would spend $30 per week on the layout. It bought a bit more in those days. Every Friday or over the weekend I would pickup what I needed to make some progress the following week. Always cash. Yes it took a while and was built sort of in stages. There wasn’t any real high end signature scene on the layout. No Wow factor. That could come later. I would either buy lumber, wire or track. A 3 ft. Gargrave’s flex was under $4. I never bought a case. What ever I purchased that week is what I worked with the following weeknights. One week might involve benchwork. The next week was plywood and homesote to cover it. Eventually I had enough done that I could change it up and start adding scenery. The Woodland Scenics bags were around $2 in those days. I would buy enough to give the layout a base coat and some ballast. One section at a time. You have to remember. In those days. The only shopping cart to fill up. Was at a grocery store. It’s easier these days to just buy everything you need at once on the internet. When you either had to travel to a shop and be limited to what they had in stock or talk on the phone to place an order. I think you more carefully planned out your purchases.
As far as train purchases. I did do jobs on the side. Some of that money was used for rolling stock or turnouts. I didn’t buy many engines. I remember ordering a Williams Masterpiece Hudson and joining a Christmas Club at the local bank to pay for it.
It took about 12 years to get to the point that the layout was pretty much done track wise. Although I have changed a few things up. I now am mostly focused on engines or cars to fit my operating scheme. Even though my layout is fully sceniced. You can always layer more onto what you have or change out an older structure.
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