11-18-2013, 08:09 AM
Best Value Dollar per Pound
By
Eric Halpin
At the OVAR Flea market the other month I overheard a fella stating that one could readily have over $75 wrapped up in just one deep well stack car with loads. This got me to thinking about the relative costs of the different scales in our hobby. There are many facets in determining what scale a person chooses as they get into the hobby of model railroading. Obviously the space available in the home is a primary consideration as well as what level of detail a modeler wants or will accept in the models themselves. The ability to build kits in the scale chosen is also important to many modelers and thus hand/eye co-ordination may be a part of the decision process. But, what about cost versus quantity or value for dollar?
I was curious as to the comparison of a models weight and relative average cost versus scale. In other words how does a small ‘N’ scale engine versus a large ‘G’ scale engine compare in cost versus weight. I thus compared several typical model engines and rolling stock to get these results. Please remember that costs vary a lot depending if they are bought on sale, full retail, sound decoders, quality of product, etc, etc. Further, the same model made by different manufacturers can vary greatly in cost as well as weight.
Thanks to Bruce, Hugh and Lloyd for supplying some of this info from their own models.
N scale: four axle diesel locomotive weighs 4.5 ounces average and costs about $100 or $22/oz.
I was curious as to the comparison of a models weight and relative average cost versus scale. In other words how does a small ‘N’ scale engine versus a large ‘G’ scale engine compare in cost versus weight. I thus compared several typical model engines and rolling stock to get these results. Please remember that costs vary a lot depending if they are bought on sale, full retail, sound decoders, quality of product, etc, etc. Further, the same model made by different manufacturers can vary greatly in cost as well as weight.
Thanks to Bruce, Hugh and Lloyd for supplying some of this info from their own models.
N scale: four axle diesel locomotive weighs 4.5 ounces average and costs about $100 or $22/oz.
Forty foot box car weighs .5 ounces and costs about $20 or about $40/oz.
HO scale: four axle diesel locomotive weighs 14.6 ounces average and costs about $225 or 15$/oz.
Forty foot box car weighs 3.8 ounces (NMRA) and costs about $25 or about $6.60/oz.
S scale: four axle diesel locomotive weighs about 25 ounces average and costs about $250 or $10/oz.
Forty foot box car weighs about 8 ounces and costs about $65 or about $8.25/oz
O scale: four axle diesel locomotive weighs about 36 ounces average and costs about $450 or $13/oz.
Forty foot box car weighs about 20 ounces and costs about $75 or about $3.75/oz
G scale: four axle diesel locomotive weighs 125 ounces average and costs about $350 or $2.80/oz.
Forty foot box car weighs about 34 ounces and costs about $75 or about $2.20/oz
I don’t think there is any doubt that the larger the scale the more accurate detail one can potentially achieve in the model especially on engines and rolling stock. However, based on the above data it appears that a modeler gets far better value on a cost versus ounce bases with G scale. Since the manufacturing/production costs are more in G, I am assuming it is a ‘demand’ issue that drives the price of say HO and N higher. Of course I am NOT advocating a person select their scale based on a cost/lb criteria, but it was an interesting exercise.
By
Eric Halpin
At the OVAR Flea market the other month I overheard a fella stating that one could readily have over $75 wrapped up in just one deep well stack car with loads. This got me to thinking about the relative costs of the different scales in our hobby. There are many facets in determining what scale a person chooses as they get into the hobby of model railroading. Obviously the space available in the home is a primary consideration as well as what level of detail a modeler wants or will accept in the models themselves. The ability to build kits in the scale chosen is also important to many modelers and thus hand/eye co-ordination may be a part of the decision process. But, what about cost versus quantity or value for dollar?
I was curious as to the comparison of a models weight and relative average cost versus scale. In other words how does a small ‘N’ scale engine versus a large ‘G’ scale engine compare in cost versus weight. I thus compared several typical model engines and rolling stock to get these results. Please remember that costs vary a lot depending if they are bought on sale, full retail, sound decoders, quality of product, etc, etc. Further, the same model made by different manufacturers can vary greatly in cost as well as weight.
Thanks to Bruce, Hugh and Lloyd for supplying some of this info from their own models.
N scale: four axle diesel locomotive weighs 4.5 ounces average and costs about $100 or $22/oz.
I was curious as to the comparison of a models weight and relative average cost versus scale. In other words how does a small ‘N’ scale engine versus a large ‘G’ scale engine compare in cost versus weight. I thus compared several typical model engines and rolling stock to get these results. Please remember that costs vary a lot depending if they are bought on sale, full retail, sound decoders, quality of product, etc, etc. Further, the same model made by different manufacturers can vary greatly in cost as well as weight.
Thanks to Bruce, Hugh and Lloyd for supplying some of this info from their own models.
N scale: four axle diesel locomotive weighs 4.5 ounces average and costs about $100 or $22/oz.
Forty foot box car weighs .5 ounces and costs about $20 or about $40/oz.
HO scale: four axle diesel locomotive weighs 14.6 ounces average and costs about $225 or 15$/oz.
Forty foot box car weighs 3.8 ounces (NMRA) and costs about $25 or about $6.60/oz.
S scale: four axle diesel locomotive weighs about 25 ounces average and costs about $250 or $10/oz.
Forty foot box car weighs about 8 ounces and costs about $65 or about $8.25/oz
O scale: four axle diesel locomotive weighs about 36 ounces average and costs about $450 or $13/oz.
Forty foot box car weighs about 20 ounces and costs about $75 or about $3.75/oz
G scale: four axle diesel locomotive weighs 125 ounces average and costs about $350 or $2.80/oz.
Forty foot box car weighs about 34 ounces and costs about $75 or about $2.20/oz
I don’t think there is any doubt that the larger the scale the more accurate detail one can potentially achieve in the model especially on engines and rolling stock. However, based on the above data it appears that a modeler gets far better value on a cost versus ounce bases with G scale. Since the manufacturing/production costs are more in G, I am assuming it is a ‘demand’ issue that drives the price of say HO and N higher. Of course I am NOT advocating a person select their scale based on a cost/lb criteria, but it was an interesting exercise.