What dont you like about this hobby

[RobertInOntario]

I don't like the costs, I'm 27 and can't afford this hobby. If you want to be able to run decent equipment, and proper turning radius, you need lots of room. It takes a long time to really get any results with a layout so you can enjoy running a train

And that is why most large/nice layouts are built by older folks... when you are young, you are typically not making as much money, you are buying a house, car, furniture, all the stuff for the children on and on and on. Then when you get older, all your stuff is paid for, the kids are gone, minimal expenses, so more money (and time) can be devoted to the hobby.

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I basicially agree with this. When you’re younger, you’re much too busy finishing your education, searching for your first job, dating, getting married, having kids, etc., etc. These are not only ultra-busy times but also times when you don’t have much money.

I first got into the MRR hobby for a few years with my Dad when I was a boy. I got back into it only when I was in my mid-40s, when my wife & I had two young sons. I got married later in life and therefore had kids much later, so cash-flow is still a problem! But at least, at this point, I was settled down in terms of my job & family.

With the MRR hobby, you don’t have to rush out & buy everything at once -- this really helped me. You can buy your locos and rolling stock gradually, as well as build your layout gradually as time & money allow.

However, I was “helped” by inheriting my Dad’s large MRR collection though (dating from the 1960s to the 1990s). This, plus having two boys, childhood memories & my Dad’s influence, all got me back into the hobby.

Rob