Build a model train

To suggest to the viewer that the mountains on Barbara’s model train layout continued beyond the table, Rob, with his artist’s eye, squared up the corner. This added an area for Barbara’s getaway cabin.

In the hill country, heavy machinery was brought in to build a road to a new farm on the ridge. The road is currently gravel, but Barbara is considering a paved surface.

At the other end of the hill country, the local church has been erected and a road is under construction for the town’s people to get there on Sunday.

Limited space for a model train layout can be a big problem.  My own situation is probably similar to what many others face.  I live in an apartment.  While my place is large, it is a studio that serves as both my bedroom and my office.

When I decided to build a model train layout for the third time in my life, I figured it would be restrictive to choose any but the smallest scale.  Having been given a Marklin starter kit in Z scale by the brother of a prior lady friend, the choice of Z scale was made easy.

The perfect place for the layout was between the desk and the dresser, a space about four feet wide.  To not interfere with sitting at the desk, a table of not more than 48 inches by 32 inches was deemed to be the perfect size.  I went to the local Lowes store and purchased the materials needed and had the table together in a couple of hours.

The next challenge was to determine what the layout would be.  Having checked on size and shape of the available curved and straight track pieces, I drew up a few possible layouts.  So far so good!  The project was moving along very nicely for a very reasonable cost.

Then I was hit with the ice cold shower.  My parents bought my O27 scale train when I was a youngster and I have no idea what it cost, but I did buy the components of my HO railroad when I was in grade school and they were very reasonable.

Moving to the present, I have been following the development of my brother’s N scale layout and his wife’s HO layout.  In spite of a restrictive budget, their layouts are still coming along at a reasonable cost.

My brother, Rob, saw a Z scale engine he wanted to buy for me.  When he saw the price he decided to pass on the purchase.

Looking at the prices, both new and used for Z scale, I have been flabbergasted!  For much smaller components, Z scale is much more expensive than its larger scale N and HO counterparts.

The cost of tooling  can’t be any more and the cost of the materials going into the parts can’t be more.  Most of the vendors who manufacture in Z scale also manufacture in HO and N, so materials are common to all scales.

What am I missing?  Why is Z scale so much more expensive?  Is it because the market for Z scale is significantly smaller?