Answers.Body: <p>I say this as having been a model railroader (<a href="http://zoorail.wordpress.com">http://zoorail.wordpress.com</a>) for more than 10 years. You will never get the level of detail, scale or even perhaps value with Lego railroad sets as compared to normal model railroading but I just bought two Lego Train sets 7939 and 3677 and was blown away by the care that has not only gone into how they look but also how they operate. Out of the box, you are not only given a full train set and track; but the controller also allows you to independently operate up to 8 functions i.e. trains / lights etc. This IS possible with model railroading but it certainly isn't as straightforward or even if it is, if you have young children (like me) the marriage of ease of operations with child-proof playability makes this something you may want to consider.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-02-13T06:38:36.750Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2013-02-13T06:38:36.750Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Zoo-Octan
Answers.Body: <p>I'd say that an initial HO scale set was probably cheaper than a LEGO version, although a direct comparison isn't easy, and it can rapidly get out of hand once you start adding more elements in.</p>
  
  <h2>Initial Purchases</h2>
  
  <p>The closest I can find is probably comparing <a href="http://brickset.com/detail/?Set=7939-1" rel="noreferrer">7939 LEGO Cargo Train</a>, which is currently selling in the LEGO shop for £130:</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/qmizb.jpg" alt="7939 - LEGO Cargo Train"></p>
  
  <p>With something like the <a href="http://www.hornby.com/shop/sets/r1138-gwr-passenger-freight/" rel="noreferrer">GWR Passenger Freight</a> from Hornby, which is selling for £80:</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Czo5b.jpg" alt="GWR Passenger Freight"></p>
  
  <p>I chose that one as it has the basic oval plus "Track Pack A", giving some additional track including points.</p>
  
  <p>Add a TrackMat accessory pack for £30 for some buildings or platforms and you're still cheaper than LEGO set.</p>
  
  <p>An entry-level set from Hornby with just the basic oval of track retails at around £70, compared with £102 for the <a href="http://brickset.com/detail/?Set=7938-1" rel="noreferrer">Passenger Train set</a>:</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/kJiHp.jpg" alt="7938 - LEGO Passenger Train"></p>
  
  <p>However, once you venture out of the initial sets, go for the digital options, or move out of the <a href="http://www.hornby.com/shop/hornby-railroad/" rel="noreferrer">"RailRoad" brand</a>, the cost goes up to the point where you're paying £200-300 for an engine, up to the giddy heights of "Live Steam".</p>
  
  <h2>Extending your track</h2>
  
  <p>The comparison becomes even harder now, however this is where LEGO wins on price, if not on range.</p>
  
  <p>The LEGO shop lists a <a href="http://brickset.com/detail/?Set=7895-1" rel="noreferrer">Switching Tracks set</a> with a pair of points (left and right) and 4 curved rails for £16, compared with Hornby's price of £12 for <strong>each</strong> point - or £29 for a pack with a pair of points, 2 curves and 2 points.</p>
  
  <p>HO Scale will offer you more options in general however: Hornby for example have 4 different radii of curves, a number of different lengths of straight tracks, 4 different styles of points (Standard, curved, express and Y), crossings, and two flexibilities of "flexible" track (about £4/m compared with LEGO's £12/m), as well as a much larger range of locomotives and rolling stock.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-03-17T21:21:45.013Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2012-03-17T21:21:45.013Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Zhaph - Ben Duguid
Body: <p>How do the costs compare between a railroad layout constructed with LEGO trains and a nearly identical layout using traditional scale models, such as HO?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2012-03-23T00:38:23.070Z
Comments.Text: This is kind of irrelevant, but remember that the parts for Lego train sets (as with all Legos) can be used for _many_ more things than what you bought them for.  You can swap pieces around with other sets or build something completely new.  So even if a Lego train set _does_ cost more than a model train set, you can use it for a lot more things than the other.
Comments.UserDisplayName: fouric
Tags: <shopping><trains>
Title: How does the cost of a LEGO railroad compare to a traditional scale railroad layout?
UserDisplayName: Village
ThreadText: # How does the cost of a LEGO railroad compare to a traditional scale railroad layout?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2012-03-17)
  
  How do the costs compare between a railroad layout constructed with LEGO trains and a nearly identical layout using traditional scale models, such as HO?
  
  **Tags:** shopping, trains
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: This is kind of irrelevant, but remember that the parts for Lego train sets (as with all Legos) can be used for _many_ more things than what you bought them for.  You can swap pieces around with other sets or build something completely new.  So even if a Lego train set _does_ cost more than a model train set, you can use it for a lot more things than the other.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2012-03-17. Score: 11 | Accepted answer
  
  I'd say that an initial HO scale set was probably cheaper than a LEGO version, although a direct comparison isn't easy, and it can rapidly get out of hand once you start adding more elements in.
  
  ## Initial Purchases
  
  The closest I can find is probably comparing [7939 LEGO Cargo Train](http://brickset.com/detail/?Set=7939-1), which is currently selling in the LEGO shop for £130:
  
  ![7939 - LEGO Cargo Train](https://i.sstatic.net/qmizb.jpg)
  
  With something like the [GWR Passenger Freight](http://www.hornby.com/shop/sets/r1138-gwr-passenger-freight/) from Hornby, which is selling for £80:
  
  ![GWR Passenger Freight](https://i.sstatic.net/Czo5b.jpg)
  
  I chose that one as it has the basic oval plus "Track Pack A", giving some additional track including points.
  
  Add a TrackMat accessory pack for £30 for some buildings or platforms and you're still cheaper than LEGO set.
  
  An entry-level set from Hornby with just the basic oval of track retails at around £70, compared with £102 for the [Passenger Train set](http://brickset.com/detail/?Set=7938-1):
  
  ![7938 - LEGO Passenger Train](https://i.sstatic.net/kJiHp.jpg)
  
  However, once you venture out of the initial sets, go for the digital options, or move out of the ["RailRoad" brand](http://www.hornby.com/shop/hornby-railroad/), the cost goes up to the point where you're paying £200-300 for an engine, up to the giddy heights of "Live Steam".
  
  ## Extending your track
  
  The comparison becomes even harder now, however this is where LEGO wins on price, if not on range.
  
  The LEGO shop lists a [Switching Tracks set](http://brickset.com/detail/?Set=7895-1) with a pair of points (left and right) and 4 curved rails for £16, compared with Hornby's price of £12 for **each** point - or £29 for a pack with a pair of points, 2 curves and 2 points.
  
  HO Scale will offer you more options in general however: Hornby for example have 4 different radii of curves, a number of different lengths of straight tracks, 4 different styles of points (Standard, curved, express and Y), crossings, and two flexibilities of "flexible" track (about £4/m compared with LEGO's £12/m), as well as a much larger range of locomotives and rolling stock.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2013-02-13. Score: 11
  
  I say this as having been a model railroader (<http://zoorail.wordpress.com>) for more than 10 years. You will never get the level of detail, scale or even perhaps value with Lego railroad sets as compared to normal model railroading but I just bought two Lego Train sets 7939 and 3677 and was blown away by the care that has not only gone into how they look but also how they operate. Out of the box, you are not only given a full train set and track; but the controller also allows you to independently operate up to 8 functions i.e. trains / lights etc. This IS possible with model railroading but it certainly isn't as straightforward or even if it is, if you have young children (like me) the marriage of ease of operations with child-proof playability makes this something you may want to consider.
  
  
  ---
  
  