The world's cheapest model locomotive kit

Railway modelling is expensive, cripplingly so according to people on popular forums. Basically, if you want toy trains, you and your family will have to go without food for a year.

Of course, this is rubbish. If you must buy every new locomotive when it comes out then yes, it's a pricey hobby. If your ambitions are a bit more modest though, there are bargains to be had.

Easily the cheapest loco kit I am aware of is a laser cut 16mm scale model from Phil Sharples (search vwmonkeyblue on eBay, and there is a useful set of photos here). For £35, you get all the bits required to build a loco including motor, wheels, battery box and switch.

The basic laser-cut MDF parts slot together easily enough and the chassis even has plastic bearings which will be more than adequate for the light work it's designed for.

Needless to say, I won't be building the model exactly as intended. That would be no fun. You see the other way to make railway modelling cheap is to do some, erm, railway modelling...