I'm 28 and have been interested in railway modelling since the age of four!!
The biggest problem I find is not funding but space. I've loads of models, just no place to put a layout.
If you are young and want a decent job in this country you have to uproot to Dublin away from family and friends and pay an extortionate amount of rent for a tiny little apartment that has no space for a railway and the neighbours complain if you do anything "weird". Playing the piano between 6 and 8pm is apparently disturbing noise.
I was actually going to start building t-gauge Irish models before I lost my job recently, just so I could actually have some models in my apartment.
Looks like I'm going to have to live in Dubland again for my next job too .