Question for Gricer

[stek]

Not 8' x 6'? That's what mine was, and would be again, if I thought I'd be in the same place long enough to make it worthwhile unpacking it all again.

The theme for mine was "Diesel was bollocks, so we went back to steam" because I had 2 or 3 non-running diesels.

David Jenkinson's Dent Head Junction, The Rev Peter Denny's Buckingham Great Central, have I come home? Are we all closet modellers?

Cyril Freezer, Peco, Mike's Models, Slaters, your boys took a hell of a beating, Rivarossi, Hornby, Bachmann, Airfix's limited range of Bullied pacifics and 9F's...

I'm getting my Kreigsdampflok out of the shît room now - gonna stick it together and paint it and set fire to it!

[RichardCranium]

I had my own layout on a piece of 8x4 chipboard with a hole cut out in the middle

Not 8' x 6'? That's what mine was, and would be again, if I thought I'd be in the same place long enough to make it worthwhile unpacking it all again.

The theme for mine was "Diesel was bollocks, so we went back to steam" because I had 2 or 3 non-running diesels.

[stek]

I was a Fleischmann fan myself, and for my UK rail fill, SE&CR, Wainwright C's and D's - Sharp's Models, Attercliffe Road, Sheffield, a haven....

I always preferred the German stuff, better quality, better everything. Bit like now really...

[gricerboy]

I had my own layout on a piece of 8x4 chipboard with a hole cut out in the middle acting as my command centre from where I would run my network via the controls of an HM double transformer.

Unfortunately, at Christmas and birthdays, people insisted on buying me the cheaper Lima range of engines and rolling stock. While these ran ok on OO gauge track, they were actually HO gauge so, from a visual perspective, were out of scale with the Horny products I had in my layout.

Furthermore, while I modelled my layout upon British characteristics, this Lima kit was clearly German. To explain away this anomaly, I used to joke that my layout was based on the rail network as if Germany had won the war.

As an aside, I'd like to mention that ,if money were no object, I would have preferred the superior die cast Wren product range.

[Doggy Styles]

That would be Eric Morecambe, he's dead that's why you haven't seen him...

No, it was Eric Prouse. Not as funny as Eric Morecambe, but not many were.

[stek]

Well worth a visit. I could not join but my friend Eric from Luton did. I haven't seen him for years.

That would be Eric Morecambe, he's dead that's why you haven't seen him...

I have to out myself here, I was a scratchbuilder before I discovered beer and girls (well women by the time I realised).

I recently bought myself a O gauge kit, a German WW2 Kriegslok, 2-10-0, no swastikas in the decals - banned apparently.

Can't be arsed with it, it's still in the box, untouched. When I say recently, it was August 2009.....

[Doggy Styles]

Actually it's a question for anyone really.

Are you interested in model railway clubs? There is a particularly fine one in Harrow, where they have converted the entire first floor of a large house into a complete railway network (00 guage).

They operate a complete timetable every week, which takes about 2 hours, and need upwards of a dozen people to operate all the signals and trains. The dedication of the members is awesome - signallers spend the whole 2 hours sat in the dark under a table, listening for a bell and changing the signals. They never see a train!

Members have to do their homework, which might be repairing and maintaining the rolling stock or, for newer members, simply painting the little model people that stand on the platforms.

While abluting in the toilet you can watch trains on the main up and down lines, which come through the wall, run across the cystern behind the pan, and disappear through the opposite wall. Obviously if you are taking a dump you'd have to twist your head around.

Well worth a visit. I could not join but my friend Eric from Luton did. I haven't seen him for years.