Journey’s End – G scale Part 1.

(or ‘I did it my way’)

If just want to know wot I learned, skip to the end
 

Let me say at the outset, if you’re a scratch builder, precision engineer or modeller, then this is not for you. Not that I abhor such things, indeed am envious of such skills and dedication, its just that I know my limitations and my fun is just building a railway, any railway, and getting it to work and perhaps looking right, at least in my eyes. Then I’ll start all over again usually before I’ve finished the one before.

I blame the war. (World War II that is for all you children out there playing trains) There wasn’t a lot to be had in the late forties but from somewhere my father obtained a train set. It was a Trix Twin 3 rail, 00 gauge I suppose, and that was the start of it. Even then I was looking for more track and engines and signals. You know the feeling. Again from somewhere my father produced more track, second hand this time. Looking back I wish I had asked him where it all came from, but of course its too late now. Into the fifties and secondary school and model railway clubs and a growing awareness of the more realistic 2 rail and I discovered Hornby Dublo and wonder of wonders, permanent layouts with buildings. We lived in a small house built just before the war so no attic or cellar and therefore it was get the train out and then take it all up again for mealtimes. However I did manage once or twice to set it out on the lawn. Clearly there was the germ of an idea with an attempt for more realism though I was still stuck with Trix 3 rail. I still have some bits from that first set but I can’t remember where most of it went. Must be a ‘Senior moment’.

Then I grew up. Adolescence, rugby and the opposite sex plus a bit of education. We will gloss over those years despite the prurient interest it may arouse. I came out the other end in the late sixties with a wife, 2 children, a dog, tropical fish and a beard. The latter now gone I’m glad to say but somewhere along the way I acquired a pipe and I’m sticking to that just because am cussed. I started building a model railway (00 gauge on a board) , just for my son you understand but he was more into model tractors and farms. So I was doing it for myself. We then moved into a large flat in a Gothic pile of a building with lots of wondrous secret places under the many roofs but full of bat and pigeon droppings. I took one over, 8ftx8ft and over the next 30 years off and on I built and rebuilt, bought stuff, experimented and had fun. I never joined any clubs or societies, largely because we were quite remote from large towns or cities. Furthermore whenever I did venture into railway exhibitions I always came away with a sense of my own inadequacy in the modelling field. Therefore I would say to anyone taking up this hobby, pastime, entertainment or sport, call it what you will, just do it. If like me, with both 00 gauge and G scale, you start by looking at what is on show in clubs and exhibitions you may never start. I was put off G scale for 6 months until I decided that my railway was for my enjoyment and not an exercise in precision modelling brilliant though such layouts and models can be. However my biggest discovery was that G scale stuff could be bought off the shelf and didn’t have to be made from scratch as I originally thought. With that single breakthrough I was up and running.
 

By now I had retired to my present location in the Yorkshire Dales at the tender age of 60. I got my first very own shed and built an 00 gauge layout.

It’s still not finished and am thinking of totally modifying it again when I’ve finished my Garden railway! I can hear hollow laughter out there.

So here I am at 64 (for a few more days at least but probably past it if this ever sees the light of day) and starting my first garden railway. It all started because we inherited, with the house, a tatty paved garden.

The Memsahib decreed this was not good enough. So we (I) started on the right hand side as you look at it. I’ll spare you all the details but after 18 months we finished with this.

Good innit?

All during 2007 we argued about what to do with t’other side. She wanted a raised bed. I said do you know how much earth getting and moving, and wall building this would entail. The garden slopes quite a bit. She said ‘but you’re good at that sort of thing, sweetie.’ Then I had my stroke of genius. Well if am doing all this for you I.’m going to build a railway round your raised bed.

Well that's it for part one. Check out the G Scale Mad update for the next part.

Part Two is now ready for you to read CLICK HERE to read how things are moving on.

David Pritchard. 2008.