Nuts and Bolts

I am a Model Railroader. I like trains, deal with it. I like building model trains. I like to see operation in a model railway but I can also appreciate watching a fine model roll by while imbibing in a cool beverage.

Been a while since I could say that. Circumstances in my life over the last two years have seen me hiding from a hobby that I have been a very active member of.

Of late, I have been looking firstly at becoming involved again but find travel a little difficult so attending each and every show has become for me very difficult.

I am the editor of the Murrumbidgee Mail, an electronic news letter connected with the Wagga Wagga Model Railroaders which I was made a life member of last year. Humbling experience that one.

But I have been asking myself what form my personal modelling will take over the next few years. I am partway through installing an around the walls empire in my garage which is also my work shop but that has become not enough. For now it is probably just fine. I will be able to sit at the work bench building whilst the Riverina Express trundles along just above my head. It will also be a place friends can visit to run a train or just talk crap. Another fine pastime. But I have become more and more interested in operational yards and a reason for my stable of mostly kit based models to turn a wheel other than going in a circle.

I check in on a few sites regularly for inspiration like Carl Arendt's fine site promoting minimum space layouts. You just cannot go there and come away believing you have no room for a layout. But they are just a little small for mine although I do like the idera of a small display with a purpose, yes I will possibly do one. I am leaning more towards small operational layouts like "Anthony's Room" By Paul Hawdon, hope I spelled that right, and Adrian Hoad's "Ladysmith Sidings".

John Allen's Timesaver is an obvious start and along with my friend Dale, I have been examining different ideas. So starting soon, I will be debating some of these layouts and hopefully encourage and challenge you as well as myself.

In the current issue of the Murrumbidgee Mail, I begin to examine Crookwell as a possible subject. Crookwell is the end of a branch through Roslyn from Goulburn and has a reasonable yard suitable for medium sized Locomotives and rolling stock. I could be tempted to reproduce the mutterings here on that subject as well.

So come back and check out Macca's Place for information on small, not quite minimum sized operational layouts. If yoiu have an idea or own something like this, give me a hoy and we can discuss it and share it as well.

Macca