New member intro

Hello everyone, I am new to the club.

Probably like many, my interest in model railways goes back to my childhood in Salford the 1960s, when my dad “helped me” build an OO layout on a large hardboard-skinned baseboard that hinged down out of a purpose built cabinet from my bedroom wall. Sadly once I discovered girlfriends in the late 1960s my interest in model railways started to peter out, aided in part by lots of school homework.
 
I married in 1978, and my late father in law (Ken Hockaday) was a member of the Gauge O Guild and also of a group who had a magnificent fine scale O gauge layout. I gather that it originated in a club in Crosby, but at some point it outgrew that location and then migrated to a large plot of land somewhere on the Wirral, where one of the group (Ken Longbottom) had a bungalow. By the time I married Ken Hockaday’s daughter, Susan, it was massive, being much larger than “just” a layout, and I had the privilege of visiting it a handful of times. That layout had a seven page feature in the November 1980 "Model Railway Constructor" magazine (which happened to be the 20th anniversary edition of that magazine), which I still have a copy of. The article starts on page 672 and is titled "Diggle, Halebarns & Westpoint". (Westpoint should have actually read Westport, but was misspelled in the article title. They got the name correct in the body of the article however). There is a nice online article about it on the “rmweb” website, at https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/44856-day-trip-to-diggle/, which I commented on in 2018.
 
Since those days I have maintained a simmering interest in model railways, and am particularly interested in the steam era. Whilst I occasionally buy model rail magazines if one takes my eye, and have bought many related books over the years, I haven’t built another one yet. However having retired I am now considering starting out with a new layout again, if Sue will tolerate it (yes, we are still happily married, 43^rd anniversary in September). I haven’t yet figured out a layout design, but whilst thinking about that I am also contemplating baseboard design, and possibly a modular railway so that it can be moved around the house as necessary. Happily that brought me to the “Your Model Railway Club” web site.
 
Location-wise I now live in the lovely village of Biddenham, just outside the town of Bedford, in north Bedfordshire, England.

I look forward to enjoying your collective wisdom, and hopefully your forbearance when I ask stupid questions!

Hi Chris and  :Welcome aboard. Plenty of help on here to get you started and don't worry about daft questions as most of them have certainly been asked before  :thumbs

If you like you can Jump right in and start your own layout thread in the Members Personal Layouts Forum

Or start one in the  Trackwork and design Section or. Baseboards Depending what your looking for info on first


Looking forward to seeing how things develope and once again. Welcome 


Cheers


Matt

Welcome aboard Chris.
We’ll do our best to help.

Welcome Chris,

Welcome Chris :Welcome

Hi Chris and welcome to the club.  You are like many of us in being a returner to the hobby, so fire away with those questions, some one is bound to know an answer or be able to point you in the right direction.  Looking forward to following your progress.
Michael

Welcome Chris, sounds like you already have planning permission in principle so your off to a good start  :)

Regards
 Roger

Hello Chris - a very warm welcome to the club.  :cheers

My woird - you've got some pedigree behind you. 

It seems the ex Miss Hockaday grew up with model railways so I'm sure she'd be absolutely delighted to be able to relive her youth ……………albeit not on such a grand scale :roll: :roll:

Have a look around here and when you're ready, let us know what your layout plans are.

Any questions - about almost anything railway connected (or maybe not), just ask away - there are countless years of skilled and experienced modellers on here, all ready to offer their help although as I said, with your pedigree, it may well be us asking you !!

Above all - enjoy yourself.  :thumbs

:Welcome   And a very warm welcome to the club Chris.

  Hello and welcome Chris,
   
  You’re in the right place to help crystalise and develop your plan from the mists of thoughtfulness to the reality of scratching your head and thinking how to solve the next challenge! Yep, there aren’t really any problems, just interesting challenges which are far greater fun to overcome, so let the creative juices flow and give us more news as it happens.
   
  Best,
   
  Bill

Hi everyone, many thanks for all the warm greetings. I am presently mulling over what type of layout I should start with, and have been looking at the wealth of advice previously posted in the various forums. I have picked up that it would be better to start with something modest in scope, to at least achieve something, rather than mulling over a grand layout for ever without ever making a single cut in a piece of timber.

Sound decision Chris, keep them coming!
   
  Bill

 :doublethumb
  

Welcome Chris

I recall the Diggle, Halebarns garden layout appearing in Railway Modeller (1972 August???).  It was one of the first layouts to convince me that a layout should have more than one station - and I'm still of that opinion.

As others have said, it's a happy, helpful lot on here so ask any questions and be prepared for a variety of thoughts and opinions from which to choose!!

All in all, just remember "rule 1" - it's your layout, so you can do as you please.

Barry

Hello Chris.  Welcome to the club.  Don't be afraid to ask any question no matter how basic you think it is.  We are all still learning.
Terry