Am I going mad?

I once had a call at work from a volunteer visitor of an older man with health issues. This man had a large model railway laid out in his two room bungalow. The railway went in and out of both rooms and the man had to crawl underneath the railway to get from one room to another.

The volunteer was wondering if the council would give him a larger flat to properly accommodate the railway. I suggested it might unlikely but she might like to write to housing on his behalf.
So don't get carried away by the Railway Galen.

galen - in light of your having recently confessed to being a bit of a hoarder - have you got room for a model railway layout -

Have you made the decision yet Galen and if it's a 'Yes' please can I have a look? Not touch of course.

Do it! In our family it was DD that had the electric train set not DS.

Oh half had 00 train set etc up until last year when he could no longer manage to stand up long and his eyesight deteriated....but!!! I used to loveeee making the little houses, painting the tiny figures, setting up the lights etc (I think I was more engrossed than he was)! we had it set up in the little bedroom, in fact I may have pics of it..it used to look great all lit up..we had ladies pushimng prams, and it was sort of 1950/60 era with cars...window cleaners up ladders...a graveyard and church, oh we spent hours and I would encourage anyone to have a go..mind you it does cost money!!! but your never short of gift ideas!!

Go Galen - it sounds like an excellent buy

Oops * Grace*

Kids play with it?
Do you think model railway systems are a toy or something?
[flounces off in unbelief]

Well with 2 granddaughters to enjoy it (if Granny lets them) it'll be an investment. Enjoy!

Z gauge is minute. It's 1:2000 scale.
You can fit a whole system on a coffee table. In fact people have them as glass covered tables! They are fiddly though. Think I'll go for n

Galen - go for it, why not. I'm afraid I don't know what Z gauge is but N guage could be interesting. Small enough but common enough to be manageable and impressive. A perfect way to keep occupied if you have the interest and grandchildren will be impressed.

DD has pinched borrowed my old hornby OO duchess of montrose

Oh! Takes me back. My father and I used to go to the steam weekends at the Birmingham sci museum until he died in 1974! My mother could never understand, there was a gorgeous beam engine that I could have watched for hours!
My idEa of heaven, is a field, full of traction engines!

Decisions decisions? N or Z gauge?

Oh yes - do it! My GC have just returned from the Hamburg Miniaturwunderland and had the most wonderful time - lots of miniature worlds to see with trains, plains, boats etc. They were given a list to tick off the things they saw. One item was "Couple making love"! My DD looked at their lists and saw that they had ticked this off! Very continental!

Whatever sails you boat Galen or more appropriately whatever thrusts your throttle

Sounds just the thing for retirement Galen
When we came to Newcastle 26 years ago we ventured out into the city on our first weekend, with DS aged 10, DD1 aged 7 and DD2 aged 4.
We went into the Guildhall where there was.... a model railway exhibition!
It was packed with old men in cardigans, smoking pipes and displaying their beautiful trainsets. The children were entranced.
MrA has a Hornby Dublo set which he is threatening to retrieve from the loft and set up again. I'm encouraging this as I like to see him occupied
What is it about steam engines? We went to the Birmingham Science Museum yesterday and there, amid machines of incredible complexity, was the City of Birmingham in all its glory.
They certainly don't make them like that any more.

I once went to a dinner party at the senior partners house of our local vet. After dinner we were all invited to the loft, where he had the most wonderful, HUGE model railway. A talented local artist had painted backgrounds, and there were also actual models of vintage cars, vans etc.

I could have stayed there for hours!

I loved trains when I was little. One of my best Christmas presents was a train set when I was about seven. It had a bright green engine and two pullman carriages. I wouldn't have given you a thankyou for a doll. I don't know if I would have passed this on to the grandchildren as they are all boys anyway - but it does give me a chance to play with Thomas the Tank Engine.
I would go right ahead and buy a train!

Go, galen!