Our railway club has moved. We have built magnificent clubrooms and will throw the doors open this weekend. Time for the finishing touches.
In the library/social area we have some low bookshelves, the top of which will host the club test track. This is a board with some straight lengths of track on it in various gauges. People bring locomotives along and run them up and down, showing them off to anyone standing around drinking tea. It’s not a real test of course, just a promenade. When you have built a model it’s nice to show it off, hence the tracks location in the social area.
We had a test track at the old clubrooms. It came from the previous venue. I unscrewed it from the wall and gave it legs so it could be free standing. For a while it fulfilled it’s role as a showcase for stock but one day it was moved behind one of the layouts where it sat largely unloved. At moving time I carefully split it in two and it came with us.
Trouble is it doesn’t fit the new space. What we have is an area shorter and wider than the old tracks. Anything other than a new build will look dreadful so it’s time for the old stager to bite the dust. The tracks have been taken up ready for re-use where possible. After over 20 years the fibreboard goes to the tip. It’s done well considering it’s moved twice and never really been looked after.
Out of the ashes will rise a super new track. There will be more gauges and better wiring. As a regular locomotive promenader though, I can’t help feeling that I’m loosing an old friend.
No comments:
Post a Comment