Last week,
Chris Ford suggested that I'd never find a use for my O gauge rolling stock that had once worked
Clayhanger Yard - and that I ought to follow him and de-clutter by disposing of some of it.
He's wrong. You see the stock wasn't built for
Clayhanger, it was built because I like building little engines, and I really like building little engines in O gauge. In fact, I really like building O gauge models.
On this basis, I'm convinced that there is another O gauge layout in my future. Since I only like building the sort of layouts that are home to diminutive locos, then there is a very strong possibility that this is the type of model I'll be building. I really can't see myself going for anything involving big locos.
However, in my cupboard, I do have quite a bit of stock for our layout
Melbridge Town. The one we never finished because both my Dad and I got bored building it.
All of this was designed for a secondary mainline. There are big(ish) locomotives and even some bogie coaches including a twin-art set. What should I do with these?
I certainly can't see me building anything that could make use of them. I learnt a lesson with this layout, no big roundy-roundys for me. To be honest, I'm not even that fussed watching the things at a show, regular readers will have spotted that I'm normally to be found at the smaller and more interesting area of any event, pouring over a model small enough for the back seat of a car.
Heck, as Mr Ford was writing, I was standing behind his old layout
The Art of Compromise and singing the praises of modest layout modelling.
The trouble is, what do I do with the stock? Much of it is detailed RTR from the 1990s. No-one wants this stuff now, they have newer and shinier boxes of more detailed models.
Take my Class 24 above. Converted from a Hornby Class 25 and fitted with Ultrascale wheels, it was OK for its day, but you can now buy better RTR. The reasons I care about this model are nothing to do with prototype fidelity, and everything to do with having several hours of my life invested in it.
So, I do have many models with no real purpose. I suppose I should just chuck them in the bin and declutter, but I'm stupidly attached to them.