I've often said that my job leads me to temptation repeatedly, and rarely so potentially disaterously as last week's Garden Railway Specialists LGB day.
Walking in, on the counter, is this stunning 3 1/2 inch gauge Rio Grande K-27.
Fortunatly, it had a SOLD label on it. Fortunatly, because the price was £500.
A few cavets. This is a static model. It's made from wood and recovered materials, but the result is stunning. You only know it's wood when you touch it. The modelmaking is of the highest quality.
It's also five feet long. In a shop, this looks big. Now imagine it in your home.
This explains why the builder, once he has completed a model (this isn't the first) drops it off with GRS, where it quickly sells.
I'll admit that I would have had to have a stern word with myself if that SOLD card wasn't there. £500 is a lot to drop on an impulse buy, but peanuts compared to the quality of this thing. An absolute steal.
Quite how I'd have got it on the train home (there's normally limited parking, and the station is two minutes away) I don't know (OK, I'd have come back in the car). Worse, what the heck would I do with it afterwards?
My biggest regret is that I didn't take many photos, being distracted by the chatting I was there to do. However, I take heart knowing that there are people still doing amazing work at home. Building things that don't really make a lot of sense, other than to make people like me (and everyone else who saw it) say wow!
Not my thing, but yes, stunning! The quality of the finish appears to be of the highest standard, and I would never have guessed that wood is a significant component. I don’t often consider the value of model railway items (except when hearing about modern RTR!), but given the sheer size and quality, £500 seems a little undervalued even for a static model. Yes, I too hope that people continue to build things like this rather than buy them from China!
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