Had a layout as a kid and those memories are some of the only ones I have on my Dad, he died in 1977.

So this year I was 50 so started to think about pensions and retirement all of a sudden (AVS, lump sums etc).

I have now truly rekindled my passion for model trains and now looking at what I can get rid of in the garage to make room.

Anyone else brave enough to admit they have given this some thought?

Not since I was about 15!

Its a solitary hobby bockers, but I'll admit to having caught the bug a few years ago!
I am of the same vintage and had my interest rekindled when I bought a railway set for my lads a few years ago.
With PC games, their interest was pretty short lived, but something triggered with me?

It has many facets and everyone seems to have their own motivations and particular favorite aspects.
Mine was reading up on local history, problem solving and the escapism of youth.

With a healthy monthly magazine market, discounting online retailers, a strong second hand market (eBay), it is a well supported hobby.
New model fidelity, the adoption of DCC, sound, lights, smoke, a very health ready to run market, weathering materials, historical research, etc, it offers quite a bit to draw the unwary in.

I have never joined a local club, but they can be a good source of gaining knowledge before deciding which particular directions and era to follow.

The "transition" era is probably the post popular at present, as it enables people to model both steam and diesel at the same time. Oxford Diecast have a huge range of 1960s model cars which take us back to our youth!!!

I still have my Trix Twin trainset in it original, now rather battered, box that I was give one Christmas as a child.

I haven't tried to run it for years though as I no longer have its original 14volt AC transformer but it should also run on 12V DC.

The big selling point was that you could run 2 trains independently on the same track.

Its all gone to 15v AC now Pete. Loco control digital so you can run double or triple headers and lots of tinkering with sound and set up.

Looking to capture a period when I was at college around the Network South East era, but also have a heritage line.

Some great You Tube channels "Everard Junction" is one of the most instructive and is a similar era to what I jad in mind.

Working as I do with my own really rather large train set, I must admit to not having a layout, though quite a few of my drivers do. It tends to become quite an involving hobby which seems to result in garages being taken over and then lives.

From what I hear the cost of engines and rolling stock can be quite expensive too.

The days of relatively "cheap" models produced in China seem to be over and prices have been rising steadily.

£100 seems to be the minimum for a Loco. The more detailed ones with sound are around the £200 mark. Expensive but they last ages and can be traded so you tend to pay to start the hoby and then the costs reduces.

It's the involving bit I fancy, and it's in the warm. My days of working on the car on a cold spring morning are going to come to an end soon.

Cough...The correct railway word is "engine" not loco LOL

I had entertained thoughts of building a layout and did have a board 6 x 2 with a basic "N" gauge track layout assembled. I put it together in the 90's but had sat in my loft ever since we moved to this house. There were boxes of loco's, rolling stock and items to complete the layout.

However, when I reached 50 I took it all out, got it all running again then sold the lot!!

Scalextric on the other hand

A couple of years ago, I once picked up an O gauge clockwork engine ( by Walker-Fenn ) at an auction for a fiver and toyed with the idea of knocking up a small layout - but found out what it was worth and sold it instead!

I had a oo set up until 5 years ago, when I left the mrs ! A big layout , just fully completed, then left it and she dismantled it rather ungently so I've heard lol. Kept all the loco's , all diesel engines and then sold them all to a chap on ebay for 350 quid. Wish I had kept them now. Expensive hobby if you go down some routes, but sticking with the basic oo guage, engines can be had for anything between 10 quid and 30 quid. My layout measured 8 foot by 4.