Following on from my last blog 'Second Thoughts' I've been thinking some more about where I see my modelling going over the next couple of years.

First up the two baseboards that I have already are slightly too big for the 2010 challenge, which does add an extra complexity to my deliberations (mostly stemming from the fact that I dispise any form of woodwork, and while I do keep having thoughts about building a metal framed baseboard, it dosnt suit its self to the sort of odd shape that I would be looking at building for a challenge layout.

That should be the end of it, but.......

The first problem is with stock; As I have mentioned before, I have currently got stock for 4 main periods focused around the south west, This includes the early 80s, late 80s, 1998 and 2003-2006. On top of this there is also a bunch of stock still left over from some previous projects.

This really is just a bit too much stock (I think I have 7 or 8 Class 50s, getting on for 15 37s, umpteen 47s etc etc etc) even with a large continuous run layout, there is still way more stock than I will ever use.

So the logical thing is to try and thin some of it down, getting rid of some of the 'its nice but little use' locos, (Just to stop the pms before they start flooding in, this is not intended as a For Sale thread. That will come later (if at all), more a case of putting thoughts into writing to try and get a clearer idea of what I actually want.

Looking at my fleet, am I ever going to need 4 different mainline steam locos? (particularly as the Mallard never ran in my area) Alas the Scotsman I have is half dismantled and will probably never be finished until I end up building a new chassis for it (more on this in a couple of lines time)

Similarly I have a pair of 456 kits that are half finished (still requiring a fair bit of scratch building on one of them) and a pair of 466 one of which is in bits half way through a motor swap. A box of Lima Class 73s (again all motorless awaiting Bachmann 25 power), a full set of blue pullman mk2s that still needs the buffets painting & upgrading + locos buying, again which falls slightly out of period.

Then we get onto things like the HSTs, and the long ballast rakes, ideal if a large continuous run is built, but will those models still be current when (if) that ever happens, and if it does happen I suspect I would wait for Showcase or Scaleforum to save on the hassle of postage etc.

So the logical thing is to sell it on, they are a sunk cost after all, not going to appreciate in value and it will give me a nice bit of extra income (that could be used to pay for building a new layout. The problem here comes back to that business with the 466 and the Scotsman, in that so much of it is only partially finished, meaning that I'd take a huge hit on the original (or finished) value of the item. I dont like loosing money.....

After thinking about all of this, I then started thinking about it all a little differently. At the moment I keep trying to make layouts which will serve as a background that will let me run a few bits of stock I really like. the early 80s gets me 37207, clay hoods and my peak, the late 80s gives redstripe, NSE 50s and the first period that I can properly remember from childhood, 98 gives GWT livery (my all time favourite) along with a really interesting traffic mix, while 2003-6 gives a period which still has a lot of interesting stuff, but more importantly is after the use of digital cameras became widespread, meaning most research can be done online (which suites me a lot better than books).

So maybe I am doing this the wrong way, maybe I should be continuing to build up a fleet for a 1998 layout that isnt China Clay meaning I keep the majority of my modern fleet (all be it with the later 2000s stuff slimmed down) and try to find a location which gives some of my other interests. That way the clay stuff can be kept to the 80s (minimising duplication of stock) and I can slim out a big chunk of duplicated models.

I do quite fancy something in early privatisation that has bother GWT running with some 3rd rail stuff......

After all of this, I return back to the 2010 challenge. I mentioned in the previous post that I am looking for a challenge with my modelling again, I want to try something that is a different challenge. Maybe if I went thorough with this cull, I may actually be able to do that. A couple of thoughts last night were looking around the southern region before the end of the slam door stock, though it does have the problem that while there is a challenge in the fact that all the stock needs to be kit built, they basicly share the same construction process so after one CIG I suspect the challenge will have worn off and be back to the dull repetitive stuff I cant really be bothered with.

The other idea was well and truly out of the box, which was to have a go at Broad gauge steam, practically everything would be different to what I'm used to, with having to build a different style of track, everything from kits etc. Of course there is the other option of just deciding that maybe its the hobby as a whole thats not doing anything for me at the moment, and that maybe selling most of it up and trying something else for a couple of years might be a good idea.....

Anyway, if anyone is still reading this nonsense, thanks for sticking through it. Suspect that Warley could be interesting this year, as it would be good to sound a few more people out on a few ideas...