First blog post, hooray, I think? Not really sure what to put in this yet, more just a ramble about my current 'in-progress' plan so far for a layout, which has only really progressed to a vague idea of what i want the track layout to look like, then realising my tiny flat doesnt have anywhere near enough space after building just a basic loop of track you get in something like the standard Highland Rambler set from Hornby and being a bit frustrated by it combined with high prices of things. So, we took to ebay! And ended up deciding we liked 80s Railfreight-era red stripe/grey stuff and started buying a fleet of those engines + wagons...along with some BR Blue locos just because...and also wanting some military railyard of some description, oh the perks of being indecisive...

So then I had to decide *where* I wanted to plant my railway flag. I decided to be either predictable, or boring - depending on how you look at it - and just make the setting of my railway in, near and around my home city of Manchester. I love living here, lets put that energy and pride into model form, surely to make something Im going to like, problem solved!
Well, its not a super accurate Manchester mind you...last time I checked we didnt have an army railyard full of tanks and things nearby, based on the things I've been buying and are on my wishlist, at least in recent memory, but that doesnt mean Im not going to make it anyway for fun.

I'm not a lady who's super bothered about accuracy or specifics. I know a lot of people in the hobby do enjoy hyper-detailed specific accurate layouts, scenes and models and thats great, more power to them, some of those I've seen have been amazing. Other people make fictional towns but keep true to a time period and that accuracy and detail there, which is still awesome. I cant commit to that.
I just like model trains, I like playing with them and driving them around, and the complex networks and systems that railways create as its satisfying. The lack of accuracy and lack of care for detail miiiight frustrate some people. For example, lil diesel shunters I find adorable. Lets take the class 06, mainly worked in Scotland from what I can tell. Dont think you'd ever find one working down here but Im going to shove one in anyway. Hey lets throw it in with a class 35 and a 52 why not, maximum chaos. Sure Im going to have local buses and try to make the buildings and stations look right and have accurate names and things but the fleet is just going to be engines I like. I'll at least try to keep the liveries all the same!
Despite that carnage though, there is one exception to this railway of madness I've settled on making.

The Woodhead Line.

The EM1s and EM2s are hands down my absolute favourite trains. And given several local commutes up and down the route - or whats left of it - for personal reasons before I even knew that my fav bois used to trundle up and down it as well it just seemed like a fateful connection. Am I going to make the full thing? Absolutely not I'd need an entire street I think. But I can settle on a fictional track layout that uses the fleet and their companion rolling stock, or as close as I can get.
So - eventually - I think, despite my initial protestations of being an indecisive mess, I will have some specificity at least to anchor myself to reality at least partially and develop that, wallet allowing. (Sob.)

There is still going to be that military yard with their tanks running next door to them though.