Having only just bought a laptop and my own home broadband net access, I'll post occasional news about how my layouts and modelling philosophies evolved, especially about coping with my hobby living in a small flat.

I haven't bought a digital camera or any scanning equipment yet so please bear with me not posting any photos to show you of some of my past efforts.

I model in both N and OO, although OO has the upper hand by far now because of the wider range of models available, both new and second hand. It hasn't always been the case, when I had just graduated from what is now a uni, I stayed in bedsits where I only had room for tiny layouts, and N predominated, indeed at one time I could count the amount of OO stock I owned on both hands!

My circumstances mean only small portable layouts are possible, and from experience, designed to be carried and stacked away by one person at the end of each operating session. Therefore, any fine detail that is likely to be knocked off is either omitted or removed, and any buildings or structures above a certain height removed before stacked away.

I've settled on pre-ballasted Fleischmann Profi track (OO and N) as experience over the years shown I can lay and remove the stuff and reuse it many times, although it costs more than normal flexitrack, I've saved loads of money over the long term when I've changed my mind, high quality track is always a good investment.

I've also evaluated Kato Unitrack in N and my favourite pieces are the sectional double-track parts which go together like as though it's Scalextric and can be assembled and dismantled in no time.

The Fleischmann track (code 100 in OO, code 80 in N) can handle nearly every wheel profile except the very earliest Triang.

I must leave things for now ....