alancaster149

I got hooked originally when Dad bought me a trainset for Christmas when I was about 8. It was a Triang Rovex HO/OO set with a Jinty in BR livery, bauxite s/wb brake van and three wagons. Can't remember exactly what they were but I think they might've been two opens and a van. Didn't have much 'direction' in my choice of further motive power and rolling stock. An aunt bought me a pair of Pullmans one year and a book on a closed and much lamented railway in Hampshire another. I bought myself a SR Battle of Britain class, 'Winston Churchill' in my mid-teens before I went to Scarborough School of Art and I 'grew up', chased after skirt like we all did in the 60s... Come my late 30s and a son in the family I thought I'd introduce him to the delights of railway modelling from an early age. "Get 'em young..." Didn't have much sense of direction then, either... Membership of railway societies, the North Eastern Railway Association gave me focus, as did starting a group known as 'East London LNE with a number of keen members and some 'ballast' (floaters). I produced a group magazine, the ELLNE JOURNAL and roped in Associate Members from around the country, traders and notable figures such as Sid Weighell and Ken Hoole with the accent on things North Eastern. A few members from elsewhere with GC and GE interests added their weight, with articles and so on... The last JOURNAL, with a colour centre spread came out in early 1995 after I'd been made redundant from the Telegraph newspaper (then in Canada Square, E14)... The group folded soon after and 'assets' distributed from the Post Office account. The shares in the NYMR were 'adopted' by me, although they can't be sold on the open market, as my shares in the Wensleydale Railway. Didn't buy them for gain though, but to help out with their liquidity. Paid as a Covenanter for A1 ' Tornado' to be built, and pay towards the G5 at Shildon, the 1903 NER Autocar at Embsay and NELPG at Darlington as a Patron Member. I'm also a member of the OO Gauge Association (DOGA) and keen model maker (when I've got the cash to splash).

Well, that's me sorted... Any questions...?