My parents never owned a car and not a lot of money we travelled everywhere on public transport life was tough, but I never knew, everyone else around us was the same. My father had chickens in a shed out the back with a concrete floor he sold eggs to help with the bills and killed a chook at Christmas yeah, one chicken a year! He passed away at an early age the chooks were sold and I had a playhouse after it was cleaned out so the "Chook Pen" turned into a "Train Pen" with Hornby Clockwork trains. Because we travelled on trains a lot through industrial areas I saw lots of sidings, lots of local freight trains I was fascinated by them and the industries they served. I removed the Clockwork mechanism from the Hornby engines so I could switch my trains around the sidings by hand my factories were cardboard or wood blocks rough but when your young you have a vivid imagination (I think I still do!) .
Trains and model trains have been a lifelong interest for me I can't imagine a life without them they are just in my mind forever, sadly, the world has changed but I still have my memories of how Railways dominated the transport industry. 10 years ago I made a Thomas the Tank Engine table for our grand kids and it will sit in our lounge room till we pass, the bigger trains in the next room will probably be left to my operators first and the local club second my wife agrees, our children and grandchildren have other interests.
Roo.
