Next came the shelves. Two people are required to build them; I managed by myself but not without some awkward moments. The shelves are boltless, meaning lots of bashing with a rubber mallet and the associated reverberating clanging.

Note I hung simple hardboard sheets against wall battens, from ceiling height to about a metre off the floor, to provide a “cleaner” wall surface than the uneven breeze-block. I tell myself this gives me some insulation too, while retaining ventilation of the wall itself. Here is the first shelving unit nearing completion. These shelves are all 60 cm deep.

The railway will sit on a U-shaped set of shelves (facing to the right in this picture). I trimmed these units such that the top shelf is about 160 cm high; I calculated to allow three shelves of 35- or 48-litre “Really Useful Boxes” underneath the layout.

The U-shape complete.

Another view from the garage entrance. The nearest side will later be closed off with a wooden panel. Note dense clutter to the right.

Here I have already put up the panel to the left, forming an enclosed space, and the shelves are filling rapidly.

In this view I have recessed the neon lighting between the joists, and it’s all looking rather neater.