Episode 12: Creative Downsizing

 

Every member of our family is busy downsizing following our recent house move.  In the previous post I said I hoped to use the process creatively, clearing space in a way that will move me forwards with modelling.  I've made enough progress to bring my ideas together into this post, which I think completes this blog.  I hope these thoughts are useful:

 

Part 1:  How to keep the memories

 

Without the space for all the things I've built or acquired, I've condensed them into a coffee-table photo book to keep instead.  I'd not done one of these before, but am pleased with how it turned out - certainly a big step-up from the photo albums and scrap books I grew up with!  Something that can take its place in the bookcase, not things stuffed into a box:

 

 

Some sample pages:

 

 

 

 

(I am keeping some of the items pictured).  This done, the final tranche of sale items are being packaged up for shipping tomorrow.  I found it a more enjoyable exercise than I imagined, leaving me free to let more things go.  I used Snapfish.

 

Part 2: Catching up on repairs - looking after what I'll keep

 

Very little got damaged in our house move.  Sam and the old man did find a few broken roof tiles from the village church, round the back where no-one sees.  A dab of "Glue 'n' Glaze" will sort this out.  A couple of loose details needed replacing elsewhere, but nothing else that was still needed got broken:

 

 

I have a manageable collection of useful buildings remaining, including a couple to be completed:

 

 

Part 3: Revisiting "the Plan"

 

Before we moved, 'the plan' for the new spare room looked like this:

 

 

The wardrobes were only expected to be used for long-term storage (the loft is inaccessible).  I planned to build a simple train-set based H0 layout on the same three IKEA tables I used in our previous house.  When I wanted to do some modelling (instead of running trains), I'd either move part of the layout (envisaged as also being in three pieces), or deploy a fourth IKEA table which was becoming spare after the move.  When family came to stay I would still need to clear everything out of the way, but this was the same in our previous home.  It didn't look like an unreasonable idea.

 

Having moved however, it soon became obvious this wasn't going to work!  Why not?

 

1. Limited storage in the house and more stuff to store means regular access will now be needed to the wardrobes.
2. Maxing out the layout / modelling space in a more crowded room (with more other stuff in it) is a recipe for frustration, for everyone!
3. With less space elsewhere it will be more difficult to store a layout and modelling stuff when family come to stay.

 

Added up, it looked like the combined effect of these things was going to put the hobby into competition with other aspects of domestic life, rather my hobby than being an enjoyable part of it (for me and the rest of the family).

 

And that was most definitely not the plan!

 

I've experienced moments of frustration before, having had to change my plans at our previous house over the past four years, so it seemed daft to bake in that expectation from the off in our new home.  A different approach is needed.

 

Once again, @James Hilton comes to my rescue - another quote from His Small Layout Design handbook:

 

"Determine the space you have, and marry that to a prototype."    

 

Invitation accepted!  Creatively re-imagining my available space so my hobby can be part of the domestic story of enjoying our new home intead gives me this:

 

 

The layout space is now two tables, or 2m x 0.6m, while the total modelling space needed is back to three tables, arranged so easy access to the wardrobes is always possible.

 

Part 4: Moving forwards - the essence of this blog post:

 

What can I fit onto two tables - a space previously photographed like this (just for reference / context)?

 

 

Fortunately, all the experimenting I've done made it a very easy conversation to have: narrow gauge H0e / HOn30 / 009.

 

Visualising what is possible has been helped enormously by @Woody C's delightful 009 Chalkdon layout, built almost exactly to that size.

 

What's exciting is this really doesn't feel like a downsizing exercise anymore - it's more like a liberating fresh start.  It's difficult to capture succinctly in words what has changed, especially after a pile of false starts in the past, but stepping back from trying to squeeze that little bit (or a lot) extra into a contested space really feels different, and far more relaxed.

 

I can have a work bench for my structure kit building:

 

 

and a 2m x 0.6m Narrow Gauge portable layout.  My little German H0 Modelling Blog can continue.  And there's no point me worrying about anything more than that.

 

Part 5: Projects and Themes

 

So, to wrap up, what am I keeping?  Not all my standard gauge collection is leaving.  Impressed with Piko A-Gleis, I've bought a ready ballasted circuit I can set up in the Conservatory to at least run trains (Japanese style) from time to time:

 

 

 

My German Epoche I set is staying, as is my recently bought Bachmann Class 24 pre-Tops diesel:

 

 

 

Maybe, following @ian's advice from earlier episodes of this blog, there will still be a German branch line one day - I do hope so.  As for kick-starting my narrow gauge modelling again, I went back and bought a new Peco Setrack set:

 

 

This photo could have been taken in 2021 in our old attic room, but was actually taken yesterday in our new house.  A lot has changed in narrow gauge modelling since 2021.  I came back to narrow gauge modelling just as the explosion in r-t-r 009 locomotives and more rolling stock was really gaining momentum.  Search for 009 on the website of a large retailer and over 300 results pop up (not including spare parts and control systems).  Several major manufacturers are on board and, r-t-r locos and rolling stock from a good number of well known and popular narrow gauge lines across Wales and England have become available.  There are already (and always have been) some excellent and very authentic layouts bringing our narrow gauge lines to life.  @PaulRhB's Freem009 Lynton & Barnstaple is just one example here on RMweb.

 

I'm more of a shallow end modeller.  I've been rather taken with the freelance Southern Rly livery Bachmann offered their Baldwin 4-6-0 in.  What if the Southern had absorbed other narrow gauge lines - if the Oakhill Brewery Railway had survived, for example?

 

 

An impressive model, but not a large one:

 

 

 

"Sid" was acquired from the 009 Society, in excellent condition and at a very good price (as always with the Society Shop).  It did need a dust and a clean - and I'm indebted to @WIMorrison for his guidance as to the easiest way to do this.

 

Turns out Bachmann have avoided the problems sometimes encountered with small pony wheels by actually making a 2-2-6-0 locomotive:  who knew? (I didn't):

 

 

As for cleaning, this came off the wheels in just a couple of minutes:

 

 

I've previously said my most impressive loco was from Kato, and they've also brought out a Ffestiniog England in a fictitious Southern Livery.  But a retailer was selling off some Kato / Peco Princess models in lined maroon:

 

 

A justification?  I believe the Ffestiniog did loan No. 2 Prince to help construct the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railway, so maybe it happened elsewhere too (less well documented)?  I also have some appropriate rolling stock for my Princess:

 

 

(Surely you have to clear away the trees to get to the slate?)

 

 

 

Do I have a layout plan yet?  No - at the moment I'm enjoying exploring ideas.  I'm not in a rush:

 

 

And what about my HOn30 Carrabassett and Atlantic Line?  I still have my Pagosa Junction Depot building somewhere still wrapped up, but the other buildings I had were too big for my plans now.  I can still dream of running long double headed American-style manifest freight trains in narrow gauge:

 

 

Conclusion

 

So, you see Sam, that about wraps it up:

 

 

"What happened next?"  Well, now we know.  We moved house, and found a way to take what we know, and what we've learned, and what we have, and with the help of some good people along the way, looked at it differently.

 

And the header photo?  It's of a picture I have on my Study wall, because it relaxes me, and I like it.

 

So I guess the job here is done.  I guess there'll be a new blog when something happens (or if it doesn't).  Until then thank you for sharing the journey and take care, Keith.