Chris Gadsby,
Staff Writer
I’ve been left wondering in the last few weeks how long it will be before the stigma surrounding the hobby will finally be lifted. I’m not ashamed of the fact that I am a fan of model railways, and I love that they are the essence of my job. So why then, when somebody asks me what my hobbies are, do I never mention it? My other interests have a similar problem. My friends regularly told me at university that I was ‘18 going on 80’ because I’m interested in vintage cars, I play golf (my dad would disagree – he’d say that I spend four hours hacking at the ball in the trees), listen to Coldplay and carry a handkerchief. Add model railways into the mix and I’ve got the metaphorical royal flush. What people fail to consider is how well-rounded the hobby is. It involves carpentry, electronics, problem solving, advanced preparation, intricate detailing and research. You are learning things as you progress and gaining valuable skills. This month I have taken the first big step in my modelling ‘career’ by finally starting my first modification of a card kit. It’s far from perfect and I’ve got a long way to go to reach the levels of George and Chris, but I am proud of it. At the end of the day isn’t that the whole point? I would much rather do that than stare at a screen trying to remember the sequence of buttons on a games console to do a ‘special move’. Triangle, square, circle. Or was it triangle, circle, square? Modelling hours: 10 Note to self: Even the smallest amount of progress is still progress!