Room

Good modelling needs room. Not necessarily a lot of room, two square metres can work miracles, but having an agreeable place to work is probably the most important tool of all. Model railroading in the style that I practice and enjoy, does not need a large amount of space. A place to sit and work and some cabinets to store your tools and results. That's all. In our house space is at a premium. From 2004 until july 2009 I modeled in the living room.

My entire workplace in the livingroom Almost all the tools I have are pictured here (by the looks of it I was working on my red Shay.

Halfway 2009 my daughter moved out of the house, leaving her room for my son. My son left his part of the loft vacant and since then I was the proud owner of it

Me in my little kingdom

Behind me is my hobby desk. A great relief is that I can use my tools without the need to put it away after every use, like I had to when working on the cramped desk in the living room. Some 200 book titles have found their place on the shelves. Often used pliers are clamped on the left side of the second shelf. Soldering irons have found their place on the right side (I'm right handed). Sorting boxes with the tiny modeler's tools are below the first shelf, direct at hand.

Left is where I work professionally when I work at home and also maintain my hobby contacts The latter have proved invaluable to acquire the necessary knowledge. The internet and email have most certainly changed the hobby. Before the advent of the internet, who would have thought about getting tips from Australia or getting the paint scheme for my red Shay from the US? Even now I am greatly encouraged by several fellow builders to continue on the NGG16, which I might have abandoned if they had not closely been following my progress, some of them as much as 20,000 km away.

In 2012 my son married and left the house, leaving the other half of the loft vacant. A reconstruction was quickly decided upon ad in April 2013 I picked up my hobby tools again in a nearly doubled hobby room

My new work area

and my new hobby area on the other side of the room