My model railroad history in short


Model railroading has been with me since my childhood when I got a Lego train. I built plastic models and dioramas as a kid and teenager. By the age of 13 I planned several different timesavers but never managed to build one (other things like girls etc came in the way). I managed to get some feedback of my plan from Hans Svensson who was a writer in Allt om Hobby and this sketch is actually the feedback I got from him (I had keept his reply letter over the years since I knew that I might one day build that timesaver).

In 1998, some 18 years later I actually did build a timesaver with Märklin HO material. I lived at the time on 41 square meters so space was limited. I never got the loco to run good enough in slow speeds.

I got interrested in the small Z-scale (1:220) and built a small test oval under the timesaver. Soon the Z-scale took over the interrest completly. A larger Z-scale track was soon underway.

The small scale is very nice, a big track doesn't take up so much space.

The Z-scale empire got quite far, even with computer control when it was time to move to a bigger apartment.

The pieces that where built didn't really fit in at around the walls of the new place. Also I had found some problem areas with the small scale. Couplers didn't work well for long trains and also running characteristics wheren't always that good, especially on steam locos.

Instead I went over to HO scale and a modular layout idea (described under the "Trackplans" section). Well underway with the benchwork it was again time to move, this time to a house. Once there another interrest accelerated, slotcar racing, so there wasn't much model railroading done.

Also a new move came up due to a divorce. Once installed in my new own place slotracing was the only interrest I kept (see the modelracing link under "All Latte sites"). I did have a rather big custom made slotcar track in my living room :-)

After five years of racing in Sweden and abroad (even at the World Championship) I felt I didn't want to spend nights building cars that had to be ready for a specific deadline. So at the moment, modelrail railroading is again the prioritized hobby in my life.

This time, I don't build a track of my own, I joined a club instead that has a big track (Stockholm Modell Järnväg, SMJ). And maybe there will be a MMM module ready one day.

I've also started to solder cars as you can see on the picture.