Heading towards Toowoomba 2010

The AMRA May show is for me a key milestone each year. It's not the show itself, it's the fact that Toowoomba is only the next month, and a funny kind of modelling panic sets in. I'm not one for setting and meeting deadlines, setting modelling goals, well maybe. I like the idea of goalsetting, but not the planning and sticking to it that must follow.

The weekend after the Queens' Birthday long weekend is when the Darling Downs club hold their annual railway exhibition. When I first became interested in modelling as an adult, I took a trip with the family to T'ba for the day. We had a great time, I was impressed with the laid back atmosphere of the show, where presenters were only too happy to discuss anything with you, for as long as you wanted. I'd met a few blokes from a local club that I eventually went on to join.

The next year I went along to be part of the group of members that attend T'ba without fail. What could be so attractive about going to a show, sleeping in a close to zero oversized shed, having communal showers, then spending the day running trains? Well the answer is without hesitation, and trying not to sound too over the top (as I'm normally prone to be), the friendship and comradery. I do not plan to miss a t'ba show any time soon.

Now each year I like the idea of running something new, for me I suppose as I doubt that someone would notice what i ran from one year to another. I have several projects on the go at the moment, but really not enough time to finish them all before the show. This is where I have trouble deciding what to do first. I also think that I wrote about this last year, boy I've been doing this for twelve months already, time flies... anyway what will I finish in time? Your guess is as good as mine really, I'll post what I complete before the show.

This year the pressure is building for a completely different reason, as this year is the last time Daz will be presenting 'More'. Now I find myself with less than twelve months to get SSC to a presentable standard. The points are nearly there, timber for sleepers are ready to go, kits and RTR for the rollingstock are almost all purchased (not constructed yet), second modratec lever frame I purchased at the May show, lighting pelmets are well on the way. I want to make sure that bare minimum, one side of the layout was 100% finished with the other well on the way there. The fellows at T'ba are quite happy with a work in progress, as long as it runs, and you're willing to share where you're at and how you did it. I do think back to what I liked to see as a beginner, and still do actually, as I've said before I do still think of myself as a beginner in so many ways.

So the line is in the sand now. Not long to go, the last of my hair is bound to decide to part company also. Bugger! I'd better buy a better beany for this years show, I'll keep you posted on how the deadline looms for me, Ooroo!