Figure 1.-- |
|
Trains have always had a fascination for me, right from the time I used to travel to school by train. A friend I made on the train helped interest me in models. Christmas time I was on my way to visit my aunt and grandfather, and I was so excited that I could not help telling them all about it. My aunt said we would go and have a look. Trembling with excitement I got on the bus with her and we went down to the terminus. I showed her this beautiful Hornby set with locomotive, tender coach and caboose. Transformer and an oval track, and we went inside to have a closer look. My heart dropped into my boots because something had obstructed the price sign and the real cost was 15 pounds, so with heavy heart it was back home again because that was far too much. Naturally I did not know that there had been family discussions, and my two aunts, parents and grandfather had all contributed to give me the best Christmas present I could ever have wished for at that time.
I was in Heaven, and played with and looked after that train-set for years. I used to get two shillings a week pocket money. I spent one and sixpence on a rail for the train-set almost every week until I had a more interesting track and still treasured it when I went to university.
Trains have always had a fascination for me, right from the time I used to travel to school by train.
Getting to school took some time. At eight years old I had to get up bright and early and cycle to the station from our farm in Tokai, a distance of 2½ miles usually with my father at first but then alone. The bicycle was left in a special locked room with bicycle stands till the afternoon.
It was not long before I found myself getting on the same train and the same compartment where I made friends with three gentlemen who got on further down the line. They called us “Our Gang”, and they treated me as one of them.
One of them lived in a house in Fishoek which had a garden laid out as a miniature village which at times was open to the public. My parents took me to see it and perhaps that is where my interest in miniature or models started. The school I went to was in the Gardens, and usually I walked there from the Cape Town station, but on days that I had sport, the sport fields were too far away and I often came back by bus. The bus terminus where I got off, or on if I went to visit my Aunt or Grandfather had a shop-window of a sports shop called Jack Lemkus with many different kinds of model toys for sale. The model trains were beautiful, but always far too expensive to even contemplate. Then one day I saw a wonderful train-set for sale for 5 pounds. Still a lot of money at the time, but somehow not completely impossible.
It was almost Christmas time, and I was on my way to visit my aunt and grandfather, and I was so excited that I could not help telling them all about it. My aunt said we would go and have a look. Trembling with excitement I got on the bus with her and we went down to the terminus. I showed her this beautiful Hornby set with locomotive, tender coach and caboose. Transformer and an oval track, and we went inside to have a closer look. My heart dropped into my boots because something had obstructed the price sign and the real cost was 15 pounds, so with heavy heart it was back home again because that was far too much. Naturally I did not know that there had been family discussions, and my two aunts, parents and grandfather had all contributed to give me the best Christmas present I could ever have wished for at that time.
I was in Heaven, and played with and looked after that train-set for years. I used to get two shillings a week pocket money. I spent one and sixpence on a rail for the train-set almost every week until I had a more interesting track and still treasured it when I went to university.
Can you imagine my disappointment when I got back home on holiday to find that my younger brother, 10 years younger than I was had taken it out in the sand, twisted the rails and taken the engine and coaches to pieces. They were irreparable.
Well I never got over my love for trains, so it is not unexpected that when I had a family and a son that when I read of a competition in the Cape Argus for the best model train layout my wife and I decided to enter. She was artistic and could paint and I enjoyed woodwork and building models. So a project was started. I bought some Lima HO gauge tracks and rolling stock, and some kits for stations and buildings, and the layout started to take shape in the garage. A large board was drawn up to just below the roof by means of a pulley system and lowered onto trestles when in use. As the project progressed catenaries, points, lights and painted backdrops were added and tunnels built, with some more trains added. The trains were mostly SAR models with the Trans-Karoo, Blue Train and Goods and ore trains, with a suburban passenger train it the old brown colour as it was then. We managed to get second prize in the competition. Unfortunately my sons did not really share my passion for trains, one of them becoming a pilot, so when we moved house for the second time, the layout becoming a bit damaged, so I sold it to a patient who had a son who was interested.
I kept all the rolling stock, thinking that in my retirement I would have time to take up hobbying again. Unfortunately this did not work out either as I developed muscular dystrophy, and lost the ability to use my right arm properly. I had become too immobile and inflexible, so I sold the rolling stock to an old school friend who has a large collection and is building a new layout. He has promised to show me what he has done when he has finished it. I am looking forward to seeing them run again. I had built a large display-case out of teak to keep my trains in, and will try to find a picture of it with the trains in it which I will attach.
By the way I still love trains, and my wife and I are going on a first trip on the Blue Train in two weeks time. What a treat that will be!
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to Main English toy type page]
[Return to Main English toy page]
[Return to Main English model toy train page]
[Return to Main country toy page]
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[Glossaries]
[Images]
[Links]
[Registration]
[Tools]
[
Boys' Clothing Home]