If you are reading this blog- perhaps attracted by the name 'Whistlestop'- there is a fair chance that, like me, you have more than a passing interest in trains- whether full-size, model, or somewhere in-between. Anything that runs on rails! I've had a passion for all things 'train' ever since I was very young, and this has evolved into a very enjoyable hobby of collecting what I call Toy Trains. You could perhaps define Toy Trains as the trains we had when we were kids- in my case Hornby Dublo- but I will talk more about what exactly collecting Toy Trains is in future blogs.
As a collector, I very much enjoy seeing not only what other people have collected, but I enjoy finding out why they collect certain items, and seeing how they display them. I love visiting museums- whether they are a bloke's backyard shed where his collection is stored, or any of the fantastic open-air museums displaying all manner of items in a living, realistic setting. I have always dreamt of developing a museum of my own, and the idea gradually dawned on me that a museum of Toy Trains would be a lot of fun to build, as well as being reasonably interesting for others to visit. So, this blog is about the twists and turns, the ups and downs, of putting together a collection of Toy Trains and developing the various facilities needed to display them in a meaningful and enjoyable way.
I am approaching what we call in Australia a 'Tree-change'- perhaps another way of saying it would be semi-retirement (but I hate the R word!!)- where I can put behind me the career that I have been involved in for most of my adult life, and finally do the things I've always really wanted to do! For me this also involves a major move from an Island Paradise to the Aussie Bush!!
For the next few months, as we pack and prepare, I'll be writing about 'The Story So Far'. Stories about finding trains, the trains themselves, buying the land for the museum, and progress so far. Next year though, we'll be moving into un-charted territory!! Building the Museum!! There is absolutely no guarrantee that things will go smoothly, or even work out at all, and I'll be writing about the successes, as well as the, shall we say, not so successful times. It is said that a train trip is not so much about getting to the destination, but enjoying the journey itself, and so it is with this train trip through life.
I hope you enjoy reading this, as much as I enjoy writing it. I welcome your comments.
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