(Please give detailed answers, just like you would if we were sitting talking face to face! )

When did you first take an interest in railways? (Please use "Tab" key to move from box to box - but read any long paragraphs first!)

What are your first memories of trains?

Did you have a local station as a youngster?

Where?

Did you visit it regularly?

If it's relevant, what year(s) was this?

Do you still have pleasant memories of this time? (Please select.) Yes Not especially

Are there any specific memories to relate?

Were there other favourite places you used to visit regularly? YesNo

(If yes, please again give details; especially answering the last 5 questions again for each location.)

Did you travel regularly by train around the date you gave above, or did you merely watch the trains go by?

Travelled:- regularly occasionally rarely only once but it was most memorable! never

Merely watched from:- trackside station overbridge

Did you have a toy train set as a younster? No Yes (Please describe it...)

Have you had a model railway since? (Ditto)

Did you build it?

What do your friends and family think of the hobby of model railways?

What do you think of model railways?

Do you intend using this model for business purposes ? (Perhaps to break the ice prior to a business meeting; as in, "Do you want to come and have a look at my train set while we're waiting for Fred"?) Yes

Is there any specific deadline for this model? Date:

Is it for you?

Have you any photographs which capture the essence of what you want modelled?

Can you scan/photocopy them and include them with your reply?

Please add captions to explain as best you can precisely what it is that appeals to you. (At a later stage it would be very helpful to have proper prints if details contained in them are to be modelled.)

Do you feel that some specific occasion sparked your interest in railways? If so, what was it?

How has this coloured your interests since?

If there is a specific historical episode/occasion which you find fascinating, could you describe it?

Do you wish us to capture this in model form?

As just one part of the model or the major feature of it?

Is this railway local to you?

Could you go out and photograph the local landscape and surviving buildings, bridges features etc?

Are there published any local histories of the area which contain useful references to the line, its surroundings and/or the traffic it carried? Title/Author/Publisher:

1D Are you aware of any railway histories of your chosen line being available? (We have a considerable library of such histories for a wide variety of lines, especially the "big Four", but we certainly can not cover all of them !) (Please quote Title, Author, Publisher and ISBN. . . )

Have you any plans of the area/stations you wish to base your model on? (ie; ratings plans, period maps, etc. Please enclose a copy if you have.)

Do you prefer branch or main-line trains? (Please "check" one or both. Then again, if you have no preference select neither!) Branch-line trains Main-line trains

Do you like shunting?

Would you like to be able to just push a button and watch the trains go round ? (Please note that this can be very expensive on a large layout - and is not practical with a small terminus!)

Do you want to be able to control the whole layout from one place?

Would you like to have more than one control position so guests can operate one part of the model while you operate another?

Do you want your model to feature one station and its surroundings
    or would you prefer a longer line featuring more than one station?

Are there any special features you wish us to model? tab away!

Do you have any specific area/county/landscape in mind for your model?

Have you any photos (or magazines with photos), showing the line or the area?

Are there any other special considerations we need to know about? (For instance, does the layout need to be low enough to be able to be seen comfortably from a wheelchair or is access likely to restrict the size of baseboards we can get into the room - like a loft access or tight staircase?)

Any other information you think we should be aware of? (Be it relevant directly or indirectly.) please scroll again for a while !!!

2.1 In general terms, what type of model do you want? (Please select the nearest.)

e) other. (Please specify)

[ * In all these cases, if you have a dedicated railway room in mind, please draw up a sketch showing its floor-plan, scan it and attach a copy when you get in touch.

Details of what to include;-

Dimensions of the room, i.e. all wall lengths (measure at about 4ft/1.3mtrs from the floor; also please check walls are straight - by eye is usually sufficient but if there is any doubt, get someone to hold each end of a straight, taut piece of string and measure the depth at both ends of any bows in the wall which intrude into the room.)

We will also need both diagonal measurements, the size of any alcoves or recesses, plus fireplaces, doors (include arc of opening), windows (note space required for curtains if fitted and whether access is required for drawing curtains or opening lights), radiators, power-points, light-switches (include height from floor), any sloping sections of ceiling (below about 6ft/2mtrs), and any other features which might affect construction such as an uneven or sloping floor or any steps, raised or lowered areas.

Please consider whether any other special provisions are required such as wheelchair access, storage, work bench, etcetera. (Where it might be feasible to wrap the tracks around the room in circular fashion allowing the operator to sit in the middle, please tell us whether a "duck-under" access would be acceptable or whether unimpeded access is required.]

2.2 Scale/Gauge.

Explanatory note;

It may be that you have never had a model railway before and know little of such things as "scale" and "gauge". Do not worry! In case you want to know, "scale" refers to the ratio between the size of the prototype and the model, the former always being expressed as "one". Thus 1/10th scale means a model ten times smaller than the real thing, and so on. The word "gauge" refers to the distance between the rails, both prototype and model gauges being expressed in actual size, thus "9 mm gauge" means there is a nine millimetre gap between the rails for your model train to run on. Scale and Gauge are often, but not always, in a direct ratio with one another but different model train manufacturers have adopted different commercial standards which has confused the matter for everyone. Such is life!

If you want us to guide you through this "minefield" of confusing terminology and suggest which combination would be best suited to the type of layout you envisage, please "check" either or both of the first two boxes. If you have an open mind but preferences, please feel free to check several boxes. Then again, you might want a model featuring more than one gauge anyway so check whichever boxes appeal!

Please state the gauge/scale you prefer;

Standard gauge (ie; models of trains running on 4' 8½" track.) In ascending order of size...

Narrow/Broad gauge;

As anything other than 4' 8½" is one or the other*, it is much easier if you state the scale and the gauge you require, preferably thus; (* even 4' 8½" can be considered "broad" or "narrow"; for example in countries where metre gauge or 5' 3" is standard!)

then please add the company/country you wish to represent on your model, such as "Lynton & Barnstable" or "Isle of Man". [Using this method for a 4mm model on "N" gauge track you could have 4n9(Ffestiniog) or 00n9(freelance); for a continental model you might have 3.5n9, or for a larger one 7n16.5. Broad gauge might be; 4b28(Brunel), 7b35(Eire) or even 3.5b18.375(Espania)!]

My preference is;-

3. Your Budget for the model.

Please select the budget-range you are considering; (in Pounds Sterling)

£1,500 to £5,000

£5,000 to £25,000

over £25,000

4. Owning Company Preferences.

For layouts which are to be based on commercially available rolling stock, please tick one or more of the following preferences;

Non-specific british steam railway with a period feel. State decade;

American (If you wish us to use a specific proprietary range please quote it:)

Continental (If you wish us to use a specific proprietary range please quote it:)

Other Countries (If you wish us to use a specific proprietary range please quote it:)

Freelance or other (For example a fantasy layout based on characters from a book - not necessarily one of the Reverend Awdry's!) Please tell us what you have in mind...

For layouts intended to feature hand-built models, please state country/railway company intended to form basis of model and any period or specific locationrequirements.

For example;

"Brecon and Merthyr Railway in S4, 1913 period, somewhere in the Rhymney Valley."

"Turn of the Century Midland Railway in 0 fine, somewhere on the Settle & Carlisle."

"I want a model of St Pancras Station just at it would have been on July 1st. 1902; I want to run the right trains, show the people in correct period dress for that season, have the right adverts on the noticeboards and I especially want to feature the Royal Train, King Edward and the person and entourage of Prince Soandso of Suchandsuch when they passed through the station on their way to Balmoral".

The only limitations are the time/money you have available for research and the time (and therefore the cost), of producing such detailed work. It is possible to model almost anything - although whether some things will actually make good models or not is another matter. . .

I would like my model to represent...

Thank you for taking the time to fill out our questionnaire. We will shortly have a very good idea of the kind of model railway you are looking for and will do our best to provide it for you. Before you sumit this to us however, just a few personal details would be helpful but they are optional;

If you wish to start again, (are you really sure you do?), you can clear your previous answers by clicking here: