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Biography of Malcolm Archbald SMITH
[Ref. S.1]
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Section H : Railways
This has been a major interest of Malcolm's since before he started school. When young, he and his brother were the proud owners of a Hornby electric "0" gauge train set which was set up on their bedroom floor when in use. Round about the age of eight he was given a Hornby "00" gauge set of the Mallard as a Christmas present from his godfather. That set still exists and was given to a nephew. Malcolm then continued to add to that set on the Hornby three rail system.
Hornby started to produce model trains on a two rail system and Malcolm found it expedient to convert when he was in his mid teens, selling off the three rail equipment that he could not use. He started collecting avidly and would set up the railway on the floor from time to time.
During his school years he had a model railway to which he gradually added as time went by. From about 1970 his interest grew and he started collecting railway memorabilia and photographing trains and their environment. In the 1980's he achieved an ambition to build a large shed in his garden devoted entirely to railways, both original artefacts and a model layout. Each time he moved house thereafter he constructed a new model railway layout. Photographs that Malcolm has taken relating to his interest in railways are displayed on his website.