I had been a modeller in 'OO' gauge for more than 40 years and had not any intention of changing scale.

The turning point came when I retired and picked up a copy of 'Garden Rail' in WH Smith.
The fuse was lit!  I was finding it increasingly difficult to cope with seeing and handling the tiny parts involved in assembling 4mm kits and the allure of 'live steam' became too much to resist.

At that stage, I was totally unaware of Gauge 3. The magazine was exclusively directed towards Gauge 1, G-scale and 16mm narrow gauge. The models were mostly of 'continental', American or freelance origin and not particularly appealing to a lifelong follower of the British standard gauge prototype.

There were a few authentic British narrow gauge models available and I decided that was the path to follow. Garden Railway Specialists (Prince Risborough) was my next destination (a long drive from East Anglia but well worth the trouble).

I arrived at 'GRS', still with no inkling about Gauge 3, but my eyes were about to be opened.

Having been shown around the shop by Michael Adamson (and still with the intention of following the 16mm scale path) I happened to make some comment to Michael which brought forth a Gauge 3 model. That was it! Forget G-scale and 16mm with its limited range of authentic British equipment, it just had to be Gauge 3 with those impressive large locomotives and rolling stock of familiar standard gauge prototypes. The variety of locos and stock astounded me, considering it was a scale of which I had not previously been aware (other than in the engineering orientated form as 2½ inch gauge, in which passengers are hauled around elevated plain circuits of track while seated on trolleys).

Having constructed a few Gauge 3 models from kits and seeing the amount of detail (and visible to the naked eye detail at that) which could be incorporated, that was the end of 4mm scale for me.

My considerable stock of 4mm items went onto Ebay and raised a very tidy sum with which to expand my Gauge 3 collection.

All that is several years in the past and I am now a committed Gauge 3 modeller and enjoying every minute!

NEXT:
Convert #3 : Gauge 3 by a (fortunate) fluke!