Using bits and pieces for model railway use.

[Mountain]

While scratch building and kit and RTR bashing, I often look for things like we all do. Recently I've used bicycle parts. A couple of years ago while scratch building wagons I hit a problem where a strand from a bicycle cable saved the day in the form of a spring. Such parts also come in useful as electrical wheel wipers etc.
Another time a bicycle cable end acted as a digit to hold a bogie to a bracket for a 4-6-2T loco.
I've used the top end of a bicycle spoke for a steam pipe.
More recently I've come to appreciate more of the old ways where even cheap was quality. Take a look at Triang chassis. While they may not have scale wheels, take a look at the impressive build quality. And in their day they were considered cheap! While plastic bodies may be budget, their chassis were impressively built. The main thing is with those old chassis is that they don't run brilliantly unless they have many hours of running under their wheels. Higher milage Triang or Triang/Hornby locomotives ran smooth and quiet with high milage use, but before high milage use they tended to be jerky things that often needed a bump start! They do improve somewhat with modern stronger magnets. The build quality was never lacking though. The motors were made to last, and last they have!

[Mountain]

It is nice to find things one has, or can buy cheap and use them in our model railways. There is a satisfying feeling when we get things to work, and have saved ourselves some money.
The whole concepts of scratchbuilding for me are to use things cheaply or freely available and to build something unique and personal. It can be difficult to make it work without straying too far into the realms of fantasy. Though what is wrong with that? I aim for a suggestion of realism rather then a scale models which makes it easier for me to use things which others may not use, though many of you are ingenious in how you use everyday household items on your railways.