On my 18 mile trek over the to club last night, I was getting pretty obvious that the nights are drawing in. A month or so ago it was daylight, now I need my full beam for the various dips and hollows that cover to route to the middle of nowhere. What it also means is that those deadlines that seemed so distant are coming closer. Work is no progressing to get the various projects - both club and personal - in a suitable state for the club open day at the end of October; 28th October...put it in your diaries!

The 00 LMS layout is now tracked and ballasted, with a significant amount of the wiring completed. Warehouse yard is progressing a little slower, but the aim is still to have something running by the end of October.

One layout that won't be running, or even existing, will be Petworth Town. Changes to the scope of the scenery have enlarged the proposed size to around 12' x 2'. This will allow more of the town to be shown, as well as the gasworks, with a siding leading from the headshunt to the site of the works. It all more or less fits in, and I have been able to roughly sketch how the station would have fitted into the the town on a contemporary-dated map.

The motive power for the layout has been enhanced by the addition of another Dapol Terrier - Ashtead. Now all I need to do is to pluck up the courage to start work on a D1!

Talking of LB&SCR, a somewhat alternative version is taking shape at the hands of one of our club member's. This week a new loco was being sorted out with a DCC chip. Looks to be some sort of Double-Fairley, in a rather familiar shade of 'green'!

Here it is being tested amongst the usual detritus of club activity - biscuits being of primary importance!

A slightly closer view...

For more details on this flight of imagination, see the below thread...

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/60914-lumpy-barmcake-and-salted-cracker-railway/

Indeed, the club seems to be going Brighton crazy at the moment, what with Petworth Town and the Lumpy Barmcake and Salted Cracker Railway (despite living just about in South Western territory, I'm sure Matt cannot deny the very obvious appeal of the Brighton!), we also have another club member putting together a 00 LBSCR D1 at present.

Thus far, the club open day - not an exhibition as not all layouts will be running at the same time - will have the following in attendance:

• Yamanouchi Oshika - Club layout - Japanese N
  
• Kanjiyama - Club member's layout - Japanese N
  
• Ehwaldt - Club Member's layout - German N
  
• Warehouse Yard - Club Project - US H0
  
• LMS Yard Layout - Members layout/club project - 00
  
• Lumpy Barmcake and Salted Cracker Railway - Member's layout - Not sure!
  
• GWR shunting layout - Visiting layout - 00
  
• Scratch building and kit building demos
  
• Petworth Town photos and research
  

It will be held at the Milland Village hall between 10:30 and 4:00.