Sadly mold has taken a grip on extensive parts of Roding Reach. The areas affected is primarily the baseboard top layer which was made of hardboard.

The layout had been stored in the garage under my other layout and somehow a combination of damp and still air seem to have been the perfect environment to allow the mold to get hold.

Tomorrow I'll be stripping the top baseboard layer, track and scenery off and treating the baseboard carcass with some kind of anti-fungal paint.

There is some good news, however. For some time I'd been thinking that the layout was a series of compromises and maybe this will allow a new beginning with better design. One option is to put the two 6' baseboards end-to-end and build a traverser at each end. I've already had one offer to CNC rout the entire viaduct. Tempting as this would let me get back to where I was pdq.

For now I'm at some kind of modelling cross roads. I have a scenic 00 layout which is really a steam-age quiet backwater. Roding Reach was the foil to this - a busy, urban 1970s affair. The question is, whether to continue in this vein, or to try a new challenge. Much to ponder!

Anyway, here's a picture of the damage....