The little grey cells (and Turbocad) have been working since my last posting. The limitations of the space result in a basic track layout which is quite similar to Empire Basin. Using Templot has resulted in a much smoother flow of track work and it is interesting to see that the single slip ends up about 2 inches longer than my original version.

The biggest change is the design of the baseboards. You'll see I now have 4 conventional baseboards for the scenic area, with all of the difficult trackwork confined to the two centre boards. The right-hand board can slide slightly into the window to make space to separate the boards and then flip them up onto their backs to work ok. I'm thinking of using some 9 or 12mm ply and framing with say 3" deep ply lengths.

The location is now more rural than Empire Basin, I'm thinking Essex/Suffolk border but I'm probably going to cherrypick a few scenes from most of Ian Allen's travels! Starting on the left you have the slightly unusual arrangement of an overbridge with a station building and the platforms extending under the bridge. The building I've drawn up is based on Reedham in Norfolk and fits quite well. This arrangement gives me a visible reason for trains to stop without having to model an entire platform! To the rear of the track is a small water tower which provides water for the station's water crane. (need suitable GER prototype). Moving along there is an end loading dock and cattle dock with the entrance from the station access road.

A cross-over is provided which also features a slip into a goods loop (exactly as I had on Empire Basin but the loop is shorter) and there is a trailing access to a small goods yard. A double slip gives access to the cattle dock. The yard will feature a coal siding and also allow a train to be 'put inside' to clear the main line. The siding is the same length as the fiddleyard so that I can find a whole train.

To the rear on the right hand side is a small mill/maltings/cyder factory which will require regular traffic of vans, coal and grain wagons. I have a growing collection of unfeasibly small industrial locomotives (Barclay fireless, Ruston 48DS etc) which may well get used to shunt the sidings! Whether the wagon turntables will work is still to be decided.

The station signal box is at the end of the loop and is situated here so that the signalman can control the gates of the level crossing over the lane. This will be one of those GER level crossings with single long gates and huge gate posts with tie rods down to the gates. On the far right hand side the line curves to cross a slow wide river (lots of reeds) on a slightly patched up trestle bridge. (think St Ives/Godmanchester). The speed restriction gives the viewer plenty of time to admire the light flashing between the spokes of the wheels. On the bank next to the road will be a couple of small buildings, may be a pub ('The Ferryboat')?

The vertical fiddleyard remains in place.

So that is the plan for now, I'd welcome your comments, ideas for prototype buildings etc.

Empire Basin is still in place, I've not done anything destructive yet!

thanks

David