Ah yes - the ill-fated 2012 Competition..

I'd always intended that 'Ambridge' serve a stone wharf - all that 'Borsetshire Broadstone' waiting to be extracted by the 'BBC' and earn the GWR mileage rates! So it became a 'stand alone' subject for the afore-said competition. When the comp closed in October last year, this was the 'state of play

(for those that missed this minor opus, the story is here...) http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/53606-scanmans-stone-wharf/

The area between the building & the stationary engine will be filled with stonesaws - powered by belt-drive from the engine - and that will be the main topic of this new section. However...

Whilst looking at the scene earlier this evening I realised that a 'backscene' of some description would be required - and an old quarry-face would fit the bill perfectly. In it's original position the group was a little too close to the corner, so it was moved a little to the right -

This seems to work - with the added benefit that the 'narrow-gauge' quarry line terminates in front of the proposed sawmill. So some REAL quarrying was then done to remove the ground-cover -

(I was tempted to use the one-plankers in the upper photo, but I resisted manfully)!

With the move complete (but not grouted in) -

It was time to 'rough out' the quarry. In previous posts I have espoused the use of high density urethane foam now commonly used in housebuilding. DONT buy it from the general DIY stores - it comes in blocks 75mm thick and about 4'x2'. go to a specialist supplier who has access to a commercial hotwire. It can be cut into fairly thin sheets - but be prepared for some wastage!

So using various thicknesses (the lowest is sanded to give 'lift' to the strata (honest!) the quarry begins to take shape -

Who knows, at the turn of the millenium, this might be a climbers playground!

More to do obviously - it needs several more basic layers before the actual scenic works start. However, considering I only started at 10pm and its now just turned midnight, I'm not too unhappy.

TTFN

Ian

PS - It's nice being back on the old layout - didn't realise how much I'd missed it!