A little bit about what I hope to achieve is in order I think. There are some very good WDLR layouts about (Willesdon Junction for example), but, in my humble opinion some real shockers! Over busy, unrealistic and just downright improbable. What I hope to achieve is a good representation of what life was really like for a Light Railway. Basically they were there to do a job and that job was to shift vast amounts of freight. The problem here comes of how to make this interesting for the viewer and the operator.

My solution to this problem is base the model in a transfer yard at the limit of steam operations where trains would be split into smaller units to go forward with the more discreet petrol engines. This probably puts the scene a mile or two back from the front but in an area that has previously been fought over. I have gone for a date of Summer 1918 as by this stage the system was running at about it's highest capacity and efficiency. If pressed on a location I would probably say somewhere in the Ypres area. I have to stress that I am no military historian so some of my presumptions may not be absolutely watertight. Likewise I may be about to commit grievous sins as far as military modellers are concerned but what is good for a 12 inch square diorama just does not work when it gets to be nearly twenty feet long!

Yes, things have got a bit out of hand. I originally intended it to be about twelve feet long but I just couldn't fit everything that I wanted and still keep a sense of space.

One design constrain was that I wanted to make it all fit in my Freelander (not necessarily with any passengers and with the option of the top box!). I just do not want the hassle or expense of hiring a van and anyway I hate driving them! A really worthwhile exercise was to make up a couple of dummy baseboards from a mass of cardboard left over from an Ikea flat pack. Despite my measuring it turned out that I had overlooked the fact that the rear seat slopes backwards and a few lumps and bumps which meant my original dimensions were about three inches out. I have settled on boards 42 inches long by 18 inches wide which will fit flat on the floor. I have broken some new ground for me and am going to make them from ply girders.

The layout will be DCC with everything possible being done to make reliable running. There will be a fiddle yard at each end but I want to try and make it possible to run it with just me if necessary so there will be a complete control panel at each end. The aim is to have all loco's sound fitted.

7mm is my preference for good running but (it might seem daft), but I haven't actually decided if it will be O-16.5 or 14mm as yet. I have stock of both persuasions, rolling stock can easily be re-gauged but locos are a bit trickier. I am really torn between the accuracy of 14mm track but the convenience of Peco could win the day. I intend to do a couple of little dioramas to test how the track will look and make a decision soon.

I have an itch to get started on the baseboards though so here goes.....