The last few weeks have shown a good deal of progress on the layout. The remaining framework for the baseboards have been completed and the infrastructure is coming together. It is good to see a nice smooth and level surface covered with the templot drawing. Today I trimmed the old MDF backscene from Empire Basin, reducing the height slightly as the baseboard is now higher than it was. I've also purchased some timber to frame the backscene so that it can be held firmly against the wall. The intention is to fasten it to the wall and ensure that the baseboards themselves can be pulled out away from the backscene.

Apologies for the state of the rest of the railway room. There is a large pile of stuff that needs to go back in the loft and my Ikea storage is full to overflowing.

The mill begins to look the part in the corner, and I think I will have the space for the extra 'Silo' section on the right hand side. I'm rather excited by the release of the Bachmann 'Covhop'. I think my mill might also take deliveries of fertilizer for the local farming community. Is it too much to hope that they might be followed by a decent grain hopper?

I was also very taken by the pictures of the bridge at Chatteris dock in last month's Bylines. I had originally thought about the bridge being a wooden trestle bridge in the style of those around St Ives, but I'm now thinking the skinny girders of a plate girder bridge might look better. The problem is that the Will's Vari-Girders are much too deep in section so the only option would be lots of lots of rivets being pressed out. hmm - a project for another day.

David