Now that the baseboard is built, things are moving on, and tonight I have been able to get the track out and see if it all fits together as planned.

This is always a worry, especially when you are converting an electronic plan to a full-size one, but on this occasion all seems to have gone has planned.

As mentioned last night, I'd like to include a gradient, and with a 3/4 inch rise decided on, I was quite pleased to find a CD box (Driving Rock, inevitably! ) which matches the correct height.

This then is the layout 'as planned' - on all of these pictures you will have to use your imagination a bit and ignore the detritus around the edge! - the white strip (Peco point instructions!) represents the road, whilst the aforementioned CD box creeps into the scene holding the track at the relevant level.

The problem is though, to me, it looks a little cramped. The gradient leading offstage was supposed to be at a visibly different height, but the proximity of the headshunt means, to me, this looks a little silly. Something had to give, and the next incarnation saw a more simple affair with the removal of the engine shed.

I was quite happy with this, if a little disappointed with the loss of the shed - which prompted another look.

This version moves the set of points leading to the engine shed into the goods shed road - with the headshunt running behind the engine shed as originally planned. I really quite like this version, which is one I hadn't previously considered. I dug some stock out for this one too - the van is sitting on the stop blocks with the siding finishing before crossing the road, the coaches sitting in the platform road and today's purchase of a Bachmann C Class sitting 'on shed'.

From the end on view:

The advantage of this plan is that there is more of a gap between the main and the sidings, meaning I should be able to make something more of it, from a scenic perspective.

As always, I'd be interested in your opinions and thoughts!