Well, it has been a while!

But progress has been made!!!

So clear up from the last entry, yes, the hole in the wall was too small, the whistle (the highest point on my Bachmann Annie) was fouling it. So I trimmed a bit from the top. Then I found the tender handrails were too wide. So I enlarged the sides. Then everything finally fitted!

Some more Metposts were sunk, a few uprights fitted in, then decking boards laid on top covered with some roofing felt offcut, kindly donated by Dad.

All of which left me with what looked more like the beginning of an elevated motorway...

I needed a removable section, to bridge between the garage and the elevated section, as I am fitting a door (mainly for weather protection), but of that later.

So, with the purchase of some second hand track from Steve Lewis (of this parish and G Scale Central), I donned my navvy cap once again and started track laying.

The addition of track makes a world of difference. It also tends to attract small children. Mainly my son. Who either wants to know, "Daaaad! What you doing?", "Train come out?" or what he can hit with his "knock knock" (Translation from toddler speak = [Toy] Hammer). But the addition of some wire makes even more difference, because then we can get down to the serious bit.

Playing trains.

No, I meant testing the track laying. Honestly!

So I trotted out the ten wheeler (looking very grotty due being covered in dust from garage-wall-hole drilling) and ran about a grand total of 8 feet down the garden. Not much, but it's a start! I was concerned about the gradient, but she was quite happy to push 4 Bachmann coaches back up the hill into the garage (where they start going through an LGB R1 crossover) without any real fuss.

I've also knocked up a door to replace the bit of ply that was wedged in from inside.

So all of this has been a slow and steady effort, culminating in the big push (Wiring up and testing) over the bank holiday. (Mainly because mum and dad were entertaining the kids).

However in a brief period of freedom, Dad attacked some of the undergrowth in the Raspberry plantation, where I'd thrown some track to indicate roughly where the trains would run to the Domestic Planning Officer, and created this shot.

All that's missing is the drone of the raspberry harvester and the rattle of the loading cranes as they load raspberry hoppers ready for the next pickup freight.

That's all for now folks!