When the blanks were cut out and they were offered up to the toolbox to check they fitted, the design size was found to be over optimistic. The final size is 500mm x 160mm. The total outside measurements of the box will be 510mm x 170mm. The above size is narrower than the expected during the initial design study.

Below is the previous design.

This has been made necessary because, it is difficult to accuracy measure the dimensions of a tapering container. It is critical that the layout will fit into the toolbox for transport, with damage occurring during insertion or removal, as well as in transit.

In order to get the desired track and scenic features into the available space, I will have to use forced perspective. Using this technique objects, that are further away from the viewer, have their size decreased, thus increasing the sence of space. The canal will have to be narrower than the scale width, but if any barges are narrower too, this will not be obvious the the viewer. This allows more space for features which cannot be reduced in width, such as the track.

The distance between tracks and the between tracks and buildings can however be slightly reduced. This is turning into an exercise of squeezing a quart into a pint pot!

There is a stone wall between the canal and the railway line, DMU Shuttle, line. Currently I am relaying out the track and scenic components to check that they will fit. Once this has beencompleted the baseboard board will be cut, to allow for the differnt levels.

The baseboard will then be assembled and pained a neutral grey colour, track laying will then commence, starting with the DMU Shuttle track.

Julie