Summer in Fairbourne tends to run from mid April until roughly Eurovision night in mid May, then the monsoon season sets in.  As the weather forecast is for the warm dry spell to go assways, I decided to swap the track laying for completing the last of the removable scenery modules.  I figure that track laying can be carried out in any weather, whereas airbrushing needs a nice day so I can sit outside with the airbrush.  So, the residential quarter was the subject of today's outdoor modelling marathon.

The housing estate, the flats on the left are built over shops fronting the shopping precinct (the old Kibri kits of the 1970s) whilst Crowne Court and Cylencyn Court are Jouef-Lima kits bought years ago. (Crowne Court named after Cllr Crowne, the chairman of the Council's Planning and Housing Committee who secured major Government funding for new housing in the town, and Cylencyn Court is named after the Welsh warlord husband of Euneda, who founded Wednesford.  Being Welsh it should be pronounced Kull-en-kin, but the local yam-Yams prefer silence in court)  The estate boozer is named the Poplars after the similar looking pub which used to serve the thirsty miners on the estate where I grew up.  It's a Pola Quick post office repurposed.  none of the buildings are affixed to the baseboard at the moment pending a decision on lighting, hence the ropey trip-hazard paving.

The shopping precinct.  Faller "Hotel Stadt-Prag" shops on the left (a funny sort of halfway house between HO and TT but which so long as you don't stick them next to properly scaled OO stuff don't look too bad) and the familiar Kibri buildings on the right, all ex eBay and repainted.  The pond is a 3d print with a sheet of acetate (thanks Bachmann for the over the top packaging which keeps me in clear plasticard) and some flowering Triffids by WWS as flowering water plants.

Close up of the pond.  Flecks of orange paint pen give the impression of carp.  Or carrots.

Multi-storey car park.  The familiar Vollmer kit which is actually quite a decent size.  Repainted in flat concrete grey, airbrush weathering added, and a 3d printed lift and stair tower painted a contrasting slate blue colour also added.

Close up of the car park exit and stairwell.  Convenient shrubs for hiding the estate flasher.

The Poplars.  Banks's catering for people with eyesight problems with their over the top signage.  Actually, it's partly me trying to avoid as much as possible paper or card in a shed which will be subject to weather and temperature fluctuations.  A 3d printed plastic sign is more robust, but to get clarity of print I've had to increase the size of type and depth.  It's fine in some locations, but this isn't the best.

In situ on the layout baseboard, with St Flo's on the right.  The end of the access road pointing towards OVNR ("Walk in the cold air of an OVNR fridge...") gives a good trainspotting location.  The location of The Poplars is ideal for wakes, receptions and christening booze-ups.

The shopping precinct with Euneda House across the tracks.  I need to have a think about the location of the footbridge.  The multi-storey and Euneda House create a virtual scenic break so I probably won't bother with the ply board I was going to use.

View through the estate to the tracks

Next week, track laying, so I can finish the rest of the permanent scenic behind the tracks and create the Wombourne Wanderer's grotty terminus.