Finally the crossing is now complete. I've cut some wood to represent a railing that was protecting whatever it was that caused the wide bit to be built, this will appear when I've worked out how to make it look a bit derelict.  The real reason is that yard of track the headshunt came from had been mounted on a plinth, complete with barrow crossing, for photographing a ruck of wagons I sold some years back. When I came to lay the track for Soddingham the middle bit of the crossing wouldn't come off, and as I liked it I kept and extended it.

Signals. Oh signals... I'm not sure if it's a joy or curse of the hobby that a simple question like "What colour should that be?" becomes a whole sub-hobby in its own right. To be honest I would be ok with white signal posts, and I wonder how many would actually notice, but I figured they really should be whatever colour it is that BR(WR) used at this date. I remember them being a silvery grey colour, much like zinc-rich primer with that semi metallic look. An awful lot of googling and a few inquiries revealed that there appears to be no "Scroggins 100" pot of paint available of the correct colour. So experiment mode... I tried all the 'Big Four' freight greys (well,  you never know), several Humbrol greys, and mixing with Railmatch Yeoman Silver. None did it for me until I resorted to trying the ancient tin of Humbrol Matt 140 skulking in a corner fo the shelf. Now it has fully dried it's perhaps a little dark up close, but at a reasonable viewing distance it works well - some weathering chalks will sort the final appearance.

So finally the signal gets painted (still some more to do), back bits done, the white at the bottom of the ladder done and metal work made black. The arm has been started - so far so good, but if I screw it up there's always transfers available. With the signal almost done it can be mated with the signal wire pullies, placed and the signal wires finally finished (at east at the south end). I've got to dig out the ballast by the dummies and mount everything at the right height so wires run level and stuff. Not a lot of room. 

When this is done I can re-ballast where  necessary and add... the speed sign. I had to. I wanted it to be 125, but reason prevailed. Then, finally, the trees can get planted for real. And then the telegraph wires. And all the other bits and bobs waiting for this to be done.