This is what happens when you have no model railway for 2 years....

So yesterday I was pondering about double slips and how I wanted them to be electrofrog and I was thinking well why don't I change the layout to code 75 and then I found a transition piece for code 100 to code 75 which I have never seen before. So I am now planning to use Code 75 for the rest of the layout on the bottom deck and code 100 for the top deck. Most of my bottom deck dcc locos are Bachmann with smaller rims than Hornby and most of my unchipped stock is Hornby or airfix which will go happily around the top deck. There are just a few limas and hornbys which I might need to change the chassis / wheels to a smaller type for them to run ok on Code 75 (pointwork always tends to trip larger flange locos and stock) Plus the wagons and coaches which are fairly easy to pop out the wheels and swap them if necessary. I think finescale will look great and less toy like and the Code 100 will be so far back that it won't be possible to easily see the trackwork.

1 length of Code 75 is now winging its way to me for testing purposes.

I woke this morning thinking about the big (scratchbuilt) factory with the chimney and how I could put it on board 2 and use it for hiding electronic modules. Then I was thinking I wouldn't be able to put in a loading dock for it because it would foul the headshunt and make shunting difficult as the loco would get stuck.... so then I thought what about all that redundant 009 track and run it out into a tunnel under the top deck.... and how am I going to wire that up and should I get a simple controller from MERG to power it..... maybe an autoshuttle? Needless to say it was difficult to get back to sleep.

Started laying out the trackplan on boards 2, 3 and 4 using code 100 pieces. Some are upsidedown as I don't have enough left or right turnouts.

The only mistake I have made is not putting cork down for the top deck but also not giving it much allowance for bottom deck, so the plan is to ramp up slowly on one of the curves so I can get my cork underneath as I do want to use it. Maybe when I build board 5 I will remember to lower the top deck by 2mm to give it that extra space for the cork. Again - its so far back that detail here is difficult to pick out.

Took the plunge and pinned down the inside curve on the top deck with the 24 inch tracksetta, this made life a lot easier so am waiting for 2 other tracksettas before doing the other trackwork. Have tested with a 'maintenance train and it runs smoothly. Isolators are at the joints as this will be a section divide and will have signals and probably a signal box in this corner along with the pump house scenery module from the old layout.

Next plan is to start work on a CANMIO and try it out with a servo motor and build up a MERG servo mount for point switching. (The garage (currently a paintshop) is in occupation by my other half so baseboard building is on hold for a few weeks)

Note the green 03 loco in the photo is on some temporary track for me just seeing where 4th radius curves would end up for working out positioning of the turntable.