Stourpayne Marshall is no more!  Or at least, it's back in its box for the time being. When I switched my layout from GWR mode to S&D mode back at the end of summer 2020, I had no idea that I'd keep the S&D theme for the best part of three years. However, it's been far too much fun running Bulleid pacifics, Fowler locos, Black 5s and so on to want to stop. However, I decided this week that was enough was enough (my GWR locos were feeling neglected)  so over the course of an evening or so, the great reversion was achieved.

Stourpayne Marshall just before "closure":

And the return of King's Hintock:

Of course this transformation is greatly simplified by not swapping the signals, which is a bit of a cheat, but works for me. The only major job is reconnecting all the wiring for the lights on King's Hintock, a fiddly hour or so trying to remember wiring "logic" and cursing myself for not labelling things properly. Stourpayne Marshall had no lit buildings, since none of the S&D-themed trains were illuminated either, but a few of my WR ones can run at night so it's worth the trouble.

This is by no means the end of Stourpayne Marshall, in case anyone was concerned - it's just going into storage for a bit, until I feel the GWR layout getting a bit samey and want a change. All the interchangeable bits go into a big plastic storage box and can be shoved out of the way with no fear of damage.