August was a productive month, but there is still much to do to get the layout ready for the Dorking show, even as a work in progress job. We're hoping that some of the things we are trying to do are of interest to visitors, there will be plenty of other layouts with trains running on them through completed scenery. We can't escape from the fact though that making models of real buildings is a lot more time-consuming than throwing together a Metcalfe kit or that making trees from thin wire takes longer than using Woodland Scenics products. Results are more interesting though.

Two buildings should be completed in time for the show though. A 4mm scale version of Bodiam station will be our Holbrook station, and just over the road from that station will be our Dog and Bacon Inn, relocated back in the cottages the real one vacated in Edwardian times. Present state of play is shown here.

Just for reference, here is the real thing.

These cottages didn't draw the attention of many photographers and we have had to rely on snatches in publicity shots taken for the Dog and Bacon after it had moved to the building next door to determine that the whitewashing of the brick probably happened after our period.

Holbrook station is also taking shape

We need another sleeper built buffer stop - the ones at Bodiam are our prototype - and some platform furniture. The platform surface will be ash but the planked way from the goods office door to the platform edge is already in place. In the goods yard we already have a steam lorry ready to go on - see earlier blogs - and a part unloaded coal wagon is under construction by a member who is not part of the core team. We chose to have a sleeper built platform facing rather than brick.

One comment here regarding track. Your author has spent the last twenty years in 3mm scale using 14.2mm gauge track apart from an interlude experimenting with 13.5 mm gauge - both gauges intended to be a more accurate representation of standard gauge than 12mm gauge. Your author was therefore a bit concerned about adopting 00 gauge. However the PECO Code 75 bullhead is such an improvement on the normal 00/H0 fare that all concerns have gone, and the British Finescale point kits complement it beautifully.

It will be noted that some grass has appeared. The Noch Grassmaster has been out, probably a little too lushly. Brambles and other weeds will have to be applied and where the grass has encroached on the track cess, some will have to be scraped out.

However, time presses. We will be at the Ashcombe School, Dorking (RH4 1LY for the satnav) on the weekend 30 Sept/1 Oct, doors open 10 am and we have only two long Wednesdays. We aim to have some things running, and we aim to have at least part of the layout looking decent. Otherwise we will be sharing our ideas, techniques and anything else of interest. And there are going to another 20 layouts to see as well. If you come, please come over and say hello.