After a long time out I have eventually got the space and some time to build my layout. My study will become home to a Cornish China clay branch. Whereas I have always intended to model the late 80's to early 1990's recent announcements and new models have made me rethink slightly. Kernow's Well Tank and Dapols 63xx means the sixties have come into the picture. I will now intend to make the layout more ambiguous time wise in order to switch around the era being displayed. Out go plans for a dryers modelled on Moorswater (the new bit) and in comes an older structure based loosely on Stannon (Wenfordbridge). Also due to the complete lack of progress up to now with my large plans I have decided to tackle this in a modular way. this will also help me regain any lost skills I may have had and put my toes in the water. I seriously contemplated doing a micro but decided that a small bite off chunk forming part of a larger layout would do the trick.

I have no intention of ever exhibiting the layout so I have made the study its permanent home BUT I needed to keep the bookshelves/display cases already in situ for my 'other stuff'. Out came the saws etc and off came the tops of my Ikea 'Billy' bookcases to allow a railway to run at chest height above the remaining book spaces. The display cases(2 large glass fronted Billy's) were my stocks home and this gave me the ideas to use these as the fiddle yard. They were screwed together and a tunnel like hole cut in between them to allow two tracks to run the length of the pair. I added some settrack to give some siding space and cut two holes in the outer wall to access the soon to be scenic section. This is problematic with the doors spoiling access but not to bad and iot allows the storage of stock to be relatively dust free but still visible.

The first stage scenic section is 50" by 15-25"and will house an old style dryers and a small halt. the run round facilities are part scenic and part fiddle to save space on this section. Just two points on the scenic side but enough operational interest for me initially. Track was laid (Peco code 100 to allow running of some of the older stuff) and wired (basic co I'm useless at it). Foamboard was acquired and hacked about to form the skeleton of the dryers and the halt and that's about it so far. I will post some photos later to show the limited progress so far.

Steve