Update - Bit of respite in France for a couple of weeks means a break from modelling...but still the mind keeps turning...

One of the things that came from Expo weekend Guinness fueled discussions and something I had also touched on in a previous post was the realisation that Board 3 could 'go it alone' and be a self contained layout. Granted, it's a only a run-a round-loop but it will contain a few signature ingredients of the layout, namely Moorswater dries and Moorswater viauduct.

The main inspiration being, that whereas Coombe Junction was rationalised in 1981 with track lifted and singled, besides a bit of overgrown vegetation, not much has changed at the dries/terminal since it changed from ECC China Clay to Blue Circle Cement - the buildings are perhaps a tad shabby and not so strewn in white dust, but the inlaid tracks remain and function as before. Coupled with the reminder of a few layouts in the modelling press where the scenery did not give many clues to the era, was partially the spark to break with my strictly BR Blue credentials and purchase a Bachfar 66 in Freightliner livery - Something more present day might also appeal to the latest generation of modellers.

The board could be run depicting class 25's on clay hoods, displaced by 37's, then Tigers replacing the hoods (any small suppliers reading wishing to introduce one of these would be very welcome ) then CDA's and finally 66's on PCA's.

A simple 500mm x 50mm rectangular cardboard box section to match height alignment, could allow the existing 6 x 500mm cassettes to plug in, each with its preformed train in place. Operations, whilst obviously limited to arrival, running around, rearranging a few wagons and then departing could be quite satisfying (I learnt that from the one day exhibition of the Kyle boxfile layout which was also pretty limited in operational scope)

Who knows, I guess one board is easier to fly back to the UK than 3 so perhaps it could act as a warm up to getting the whole layout to an exhibition. A small LCD screen adjacent to the layout could display images from the eras being depicted to help show the context.

A sketch of what I am rambling about is attached...perhaps I have drunk to much French rose...or not enough