Some of you will know of my planned Camberhurst layout from the old site http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=7091

I'm not sure any more whether this will ever happen. This is for a variety of reasons, including

* Time for a sole project considered against other commitments

* Space to put it up at home

* I don't really like shunting, much prefer trains passing through the landscape (c.f. Eridge, Tawbridge)

* I also feel much happier with real locations, or at least something closely resembling a real location - Camberhurst just didn't 'feel' authentic enough.

Camberhurst was a useful planning exercise nonetheless, and if anyone wants to base a layout on its design then that's fine by me.

What I'm now thinking of, in conjunction with John Farmer (Re6/6) is a simpler through station layout where we can both indulge in our interest in 1st generation SR EMUs and electric locos but also throw in a bit of steam and other stuff as well. Most of Eridge's stock will also be at home.

So we're looking closely at Balcombe in Sussex, on the Brighton main line south of Three Bridges. This has the following attributes:

* Fairly simple two-track layout

* Still exists, although I'm not sure how much original infrastructure survives (sounds like an excuse for a field trip to me)

* Electrified, and what's more used to have tramway overhead in the yard for CC1-3 etc - I think Balcombe was actually the test bed for the bigger yards equipped later such as Hither Green and Hoo Junction

* Ouse Valley Viaduct nearby, and John is itching to use the viaduct we inherited from Nigel Hunt's layout on something

etc etc etc