Modelling seems to have taken a back seat for the last year due to uncertainness of what to do next and various commitments, the latest including volunteering as a cleaner/trainee fireman on the North Norfolk Railway!

Anyway, over the last few weeks I've been coming out of hibernation and have decided that I am going to progress with the 2mm Finescale route. I've been contemplating the scale for a while now, but since joining the association while exhibiting Potterbourne at Nottingham show earlier this year, I've finally plucked up the courage and decided that this is the route I'm going to follow.

This comes with a few disadvantages, but also comes with many benefits - The biggest being that I can finally model Potter Heigham to scale in the space I have available.

Initially I thought about producing a very simple layout with 3 points, with a total length of around 5ft to include a basic fiddleyard. More recently I have come to the conclusion that some form of test track, including a crossover would be sufficient for what I require.

With all this in mind, I have been drawing numerous plans in Templot. I feel that I have now come up with a final, or close to final plan of what I am trying to achieve. I have print screened the plan and attached a image below.

As with Potterbourne the long term idea is to make the layout exhibit-able, so a lot of forward planning has and will be taken into consideration. Whilst set up at home the layout will have two small fiddle yards at each end, which would be replaced by larger equivalents when exhibiting. I have also included some rough outlines for the baseboards.

The two biggest problems I currently have are:

- The baseboard design for the curved scenic boards - I would like to build the boards curved to follow the contours of line and give a more realistic view for the viewer.

- The second problem I have is, If the layout is to be built exhibit-able the viewing side will be the side facing the walls in the room where it will be set up at home - Therefore I need to come up with a way to make the backscene removable but still look 'Neat' when attached (Which would of course be easier if the backscene was straight )

Anyway, I've rambled enough for this entry . . .

Josh