Now less than a week to go to Grime Streets first outing (see http://www.britishtr...newsheaton.html ) and mild panic is setting in, I fully expect it to be replaced by blind panic by Thursday!

Having said that most things are going ok, the actual layout and presentation are pretty much there, I couldn't get the 'proper' street sign in time so had an old style GRIME STREET sign made up by a local sign maker, bargain for a tenner, really finishes of the presentation. I'll stick a picture up when the fascia has dried, another coat of paint in places today.

I've also got most of the layout lighting done and working today, this comprises the shops, upstairs and downstairs in sections, the street lamps and a Busch phone box, I have the layout lighting on a dimmer so can adjust the ambient lighting to a dusk scene etc.

Now focus changes to the fleet, I need a minimum of 8 cars to operate as planned, that shouldn't be a problem but this week will see a mad rush to finish of some of the more interesting scratch built trams rather than a load of efe horsfields, wasn't helped by me dropping my Pivitol car on the floor half an hour after completion, think the neighbours heard all the 'effing and jeffing after that as they seem to have ignored me since, I pride my self on being able to construct full sentences using olde english swear words but normally try not to let other people hear me!

I'll stick a post up in the exhibition bit, but if anyone is down at Heaton Park next Sunday please say hello, I'll be the bloke in the corner swearing quietly to himself 'cos it's all gone very wrong.....