Well there's a shocker its almost a year since my last post here and there wasn't much to report then. Life moves slowly, very slowly on but move it does. After a break I have come back to tinkering in the workshop well I say workshop more like a space with bench that I managed to build out of pallet wood scavenged from a skip but ceiling is a bit restrictive, however better than nowt. Over the last year I have accumulated some tools that have helped but its not really until the weather started improving that I felt like going out and doing..

This is not going to be a huge long post as I am trying to do rather than talk so without further ado I have decided to build a small portable layout so that when the time comes I can move it easily. Having had a couple of abortive attempts hopefully this will get a further. I have been inspired by Anthony Yeates micro box file layout and have often thought about "doing a copy". I have rather openly nicked his design but enlarged it some what for my needs which will be two folded out sections of 3ft measuring 15" at one end and 9" at the other. It will have a passing loop although the western end will be closed off but with potential to open out at a later date if required and some sidings for coal, cattle and goods and am yet to decide on whether the fiddle yard will be incorporated or a separate cassette system. The track plan is a templot design and I am planning to use a mix of Easitrac and PCB points. Location; purely fictitious but based on the NER Wensleydale Branch. Period; depends on the stock and at the moment I only have a DB 66 fine-scaled but ideally it would be around wartime years when there was the most variety.

For the moment I will leave you with some basic pics of progress on the board tops made out of 6mm ply and the base is going to be out of 9mm. Once folded it will measure 3ftx1'3"x1ft and fit into a storage box to be made later. More to come, probably slowly, with track plan and more wood work, as I continue the build.

Mockup 1

Mockup 2

Track bed 1, with beginnings of track and scenery

Both boards, but a weird persective.