Modelling time, in fact any free time has been in very short supply lately, despite a career change that in theory would have given me more time to model, I appear to have an uncanny ability to fill this time with lots of none modelling stuff .

As a result of this, perhaps I should have tittle this blog entry as "spot the progress"? One of the jobs I have nearly completed is the addition of the end backscene panel on board number 1.

As I have used 4mm ply for this rather than my usual 6mm I may have to add a strengthening support to protect it from knocks and bumps, soon it will be time to slap some paint on these boards and try to portray my favoured dark, rainy, overcast grotty dismal impression of the Northwest in the midst of a heatwave. The backscene boards on Lugsdale road are slightly taller than usual which means hopefully this will help focus the viewers eye onto the layout rather than stuff going on behind (if we get any exhibition invites that is).

The idea for the layout was to portray an industrial town just like the one I live in, and research showed that if there was space for one there would be a factory or warehouse surrounded by terraced houses and shops to supply the inmates, er sorry workers with just about enough to exist. So my idea was to have suitable buildings flanking part of the station.

The basis shells for these have been slowly created over the last few weeks, but I was not quite happy with the look off them on the layout. Rather than bin them and start again (due to lack of time) they sort of hung around while I thought about a solution, after a massive amount of thought, I gave up and just reduced their height a little, and it seemed to have worked, to me at least they now look more balanced.

As you can see there is still an awful lot to do on these buildings, but they are very slowly developing, and in honour of the Domestic Overlord I think this complex will be named "Morgans Industrial Gussets and Truss". Before you say it, its not because the DO needs industrial trusses or gussets, its just that I thought an average town up north might have such a manufacturer to provide products for the average northern battle axes (I dodged a bullet there I think )

A while ago, just form something to do I bought a low relief Metcalfe Cinema, I had no intention of using it on the layout, it was just something for me to play around with and modify but now I am beginning to have second thoughts? It can sit on the layout for a while until I have a better idea (so that means it will take up permanent residence).
So that's about it for the progress what little there has been, the problem is it just shows how much is still to be done, the good news is that I have two volunteers for the operating crew, the only problem is finding the time to train them

Until the next time as ever Happy Modelling