Well then, another portable baseboard module (no. 2) is under way at last. This allows completion of the platforms and accommodate the station proper. The module is interlocked with the 1st module to ensure that the railway tracks are kept aligned in both the horizontal and vertical planes. With the construction completed I wanted to concentrate on the SAC Bridge 116 which is an occupational access for the farmers sheep or stock.

The steep rise from the Eastern portal was difficult to get any photographs of (as trains seem to rule the day, funnily enough) but the terrain does rise away from behind the communications mast tower.

On the Western portal the ground falls away from the embankment that supports the Garsdale Station and tracks and the original turntable set up. There’s going to be a lot of good grazing ground on this layout.

After my second attempt to build the portals that were more satisfactory from a visual point of view I found more of a little fettering of the top baseboard timber was necessary to ensure a good tunnel fit. The inside of a small OO gauge tunnel construction is very hard to see from perhaps a metre away, particularly if is painted in dark colours, so don’t bring your torches to check this one please.

Some of you may have noticed that I’m using offcuts of polystyrene floor insulation for my diorama scenery. For me this is an easy if not a little dusty at times method of keeping my module weight to a minimum. Some use hot wire to work it which would eliminate the dust, but simple hacksaw blades and a sure foam rasp gets the job done and you can always cut and add extra foam blocks if you wish to rework any area. A multi tool with a wide blade can really get one artistic as well.