With lack of points causing a bit of halt to progress I got to thinking about what exactly to do with the points I had made for a previous, never finished (or started, really) Soddingham. These were designed using Templot and it seemed such a waste not to use them, despite beng flat-bottom rail. The original idea was to put them in the headshunt to the left, with some concrete sleepered track, as an indicator of renewal coming to the station (so many depict defunct lines on layouts these days it seems!). While pondering how to do this a relatively plausible way I realised they are pretty much a 'Y' point. Downloading the appropriate Peco template confirmed this to be the case (using the highly accurate scientific method of holding the actual point up to the screen and scaling the PDF to match). The result is that I can reduce the 'Y' point purchase req. down to one.

The plan was to put a short length of plain track between the slip and these points to avoid sleeper clashes, but when I offered it up cranial 'Templot' mode kicked it and became apparent that by extending the points first few timbers, and doing a spot of timber-shoving, a much more prototypical result would, er, result. So, the plan is : extend the first two point sleepers, using replacement sleepers (I have loads, and chairs, from back in the day); Extend the next two, possibly three, by removing the plain track sleepers and gluing extensions on; Shove the plain track sleepers to sort out the remaining 2 or 3 - the paper under the points, which is holding them together, is in the way for seeing properly to precise yet. The extended point timbers that formed part of an intended adjacent set of points will be cut off, as will the extended timbers for the hand levers which are now redundant. Also, I may well remove the lower (nearest to POV) sleeper from the slip and extend the remaining one 'above' so it is in line and removes the famous Peco bent sleeper syndrome. Ideally both should be replaced by a full width point timber - but, well, maybe. With all set to go I found my epoxy resin had gone off and my Plastic Weld (which holds the chairs to the plastic Peco sleepers brilliantly) had evaporated. Ho hum, replacements ordered.... I took the opportunity, since Eileen's Emporium had everything is stock, to order a load of layout wire as well.

And getting right back to the beginning - these home-brew points (once the second tie bar is in place, and something for the point motor to use has been added) will be ballasted etc to represent newly-laid track - phase on one of Soddingham's journey to the 21st century.

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