Time for an update I think.

Finally getting some work done on the layout. It's been a while, but I have had a few ideas to get on with now. The last thing I wanted to do was to put something down and then be dissapointed with it. For the brewery/timberyard area I have looked out an old Humbrol/Euromodel wooden kit. This will be used as a workshop for the timberyard. I will build an open, roofed area to the front of this where a Woodland Scenics steam powered circular saw will go. Attached to the side will be a forge, probably Will's, for shoeing the brewery's horses and making the bands for the cooperage, the brewery and timber yard being one business. Pictures to follow.

While I've been pondering these things, I have been getting other things done. Finally put the finishing touches to my DJH S15. Some frustration with this. It is my first ground up steam loco' kit and it went together fairly well until I connected the motor. It was then I found a tight spot somewhere. Disconnected the final drive and all was smooth again, the chassis would roll down a gradient and the motor and gearbox ran smoothly. But when the grubscrew in the final gear was tightened, the tight spot appeared again. Finally overcame it by giving it an extended run in on a test jig. Last week I fitted a decoder and pick-ups and tried it out on the track. After an hour on it's own I put a few carriages behind it. Disaster. It slipped to a standstill with 5 Bachmann Mk1s. Problem now was the tender. The axles sit in a U- shaped slot in the bogies and despite making sure the axle ran free and was well lubricated, the weight of the heavy tender created too much drag. This morning I fitted bogies from a spare Lord Nelson tender and now it runs happily with nine on.

What else. Finally fitted a decoder to my 7F. This a Golden Arrow kit on a Hornby 8F chassis. I've done another chassis conversion on a Lima ED. Finished it in blue but JZjr now wants to use it with a SWT liveried body for a project he is doing.

Picked up a few Hawkswoth carriages for the diverted service. And finally got a class 15. You may think this is abit off region, but CK assures me that they were regulars on the S&D.

And finally I have been doing a bit of work on Scourie Harbour. Shipbuilding mainly. I have an invite for the Frome show next April, if it goes ahead.