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Hi Dave, The gantry is scratch built - couldn't find anything off the shelf unfortunately.

Thanks Rhys. Loads still to do, but it's slowly getting there!

Hi all - hope you're all keeping well and managing to enjoy the summer despite the miserable weather. Since the last update I've been working away on building up the embankment on the down side lines running towards the tunnel. A nice change as it's on completely the other side of the layout and much easier to get to. It's still very much in progress and I will be breaking off now to start work on the station buildings, but it's been nice to cover up all that brown paint with something a bit more interesting. That said I don't think I really thought about how much vegetation would be needed for this part of the layout when I planned it. One discovery I have made is Woodland Scenics tree armatures. Jenny Kirk on youtube made a video about making sea foam trees using these, and I've only just got round to using them. I had been using barbecue skewers and wire to make the armatures but these make the job so much easier and quicker. I've now run out of sea foam so I've got a bit of a break from it until the new stuff arrives 😂 Aside from all the green stuff, I've been looking more closely at the substation buildings. Thanks to those who replied to my previous post on this. Cobbling together what info I could get from videos and photos I've started with what appears to be a signal room and cabling run, which I spent ages on - only to realise it will be facing the tracks and never actually be seen from viewing angles! Never mind - I'm hoping the cab view videos will pick it up as they go past! Signal gantry - I only recently realised from a video on youtube this is actually a banner repeater in reality rather than a 2 aspect. The signal room and cable run (it will be facing the opposite way when planted down) Signal room and other substation bits in their approximate locations Final location of the signal room. The slot in the base is to accommodate a dropper that I couldn't be bothered to move! View as seen from the tunnel mouth looking north View from the tunnel portal - hoping this will be a good vantage point when the other embankment is in place The other wing to the tunnel mouth is now in place ready for the up side embankment to go in

Thanks Grahame. Interesting stuff and I understand the challenges with compression! One thing I found helpful is to look at planning applications for buildings in the area - for the past few years Councils generally post plans and drawings on their website and in many cases you can find 'block plans' that include useful info on road heights etc.

That's coming on really well. Great job combining the buildings with the varying levels of the roadway! I'm guessing you have some GIS/topography data for this area? Really looking forward to seeing this progress :)

I love the 4 EPB, you've done a smashing job there. I've been wanting to do a similar thing but never quite got round to it!

Wow that's a stunning result - particularly like the effect you've achieved using the faded red patches, that really looks the part. And the patience required to pick out each rivet with a spot of rust is dedication indeed!

Thanks Chris, that makes sense 👍

Hello to all and hope the weekend's going well for everyone! More updates on the layout hopefully coming soon - for the time being I've moved work to the south end, where the tunnel portal is, and finally trying to build up a bit more of the embankment. Apart from just tons and tons of foliage 🥱 there are some interesting bits of infrastructure along both sides, which I'm trying to capture as best I can. In particular this cluster of boxes and huts on the up side of the tracks just north of the tunnel has been puzzling me for some time, and I'd love to know what they are. I'm assuming some sort of transformer/power supply equipment, but if anyone has a bit more info, or even better some decent photographs that would be incredibly helpful. The best I've got so far is the attached from a very helpful cab view video someone posted on youtube, and a couple of slightly blurred shots I took from the window of a Tunbridge Wells bound Networker! Any help or advice gratefully received :)

Thanks to everyone for all the likes and kind comments on the recent update pics, it's much appreciated. Here's a few clips of trains running through the new scenic area!

Cheers mate, that's really appreciated! :)

Thanks Grahame, appreciate that. Looking forward to seeing more updates to your London Bridge layout by the way - the buildings you've made are superb.

Thanks Jack, that's really kind of you to say. Glad you enjoyed the pics!

Happy Sunday everyone :) A few more pics to show of progress with the north end, which I'm now pleased to say I'll be calling 'completed' for the moment so that I can get onto working on some other areas, and avoid 'scenic fatigue' if that's a thing! Work has been focused on the main station carpark, which sits to the west of the mainlines, and is accessed some way down London Road. Only a small chunk of this carpark appears on the layout but I was keen to include it, as I think it creates some nice views of trains coming and going at the north end. By far the fiddliest thing so far (even worse than the third rail) was threading those chain link fence posts. A lovely product from Scale Model Scenery which is well worth the effort, but I'm glad there isn't any more of it needed anywhere 😂 Anyway hope you enjoy the pics all feedback and comments welcome!

Ha ha thanks!

Thanks mate! Much appreciated :) 👍

Ah that's nice to hear thank you mate! :)

Thanks very much James, really appreciate the kind comments. I'm quite pleased with how it's come together and it has provided a few nice vantage points. It is very much a 'compressed' version of what's there in reality but I'm hoping it captures something of the feel of the place :)

Thanks Rhys, really appreciate that :)

Love it! 😂 can't fault that logic! Thanks for the kind comments on the tunnel break - I'm hoping to move back to that and build the other side of the embankment, will be a nice change as it's on the completely opposite side of the layout and much more accessible. I think I remember someone (may have been your good self) commenting on how much of a gloomy place it was on the thread a few years back! I can imagine especially in the winter not much light gets down there and must be a very depressing place to be. I will try and continue that theme in model form 😂

Hi everyone, hope you're having a great summer! I've made quite a bit of progress with the scenery at the Otford junction north of Sevenoaks over the past few weeks, so thought it was about time to post an update. It's been quite therapeutic building up the scenery on the junction but I am looking forward to working on some different areas now! As always hope you enjoy the pics, and all feedback, questions and criticism more than welcome. Looking northbound from the down main. Station carpark to the right. View from the station carpark The view as seen from London Road View as seen from the London Road bridge. Trackwork running to the left is the main Tonbridge-Charing Cross line. Trackwork running straight ahead is the Otford branch towards Swanley. Close up view of the lineside detail, with the substation in the background Looking northbound with the BT building in the background The substation next to the down Bat and Ball line The view on the northbound Bat and Ball (Otford) branch, with substation to the left

Some great pics and info in that article, thanks for the link Adrian.

Thanks Jack, really appreciate that. I was pleased with how the carpark area turned out in the end, and it was quite good fun to do. There are some working lights in this area too which I'll try and get some pictures of soon, but the wiring under the baseboard is really awkward to get to so I've been putting off connecting them!

Thanks Adrian. I'm not local to Sevenoaks so until I started the layout I've only known it traveling through the station over the years on the way to London. Studying it for the layout I can definitely see drastic changes to the station since the 50s and 60s, when I think it was known as Tubbs Hill, and had additional platforms on the up and down side. Even in the 10 years since I started the layout it's undergone a lot of work 😂

Many thanks, really appreciate that. I'm not sure but I think this building was constructed in the early 2000s so really glad if the model captures that vibe :)