Liam

Assuming birds are allowed? The Highley signalbox robin perches on the Wickham trolley in the rear siding behind the 'box, September 2013. He has been known to enter the 'box, provided there's part of a sandwich or sausage roll to encourage him.

Just as well we're getting rid of it, it's been a right fath all the troubles it's given Bridgnorth MPD. Not like the trustworthy GWR Manors.

Just a query that if not solved soon might present some problems Phil; what is the layout to be called, Abbotswood Junction? Norton Junction? Abbotswood Junction for the Worcester line? Norton Junction for the Gloucester and Bristol line? Or the proposed development, 'Worcestershire Parkway'? (Actually, the last doesn't sound very good). If it's any help, there's a box full of scenery and grass and reeds under my layout at home that have been gathering dust for years. I don't mind bringing them to use on mk 2.

That last shot looks lovely Scott, and captures the true Great Western atmosphere well; chocolate and cream coaches being hauled by a 'Small Prairie' in the greenery. All that's missing are the scones with jam and cream!

More of a barrow crossing I suppose, but I'm sure motor vehicles have gone over it. Just off the platform at Kidderminster, the Sunday of Warley weekend 2016. On the right Tornado is taking water, as soon it would be heading back to Stewarts Lane. BG John - is that view looking north or south? My aunt used to live only yards away from Bramley station and I regularly pass through it on my way to see relatives in Dorset.

Including moi! The track looked very realistic when I first saw it at Toddington. Did you paint the track at all Phil, and if so what paint was it? Provided there's points in place for the stock to change direction, you could always have a kickback siding for the shorter trains. I seem to recall one of the middle sidings was occupied by the class 128 railcar and a 25 with inspection saloon. Not that I disapprove of those motive power, but should there be a kickback siding then the loop could instead be occupied by a pair of choppers on a string of 16 tonners.

It'll make a very exciting layout Phil, and in true Corporal Jones fashion: "Hi'd like to volunteer to help build Abbotston and Norwood Junctions sir." Yes, I've been watching too much Dad's Army I know.

Looking forward to the rebuild developing Phil! But do all those Warships have somewhere to run round in the meantime?

Thanks Stu for the encouragement and everyone else that liked my post. This is going to be a fun competition! I've added a weighbridge to the diorama as a Ratio kit I spotted is of a hut and weighbridge, and I'm sure many coal merchants also had weighbridges in their yards to measure the loads. I've got a few Bachmann 16 tonners, does anyone know how I can 'open' the door of one to portray the coal being unloaded? So here I've drawn a plan of my cake box. That's the first time I've used the notes app on iPad for layout designing and it's not as bad as I thought it would be!

Some very tempting items there Alex. The Thompsons look superb in the teak livery, as I saw the other week at Kidderminster. Out of interest, do you know when the car flats are supposed to be released and what the price of them is?

Sounds a nice little plan, the north Aberdeenshire coast had a few of those methinks. And should for whatever reason the fishing boat suffer some damage if someone asks where it is you can just say, "Scone back out to sea."

Owls too; a parliament of owls. That's probably because like owls there's a lot of squabbling over who gets what, when, where and why! @Tim Dubya - I don't know if they still do them, but the RSPB used to sell these cat deterrents. You simply fit batteries, push it into the ground and when it senses movement a high pitched noise is made that cats detest but is inaudible to birds and humans.

An Inverness bound Scotrail 158 passes near Loch Gowan near Achnasheen on the Kyle line, August 2016. And if that's not watery enough, look at all the rain!

Being situated quite close to it I believe the NEC is a great venue, and public transport links couldn't be easier what with trains, planes and buses however last year I noticed in hall 5 the various cafes and food outlets were quite expensive (e.g pulled pork baps at £6.00 or something like that). Right annoying that I'm away for the weekend of their 50th show! Oh well, at least I can definitely go next year.

A snowscene indeed!

After reading the 'Rules of the cakebox challenge' thread and just so happening to notice that Hobbycraft are selling 8" by 6" cake boxes at £2.50 each, I have decided to take the plunge and enter the competition. My diorama will be set in a coal merchant's yard, and will include the following: A small siding (with bufferstops) A 16T mineral wagon with door open At least one small hut, as the merchant's office (and maybe another as a stores building) A small low bed truck (maybe Bedford) used for deliveries Various workers emptying the wagon, shovelling the coal into sacks and loading the sacks onto the lorry And maybe a bit of flora and fauna. Should make an interesting diorama!

Out of the Scottish drizzle emerges . . . a Pendolino, seen descending Beattock summit, November 2014. On a very 'dreich' day a Scotrail 158 passes Loch Gowan, near Achnasheen on the Kyle line, bound for Inverness, August 2016. Sheep graze as the sun rises above the Rhiw Valley Light Railway, a private railway near Welshpool, Powys, September 2016.

I'm really persuaded to enter, who knows what's lurking underneath my layout that I could use. Is there a closing date for entries?

D1062 'Western Courier' enters Highley on an evening dining train, August 2016. The two loops on the right are rarely used but very handy for galas, and the line to the Engine House museum sees a train approximately every five years (for when there's a 'big shunt), hence all the weeds!

Or they could make you eat some of that rarebit stuff! So what's going to happen to the layout immediately after this weekend Phil? Is it, like the GWR Dukedogs, going to be stored with the possibility of having another hurrah?

At Gillingham the guard of the what was then South West Trains 159 rejoins the train preparing for departure, July 2014. (I actually took that photo for the Network Rail NMT!) And about 130 miles further north, and just over two years later we see the token exchange at Arley with Tornado during the Pacific Power weekend at the SVR, September 2016. Just down the line at Bewdley the driver of GWR '57XX' no. 7714 prepares to run round its train, April 2016.

GWR small prairie no. 4566 approaches Highley on 2nd January 2017, the last day of her boiler certificate.

So are Peco producing the wagons of both scales?