Tricky

Unloading in progress...

Next up I think will be the back-scene boards followed by card mock-ups of the proposed buildings.

The baseboard is now complete, and I have taken the bold step of marking out the trackwork direct onto the surface and then adding 3mm mdf to raise the level of the track. The theory behind this is so that I allow myself some plus and minus differences in groundworks relative to rail datum. In real life ground levels go down as well as up quite a bit even in yards and so often I think this isn't possible if the track is the lowest point. We shall see if my theory stands up in practice...! Sorry, still having trouble rotating pictures on this blasted iPhone!!

Beautiful as ever, Dave. I can now breath out having been holding my breath since April...

It's the light and shadows that does it for me. Superb.

Most certainly will Dave...!

I'm intrigued...drop away!

Spotted this photo the other day of the above poster in it's natural habitat. You forget how colourful some things were when we're so used to looking at b&w all the time...!

Do it!

The nether regions.

....perhaps some really kind person could rotate them for me?!

The cramps are off, dock bed temporarily positioned; beginning to take shape. This is now where the hard work begins...! Happy days. ...perhaps some really kind person could rotate them for me...?!

My tiny little baseboard is coming on a-pace. Almost all the ribs are in place but as you can see, I've run out of cramps!

A quick google seems to indicate it would have been Peckett and Sons around then.

Very good idea. So long as they were around in 1907...? I'm not familiar with them.

Two of the barges most definitely are Midland, for starters I wish I knew what colour they were...Crimson Lake...?! The conical tower was I believe a glass works.

This rings true with me also...I think I was about 3 or 4 weeks into my nervous breakdown and our lawn mower (which had snapped the rear roller about a month before) really needed fixing as spring had well and truly sprung. Not something that would have bothered me before but I couldn't work out either how to do it, or work up the enthusiasm or energy to do it. It sat there for quite a while taunting me. I was about to get my son in law to fix it for me but somehow managed to muster the energy to do it myself. In the end it was easy and immensely satisfying and rewarding - way out of proportion to the task itself, but it proved I was still capable and the real Richard was still in there somewhere.

Hi Robert, Welcome to the wonderful world of 7mm. Moving up from 4mm will immediately give you the pleasure of having rolling stock that has 'weight' and inertia. The way even just a wagon trundles over pointwork is a joy...anyway my pennyworth is to buy a couple of Slaters plastic wagon kits and a yard or two of flexi track. No need for a soldering iron but will give satisfaction in a short space of time and will build confidence rapidly. Slaters kits are easy to put together as is, but can be upgraded with more detail if you wish. Best, Richard

Great, thanks Rob. Message sent...! Richard

A very productive evening in my workshop; it may not look very impressive but all of the beams are glued up one side, the other sides will be glued on tomorrow and then trimmed up and hopefully put together over the weekend. I didn't fancy glueing up both sides as there's quite a bit of slippage with pva.

This photo and others of St Phillips are in Midland Record No 30. Very atmospheric and modelogenic indeed. The photos of the Docks, however are my main inspiration for this, also very atmospheric. Any ideas where I might be able to find details of the Midland barges...?

Or vice-versa, 2.4M in 4mm equates to 4.2M in 7mm. That would be quite some cameo...

If you're allowed then so am I...! 2.4M in 7mm equates to 1.37M in 4mm. Surely there must be some correlation between the layout's scale and maximum size allowed?

Thanks Rob. I still can't work out how to do that on an iPhone, or alternate text and photos.

I wish I knew how. Doesn't seem to want to on an iPhone...