Barry Ten

It's a very good point about the possibility of warping, CK, but I've been looking at the long-term stability of some similar long, flat structures on the American layout and so far things seem stable - but we'll have to see, of course. I was even thinking of embedding magnets in the platform. At the moment the structure is very slightly droopy over its length, like an aircraft wing, but that may change when I add the top surfacing.

I did think about adding rods to fencing, but concluded that it would be too fiddly/fragile - perhaps I shouldn't have dismissed it so quickly. I will have to add fencing to the nearside platform which is seen from the rear rather than the front, but I suppose the tubes could be disguised quite effectively if need be?

Wenlock - cheers, yes, there's something about the station which have caught my eye, it's very pleasingly designed. It would have once have been the terminus of a branch line off a larger layout which was never completed due to a house move in 1984.

Update - I found a photo of some dressed stone blocks of the type CK mentions and they projected slightly proud of the abutments, so I was able to layer on some thin plastikard without disturbing the existing work. Excelllllennt....

Thanks, CK. I can visualise what you mean. Typically it's all glued down now but I will see if I can retrofit an impression of those blocks, or at least have a closer look at some stone built abutments to see what the situation is. They were going to be brick until the last moment, too, then I decided I would try and harmonise them with the culvert.

I love the approach of building it as carefully as you would a "proper" wagon. I've always liked these fictitious private owner vans, some of which looked very plausible.

I'd also never given much though to ballasting through a goods shed - although in my defense I've never really had a goods shed where you could ever get the right angle to look through it. All looking good anyway, Cap'n - and those terraces are the absolute mutt's nuts.

Looks very nice, Dave. Got a thing for brown vehicles as well...

I've got a couple which both run well, but both had irritating smudges of whiteish residue on the bodywork, as if from cyano adhesive. Generally, though, I've not had a problem with the running qualities of any Hornby locos in recent years.

I buy the little square tubs they sell in Wilkos - comes in handy for lots of other modelling jobs too.

Neil - I dilute it with water, about 50 50 or 70 water and 30 copydex. I haven't noticed any smell once it's set, but then again my layout room is directly over a fishmonger's.

Hi Dave - thanks! No, haven't experimented with colour temperature yet but I would love to get a bluer, colder feel in on the winter module if at all possible. I'd also like to be able to switch off the tubes and provide a secondary blue-ish illumination for night scenes, but that's for the future. I could probably just bung a blue bulb in the main room light.

By the way, the visible tube on the winter module will eventually be hidden but for now it's a useful source of light when working on general modelling projects.

Noticed last night that this simplified track layout is virtually identical to that of Barry Norman's Petherick, even down to the two back to back points in the yard, rather than a double slip. Good enough for Barry N, good enough for Barry Ten, I say.

Hmm - my last attempt to reply vanished, but yes, thanks chaps, for the useful suggestions. I like that signalbox, Neil - just Googled it. CK - yes, it's no problem to extend the scenery, at least at the level of the trackbed or higher.

Buckjumper - it's a good idea about drawing the eye, I'll have a better idea of the available real estate shortly. Should be room for a small hut. And yes, those are two back to back turnouts although a slip would have been a better space-saver in hindsight.

Dave: I think Sturminster Newton was the only staggered platform station on the S&D but there may have been another one. If you're familiar with the prototype, you'll know of the unusual dropped section of platform which allowed passengers to walk across to the end of the other platform.

Charming, and of course sets the period very well indeed.

It's a Roco model, Martin, scale length as opposed to the slightly compressed Fleischmann one.

Thanks all.

By the way, my local Ian Allan has a selection of the laser minis at quite heavy discounts which makes me wonder if they have not been selling. (If so, snap 'em up now!). The water lillies are good, I ought to get some more in for the main station module.

There's a few different reedy sort of things in there. The main clumps are Woodland Scenics long grass, clumped into small bushels, trimmed to length with scissors, dabbed into PVA then glued down. There are also Anita Decor cactuses, Busch plastic ferns, and as Tim says, some Mini-Natur laser cut nettles and things. (Edit - they're actually Noch "minis" laser-cut products).

Thanks both!

Paul: it's a bit weird watching a train go from one season to the other but it does allow me to try out some different approaches. I'm not sure if I'd have had the nerve to do a whole layout in winter scenery but if it went tits up on the winter module, it was only 4 foot and I could always redo it with normal foliage.

On the other hand, it definitely wouldn't be a "walk in" design for you, Dave!

Getting there slowly, my artistic director (wife) had some comments.

Had another bash tonight, including some shading as suggested by Mr Wenlock - will report once the cockling has gone down.

Flippin' nora. Those are good.

I watch some of those painting progs as well. I picked up a couple of books on acrylic and oil landscape painting from HobbyCraft as well.

This will be exquisite, Dave.

Lovely.