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Great show, plenty of interest and 3 excellent 7mm layouts. First time for me seeing Arun Quay which looks every bit as good in the flesh, while it was great to chat to Andy with Hunslet works which has really progressed since I saw it at Swindon.

Life is a bit hectic at the moment and with being on the road 2 to 3 days a week as well, there hasn't been much modelling done on the extension but I have progressed a few other things. It has it's own thread but I have been making a BR crew bus using Steve Beattie bits. It had progressed quite quickly but the need to make 17 bits of individual glazing meant the latter stages slowed. Other than some weathering it is all finished now and will go on the extension somewhere. Models of these crew vans have appeared on all but one of my layouts so it is nice to continue the tradition in 0 gauge. In other progress, I have finished weathering D7017 but managed to put it away before taking a photo. So one for next time. The Hymek was always a "I don't really need it but it would make a nice model and fit on the layout" type of purchase which fits nicely in the theme of my latest buy; a MK1 BSK. I had always managed to resist the Heljan one as the body profile is wrong and the early Dapol ones didn't have the raised window beading which is the more appropriate one for me era.... However the email from Hattons saying the Blue Grey ones with beading had arrived cane through just as I had consumed the second glass of wine that night so in the basket it went. The Dapol coach is a lovely model but the bit that lets it down in my eyes are the gangways which have the internal door too far forward and the gangway drops as it is movable to eliminate daylight between the coaches. It must look fantastic going round the garden at speed but not really what I need bearing in mind the BSK will be parked in the station platform most of the time As the brake end will be the one visible I decided to fit the gangway cover and glue the gangway in its pushed back position. With the rubber cover it looks much better and was easier than replacing it with a gangway from a kit or the Heljan gangway which looks better.

Ha ha, yes good point Kevin. I had been tempted to cycle but maybe bus is a better option looking at the weather...

It doesn't surprise me reading comments @chris p bacon and @fulton as if developers were coining it in then everyone would be investing in them. In addition to land prices going up Materials prices have rocketted as well over the last few years and have been in constrained supply at times.

Thanks for the reminder Jerry, cash usually goes missing in our house (generally into Mrs O's purse) so will make sure I visit a cash dispenser on the way...

Nearly there now.. cab glazed.. This is much harder than the body due to the smaller windows and curved pieces but I got there in the end. I made my own mirror arms but used the original mirror glass pieces. Just need to get on with the extension of the layout to get a home for it.

After a bit of hiatus I have made some progress on the Dodge, the thought of making the individual glazing pieces didn't excite but I have made and fitted the one for the body. Before glazing I added the transfers and varnished the body I have made half the cab glazing but need to find some curved glazing for the cab rear corner windows, probably from a suitable plastic drinks bottle.

I can't help with no 1 but to 2 & 3; yes both were lit for night time viewing. Just be aware that a number of preserved DMU's that have had the 2 character headcode boxes added back are representations painted/mounted on top of the cab front for ease so won't be backlit if you use those as reference photos. Here is one that has been fully restored: https://www.flickr.com/photos/42802953@N03/49284086431/in/photolist-2i64PS8-zj2MHo-254bGs1-J1jzd5-JVpCXG-J2H6WZ-9tATcA-2in4enX-2meL3rZ-K5dNFn-BXct63-GfxKkR-2m9Ur8e-53gpaV-5Zha6C-2kRNigL-2ngbaRp-Y6nwEG-Zd9TjW-YF1NBr-pbNh9z-pvVRHf-pdDVnD-paFZva-2kRNrzh-2mbHmq9-26RU7xZ-PQo4ZX-dnzPFf-Z3L4QS-2jKNJjC-dEicHv-pb3Sgu-bbo42M-Qb7RLp-7TAmpa-2kRNiat-2ngcfYT-2mwPnBV-oTDdfV-RNrfEb-2kRP8W5-2ngcg9N-2dRNCtY-pbx6Xs-gYG2Dv-psNfCm-2kRTzhK-paY9WC-puowVU

Banging line up, looking forward to seeing Arun Quay which I have so far failed to achieve.

The track layout was similar but elongated at either side, scroll down to the bottom on the link below. I think they trimmed it due to lack of run off space and the high speeds cars were achieving, I don't think there is space to go back to the old layout due to the lack of run off, certainly at the Eastern end where grandstands have been built. If you look at Google maps you can see the Western end is still there. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Bull_Ring

There has to be a solution to this. The tarmac is there because of Moto GP who also use the track and don't like gravel traps on the outside of the curbs (presumably because of the severity of accident in case a rider gets it wrong) but there surely could be some removable solution for F1 that could be used beyond the curve to create a false surface that slows cars that stray on to it. Having to wait 5 hours to hear the result of a race is poor.

There is a pic somewhere from the other end, the car at the front was a nicely restored MGB roadster which was badly damaged but I believe was repaired

Further progress today, the track is laid! I had to extend the track on the existing board as I hadn't allowed for the thickness of the end panel when I laid the track. I removed a short section of rail then slid new rail of a longer length in Board in place just after cut through of the new board. Track laid and first train in place on the siding. I am going to have to re jig (again) the orientation of the buildings as the track is closer to the back than I thought so the cement silo will likely come to the front of the layout

Breakthrough day today; So I could align the new board I needed to cut out the Mousehole for the track to go from the old board to the new board. This was easier said than done as while the end of the layout was designed to be removed for maintenance, I had never done so and multiple coats of paint had glued everything together. The photo's are a bit dark as I didn't plug the lights in but eventually I got it off: Mousehole cut; I kept the cut out as I still want to be able to use the layout in its original form so will find a way of making it removable. It will look better when I have painted the cut edges.

Very nicely weathered loco Nick.

I built one of the SP models and it got some good comments on the layout but it was visibly overheight and the well was too deep which may have put prospective purchasers off. With an N and 2 x 00 models on the way we just need an O gauge one to complete the major scales, I would definitely buy a couple.

Looking good Al!

Hi Al, Jo @Steadfast did them as a custom job for me, I found a load of pictures which I used to provide the destination blinds etc and Jo sorted the rest for me, see pic below; The Leyland badges and National emblems etc are obviously generic so would suit whichever bus you are doing. I would be interested to see how you get on building your one, I think Steve has improved a few things on the model since I bought mine

Top notch Chris, it has turned out well.

I live near Corsham and there are lots of remnants of the old Bath Stone mines as well as a couple of active ones. There was a network of tramways to take the stone to Corsham Station for onward transport. The mines were used by the MOD during the war for arms storage etc. These rails still exist near the village of Gastard where one of the old mines is now used as a bonded Wine store. The rail system is still in use under ground! Rails embed in the path An Old mine entrance at the back of the compound, this is on private property so as close as I could get but there is another entrance beyond the trees which is used to feed wine from lorries into the mine

Great shot, very atmospheric.

Thanks Nick, Maybe next time I will go the other direction and build Temple Meads! Retirement project maybe...

I had to make a new leg for the outer end as this will be required whatever the setup. As the new board will need to connect to the fiddle yard as well I temporarily connected it to allow the boards to be aligned and bolt holes drilled. With that done, I got on with the backscene etc The board is identical to the main layout in approach with a fold down front cover. Stacked up ready to go away in the garage Next is some painting and then aligning to the existing layout so the track can be joined

Another milestone for Peasevern Yard today as work finally started on the extension board. An early trip to the local B&Q got me all the bits I needed for the board. I spent some time yesterday evening measuring up the layout and reminding myself what size wood I needed. The new board has to match exactly with the old one to ensure the track is at the same height etc. I realised early on that the piece of ply I had been using to doodle the plans on was too thin however I had some ply of the correct thickness in the garage The frame is a sandwich of 18mm x 32mm timber between 5mm ply, the outer sheet being the backscene/end panel. This makes the board very lightweight as effectively the layout is a monocoque. At one end I fitted some small castors to help move the layout on and out of the car and also for stacking on top of the main board I intend the extension to be operable with the fiddle yard on its own (giving me 3 different operational setups) so one end borrows a leg from the existing board. More to follow...

No worries Chris.