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It's amazing how a bit of greenery transforms things! This junction board was first covered with Woodland Scenics green vinyl mat (RG 5132) subsequently painted in shades of brown to represent rough ground, instead of using brown scatter material. What really made the difference was adding the Gaugemaster/Noch grass matting, as well as weathering the track (not yet completed) Work's progressing on both the 900mm and 1200mm long station boards. The longer board is progressing well and the 900mm board will follow suit once I've decided the final platform configuration, road and pavement layouts.

Today at the Doncaster show, I found a station building that looked ideal for the station being modelled on a 1200mm board, an old Hornby R473 model, albeit with one of its chimneys missing. As much as I like many of today's current resin buildings, I'm increasingly finding it more appealing to clean up and modify older plastic structures to suit my needs. I can firmly attach this building to the platform and store the board vertically in my spare room knowing that there are few parts to knock off when I have to transport it to the living room and vice versa.

Made substantial progress: - Fixed track down, leaving 50 mm gaps at ends; - Decided on platform configuration, including extra sloping pedestrian access ramp; - Installed pavements made from mounting board offcuts - shaped to represent station entrance access, bus stop and car parking.

The platform configuration is (more or less) sorted out - it's been checked against the Desiro 350/1's length. It's a single line through track, to be laid with 50mm gaps at each end, so can be attached to the layout at either end. I'm assuming the platform bay's been lifted and replaced with car parking.

For some while, whilst my 900mm long through station module is adequate for a lot of my wishes, I also really wanted a board that I could stable a 4-car EMU. Measurements showed it was feasible to display such a unit on a 1200mm long shelf, so I again visited Wickes and bought one. At the Pontefract show last week, I also bought a job lot of damaged Hornby and Triang platform sections for modification. Below is my first setup, this time with my London Midland 350/1 EMU. Arguably, it's a better test of platform length and clearances than a 4VEP, because the unit is slightly longer. I'll need to add another 90mm to the total length in order that all the doors can be accommodated on the platform.

The name of the club's decided, it's Priory FC in claret and blue and this is their home fans' entrance with large gate to let the fans out. (My secondary school PE kit was the same colours)

I can now reveal the purpose of this station ... ... it's going to be a halt for travelling sports fans and the entrance turnstiles are located within a stone's throw from the platform. This whole board is designed to use structures and materials already in stock, including a scratchbuilt set of turnstiles and part of a Hornby cast iron footbridge deck, modified as a huge sliding gate to let crowds out. Its team strip will be claret and blue, although the gates and doors have initially been finished in claret (NB - the platforms are being worked on, so not present in image) I'm designing this display to accommodate a wide range of stock and eras with little alteration, because I like running out-of-region special excursion workings.

I'm experimenting with a separate station board on a 900mm x 230mm x 18mm shelf bought from Wickes (usual disclaimer). The 715mm long separate station platform described earlier is too short for 156s or similar length units and I wanted to have a modular station that wouldn't add substantially to the layout's total length so I could run longer trains which could call on a through service. The platform can hold 3 x 57' carriages or equivalent and is made from Bachmann's Underground Ernie platform sections. As the board has to be stacked away vertically I'm only including minimal detailing.

Our family, having moved from Cheshire, spent a few weeks during the summer of '69 in a caravan on Hayling Island prior to my mum obtaining a house in Waterlooville. I subsequently spent my childhood in the Portsmouth area. My layout will include elements from the Portsmouth area as a whole. I wanted both my fictional football teams to have distinctive colours and having seen Blackmore Vale as a kid in action in malachite on the Bluebell, decided to name the home team Pacific FC - a rare colour combination in the football world - malachite and black stripes with yellow piping. The away supporters, Priory FC, wear claret and blue, based on my former secondary school PE kit colours.

Thanks, Nearholmer, however my initial plan is to run these beauties, a Terrier with Southern Region 2-coach set - the Terrier can just run round them if the carriages are accurately positioned, close coupling between the carriages will add extra crucial millimetres for clearance ... I may invest in a 2-HAL EMU in green with yellow panels, as the prototype's unit numbering began with 26xx (the date of my birthday) The shelter (under construction) is a narrowed down version of the one at North Hayling in its last years of existence.

I've given up on the interchangeable central platform section and Westfield Priory will be purely BR Southern Region from the 50s onwards. The spare platform section and partly-built shelter will be used on a yet un-announced project. At the moment, admittedly, I'm more in the mood on plastic-bashing rather than painting ...

I've sourced a Wills ground level signal box (ref.: SS29) http://www.peco-uk.com/product.asp?strParents=3351,3352&CAT_ID=3353&P_ID=17940 It looks the same style as the former Hayling Island box, but because of its window arrangement, it's actually more suited to this layout. I also bought more brick papers to repair and/or refresh models - I'd had none left at home - and more Ratio SR concrete fencing (ref.: 429) for the same reasons. These purchases will provide me with enough material for some years now.

Last night I spent ages going through various books and the 'net looking for photos or images of small-sized LSWR and LBSCR signalboxes with a view to scratchbuilding, adapting plastic RTP or using plastic kits as a basis. The main aim was to model a structure that was robust and could be permanently fitted on the layout, which has to be stacked vertically when not in use, so no loose or fragile parts to cause damage. Hayling Island's small signal/ground frame box interested me, also Kernow's rendition of the LSWR ground frame box at Boscarne Junction could have fitted the bill http://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/p/41781/44182Z_Bachmann_Scenecraft_LSWR_Ground_Frame_Hut_Boscarne_Jn A compromise might be to use a small signalbox/ground frame for when the layout is used as a terminus (which will happen more often) and reserve my Kernow/Bachmann's Bude box when used in a through station mode. Now the Xmas bank holidays are over, I may pop down to a nearby store and see what's available for me to buy secondhand to bash about.

Little by little the platform area is being worked on ... Fencing is now fitted on the public access ramp. I've used up the last of my Ratio SR concrete fencing - incidentally a lot of materials have been used up on this board including brick paper and items pressed into use that have been stored for years. Here's my detachable buffer stop section so I have the option of a through station at any time in the future.

Today I've concentrated on installing bufferstops and choosing to paint the yard area grey, but not designated to handle specific types of freight. The biggest challenge is deciding what size of signalbox to place on the layout. I own two RTP boxes, a Bachmann Kernow-commissioned Bude (LSWR) brick-built box and Bachmann's Hampton North box (LNWR). The LSWR box is smaller and fits in with most of the infrastructure and location, being Southern. However, both boxes have fragile details (finials, guttering, etc) and can't be left on the board when stacked vertically, so I'm not ruling out scratchbuilding, adapting a RTP plastic version or building a plastic kit.

I should have added that this stand caters for the away fans - lots of claret- and blue-dressed fans are present to support the opposing team, Priory FC (aka "The Fawcetteers") [bTW my secondary school PE football kit was claret and blue] This stand may be called "Jarvis Stand" (after R.G. Jarvis, who led the rebuilding of Bulleid's pacifics to more conventional design)

Introducing Pacific FC, a non-league club several levels below the Football League's 4th tier ... Its strip is malachite and black with yellow piping. I've also added a pavement with letterbox and phone kiosk.

Happy Xmas to fellow RMWebbers! A reminder of what'll be happening across the country tomorrow ... My football scene has been modified to reflect the fact it's a non-league ground and facilities, dare I say, are minimal ... An old Hornby fogman's shelter now doubles up as a makeshift kiosk and contractors are busy working on the new large toilet block in time for Boxing Day ...

After repeating clearance tests with selected stock, I've settled on my platform location, marked by discreetly-cut pieces of matting. The platform can hold a class 156 or similar-length unit or a two-coach loco-hauled set clear of the station throat.

I'm experimenting with a less messy way of applying ballast and ground matter using Woodland Scenics' grass vinyl mat (ref. RG5132). The exact locations of the signalbox, platform and coal yard haven't yet been decided, so they'll remain bare wood for now. I'll apply appropriate colours to the matting - not all will be painted over - with acrylics.

I've started scratchbuilding an appropriate shelter for the pre-1930s section. This is built from 1mm planked plasticard but the roof details and guttering are yet to be added.

I've settled on my final platform design. The platform will comfortably hold a 2-car unit, or a loco and two bogie carriages, and will have a removable centre section so I can change the eras - dilapidated wooden fencing for pre-1930s and cast iron railings post-1930s. The fencing was assembled from odds and ends in my spares box, hence the mixture seen below: I'm planning to build platform shelters to close gaps in the fencing on both central section pieces. Public access will be from the longer ramp where a gate secures the entrance to the platform.

Following clearance testing, especially by locos going through curved parts of both points, I've settled on this platform configuration. To make things easier regarding setting up and future reuse, I made the platform as four sub-sections: the two narrower end pieces with ramps and two slightly wider central pieces, which coincidentally matches the sectional track length between the pair of points forming the run round loop. I narrowed the two central pieces, and with the exception of two small gaps, infilled the platform backs with plasticard. I'm waiting for the glue to set properly before cleaning up excess plastic and glue, filling any minor gaps and addressing details at the longer white ramp (nearest to the front) before painting.

I've settled on my preferred configuration of platform sections. The platform's widest part coincides where the carriages stand, whilst in branch line mode with the loco running round. More filing, trimming and infilling will be required on the non-railside part of the platform. A 4VEP was used to test the longest possible permissible length.