All trackwork laid

At last, all track laid in place, with turnout wiring installed and a start made on installing power droppers to the rest of the track. The only section not fully in place is the coaling road approach to the turntable. My thought is to lay this in place once the turntable is working to help get the track aligned correctly with the turntable's rotational steps (if that makes sense?).

That said I've also been working on a design for the Shed Offices. A little off-the-cuff design with an attempt to come up with a building that looks and feels along with complementing the Timber Tracks Buildings. In discussions its construction there has been a suggestion that it is laser cut rather than built using plasticard. A laser cut building should be a better fit with the other buildings.

Initial design 

I've not drawn a plan of a building before let alone one for laser cutting so have much to learn. On another duplicate drawing I've started to create a brick pattern and colour the cut lines blue and etch lines red. The windows have been drawn to match the etched windows available from London Road Models. At the moment I'm unsure whether to etched windows or use laser cut ones but will have the option to use either.

The whole layout was being built on top of some Ikea Ivar shelving units which were also being used for storage. While this has been convenient I started to think this is was not ideal especially as there was no convenient access underneath the layout without moving the boards elsewhere. Thinking it would be better to complete the build on its own support structure I spent last weekend reorganising the 'Man Cave. Rospeath Lane is now self-supporting, giving access underneath. This should also help with ironing out any issues with the supports as far as stability and construction.

Rospeath Lane's current state

What helped in the reorganising of the Man Cave is my decision to scrap Heath End, the roundy-roundy P4 layout that I acquired. In re-evaluating what would be involved correcting baseboard alignments, improving the wiring and bring the scenic areas up to a standard I would be happy with,it would distract me from what I'd really like to achieve over the next few years. On top of that it did fill one end of the Man Cave making it a tad awkward to access and making the room look untidy.

What do I want to achieve in the next few years?

The primary objective is of course completeing Rospeath Lane. 

In hindsight I might have been a litttle hasty thinking about scrapping Tredethy Wharf. I’ve had many comments that I should not scrap Tredethy Wharf. Including a a lady who went out of her way to let me know she'd voted it best in show at Scalefour Crewe 2024. Having it out on display with give me the opportunity to evaluate my feelings for the layout and where I can improve the scenic area. Before I can exhibited it again there will have to be new cassette boards along with transport case and lighting boxes in the same style as those built for Rospeath Lane.

Tredethy Wharf now on top of the Ivar shelving units

I purchased the EM gauge Fiddlers Wharf layout from Paul Gregory earlier in this year. It’s a slight twist on the Inglenook Sidings Shunting Puzzle track plan. Having really enjoyed operating Gordon Luck's P4 Dock Road layout at a number of  exhibitions I can envisge getting the same enjoyment out of this layout. It is a layout that can bring hours of quiet enjoyment at home but also at exhibitions for the public to operate solving the puzzle. My intention is to, again, construct an enclosed transport, lighting box along with converting it to being operated from the front. Having this layout on display will help with these tasks.

Fiddlers Wharf also on Ivar shelving units

Finally I come to what will possible be my final project, Boscarne Junction.The desire is still there to build this layout. Whether it will be permanently fix in the ‘Man Cave’ or exhibitable remains to be seen.

I'm a little behind schedule with Rospeath Lane but should still have locos moving around the shed by Christmas...