22/05/07: Going Up!

Two updates in the space of a week! What is the world coming to?

Headline news is that the last section of the supporting structure on the scenic side of the layout has been completed. This means that I have been able to lay the full-sized track plan out and check that both road and rail will fit.

The top photo shows the view from the road next to the cement terminal. In the middle distance the Class 31 is sitting with its bevy of PCA hoppers. Either it is about to propel them into the terminal or it is waiting for a clear road to depart. The DMU is sitting in the station. The railway will be on arches/embankments and about three inches above the ground when the layout is completed, this exercise is just to check the dimensions. The car park in the distance is in roughly the right position, about twelve feet away from the camera. From the eye-level viewpoint forced on the layout the scale 300 yard length looks quite impressive. A 4mm scale figure at a normal walking pace would take three or four minutes to get to the car park so he (or she) would stand no chance of catching the train to Walsall but, with a bit of luck, might get the 31’s number.

The second photo shows the complete support structure and the bodged surface for the mock up, and the freezer that has caused the layout to be set at such a high level.

This week’s job is to complete the baseboard frames after which work can start on the road and track beds.

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