Six months progress?

Since the last post:

- all track layed and electrified, but with no electrified points

- "played" with

- some scenery constructed

- some modelling done

and then the layout went into storage to tidy the house for a possible move - which hasn't happened. So I am going to bring it home again. Edward, my middle son and the one most interested in railways, is getting a Pendolino set for his birthday tomorrow. We are also getting a joint present in August of a trip on the "Torbay Express" behind Tornado. We had hoped it would be Edward I, but he is still under repair.

Problems - and then some progress

Came back to the layout and found that cork mat had bubbled in a number of places. And the track had lifted in many places. Decided to strip everything back to the baseboard and relay the track. This would allow me to hide the wiring and to introduce an isolator to one section to allow a third power source. Made good progress over the last two days. Need to get a soldering iron in order to fix the wires. This will wait until Friday.

It is the MMDMRC exhibition on Saturday and I will be helping out all day.

First steps in railway modelling

I had a very simple layout as a child, but abandoned it for girls and rock'n'roll. Following marriage and children, I have taken an increasing interest in railways and related matters. Holidays have normally allowed a trip on one of the preserved railways we have in the UK. In 2007 I was able to take a railtour behind 6024 "Edward I" and this year I travelled with my son, Edward, to the Severn Valley Railway behind "Bittern". We have a further trip planned for December - again behind 6024.

For Christmas 2006, my wife bought our three sons a basic "Thomas" trainset box from Hornby. I spent 2007 and half of 2008 prevaricating about what to do and collecting together a baseboard and all the other bits of a Hornby trackmat layout.

After the summer holidays, I decided that it was possible to spend the rest of time planning and that it was best to start work. I put together the baseboard and in October began to lay the track. It is a slow process, but an enjoyable one. I have also started some modelling in order to create the scenery for the layout. I am working on some Metcalfe card kit terraced houses.

In the next installment I will write about joining the local model railway club and our trip on the Bluebell Line last weekend.