After Kenninghall was broken up, I decided that a small O gauge layout to put on the Exhibition circuit would be nice.

After a few ideas ‘bit the dust’, the preference for a small engine shed emerged. I had all the stock from Kenninghall so this was to be a relatively cheap layout.

I again fell back on the Heljan O gauge Engine Shed Kit. It was cut and hacked about until I had the back wall of a large shed and a small complete ‘tank’ shed attached. An ash pit was cut in the baseboard and a coaling stage built.

The ballasting was all done with sand to give a well trodden look. This was also my first attempt at making the entry to the fiddle yard less visible with a small bridge with a run of pipes from the main shed. I was to use this several more times on different layouts to avoid the hole in the sky entry to the fiddle yard.

After Kenninghall, this was a dream to transport and set up, I did about 20 Exhibitions all over East Anglia in about four years. During this time I had purchased some Tender Engine Kits and after building they looked a bit overwhelming on the layout. I decided to sell Hobbs Lane, and it moved to a pair of chaps I knew from The Cambridge MRC.  A change of name and a move to DCC saw the layout re-emerge as Hobbs Warren. It has since  appeared in the modelling press, but I can’t remember which!

The replacement baseboard for Hobbs was made, but I got it totally wrong and it’s to big to go in the estate car. It remains unfinished after 3 years – watch this space! stupid boy!