After I posted the Fircombe story yesterday several people have asked about the layout running further, later eras.

I have managed to find a few photos although most are taken as tests for a lighting system and at only a few places on the layout.

The photos below are all with loco’s about 1986 – 90.

While I was looking for these photos I did find a few ‘posed’ Steam Engines – I hope to post these at a later date.

Sadly Fircombe is no longer with us – it was broken up over three years ago. I really miss this old layout but it had to go do to space constraints, it was 15′ X 10′.

I have never put any photo’s of this old friend on this website but after looking through some old photo’s I found some of Fircombe, hence this post. I have since sold all of the Loco’s on the photos but retain some stock, this will be used on my new OO layout ‘Osier Common’.

A lot of trees and other useful pieces are being re-used on the new layout as well – so at least parts of it will live on.

Fircombe was a progressive layout and could run several Eras, the below photos are all of the 66-70 era. By the way the large house on the layout was Fircombe Hall !!!!!!!!!!

I have a few more photos of Fircombe running a later era and it also had the addition of overhead wires on the branch line. I will post these later if viewers are interested.

Before I start telling you all about what’s happening on the second board, I will just say that I hope I have resolved the field with crops on board one. I have ordered some items off Ebay that should be here in a couple of days, this goes against using ‘second  use’  materials from stock – but hey it was only a tenner!

Onto the second board, I have added all the required lineside posts rail side. After adding the posts I then wired them all up with strong cotton, they were then painted. I also put  some static grass around the bases of the posts.

I also took the opportunity to add the lineside cabinets on the plinths I had already prepared.

Another busy day, yesterday I finished off the dew pond and added some more cows to the field including some calves. I also found some more horses, so they have been added to their field. Two swans have appeared on the river, more birds will be added in the ‘wildlife’ section of the second baseboard.

I have added some more grass and shrubs alongside the railway fences and have added some longer grass clumps on the field beside the ‘crops’ field. In fact using some of the materials from my poor attempt at the crops field. I am still experimenting with different crops, but nothing I am happy with yet.

I have also darkened the farmyard surface by painting it with matt varnish, now blends a bit better I think.

Must sort out the crop field, add some more people and then get on with the second baseboard. Still no name either!

Another day and another busy morning, this time adding people and lots of  farm animals.  I have also added some plants in the field although I am not totally happy with them. So here are a few shots of the work – a few warts and all!

And yes, I weathered the cows, sheep and pigs before adding them, but not the chickens!!

Next job is a ‘dew pond’ for the field with the cows and add a few more people. I may try a different crop in the field.

It has been a very busy two days and lots of developments on the layout. Probably the most important was the ‘wiring’ of all the lineside posts and then painting them. I have also made two tree stumps, planted two hedges, worked on the river, added seven reclaimed trees and generally blended together some areas.

I failed in my attempts to ‘dye’ my teddy bear fur, so further tries with different methods are required.

I feel I am beginning to pull the scene together although there are a couple of areas that niggle me a bit and will be revisited.

Next steps will be to gloss varnish the river, add some more grass tufts and plant some veggie or animals in the fields.

Before I tell the tale of the lineside posts, I have to admit to a mistake that I made on the bridge —– I forgot to add the retaining wall wings! This has now been rectified, basic painted but not weathered.

I have now added the lineside cabinets beside the MAS trunking and spent a lot of time adding the lineside posts on board one. They have no wire at present and need weathering after this is added. It is amazing how adding the posts really puts height into the layout and I can start to see how the blending of different phases are working. I added a little static grass around all posts.

Yesterday and this morning I have been working on the Farm. All  buildings have been glued down in their permanent positions. Work from the road to the river on the farm site has been worked on, blending and generally gluing items down. This is just a start and I will return to the Farm later.

I completely re-weathered the farm buildings and the stone wall behind. All buildings, trees and other material are second or even third hand and come off previous layouts.

I have ordered 300 lineside posts and they should have been here last week !!!! still waiting !!!!! I am also waiting for the ‘dye’ to stain my Teddy Bear fur !!!!