Because of a rotten Summer cold and being unable to spray with the airbrush, I have spent most of the time outside progressing the new project baseboards. I have now completed the corking, lengthened the fiddle yard by 9″ and made the back boards.

While I was doing this to the latest layout I also added the back boards to two previous baseboards that I had made. I reported on these earlier on this site, when I joined a laser cut baseboard to a laser cut fiddle yard – sector plate. They are both the same except that they have different sized sector plates.

That’s three new boards waiting for further progress – I also have two layouts about half completed, both O Gauge. I will do a separate post on the five layouts and what I would like to achieve.

After much thought and the need to do something a bit different, not another Diesel Depot, as I have said before! I have decided to make a OO Small Terminus Station that has been rationalised to a basic formation, run by mainly DMU’s

There will be three tracks, two with platform facings on a single platform and a storage siding – nothing else. The layout will be 11ft long overall with an approximate 6ft scenic section and a 5ft fiddle yard, the width is 15 inches.  At the moment I don’t think I even need a run-around

I  worked out what trains I wanted to run, and then matched the size of layout needed:-

1 Car DMU —- 2 Car DMU — 3 Car DMU

RHTT (Two Loco’s and two Wagons)

Test Train (Two Loco’s and two Coaches)

2 Car Tram (Weed Killer)

Small topped and tailed Engineers Trains.

DMU Substitute (Two Loco’s and two Coaches)

I want to run various era Modern Trains from approx. 1985 – to date. A few long-lived first generation DMU’s may appear, but generally they will be after the BR ‘sell off’ and therefore company trains. I will have at least three DMU’s for Company/Era filled out with other trains listed above.

I still have a few dilemmas about what track to use, but it will be DC as I could not afford the cost of putting sound in over thirty items, and see no advantage in DCC without sound as I only need three isolating sections on the scenic section.

Below are photo’s of the layout, fiddle yard and fiddle yard adjustable stand.

Photo’s taken at various times during construction.

When I sold Norton Wood to Graham and after our first Exhibition, it was decided to extend the fiddle yard before the next Exhibition.

Well, I have just completed the extension – we should now be able to run 3 or 4 car EMU/DMU formations and slightly larger engineering trains.

I have to admit this was not an easy job, especially the alignment between the old and new sections. Anyway after some trial and error I did it, I think the moral of this story is keep the spirit level handy and keep testing!!

There are at least two blogs on Norton Wood on this site – just put in Norton Wood and see the scenic section of this 3rd rail layout