Barchester

Now I am giving some thought to how the layout is actually going to be operated and what train movements are going to be needed. The area behind and to the left of the loco shed has now come in for attention.

The Metcalfe industrial buildings are fitting in here quite nicely and I am linking the road from the timber mill that comes across the bridge to this industrial estate.

The Metcalfe half relief warehouse in position as part of the road served industrial estate.

 


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Roadside hedges are in now for the whole distance as well as road surface and more trees and rockwork. The last remaining large space at the rear of the layout is between this industrial collection and the town, a distance of some 8 feet or so. I am still messing about with the town buildings that I have completed, trying to get them into some kind of arrangement that looks right but so far everything I have tried is too 'flat' and uninteresting.

I have decided that the large blank space at the rear that I mention above is going to have a canal basin in it, backed by warehousing to feed canal barges. There is a reasonable depth at the end near the industrial park which should take a canal basin  in it quite nicely.

Birthday coming up so I have ordered another diesel locomotive. While I have been testing the layout the control panel studs have been worn more and more by the arcing of the electric pencil and they are really rusty now, making positive contact more difficult.. I haven't got round to changing them for the Peco ones yet.

The canal basin area has been cut out of the baseboard to give me the depth I need and construction of the basin itself is going well. I am making this as a separate model on my work bench with card base and walls. The walls have been plaster coated, after being painted with shellack, and then the dried plaster scribed to represent the stonework. Dyed strip-wood cut to length has been used for the pillars along the basin walls. I have also made a nice jetty which will stick out into the basin and make a good  feature with a crane and all the bits and bobs.


Here you can see a section of the new canal basin with jetty and a little of the commercial building and offices I have made. The whole thing is waiting on all the end touches, cranes, people, barge, rowing boat,  jetty fittings, etc, etc, etc.


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The new model diesel has arrived and it is another dream mover.