"Layout Plan Mark 1"

So here it is! Copley Hill Mark 1. Okay, it's not to scale, it hasn't got the sizes down (it's 9ft by 20ft the size I have to build it in, by the way), and it makes little or no sense that a train heading for the north east would suddenly about turn and go south west...and then north east again! but I have a plan, it involves using the carriage works as a suitable fiddle yard and storage facility (and hopefully, changeover facility too), and the yard itself is where all the action will be - locomotives moving back and forth, the turntable turning pacifics, tank engines shunting in the sidings...

Yes, it's a very rough draft. It is, however, a start, and I intend to gather as much advice and thoughts on it as possible amongst friends before the next draft.

Until next time - goodnight!

"Clan from a Brit"

Seen here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=25238&start=125

And here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=15467&start=75

I've been working on this locomotive for several weeks, in anticipation of this competition started by the forum RMweb. I decided that my model was going to portray 72009 Clan Stewart as I have a thing unusal locomotives, and especially the "underdogs" (I am a Charlton fan you know!)

72009 is one of the "Clan" class of standard designs built by British Railways in the 1950s. Only ten were built, and 72009 is of course, the tenth locomotive in the class. There is a project on to recreate the class - 72010, Hengist, and I have decided to donate a little money to the project. I did donate to Tornado's A1 Trust, after all...

Be that as it may, what does this have to do with Copley Hill? Well, it adds to my locomotive stock an unusal locomotive that could "appear" on a passenger or goods working of some form. In other words, I saw a class of locomotive I wanted for the layout - I had to work for it, admittedly, but it has come out the other side looking not too bad.

There's still a few details to do - and of course, I haven't forgot my post for tomorrow, some layout planning - but I'm so pleased with my first attempt at a kit, I think another is in order.

71000 Duke of Gloucester anyone?