Current Mood: Under the weather (I have a cold! - At least I can't smell the paint!!)

Currently Listening to:

  Shakespeare Alabama by Diesel Park West

Just Finished Reading:

Death on a Branchline by Andrew Martin

One of lifes great mystery's has been un-ravelled over rececent weeks and to be quite honest it's come as a revelation! In my panic post last post (I'm sure there is a more correct gramtical way of putting it!) I decided that in order to get the layout anywhere near complete (exhibitable!) I should take a leaf out of my extraordinarlly organised better half and list the jobs that needed to be undertaken and prioritise these with an estimated time for completion. (This is just how things around the house get done - we have a list of jobs on the fridge prepared by he goodself and for good measure at the side of each job there is a tick box that is filled in once completed! (I've only just realised that as soon as all tick boxes are filled in another list magically appears!))

And do you know wjat the list has told me? - There isn't a chance on earth that the layout will be complete for December, well not this December anyway!!!!! (Hope you're not reading this Simon!)

That said, the layout is moving forward with the scenery formers now being put into place, the building shells being made up and the track about to be weathered, but the state that it may appear at the exhibition will be almost like a blank canvas awaiting the real detail to be added! You only really realise what there is to do when you take a journey by rail and look out of the window or look again through your inspiration photograhs, the detail that needs to go in to giving that layout an atmosphere and life is something that is surely built up over years. And you see this is where the idea of a quick 1 year layout falls down! O.K the layout itself is onlt 12feet in length and the baseboards were built by a carpenter friend, but alas designs on granduar then took hold I've tried to list the easy versus the actual here:

Current Mood: Concerned

Currently Listenining to:

Goodbye Jumbo by World Party

O.K. Now is the time to panic! I've just noticed that there are less than 100 days til the exhibition - Nothing too scary about you may think? Well not if you're not me, ( or worse still Simon - our poor exhibition manager!!)

Don't get me wrong, most of what needs to be in place, Is in place and that, that isn't, should be very shortly. The venue is booked, the layouts are confirmed, as are the traders. Advertising is well in hand as is the other bits and bobs that go to make up a model exhibition, namely, sorting out the accomadation, writing the guide, trying to bag all kinds of goodies from various sources. All of these are taken care of, and much sooner than is the norm for our club!!

No the real reason for the sudden panic is that one of the layouts that is booked to appear is mine! And to be perfectly honest, it's not as far advanced as I would have imagined! A holiday in the sun last week hasn't helped, neither has helping to fit out North-Eastern Models. So why am I writing this entry and not working on it? Well, for the last 6 weeks, it has lived in our conservatory and alas when the daylight goes, so does the oppourtunity to work on the damn thing! Unfortunately the nice subdued mood lighting we put in when we moved in doesn't really lend itself to wiring a layout! Oh did I mention, that's where I'm at! The boards are built, the track is built and laid, the DCC system is in and working and I'm currently installing the Toitoise motors and wiring them back to the panel.

Well I'm off now to serach for some bits on the web but I'll be back soon and keep you all informed

DaveC46026