2020, that was quite a year. Seems mad that we’re talking best part of five years ago!
So looking back at some of my first one in posts the 2020 entry caught my eye. In it I refer to the concept of a CJ Freezer Minories type layout I wanted to do, and it’s one of those projects that’s progressing slowly. It does exactly what I wanted to it to do, it’s engaging and surprisingly so for just three turnouts and the time lapse shows it.
As usual other plans are ticking over in the background, there’s still 009 influenced by the Snailbeach line, and an N Finescale project which is sort of a 4mm project that’s been put through the shrink ray.
The main project for the Forest of Dean is a very slow burner in the background. With Peco’s expansion of the Bullhead range with a Y point and the asymmetrical three way due within the year, this may make that progress accelerate. The slow accumulation of twelve and sixteen ton mineral wagons is taking place.
I’m pretty much there with the motive power, a few more 16xx’s might be on the cards. The large panniers roster are I think ‘full’. However I regularly go back and tweak them, finding small improvements, the only thing being that any change then needs adding across the fleet….
So that’s us into 2025 then, two exhibitions, one with Shelfie 4 at Railex in May, and another show later in the year with one of them, not sure which!
Have a good one yourselves!
Albion Yard 
Bawdy, I am enjoying watching the layout warp speed video. It shows how much playability there is for operations with a small layout.
Thanks Andrew, I was really surprised at how much play value there is with it. Once I’ve got its presentation sorted hopefully I’ll get it to some exhibitions
Passenger operations can seem quite “dry” at first glance. But, back in the BR blue era, with Loco hauled stock and a mix of DMU/EMU stock, it can get quite frenetic with arriving trains requiring the release of the locomotive by the station pilot and the planning for which train goes where to not bottleneck operations.
I’d love to see it here in AUS! Don’t be too surprised if I steal the idea wholesale.
All the best and a Happy New Year.
Thank you Andrew and to you and yours!
I wanted the everyday mundane operation primarily which probably sounds a bit odd. I used to commute to London and it was the same almost every day, I can feel a blog post coming on! 🙂
The 70’s and 80’s were that last era we saw some of the mixed type traffic as you mention, and it makes a good variation to break a dmu shuttle sequence with a couple of parcels trains, and there’s an occasional domestic oil train reversal that a friend suggested. And that’s about it. I’d be fascinated to see how else the plan could be used too so go for it!
I like your idea of having a little magazine-style plan sketch for each idea. I think this is something I need to adopt for my own ideas.