Currently buying for and constantly re-planning a wartime layout based loosely on Poole Harbour, but which will include elements from other south coast ports as well. To be called 'Longhampton Harbour' set during the period 1939-44 and the build up for D-Day. It will have a dock for shipping plus a harbour for Coastal Command Flying Boats, a hard slip for a RNAS Seaplane base and an Imperial Airways Empire Class Flying Boat. Locos will include many Southern items from Hornby and Bachmann, plus few I'll make myself from cast body shells I've bought over the years. Given its wartime, there will be visiting Iocos from the other 3 companies, with troop trains, military vehicles plus other items manufactured around the country, but also needed to be sent south. Rule #1 states 'it's my railway so I'll run what I like' - so it will have a smattering of locos and coaches in pre-grouping colours that managed to miss being repainted during the preceeding 20 years. Plus S&D locos and a couple from Longmore Military Railway, which just happens to have the correct initials for the Longhampton Military Railway too...... There may be a few other thrown in for good measure as time moves on. There are over 80 altogether for me to choose from. My inspiration came from Pete Goss's layout 'Overlord, if I can get mine to look half as good as that I'll be very happy. Also 'Rowlands Castle' set not far from me gave me further tips and inspiration. All I need now is to clear the shed of my 'stash' build the baseboard Ans I can start. It's where to put the stash that's the problem. It consists of around 1,000 plastic model kits and who knows how many Scalextric cars that I've bought over the years. I'm just a big kid, reliving my childhood now I'm retired. Oh, and two Trumpeter 1/200 kits of HMS Hood and Nelson that I'm longing to build. I've got the RC kit for the Hood, so fitting that should be 'fun' too. I'm going to be busy over the next few years......... Snowy

Posted by Snowy at 2021-04-30 21:29:04 UTC