Finally starting the new layout!

First Months Planning and Building

Finally after many moves and relocations:

1. Chesham, England to Toulouse, France
   
   
2. Toulouse, France to Chesham, England
   
   
3. Chesham, England to Dunkeswell, Devon
   
   
4. Dunkeswell, Devon to Uffculme, Devon
   
   
5. Uffculme, Devon to Bratton Fleming, Devon

Have finally got to the forever home in Bratton Fleming! - Originally a stop on the Lynton & Barnstaple line, the station still exists and was recently bought by the restoration group and some track laid outside as part of a restoration plan to eventually connect back up to Barnstaple.

View towards BF Station from the bridge over main track route with new track section laid, to the right they will be reinstating sidings and sheds.

Having been here about 18 months I felt it was time to finally take the N Gauge train hobby that has sat idle for a number of years - buying stock but not having anywhere to run it with all the moving around. 

Temporarily put up the old part-layout (too many tight curves to run large locos) and ran some tests on locos that had decoders fitted, that really got the bug going again. 

The unfinished and compromised layout

Started out with time on AnyRail planning the layout, measuring the room and deciding what would work, gave an initial plan.

Frames planned, decided it will be a combination of flat baseboard and open frame with variable levels. Lowest area is the canal basin and highest point above the top end of the canal - it is a 75mm difference so around a scale 150ft.

New framework...

AnyRail plans printed onto A4 sheets, trimmed and taped together to check the fit of the trackwork to the baseboards

More to follow...