The Summit has won The 2016 Railway Modeller Cup Competition!  This was the 64th edition of the annual poll for the most popular article.  Voted on by the readers it apparently won by some margin; many thanks go to all those who took the time out to take part.  It is the first time an O gauge layout has won since 1997, and that was won by Gas Works!  The results in full will be in April’s edition.

Evercreech New will be an alternative DCC front (rather than analogue) for The Summit fiddle yard.  It has been decided that it will feature brand new models of the Pecking Mill Viaduct and Inn at one end and a near full length representation of Prestleigh Viaduct at the other.  All will feature on the new boards required to link the original station boards with the fiddle yard.  In the meantime The Summit will be re-erected and trains can be run again.

Wednesday saw all hands on deck;  two fiddle yard boards for Heyno Junction were constructed with one more to go, the track beds will then need stiffening and the removable scenic covers fabricated. Completion of these two boards will mean that over half of the boards of this large 00 gauge layout will have been built!

Nearly twenty years ago when the South Junction fiddle yard was re-modelled to eliminate conflicting moves MDF was used as it was the latest wonder material!  Two of the boards, one filleted to carry the flyover, and the other bearing a heavy control panel have subsided slightly and were removed for reinforcing with ply. Surgery is almost complete on the flyover with one board still to go. Whilst the boards were down the opportunity was taken to start the painting of the welded steel legs. Work also continued on the backscene which has done much to improve the appearance of this venerable EM gauge layout.

Gas Works boards were aligned so that it can now be run, and further civil engineering took place on Holly Junction with more street lighting in place.