Underhill - in the bin?

I haven't done much modelling this week but I did get Underhill out of the cupboard and set it up. I need to decide what to do with it and I wanted to have a play and see how I felt about it in the cold light of day.

Beckfoot with a mixed train at Underhill and Peggy with a goods behind

Nettie taking coal at the tower

 

The reasons for considering this are several. Firstly I don't really have space to store the layout when not in use and this is most of the time as I don't have time to get to many exhibitions with it. Secondly, I'm pretty happy with how it looks but as a layout to operate it gets a bit boring as al you can do is run the train out of the fiddle yard to the end, change engines and chuff off back again. There are sidings which it is possible to do some shunting in but the headshunt is slightly too short which is frustrating, they are also difficult to get at to uncouple etc. Overall it all works pretty well except for the baseboard join which is virtually in a tunnel and is a bugger to line up, its ok once its fettled but less than ideal. An idea I won't be repeating.

 

The cheese factory

 

If I was to exhibit it again I would want to add a third board between the two existing ones to give a bit more of a run and to allow me to re engineer the crappy baseboard join, however once I've gone to all that bother it might just be easier to start from scratch and make something better altogether.

 

If I did dismantle it there wouldn't be any track that I could salvage and I've spent a lot on greenery etc most of which would only be fit for the bin. I've put a lot of work into the layout in general too. Buildings and so on could be re used... I'm at a bit of a loss really. I suppose I could sell it on but I wouldn't get much for it. and I'm not sure I want someone else to have it; which sounds a bit weird.

 

Nettie with mixed train including brand new PECO non L&B grey open wagon