Fiddling with a fiddle yard

I've been quite a busy boy this week, having not felt like doing much modelling recently I seem to have my modelling mojo back. Strange how it comes and goes. Anyway, Arnold Lane Wharf is booked to appear at the Borth y Gest show in a couple of week so I decided that I should sort out a few issues that I've been meaning to deal with for ages. So, before doing anything useful I installed the water crane which I've had laying around since the demolition of the aborted big garage layout. I'm pleased with how it looks and now it just needs a small coaling stage to go with it.

 

Lucy got a coat of matt varnish which has made it look much better

 

Those lovely people in Devon, i.e. PECO have finally released the un-liveried versions of the L&B obs. carriage so I can finally complete my rake. Underhill Town was designed to be able to accommodate a rake of three of these in the platform run round loop. Obviously I can never leave anything well alone so 'Stonerization' has begun. So far it is mostly roof modifications. This coach comes with the later roof revision which includes top hat lamp vents; I think these are a real improvement over the original versions but I wanted to add torpedo vents, rain strips and brass handrails instead of the moulded on ones, so I did. I've also replace the moulded on hand rails on the coach ends which is something I didn't do on the other two but I like the look of it so a retrofit looks on the cards.

Down at the wharf for a test with Bjorn - another tidying up project. It finally has a driver and having somehow lost the name plate from one side I moved the surviving one to the cab back.

The biggest change has been the addition of a third siding for the fiddle yard. I've done this by screwing a length of 2 x 1 to the rear of the baseboard and installing a second pair of points.

Track plan A

 

Track plan B

 

In the end I opted for plan B as the extra points would have made the new siding stupidly short. As it is the new sidings are a bit short but I suspect that it will be ok.

The finished thing including isolating switch added locally as there isn't room to include it on the control panel.

 

I had a visit from one of the new SR liveried Bachmann WD wagons and although it is a fictional livery I think it looks very plausible.

Here it is with a PECO L&B van to the left and a PECO bogie open and a kit built open.

 

And then there is this...