Canal St Wharf in 006.5...

I don't know what it is about the scale, but I just love 006.5 and it's mesmerising slow speed performance, diminutive little engines and complete layouts in small spaces...

With Vowchurch complete, and with starting designing the next batch of 006.5 projects I found myself itching to build a third micro layout, with lessons learnt from the previous two! So yes, the Busch points do work, and I can prove that on both, but they also can cause problems and I don't use them much anyway so this third layout is purely and simply an oval.

A disguised oval though, with the same idea of central spine of buildings and trees to split the layout in half. The advantage of less track should be slightly more non-railway related scenery. Although I don't like building structures, I'm planning on a few non-kit items on the layout...

So what's the concept? Well it's Tim's fault, as usual, he has built a sprawling sand quarry layout that features an old abandoned caravan... the thought of this poking out of the undergrowth, sat next to a warehouse, by a canal... the creative process kicked in and I started doodling. These sketches are from different stages of the process, but show the basic concept coming to life. Initially I didn't really have a back story, but a casual read of the Hampton and Kempton book gave me the idea of a water works railway. The original purpose to transport coal to the boilers for pumping engines, coal brought in by canal. Well in the period my layout is set the coal is now brought in my a standard gauge siding, loading direct into the wagons. The store remains, and the end of Canal Street provides road access to the wharf, and features a row of typical 'council' garages. 

I've ordered the track and some more stock, and have some of the kits for structures, and others on order too... I need to scratchbuild the garages and office building, and work out a way of in-laying the Busch track without a decrease in performance.

The whole thing will be stored in another under-bed storage box I think, meaning that with the three layouts, I could actually exhibit a trio of very different micro layouts showcasing the possibilities of this lovely scale. More soon...