I visited ExpoEM at Bracknell Leisure Centre on Saturday even though I model OO. The advantage of shows arranged by organisations who promote the finer standards in our hobby is that they have so many high quality layouts on view and attract very good traders.

And sure enough there were some excellent models to be seen, although too many in the early stages of construction for my liking.

I really don’t like models with long straight lines, although it is very tempting when building on square boards. So you can imagine my delight with Tiverton from the Devon Area Group. Not only were the tracks formed into beautiful curves, but the baseboards on which they sat were curved as well. The fact it was a GWR prototype added to my enjoyment.

Also there was a small industrial layout called Iron Street Mills which achieved in a larger space what I am trying to do with my diorama. It uses Metcalf buildings and looked ‘right’. The trick is perfect execution with all the little ‘unseen’ details that make the scene convincing. I hope I can achieve such a convincing look.