There’s still an alarming amount to do with only four days to go, but if we look back at the corner of the layout featured two weeks ago it is possible to see how much has been done.
A small amount of rock face still needs painting, the tunnel interior needs to be modeled (and the track there ballasted) and the spur needs to become sufficiently overgrown to hide that plywood. To the left of the photograph you can see the waterfall that still needs water.
Tunnel mouths are awkward in 009. Products designed for 00 are too large, those designed for N, besides not being to scale, are too small to accommodate the 4mm stock. Incidentally, the N gauge wagon that is derailed on the siding is used solely for testing purposes! The solution used here is a Peco single track tunnel mouth cut down. There are various give aways: The tunnel mouth comes pre-coloured with a soot effect in the centre, which helps show up the sides of the V that was reinserted! This will be painted over, though time will probably not allow the more serious mismatch of the central stone to be addressed before the exhibition. Also the tunnel is more arched than it should be.
