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I haven't posted anything for a while. To be honest, the last 2 years have been a challenge with parents health and I've spent a lot of time with them and travelling. Basically trying to look after 2 houses and gardens while still working. Railways have taken a back seat both in my garden and at Dad's.  There are a lot of models on pre-order though so maybe that will inspire some progress next summer. On order between us: Accurascale 37420 and Mk2 TSOT, Heljan 47492, Revolution OO class 320, Bachmann class 314 (both Strathclyde orange and black). I'm hoping to get some time over Christmas to work on Dad's layout. I could really do with installing 4 point motors and then create the mimic panel to show routes. I've decided the arduino route looks a bit too much so I'm going to try every LED with its own little set of transistors. Probably an inefficient way of doing it and agricultural by modern standards but at least it'll be visual how everything works. I'm talking about 3 not gates and 7 and gates to make the panel.   

A-shunting we will go A few days later, another posing exercise was arranged to mark the arrival of some new wagons, although too late in the day to enjoy the earlier sunshine. Here, a short goods train has arrived onto the branch and makes its way slowly upwards.   Two of the wagons, for Dorking's lime works, are detatched and taken forward.   Meanwhile, the rear portion is well braked and awaits further action.   Eventually the train is reformed...   and heads away up the line  

Posing Interurbans Sadly there's been little progress on the rebuilding in over a year.  I seem much busier now than back in 2012.  But one recent afternoon I couldn't resist the sunshine, and after a bit of weeding, posed the interurbans on the remnants of the old railway. Here we see a two-car train a hundred years ago, by which time the interurbans were in decline, approaching Canyon flagstop on a soon-to-be-closed branchline already showing signs of dereliction:   Sadly, despite a brief wait, no-one boards at the stop:     So the train sets off for the end of the line...       Approaching the rather desolate temporary terminus:   With no passengers here, it's no wonder the line is due to close.  The track has already been abandoned beyond this point, so it's one set of trolley poles down and put the others up for the return trip. 

More pics:

Hello everyone! Now that I've finished the hedge protection, I've also addressed the problem of the WPC battens in the substructure of the first high-speed line. They tended to shift horizontally and vertically at the transition from one batten to the next. This problem has now been solved with precisely fitted and then screwed-in aluminum U-profiles. Subsequently, the affected section and the other sections affected by the work were re-ballasted, and the cable ducts were replaced at the same time. Furthermore, the power line masts were erected. Please excuse me for not vacuuming the tracks beforehand, but unfortunately, the ballast cement takes quite a while to set in the somewhat damp weather here in the Palatinate region.

So, after having numerous kits for French overhead lines (25kV) but no instructions, I was able to buy a fully assembled mast on eBay during my vacation in France and have it shipped there (which significantly reduced the shipping costs). Using that as a template, I was able to complete numerous other kits I had lying around. If tomorrow isn't a German national holiday, they'll be permanently installed. Also, while I was on vacation, my neighbors completely trimmed back the part of the hedge they hadn't already torn down. I've now taken the opportunity to claim the entire dream light profile along the hedge above my railway for myself. Acrylic glass will be added to protect it from the weather, and the sides will be sealed with sturdy stainless steel mosquito nets, so the hedge stays where it won't bother me anymore. On top of that, my vines will be allowed to grow, which will surely welcome the extra sun.  

Okay, that's a good point then. Thanks for your feedback on this. You're right, I'll wait to get the house before deciding. I know I want doule track and I've a right idea of a "dog bone" shape layout but it will heavily depend on the garden shape. Thanks again for your help and be sure I'll keep posting on this forum from the next stages of this project. Nuno