Andrew

Sounds like you could do with a pocket tripod, Mick. Mine starts at about 10cm or even less if you splay the legs. Plenty on Amazon. But your photos and videos are already superb.

Terrific video, Mick. Looks superb. And I liked the way the puttering of the diesel dropped off as it disappeared into the tunnel/shed.

The main span on my Northern Viaduct is a piece of repurposed timber 5 feet long and 20mm thick. It's now been there for nearly 8 years without any significant sagging. As you seem to be proposing a shorter, removable span, it will be much easier just to go for timber and see what happens.

Return to Black Ghyll Here's a context shot to set the scene. No doubt the local residents always knew it was there, but probably didn't want to encourage inexperienced potholers who often get into difficulties, particularly when unanticipated rainfall swells the underground rivers...

Goods vibrations Quite liked this shot: A new feature has emerged on the layout. Black Ghyll is a large cavern, much visited by serious potholers because of the extensive cave system to which it provides an entrance. It's very close to Sycamore Manor, but was previously obscured by vegetation, now cut back. A close look shows what may be ropes left behind by cavers ascending to the lip before going down into the caves...

The mineral wagon collection has grown a bit in the past months. After noticing that very few new ones were on sale, I decided that this once ubiquitous wagon needed to be properly represented on my period layout, so started buying secondhand ones of almost any make. The real ones came in many variants, so uniformity isn't needed - unlike more modern block trains. Then I had a weathering session with acrylic paints. Absolute realism probably demands more wagons than the current DGR fleet...

That cutting looks superb, a great photo spot to complement the spectacular viaduct. And the moss/lichen on the rocks completes the effect.

Green and Black Self-explanatory, really:

A short video clip from the recent Standard 2-6-4 Tank's outing, showing most of Foxdale Bank on the Dorking Garden Railway: https://youtu.be/RnqAQVqlod8

Ultimate Garden Railway This really is. Imagine a 2ft gauge line to your front door - complete with an incline! https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/devon-man-spends-18-years-4094372

Scotland, Steam And Scenic Splendour This is possibly the ultimate garden railway video (18 mins): https://youtu.be/RVG4hs10WFo Highly recommended (even though not a Class 37 in sight, Mick!).

I can't take credit for the cant - it's a bonus(?) of having an ageing timber track base. Mostly it tilts in the right direction!

Just uploaded a hasty video of the Black 5 as a small sample of the last running session: https://youtu.be/pgrsnHZuGSE If you follow the soundtrack carefully there's a real live diesel horn intrudes at one point - and we're not particularly close to the North Downs Line. You can see a few things running around near the track, which I think must be startled rabbits. Here's a still of that train:

Thanks, Mick. Gorilla arms.