Making plans for Burton

With 'Shifting Sand's trip to the 7mm NGA exhibition at Burton-on-Trent on 8th June getting ever closer things have swung into action to ensure it is ready for action. Having extracted the layout from the storage box and noted a few jobs that need doing, the first job was an electrical "test", the newest O9 stock having a quick run around before I managed to snatch this picture on my phone...

One of the noted jobs was that a seagull had apparently attacked the chap in the blue coat...

Short bursts of work were then the order of the day over the last week or so. Having proved that everything worked, I opted to do all the required scenic works before a final clean up, track clean and re-graphite, and then and extensive test-running of all required stock, pencilled in for bank holiday Monday....

Work completed includes:

• Replacement tree and scrub behind the 'Funland' fence (top left) - the original tree snapped off at Cleethorpes last year. This may need some clearance work once test running commences, the new tree is (quite a bit) larger and overhanging more.
• Minor rework of the gorse bushes, some additional sea foam pieces and extra ground foam then more yellow paint dabbed on, plus a more orangey shade to look like older flowers.
• Extra textures in the grass using hairspray and ground foam.
• Re-attaching the seagull and a downpipe to the shed structures.
• Removing the sea from the backscene as it was becoming detached, then re-attaching with an acid-free glue stick.
• In progress at the time of the picture - curing the de-lamination of the station platform (thin card over thin ply) with PVA glue and weights.

It doesn't really look any different, but at least the niggles are being ironed out!

Colin