After a reasonable amount of road repair, all the point work has been re -tested and with the aid of CCTV and a lot of patience rectified where necessary. Unfortunately during the testing my test vehicle (Stockport No.?) took it's second dive of the track a scale height of 150 feet, thus returning to kit form again. So changing it from a Salford car did not improve it's habits, and thus awaits my attention on the desk.
There then followed several weeks interruption to appease my 'other half ' by digging up, flagging and fencing the front garden - I hate gardening.... but am keeping my options clear incase, for that future day when I have to persuade her to let me build a layout in the back garden ( I live in hope!!) One evening whilst resting up after a days graft flagging, an almighty crash was heard somewhere else in the house. After checking all the upstairs rooms and finding nothing untoward, I ventured into the attic, froze, and almost wept. It's not that I'm accident prone - life just keeps doing things like this to me. The bookshelf containing my reference library was mounted on the gable end above Stockport's St. Petersgate / Daw Bank. It was now tilted forward and down with its contents spread all over Stockport. Daw Bank had been partially demolished and all seven of my tram collection so far which were on the shelf below, now buried beneath the heap. Another lesson learnt. The shelf is back but the books are not.
Current state of play (?) is pavement laying
Stockport is virtually complete and my supply of traction poles is exhausted. The Wellington Road South bridge has yet to be finished prior to building constructions commencing.
Blackpool's Promenade is likewise but minus traction poles which I intend to obtain at the forthcoming Festival of Model Trams 2000.
Albert Square is currently buried under a cutting board and scraps of card and balsa.
Piccadilly has just had the roads laid so far and awaits its turn.
Meanwhile Euro 2000 is not stopping progress but slowing it down, whilst I watch the replay of the goals I miss with my back to the TV.
Oh I almost forgot. It was intended from the start to run the system with Maplins Digital Control System. Now that all the track is laid and burried under plaster I discover they have discontinued making it. This kind of messes things up in a major way and requires a re-think.
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