As a change from working on our main layout, Graham our Association Secretary has built a 'shunting puzzle' style layout on an ironing board. Known as 'Iron Sidings', this rather tongue in cheek model of a small extremely compact shunting yard provides a great deal of interest to the keen operator. the photographs were taken during the time when the layout was being refurbished immediately prior to the first outing of the year, the March & District model railway show held on 4th March 2006. Unfortunately due to lack of safe dry storage facilities during our operations from the leaky unventilated coach at Nene Valley Railway, Iron Sidings has been damaged and is currently [Feb 07] in need of more than a little TLC. No doubt it will be fully up to standard and on view at our Model Railway Exhibition on 3rd June this year.

During the latter part of last year (2006) it was decided that a complete refurbishment at one end of the rather careworn layout in the NVR coach was needed and after some discussion it was decided to create a village green diorama, complete with a manor house the mandatory pub and a rather imposing church. This redevelopment of the end of the layout was a great improvement. However when we were forced by circumstances beyond our control to sever our long standing relationship with NVR we insisted in taking all of our personal property with us. This has left the NVR 'in coach' layout looking rather barren, scruffy and poorly maintained and probably [some would say] more suited to its surroundings. As a group we are currently constructing a brand new portable exhibition layout which will incorporate our existing although modified villiage scene, using the fine models salvaged from the old coach. The new layout will of course include the superb 'allotment' diorama that Kay worked so hard to complete. It is envisaged that this major project will take a considerable amount of time and effort to produce and so regular updates will be added to the appropriate pages as the project proceeds.

As we have arranged an exhibition as Sacrewell Farm & Country Centre in June, Phil Arbeiters and I are busily engaged in constructing a small 'Thomas' style layout in his conservatory. This will be utilised to amuse our younger visitors. The layout will be mounted low down [possibly on junior school sized tabletops], and provide two loops that can be operated by the younger visitors to earn a 'Drivers Certificate. One of my main model railway gripes for some years has been the height of most layouts at exhibitions, so maybe in some small way this might redress the balance just a little. To avoid hogging controllers, we have asked Jan to build us some timers. Jan [who builds all our circuit boards]. will build these around the 555 timer chip and incorporate a relay to switch track current. This board will also enable us to control the maximum voltage to the track, as I have no real wish to see Thomas driven flat out by a young enthusiast attempting to break the sound barrier. Our members are ever aware that the future of railway modelling rests in the hands of the younger generation and we do all that we can to encourage and support young people who show an interest in the hobby.