Rippon Cement, has been my layout to take to train shows for the past few years. Its a HO switching layout built by Chris Gilbert orignially as Florida Springs. It has a page on my website here if you want to see more information. https://gordy.uk/my-layouts/rippon-cement/

As the benchwork is now in place for the Waukesha Sub Division, my work benches have re-located below that layout. Freeing up the room that was my workshop to become my home office. Its quite a small room about 1775mm x 2800mm and currently has a desk for my paid job and my personal desk so quite a squeeze but its big enough for me and Dabber. His dog bed just slides beneath which ever desk I am not working at.

As the whole train room is filled with the Waukesha Sub there was no room for Rippon Cement and if you look in some images of my benchwork posts its leaning on its end looking very sorry for itself. It had also sustained some damage during its move up to Orkney so I didn’t realy want to risk anymore. So what to do. Well as I am 183cm tall I knew a layout at eye level for me is about 170cm above the deck. A quick check with the tape measure showed that Ripon Cement would fit along the wall with the door into the room and at that height would clear my 4 monitors of my personal comupter and when I am not working from home – Covid cannot last forever!!

I can mount the other two levels of the multi deck switcher here at more sensible heights but for now I can at least run some trains when I get the urge whilst the Waukesha sub is under construction. Next to be overcome was lights, power and somewhere to store the stock when not in use on the layout. Ah well a quick replacement LED strip fixed the lights damaged during the last train show outing.I also found a spare but perfectly sized piece of oak worktop from the constrution of our house that I turned into a shelf fitted tightly below the layout at 160cm high. Remember I have to sit under this thing without knocking myself out!

So layout up, power and lighting sorted. But erm Houston we have a problem there is no where for the trains to run so that will be the next project, Utilising the office door to support one end and the end of the layout to support the other. Its something Iain Rice suggested to do in one of his small track plan books. I’ll share how well that works out in another post.

In the meantime enjoy a few arty shots taken with my smart phone on Rippon Cement.I guess that train is ready to leave so I best crack on with giving it some place to go to.