Having sold my last layout on that ever popular auction site
Ebay, I received a message the following day which caught my attention. It wasn’t the usual ‘if the guy dosnt by it,
Ill ave it off ya for £20, n if ya deliver it to me’ but actually quite the
reverse!
It explained that they thought the layout was superb but it
was the wrong size and not quite what they wanted and wondered if I would be
interested to build a layout for them.
Having never built something purposely for some-one else, I was a little
apprehensive but some-how this gentleman was different, and it was a challenge
which I accepted with some anticipation but also enthusiasm.
I obtained a brief outline of what was required, which
included:
1. Layout overall
size not to exceed 5’ x 4’
2. Double main
running lines
3. Two trains running
simultaneously
4. Elevated section
of track
5. Fully scenic with
sidings and station
I set pen to paper and whilst everything was possible,
albeit in a relatively small space, I could not see that I could make an
elevated section work on such a small layout.
I therefore recommended that I make an over-bridge and this would give
the ‘feeling’ of the track being partly elevated. The sketches below were provided, approved
and a small amount of money exchanged hands which allowed me to proceed with
ordering and buying the initial materials.
However, I was then asked to include motorised point
operation and colour light signals, to which I agreed and I got the green light
to proceed !
To produce the over-bridge would always be the
greatest challenge as I would have to produce some multi-level baseboard, and
this being on the most prominent corner of the layout, the name ‘Kelly Bridge’
was born.
