For a key worker
There appears to be a slight sense of normality coming back to The Works after lockdown. I could only take so much of working from home before I was climbing the walls and needed to get back into the workshop.
Now, it’s the norm here for me to try and tackle my way through the work schedule on the obligatory basis of first come first serve, yet, being constantly sat at the modelling bench isn’t always ideal for ones well-being (and I’m sure many of us having been indulging in some comfort eating during these past couple of months), so when possible I like to throw in a baseboard build, as it keeps me active here.
Not long after the lockdown had started, I was approached to undertake a baseboard build for a chap who’s currently acting as a key worker, for the NHS. I felt this would be a nice little something for him to look forward to working on as and when time permitted, a reward to himself for all his hard efforts. And so, after managing to source some additional materials, it was all systems go…
The criteria provided was that the baseboard was to be for a 009 layout, one that wasn’t overly complex, yet still entertaining to operate. And it had to be of a lightweight yet solid construction, that would last for some years to come. I was provided with a basic plan, of which I developed into something that had a bit more flow to it, and incorporated some gradients into the running line, to allow for some interesting scenic scope. The landscape itself falls from back to front, right to left, and so I made it that the backscene reflected this, by leaving one side open.