Well, project complete!  I’m sure that there will need to be a little fettling and further track cleaning to get things moving, but it is almost there.  A simple 2-road 2′ or so fiddle yard bolts onto the main layout.

The point is one of those very useful Peco OO-9 mainline Y-points.  Compact, but with a larger radius than the SetTrack points.  Purely manual control at the moment.

And here’s the full length of the railway – a tad over 5′.

So I got some stock out and did a little switching.  This did indeed show that there’s a little work to be done on the track and the stock’s couplings.  Nevertheless, very satisfying….

What have I learnt from this build?

1. Small is most definitely beautiful.  Of course, each to their own, but I can’t imagine building something the size of, say, James Street (wonderful as it is.)  There’s a lot to be said for a small railway that can be built in a short time (even without the help of a pandemic.)
2. Don’t be afraid to rebuild or change things if you’re not happy with them.  I suppose that it has really taken five years to get this far – but there have been a couple of false starts along the way.
3. Work steadily.  I’ve done a little bit to the line most days – and taken a few off – and it’s surprising how quickly things get done.  Don’t be afraid to do a little bit of work, go away to let the glue or paint dry, then come back for another go.
4. If it’s not co-operating with you, walk away, do something else, and come back.  Particularly true of the fiddly bits!
5. It’s my railway – I’ll learn from everyone, everywhere, but then go and make my own mistakes, thank you very much!