The return of Essence.

Its been many a long gap or void owing to a number of issues, which includes health for myself and wife. Since our move away from Wadalba and having to rent for more than 12 months, and then get the house finished and yard etc, its very much been a process of sucking things up. Health issues along with covid and being stuck indoors mostly and when heading out, it appeared as if the Kelly gangs had joined together to clear the decks across the board. In that time, it really put our wondering as to the future and whether we made the right choice and the move up here to Raworth, rather than staying in Wadalba. The boxes that tied up rooms much to the ceiling also played a large part in holding items in various rooms, along with the number of them that reached the heights of Duglous Bader, well, not quite that high as the roof cavity was empty allowing for some sort of freedom. Since moving into our new home, one of the primary targets was to get Essence up and running, that in itself was something of a chore and I thank some members of the CCW model club for helping in the move and location for the first section of the layout, something I could not do by myself. The rebuilding of Essence is sort of almost complete after many a long day/night, much of the reason why the length of the time is very much due to health and the associated surgeries in different hospitals, while it has helped get me on my feet in a better situation, it still provides for the future with the layout along with other areas of interest for the future and whatever that may be. My main hope is that given half the year has passed, I sincerely look forward to the next steps that will bring the layout into a working one before end of year, hopefully the aspect of a large proportion of Essence will show its working rather than just static items on display. A fair degree of work has been completed and the Moblayne section which forms the primary locomotive servicing depot, along with other area's such as the town, Main station and yard area, for transfer of goods wagons along with storage and transfer to other trains. Having a 30T as primary shunter will keep it busy working at Moblayn station, the goods yard, along with transfer of stock to the meatworks just outside of the yards. A petrol depot also sits to the side/rear of the yard that is also to be serviced by the 30T or other replacement, such as a 32cl. One of the worst, if not the worst aspect of the layout is the simple fact that the work that was started with great enthusiasm has somewhat died off, primarilly the reason/cause has been with my health but I have at least been able to get the layout basically finished, but reality has it running short owing to my health areas. Winter has been somewhat of a drag owing to limited time in getting it more stable and with the hope of running which would have been much earlier had I been better health wise. As I delved into the layout to try and get it going, along with other finishing touches, the delays did not help but some work has picked up, but not as much as I would have liked. Near on a month back I took a diversion and decided to check out the fleet of models that included locomotives as well as Rolling stock, as I dilently opened boxes, both old and new, with unopened models in boxes, like others I think! I realised that I really had too many models of Rolling stock, especially with Goods wagons, and some carriages, putting them together in various areas there was basically no space with the number of models in boxes. I set out and filled up a number of boxes that had new models of goods wagons, of various types, a number of them were repeats meaning I had too many items of NSWGR rolling stock. The number of locomotives that I also ended up with, and one gone missing when sent away for repairs has not shown up, and its probably in some distant scrap area. The aspect with loco's shows that every section of track that runs to the Turntable, has all roads taken up, just like long weekends of locomotives waiting through the weekends & sitting in the various tracks that has them full, with at least three, models needing space around the TT. While the delemna for the loco's is a reasonably easy fix, as a couple of new roads can be inserted, the aspect regarding the rolling stock is somewhat another matter. I have lifted several brand new models that includes both 4 wheelers, bogie hopper wagons, some other heavy metal flat wagons, S trucks along with Sheep, cattle and other models, all in as new condition, those boxes are the first to be sold, and will leave more space for the layout and ability to operate on the layout. I do also need to check all the wiring to make sure all is compatible and with no dead areas. The task is still there, but as I am marginally better health wise, my hope is to aim at Christmas as the finishing off for the year and allow some more pleasure areas on Essence. Wish me luck, or better still good fortune as I go forward. Cheers to all Col