The best laid plans…

Having finally worked out my terrain contoured layout for 4th September 1939, I went to the lock-up to retrieve the necessary hexagon tiles.

I need as basic flocked tiles: 37 flats, 6 slope A1, 19 slope B1, 7 slope C1, 2 slope A2, 10 slope B2, 12 slope C2. As for special, converted tiles: 1 60° stream, 7 60° curved rough country road , 6 straight rough country road, 1 special rough country road junction and 2 swamps. In addition I need 171 “stackers” beneath the contoured slope tiles.

Some of the stackers can more easily be made from the 6-hex tiles, but as yet I did not work out how many. Of course a sensible person like Bob Cordery would make his board something like 12 x 8 hexagons to fit these tiles, but not me. Mine is 13 x 9, so there will always be extra single pieces somewhere.

To add to my issues, although I organised the last two boxes of hexagon tiles moved to the lock-up last week, two of the three boxes waiting there were a jumble of random stuff. I really must make a proper database.

So, yesterday I (re)made about 15 sanded country roads from my old glass paper versions by the method of peeling off the existing road, scraping down with water and craft knife to the bare plastic, painting with emulsion “pebble” shade and sprinkling builder’s sand while wet, finishing with matt spray varnish.

I need to order two more packs of slope B2, flocked before I can make progress, so I will use the time to start a database of what I do have available.