Thanks for the links Carl. I think the Barrel wagons are a bit rich for my budget, I'm waiting for two more of the LGB s/h from Dutch Evil Bay at 15euro a pop. Hopefully once weathered and with couplings off, they'll look the part?

Good idea to get Bill over for a month, there's always accomodation here if needed!

Brain, I think those LGB ones will work if weathered and that ugly plastic tube/hose is removed. Perhaps a bit of variety in barrels will ad some realism also (slight color change or just not the same barrels).
You buy from Dutch Ebay or Marktplaats.nl? I think there are not much on Ebay.nl and on Marktplaats they are often more expensive. Better look for it on Ebay.de.
But if you want I can help if Dutch sellers only want to ship it in the low countries itself.

Bill, you did want to try to visit the Marseille plant if I remember correctly?
That would be good to combine with MOMI layout tour

That would be good to combine with MOMI layout tour

excellente idée
quand
excellent idea
when

As the turntable is the central and most pivotal (forgive the pun) feature of the module, I've spent today fabricating it from a bit of old ply and lengths of rail...





The "Dutch" barrel wagons arrived so I've labelled them up - they came with some rather shiny metal wheel sets which I can swap for some well weathered plastic ones from the garden rolling stock.

Started prefabricating a section of loading dock wall from "Aldi" bricks...



Also thinking how to replicate a still...

Progressed some more today, unlike Monsieur MDF in Normandy I'm working with recycled plywood from old football ground advertising hoardings. Which explains the bizarre colours from old Sony and Mastercard logo's.

This is the front section only as the back section will be built seperately and hinged as explained earlier...





To save weight I'm building the loading dock from balsa and cardboard...

j'étais inquiet pour le passage des wagons ou des locomotives près du décor .
I was concerned for the passage of cars or locomotives near the scene

Brian, he's talking about the template or minimum size needed for an engine to use the rail next to to the loading dock.
It look really near the edge of the docking, so only a small engine or specific wagon could use this portion of the line.

Gabarit = loading gauge (width of stock).

Some very rapid progress Brian. I will have to get a move on!

Thank you all for your help in translation as said "Forums are really useful". Perhaps we should publish an "Anglais-Francais" Model Railway Dictionary?

I should have moved the rails away from the dock to take the pic. I'm actually only going to fix things once the dock is finished and decorated. I'm kind of working from back to front! I only need it to accomodate LGB barrel wagons in any case!

Today I've painted and sealed the entire underside of the module, like Carl, I don't want damp problems distorting things later, particularly as I'm working in a stone outbuilding for the moment.

So whilst that is drying, I've been cutting out profiles for the front of the buildings and checking how they are going to look for scale against the interior images I've sourced...






My biggest problem at the moment is trying to source and Photoshop a suitable backdrop to go behind the turntable to make the rails look as though they disappear between the two adjacent warehoues. I can find plenty of images but getting the scale and perspective right is a nightmare.

Brian,
1) tu m'envois la photo .
2) je cherche une photo demain .

Brian,
(1) you me mail the photo.
(2) I'm looking for a photo tomorrow.

je peux modifier ces deux images demain .

I can modify these two images tomorrow

Interesting background ideas. Looking forward to see how they come out.
The interiors looks good!

Brian:

It's all looking very good! You may have ideas in mind for rolling stock - but I though I would contribute this pic (which I took in the Champs Elysees at the "Rail Capital" exhibition - I can't remember the year!)

Haven't been able to do much for a couple of days but back on the project this afternoon.

Have got round to fixing the track bed 2mm card and providing drop down wires to power the track

for example these holes/wires will supply the main track...


and these to provide a switch to isolate the siding...


I'm using 2.5mm mains cable and soldering direct to the base of the rail...


the resulting wires will be easy to hide in th track ballast...


also has the advantage of being stiff enough to hold the insulating gap without an unsightly LGB insulating joiner...


I repeated the process for the rear tracks and then gave the rails an all over background spray of rust brown...


The rear tracks next to the loading dock will mostly be buried but I'd rather spray them now rather than hand paint the inner surfaces later. I think I'm now set to get on with the detailing work, roadway and foreground structures.