Hi Pete,
Maplins have a shop in Robins Park, Wigan. I used to use copper clad circuit board, easy to work with and comes complete with handy pin/nail holes. Sorry I can't help you with the time element.
Regards, Tony

some progress
 

Most of the track has been laid on the upper (depot) level, after many unsatisfactory attempts at the hinging mechanism and getting trains to run across the joins I am finally happy with it and I'm now installing backscene boards and getting ready to ballast.

In the meantime I've become a bit obsessed with this photograph:

The photo is of Springs Branch depot in the early 80s, around the time I am modelling. I have built an approximation of the oil storage facility? which you can see above the class 40 in the foreground. It's a bit Heath Robinson as I have no idea where the pipes should run etc, but I'm pretty happy with it. The attached photo doesn't really do it much justice.

Also this conglomeration of various things, which can be seen near the shed in the overall photo. I think it's some kind of waste reclamation facility. In later photos from the 90s, this has been largely removed, as have the fuel tanks, although the bund wall and hut remained.

I've also made the ubiquitous Knightwing fuelling point, I may replace this later with a homemade version more like the one in the pic if I get the chance.

Anyway, enough for now, I need to get back in the attic. I'll post more soon.

Wish I had a pound for the number of times I went to SP/8f.

some progress
 

Pics attached of the yard I have built around the depot.

I have also started a facebook page for the layout, please feel free to join.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1670...78774/?fref=ts

Progress - December 2015
 

It seems like progress is really slow, but I have added another 2 sidings to the south end of the yard, and added red lights (grain of rice leds) to all the buffer stops. I've also ballasted and painted the track on the incline to the shed.
Also added gaugemaster (houses) backscenes but not altogether happy with them so I may re-do them. They seem to crowd the scene too much and the perspective doesn't quite look right, the houses look too big. I might just go with sky. They are good value though, £8 for 3 long pieces, about 9ft it total.

The next jobs are fitting more yard lights when they arrive to illuminate the centre of the yards, and adding walls all around the depot, with a pavement at the front and maybe a couple of spotters peering over the wall.

Then on to the lower level.....