Hi Sarah,
Thanks once again for more excellent canal / waterways info. your knowledge never ceases to astound me !!! The links are excellent & the photos of your 2010 trip - WOW what a journey / route; must have been your heaven - canals in fantastic condition & steam trains !!!!!!! Some really great pics in particular I loved the Hazle..... aqueduct tunnel shot, with the brickwork on the skew, always a favourite of mine; also the view of the station with the DMU (* could be wrong ther no doubt), but in the station.Also liked a lot of the others; have done a few canal trips, including through the centre, well underneath Brum - very odd & imensley enjoyable trips.
Our minds have been maybe taking a similar route in terms of viaduct to canal basin; mine just in principle, yours in detail. But like the sound of the wide acqueduct channel 15ft / 60mm option, & an off "camera transfer from the high level viaduct into the basin. I have discovered a Langley Models Lock Gates kit in my boxes;
.... this maybe could form the entry into the basin at low level; with a bit of work. So the plan might be forming LOL !!!!
I also have done a bit of searching for narrow boats / canal boats & othe suitable craft; & at the moment am leaning towards the Langley kits (* but they are white metal - would be a new venture for me !!!!!) for all ie Viaduct / Aqueduct & a couple of different models inc. maybe a tug in the basin; but these without covers to be being loaded, or that sort of thing in the basin, or the Mountford Covered Barge for the Aqueduct - which looks similar to your FM&C boat. So I think a plan is coming together, thanks in the main part to your boundless knowledge - which again is very much appreciated.
Anyway enough of my ramblings, I still think your "Iron Bridge" model (* with the cornflake boxes - of course I didn't spot them - LF&T LOL !!!!), was another great example of your scratch building skills. Are you intending to find a home for the latest hornby viaduct / aqueduct on your layout - hope so ?
Thanks again, will put an update on my loft layout (** stop clogging up your thread - soz !!!!!), over the weekend, of the bits starting to be put onto the layout hopefully. No doubt will also be back with more questions before or after LOL !!!!! Cheers,
Norm