Although technically not the first ever Model Railway Layout i had operated, This was the first to bear the name "COLCESTER" - or to be more precise - Colcester Central. Prior to this, there had been a couple of bedroom based layouts which had dabbled in both OO and N Gauges, but they had never amounted to very much. This layout was to change all that...  With an ever increasingly cluttered bedroom, space was required elsewhere and it was finally settled upon the garage as being the most likely location for a new layout. However there was a slight problem - the garage had to remain in use for a vehicle, therefore no fixed running boards could be put in place and the whole layout had to be able to be packed away after use. After much thought, a pulley system was considered the most viable option, raising the whole layout up into the garage roof and keeping the area clear for use. This was duly built and work okay-ish, the only two main issues were the cords running through the pulleys often came off the wheels and snagged, and it was at least a two-man operation the raise and lower the layout. Another niggle was the restriction on the height anything could stand to on the layout since when in the raised position it would be close to the roof. By 1992-3, these issues, plus the need to try and do something a little better led to the idea of Colcester Mk2, and the possiblity of a new home for the layout...  in the back garden based in a purpose built shed.