Here we look back at some of the layouts our members have built in the past.

Ferrocarriles de Mazarron…

This is a 16mm to the foot garden Railway using live steam locos. The dumbell layout allows for continuous running of these beautifully detailed radio controlled models

Barkby Thorpe

This is an N gauge layout based on the Settle-Carlisle region, only the front half of the layout will be visible, the rear section will be landscaped to hide the storage sidings behind.  The layout has to be light and moveable so the first task was to construct a baseboard from reinforced 10mm ply.

With the first circuit complete the longest wheelbase loco, a Duchess, was sent around to check track alignment and wiring. Note, this loco is currently awaiting renaming and numbering.

With most of the trackwork now completed a full test could  be made, at the same time it was decided to add a new spur (see top LH corner) which would run onto a new board providing extra storage sidings

Pointwork is controlled by the stud and probe method with a mimic diagram panel.

The panel is designed to latch up when in use and fold away when not needed.

The Backscene has now been added together with an over-bridge at the station exit to conceal the entrance to the storage sidings.

Templates are now being cut to enable the platforms to be built and fitted

1) Platforms now fitted and polystyrene foam is used to form a base for the scenery.

2) The foam is covered with newspaper strips soaked in PVA glue to provide a hard shell.

3) “Grass Mat”, available on a roll, creates a basic covering for the hillside. Variations in texture will be added later.

I’ve been trying to make progress on the country lanes.  My original thought was to use some light grey 120 grade production paper as I have several sheets.  I know that John and others have used a spray paint with good results but I don’t have any so I decided to go ahead with the original plan.  Problem was the paper is designed to be used “wet or dry” so persuading it not to curl up when sticking it to the cork base was a little tricky but I managed it.  I wanted to avoid a flat surface and it certainly isn’t that.  As we know tarmac roads are not black but the paper colour was a bit too light so I’ve done a bit of hand painting using a mixture of grey and white paint (tester pots).  I mixed the two colours semi dry on the road to try and avoid a uniform colour.  Later I’ll add gravel at the roadside where it would have accumulated.  There’s a picture above and the big question is can you see the join(s) between the sheets?

The next picture is of my new Union Mills locos.  Not a name familiar to 00 modellers they are produced entirely on the Isle of Man by an ex Peco engineer.  They are solid locos with tender drive and, by modern standards, lack detail.  That means no little bits to fall off which suits me!  He only builds tender locos without external motion.  

Well not quite a forest, not even a wood but a small copse maybe?

 I found that the spray adhesive that I had was far too heavy for the job so I managed to cadge some hairspray.  Only a slight fragrance which I’m sure will wear off!  Just a light dusting of the Marron Claro spray to start with so some of the natural seafoam colour is showing through.  I’ve got quite a lot of “clump foliage” which I found was far too heavy, I think it’s probably more suited to plastic or wire armature tree construction.  I even put some in my coffee grinder but it was still too coarse.  I ended up using a mixture of Woodland Scenics fine turf and very fine crumbly foam dark green foliage of uncertain origin (possibly Gaugemaster) for one batch.  For the rest I used a mixture of “old fashioned” scatter material which gave a lighter colouring.  Overall I’m very pleased with the results.  I can’t pretend that they represent any particular species of tree but I’m sure they will look OK when I plant them on the layout.  

Oct 2021 Update

Some initial running was done to ensure that everything still worked and then the Seafoam Trees were planted in the countryside.