Alan’s been back in touch with his stunning model railway:
“Hello Al,
a lot has happened since my last message. New track layout and the canal basin has been transformed.
The first picture is how it used to look, but I wasn’t entirely satisfied with the high street shops right at the end of the ‘town’, there is usually housing or industrial sites at the edge of towns, so I replaced the shops, removed the security fence and built a larger coal yard with shutes for loading the barges.
All scratchbuilt so far including a run-down old warehouse – a couple of warehouse kits, nissen huts and some corrugated iron rusty fencing. I used the latter for the roof of the coal yard building. At right anges to the coal yard is a timber warehouse, again I wasn’t really satisfied with that so again I scratch-built another one using the corrugated iron for the roof.
The track now has a crossover between the two lines so that goods trains coming out of the tunnel from the lower fiddle yard can now enter the goods yard without having to enter the station first and then backing into the yard.
Where the old coal yard was now has a point (switch) to an extra siding which runs behind the station thus giving me more storage space.
Well thats all for now, I hope your followers approve of the changes, I certainly enjoyed building the new structures and the track changes make for a more interesting running experience.
bye for now
Alan, Dorset UK”
A big thanks to Alan for sharing his model railway – I really do enjoy his work, especially the canal part. Keep ’em coming folks.
And if today is the big day when you spring into action on your layout, the Beginner’s Guide is here.
Best
Al
PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.
PPS HO scale train layouts more your thing?
Looks really great especially the water. Good job
Tremendous! Excellent work!
Looking good, plenty going on!
Beautiful. Brill! Size & scale s.v.p.
Probably the best canal scene I’ve ever seen, very well done!
Rod (one-time BWB staffer)
The canals look great. Has anyone actually made a working canal system in conjunction with a model railroad. That would be a real achievement. I know that water and electrical do not mix well but it may be possible to make a working system.
Having not yet brought my first layout to a semi-finished state, I’m in awe of someone who reworks a finished section into an even better finished section! Keep up the good work. I especially love the water and docking areas. If you have any tips for achieving such a beautiful look to your water, I’d appreciate them.
fantastic,s usual, such mmetistic attention to detail it’s like a fine painting or color photograph. I wish I had your talent and patience! continued success, best regards, m . m. sweeney,palmdale ca usa
Very nice work, good details throughout.. Is causing me to rethink some of my work… Thanks
Excellent! Well done (from someone not far away – in Ringwood).
A Lovely Layout, very good.
Great work as always. Had a thought. Take a model of a canal lock, and somehow power the lock area so the base board for the water surface in the lock would rise and fall.
`Nice bit of work on your scenics alan , and like has been pointed out the canal are is great ..well done …Dave
I just watched a program this week on BBC America about canals in England, and I thought I was seeing it all over again! The realism and detail is fantastic. Thanks for sharing1
what an interesting layout…not to mention a superlative photographer..
and what excellent detail work
you are a master scratch builder
keep it runnin….
Wow, an amazing scene!
REMARKABLE. WISH I WERE THAT TALENTED.
A really great job well executed. Love the canal basin
@ Alan
Absolutely fantastic!!!!!
Fitz
Near Philadelphia PA.
hi great work
Very well done.
Truly amazing color and depth in this masterpiece.
Nice big canal basin – not just a bit of canal with a narra’boat in it. 🙂 Realistic sullen dirty water, just as it was when these were working waterways.
I love the worn Nissen huts as well.
Re a working canal network – it could be done even without water, the way road networks are done these days on layouts with DCC-controlled vehicles on slot-type tracks, except here they could be wheeled [under skirts] on a smooth top with the magnetic tracks underneath it, tho’ entering & leaving the lock might be a difficulty.
With DCC it ought to be possible to run a canalboat into an open lock isolate it, lower the lock & then drive it out the lowered end, just like a loco or a truck. There’s a marketing & display challenge for someone. 🙂
Such very good work —-love to see anything that has to do with model trains—-keep things coming our way
I’m lost for words. All I can think of is (a) Fantastic (b) Incredible.
Congratulations for a super layout and photo’s.
Max D
Ferntree Gully,
Australia.
This is what model railroading is all about – excellent work
This layout is excellent in detail and planning. Lots of industries to serve and the tracks are BALLASTED! Great workmanship.
DON WICK – The old yard master
West Bend Wisconsin USA
nice work love the detail. the locks are of great interest how things were done years ago. great concept.love to see more. you seem to have alot of talent not in just in railway modelling, taking photos as well.
Very nice! If you have any more of the pictures of the canal gates,(Closer up) I would love to see the,! That is some great work!Love the unloading station also!
Thanks for sharing!
Mark T.
A brilliant talent and an eye for detail. You look at the photo and expect something to move it is so real. Fantastic, painstaking work which is well worth all the accolades here. More photos please along with an overall view perhaps. How do you do that mucky water?
wow nice detail work
and your basin looks like real water
keep em runnin fellas
Beautiful artistry and craftsmanship. I hope to aspire! Healthy New Year
NJ Mark
I especially like the labeling on the photos. It helps one understand just what they are seeing. Great layout, by the way. I am very impressed.
Just love the water colours very realistic fantastic well done
nice work keep up the good work.
Great job of capturing the atmosphere. Definitely gives the feeling that something is going on. Well done.
So many great layout pics over the yrs on this site. My only wish is that we had some bird’s eye view of them to see how it all works together.
Well done. I am just getting into HO and love the emails and videos.
I am a long way off in having a railroad with unbelievable houses, water etc. but I am having fun.
Jack O. Lancaster PA
Love the canal and lock idea with the harbor scene. I had not thought of that.
Impressive…….great work……..fantastic detail……
Gary M
Nice modelling. Really like the detail on the canal lock. Any chance for an aerial shot of the canal area to capture the overall layout? Thanks!
Wonderful detail !
Alan
Bravo! You must keep on doing whatever your mind comes up with. Wow. Please keep us posted and a video of trains would be a treat.
Be safe
George from LI, NY
Hi Alan, great work especially the canal basin, it reminded me of the times a used to wind my narrowboats Maia and Little Dawn in Ellesmere basin. Love the water soooo realistic. Well done
Alan, Malvern
Great scene and atmosphere, not so sure about entirely scratch built though, as old factory and nissan huts look remarkable like ones produced by Scale Model Scenery/Model Railway Club.
Nice work though,
Mike Street
Great work
Very well done . Great photos
Alan, Beautiful work! I am always awed by you guys who can tear up part of a good looking layout and redo it to make it even better. Once I get something done and working, I’m reluctant to mess with it. Just wish your photos were a bit larger so we could appreciate all the details.
love the detail that you’ve put into this layout.
Pretty neat.!!!
Amazing layout!
Many of the reply’s say “great photos”, but they show up blurry on my monitor. Is there something wrong with my monitor? Otherwise, I must say the detail work is fantastic. Alan may not be the best photographer, but he is truly a great craftsman.
Super layout. I own a canal boat and I think that you have captured that aspect perfectly.
Nice bit of modeling. Rustic, realistic and highly detailed scenes. Thanks for sharing.
Jim AZ
A beautiful layout. I love the worn and detailed modelling. Great points of Interest.
A realism test may be: does it evoke a memory of somewhere long-remembered? Alan succeeds. As an artist he suggests things using detail and juxtaposition of elements. Thankyou.
Especially like the harbor scenes.
the docks & barges make this looks surreal
Wow is about all I can say, what detail! Excellent work!
really nice detail, good job.
When I saw your 1st picture, I thought that you had made a mistake in removing the housing, but now I take that back. You have improved your layout many times over, even though there was nothing really wrong with it to start. That takes a lot of confidence in your own modeling abilities, which in this case has been well-earned. What are the barriers blocking the walkway near the water for? They add interest to the scene, but I cannot figure out why they are there.
Wow
The water color in your scene is spot on.
Beautiful modeling Alan and the re- design is excellent. Any chance we could see the track plan?
The water looks real!