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Rod’s fantastic train layout

I got this in, from Rod.

Unfortunately, he hasn’t written much about it – but the video speaks for itself!

“Check out my new layout

Regards

Rod”

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Best

Stuart’s railway layout

“Hi Alistair,

Thanks for all your tips and pics, this is my first attempt at model railroading, started 5 months ago. It’s 8′ 6” x 5’6” and I had the room specially converted.

These are a few pics of a town I’m making up called MUDDLETON.

More to come later.

Cheers

Stuart P”

An amazing first layout! So I just had to ask Stuart about it. Here’s what he came back with:

“Hi Alistair,

The room was a two bed house converted to three beds, the new bedroom used for the model, started last April, I painted the sky, then build the table. I got most of my tips from your emails over the months, I have found the real moss is brilliant for shrubs and bushes but they have to be trimmed to shape. Cliffs were done with plaster cloth and dry painted to get the real effect of cliff rock. Different colour scatter grass and other greens to make fields, I made the fences and trees from a hydranger bush in the garden, accept the fir trees, they were bought as basic and I put scatter green foliage on the thicken them out.

The buildings were made from metcalf cards but I made them more realistic by painting and ageing them. So far I have only done the back stretch of the board I have still to put more buildings, build a town, a coal depot, a garage and pub, build roads. There’s a lot more to do yet. but I will send future pics as I go on. By the way way dry painting the moss with bright colours is a great effect for bushes with flowers on, just dabbing it on works a treat, but not too hard or it will just be a mess.

I hope to get sharper pics by using a digitial camera in the future, these were taken with my mobile phone

Cheers

Stuart P”

Stuart – you’re an inspiration!

That’s all for this time folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if today is the day you get started on your layout, the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

PS More HO scale train layouts here if that’s your thing.

Need buildings for your layout? Have a look at the store.

They are great fun to make and great value too.

Model railway layout – Cameron’s

Cameron’s been back in touch with his model railway layout.

And what I love about it most is his ‘common mistake’ as he calls it – but he doesn’t care because he’s having fun and that’s what it’s all about:

Make a start, and have fun.

“Dear Alistair,

This is where I am up to with the layout as of today. It has taken me one whole year to get this far but is still holding my interest.

Fortunately “She who must be obeyed” has now come around and seems to quite like the layout.

This is a good thing as I don’t plan on moving it in any foreseeable future.

It is probably a bit over crowded which I know is a common mistake but I for me the enjoyment largely comes from constructing it and running of trains.

Trees
The trees on the layout are the cheep wire and foam ones you buy on Ebay. They tend to be a bit brightly coloured so I have dipped them all in a solution of ‘burnt umber’ acrylic paint and water. I used a few photos of the English country side to help inform how they were placed on the layout.

Backdrops
The backgrounds are painted shelving boards. I found that you don’t need to put too much detail into the backgrounds as long as the colours are accurate. The simple silhouettes of mountains disappearing into the background were quick to paint and tell enough of the story.

Most of the scenery is complete now and I am embarking on the wiring of the points and some building lighting. The next post will be a few weeks off I suspect.

Bye for now,

Cameron”