Model railroad layouts plans

This came in from Martin.

I had to publish it – just superb scenery.

“Hi Al,

I was very interested in your recent article about the West Yorkshire layout modelled around Sowerby Bridge in the grimy 50’s. I spent my childhood in that area, skipping school in the afternoon’s to visit the loco shed (depot) and a few years on sleeping in the rail station waiting room because I had missed the last bus home at night. (Happy memories).

Regarding my waterfall & stream model, it was my first attempt at modelling a water feature and I was very pleased how it turned out.

I found however that the scenic realistic water which I paid £10 for, shrunk as it dried and I needed to apply more to fill the pools both in the stream and the pond at the base of the waterfall. The nice opaque colour of the waterfall in the photo also disappeared as it dried. I has to apply some more ‘water effects’ mixed with white paint onto the fall to try make it effective. I think that I added too much white to the mixture which I need not to do in my next water model. But in the end my 1st attempt looked super and the buyer remarked “how realistic “ the model was.

I list my models on EBay UK where I seem to be getting a good response, which is where I purchase most of my model bits & pieces.

I have booked a trade stall at a Model Rail show in November and am hoping my new venture will be a success.

I love your emails and wish that I had the space to build a large layout similar to the ones that you have featured in your articles. Yorkshire houses were built a little on the small size compared to US houses!

Best wishes

Martin”

I love Martins work. For the rest of us, of course, there’s always my favourite resource…

Got this in from Mark, and thought it good:

“Hi Alastair,

I have been working on my first layout for about 7 months, doing my best to take my time. My grandkids wanted to spend the weekend with us and see “Grandpas Train Set”.

Well, although the track is laid and operational, it would look pretty boring to a child. Against my better judgement I decided to junp ahead of my plan and add some color to the layout by working on the Lake area so that “Grandpas Train Set” wouldnt look so boring to the kids. Here is a before and after photo and I have to say that for a rush job it doesnt look too bad!

Mark”

Good stuff, eh? Don’t forget – the easiest way to pick this stuff up is here.

Best

Al

Gavin’s been in touch with his LMS model railway. It’s an impressive track layout to say the least:

“Dear Alastair,

I have been receiving your hints and tips for some time now and thought you might like a peek at my model railway in Gauge 00. It is my first model railway and I started it 5 years ago when I was 3 score and ten years young.

I wanted to re-create some of my home town of Sowerby Bridge in West Yorkshire UK during the 1950`s when every building was covered in industrial pollution and the L.M.S. railways were still operating as I always liked their crimson colour scheme.

I also wanted to try and create the contrasting countryside and hills and moors which surround Halifax and Sowerby Bridge so I went on location and did panoramic photos for the backscenes.

All the shops and house are lit up inside at night and the shops are complete with interiors. A lot of the buildings are scratchbuilt and the rest are from the excellent Metcalfe card range. These will be replaced in time with the authentic buildings in their right locations.

The hills are from scrap Polystyrene hacked to shape with a breadknife and finished of with course sandpaper to the right kind of “shapes” befor plastering with normal household filler brushed on nearly dry and tainted with black powder paint as a base colour.

With experience and experimentation you can get some very realistic contours and geological features with this method. As the plaster is drying I dipped the almost by now dry 1″ paint brush into green,orange blue or black powder paint as I went along until I had the topographical and colour effect I was aiming for. Just practice as you go!

Buildings were from picture mounting board or balsa wood etched like the sandstone buildings, walls etc of this area.

I drew the buildings on the computer from original on site photos that I had taken, scaling them as I drew them. The railway bridge was made from a high density pizza base which is round and comes on some makes of pizza. It has the surface finish of the sandstone and looks quite realistic.

There is still a lot of finishing work to do, more people and balasting etc. but I have been buiding a 1/12 scale Colin Archer radio controlled cruising yacht in between which is a replica of a full size version I built in Sydney, Australia 35 years ago and which is still sailing out there to this day.

Yours sincerely,

Gavin”

A big thanks to Gavin for sharing his LMS model railway. I think his work is superb.

(It also reminded me of Peter’s layout: Model railway village.)

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if you want to roll your sleeves up and get back in to this fine, fun hobby, the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

Al

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

Need buildings for your layout? Have a look at the Silly Discount bundle.