Laurence has been in touch with a excellent post on model railway scenery construction:
“Hi Al, I made a terrible mistake in late summer in visiting a local Model Railway Exhibition.
Well that did it, I just had to make another one.
It’s just to show how a small 5ft x 3ft model railway can have as much detail and interest as a large one without being over cluttered with too many buildings Ect.
As you can see it’s single track with two sidings, one leading to an engine shed. The Points are electrically operated and the buildings are lit with LEDs. A few street lights were added to give surrounding area a bit of light.
The tunnel was made using insulation foam with a river and several waterfalls flowing into a river made from epoxy resin.
I’ve Used copper tape for the wiring as I find it keeps thing really tidy under the board and although it sticks really well I put a bit of glue on the ends and corners using a glue gun as a bit of insurance.
I hope this Layout will be of some use to your readers and maybe give them a few ideas for their own Layout.
I’m sorry this has to be in two parts but files are too big for one email.
Keep up the good work Al, love seeing other modelers Layouts.
Best Wishes,
Laurence”
A huge thanks to Laurence for showing us his model railway scenery construction. Loved this little layout – it has bags of charm.
Over the last week or so we’ve had so many different layouts that just goes to show:
1) Your layout can be anything you want it to be.
2) There are no rules.
3) You can build one over weeks or years.
4) And are they ever finished?
That’s all for today folks.
Please do keep ’em coming.
And don’t forget the Beginner’s Guide is here if you want to start on your very own layout.
Best
Al
PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.
PPS More N scale layouts here if that’s your thing.
Looks good. Will use some of the ideas on a larger layout
I live in a mobile home and this is a great set up that I’ve been looking for, for a small room that I have to work with. Thank you very much.
Very very good.
I wish I could do. Mine like this layout.
Brilliant mate so compact
Well done you
I love this layout – brilliant scenery and lots of detail and all in 5×3 – amazing!
Is it in 00/H0 and can we have a track plan please?
Nicd layout you have put to gether there Lawrence , you have shown you can have a god one even with a moderate amount of space ..Dangerous Dave
Please, whoever posts, tell us the scale. From the look of it this is HO, but it helps so much to be told.
Smal butt very good, can you place a foto from de uperside of de wiring please ?
Regards,
Herman HC Treintje Belgium
Wow-As my friends across the pond are want to say-a great piece of kit. I’m always looking for new ideas for a small but serviceable layout for our annual train display at Scottish Rite, and this would make a great addition in my favorite On30. Thanks for the ideas.
Nice, good detail, compact and practical and a variety that will entertain.
Hi Philip, sorry meant to say it’s OO gauge.
Nice work, well thought out.
Great scenery, great detail…………good looking layout.
Gary M
I assume this is N scale since you have so much in so little time> I like the idea of copper tape for the electricity. I had neve heard of that before. Fantastic detail and has such a variety of terrain and in village in scenery. You have a great imagination and mind for planning.
Always some new and interesting layout Thanks
I would love to be able to buy this little layout in HO.
Laurence- very nice job! You accomplished just what you were looking for- lots of interest in a small space, but not over crowded. Well done!
Great layout, show you what can be done with immagenation
Hi from Bob M. Very nice layout. I am guessing it is HO by looking at the size of the buildings. I am currently looking at a Z gage layout to fit in a 30″ by 48″ area of my model building room and later into a custom built coffee table for my living room. Many years ago I owned a home with a 20 ft by 40 ft fallout shelter under it and built an N gage layout which ran down one of the 20 ft walls and one of the 40 ft walls. It took 5 years to build and when I Had to sell my house I had no room in my new townhouse to store it so I sold it to a fellow train nut from a nearby town. Now I have a 15 by 15 ft model room and a 20 by 24 ft woodshop and now have the time to build another railroad but Z scale this time. I really like the amount of running track and detail put into this small layout. You did a very impressive job. I just bought one of Al’s bundle deals and will use some of the buildings on my new layout-They are very small in Z scale. I hope my layout will be even a little bit as impressive as this one. Thanks to Al for making this site available-Bob M..
Well Laurence you’ve done a great job. You have so much variety of detail which is very nicely done.
Laurence, COPPER TAPE absolutely amazing! I doubt that I could recreate your wonderful, imaginative railroad. But I can do COPPER TAPE! Thanks, ANDY
Copper tape is also really useful for making connections between baseboards. If the tape gets damaged, you can simply put a new piece on top of it with no apparent loss of electrical conductivity.
Very nice little layout. I’ve been looking for ideas on building small layouts like this in one of my rooms. Thank you for the wonderful idea, looks really awesome.
what a great layout .has given me ideas for a project for my grandson. thanks for sharing.
Where does one get copper tape?
Hello Laurence, very nice layout you have. Well done
Cary B
I’ve seen the copper tape used to electrify dollhouses, so I’d check any places that sell those supplies. A great idea !
This is fabulous! I’m looking to build a 5×3 00 layout myself, and something like this would be ideal. Any chance of track plans etc?!
Hi You can get copper tape at StewMac it’s used for insulateing guitars.
Jerry A
Very good with interest and sense of space. Despite the limited size, it isn’t cluttered with track . (Clutter is something that I am always on about!)
I read copper tape will dry out and fall of under table. If some one heard this, it is likely.