If you have ever considered starting your own blog I would highly recommend it to you. Even if few or any read your work, it is extremely useful for taking stock of progress and clarifying your thoughts for the next phase.

I was extremely busy from about last October on some major DIY on the house, no complaints, I feel very lucky to have the time being retired. But now my thoughts return to my railway modelling. I'm pleased to say I still have a splendid picture in my head of the finished layout, including myself sat watching the trains go by with a glass of wine! I have a little track laying to complete but my thoughts are very much turning to the scenery.

I intend to experiment with a couple of techniques, firstly the use of Woodland Scenics “Shaper Sheets” which I picked up in a January sale. I’ll also try the more traditional wooden profiles with fine aluminium mesh. Plaster cloth will then be applied. As well as these methods I will also be using Woodland Scenics rock moulds for any outcrops I need and a small amount of polystyrene in areas where access from beneath the layout is not required. I’ve been saving old packaging for a while – if you buy sheet polystyrene have you seen how expensive it is!

My newest acquisition is a laser cutter, after much research I have gone for the X-Tool D1 20 Watt diode laser which is plenty for my needs. As some may be aware I have enjoyed working with Metcalfe kits and modifying them has been great fun. I now want to look at producing my own scratch built card kits with the help of the laser cutter and my A3 colour printer. I am fortunate to be familiar with laser cutting as an ex Design & Technology teacher where we used one daily for many tasks. When I was working I always dreamt of someday having my own laser cutter but the cost was always sky high. Diode lasers have thankfully helped to reduce the costs. Most of the laser CAD work will be done with CorelDraw, another hand over from teaching although I often check assembly in 3D using SolidWorks (for makers).

One tip for the Metcalfe models, I always fit lighting and sometimes you get stray light through a gap in the card around skylights etc. I purchased some “UNIKA” grey decorators acrylic sealant and decanted some of this into a small syringe with a long needle point, about 1mm dia. I am now able to direct a tiny amount of the sealant into the join to block the stray light, very useful.

This is a Northumberland cottage we stayed in on a short break, I took the opportunity to take many photographs and measurements as it will be a scratch build model on the layout, below is a draft from Corel Draw for the kit main walls. I modified the modern window on the right hand side to match the older windows in the cottage. I also have some "tweeks" to do on the stonework colours.

I must get on now with the last of the track laying and then the final track wiring, I seem to have had a mental block that was stopping me from finishing but some time indoors working on the Metcalfe kits gave me a break from track work and so now I am keen to get on.

I hope to be back soon with some images and a clip of the track work – hopefully a loco completing the first full circuit!