I finally got around to making a start on the boards for my Low Level project last weekend. The plan is to split the layout into four scenic boards giving a total scenic area of 2440mm x 1000mm. I’ve used 3.6mm ply strips spaced with 18mm softwood blocks glued and stapled together. Dimensions of these two are 1220mm x 500mm with a height of 80mm and I’m pleased with the ease of construction and the lightweight but rigid structure that it gives.

Here is one completed board and the second board in its component parts, a further sheet of ply will form the top:

However all is not well . Having reached this first milestone in construction I think I’m getting cold feet about the project! Concerns are that the layout just won’t be interesting enough to operate and that my modelling skills won’t be up to the task of constructing the station buildings (which will be position right at the front of the layout). I’m beginning to wander whether I should look for an alternative subject which gives more operational potential.

Maybe I need to build two new layouts – Low Level to give me my “modelling a real location†fix and an improved version of Foundry Lane for maximum wagon shuffling!