richscylla

Thanks Russ, I was going to go with some high gloss clear wood varnish over acrylic paint to try and get that same effect. We'll see how it works

I have been doing a little bit of work on the layout tonight after I have installed the second wall on the canal bank that will support that bridge: I have also started the canal - I have got a pretty good result so far. Needs a few days to dry out fully then I can get to painting. I have also left some spaces for some canal debris, and spent longer than I would have liked sawing a 00 wheelie bin in half! I have also started to build up the second hill on the other side of the bridge. Not sure how it'll work, but I'm using a load of spare packaging materials covered in a load of PVA and water. It might not work, but if it does it's a great free way to build it up! More to come soon...

Thanks everyone. Very useful to know!

I am modelling a girder bridge with brick structure over a road and I was wondering about the ballasting over that section. Is this always ballasted as normal? Or is there another solution? I'm modelling the late 90s period in the West Country.

A little more work this morning. I have used for filler to complete the tow path and have given it a quick coat of paint. Ready for some extra detailing and weathering. I also need to tidy up the wall a little at the near end! I have also built the wall on the bank side that is going to support the girder bridge. Just need to wait to the filler to dry and I can smooth it up a little and paint the rest of the hillside ready for some scatter material!

I was walking under a bridge similar to the one I'm modelling yesterday and took a few snaps. Tried to re-create the weathering. Looks good, but needs the graffiti added and some other foliage. And here is my go!

So I've had a go at painting the plastikard brick sides for the canal and I'm fairly happy with how they've turned out! Looks good - need to get it stuck down now and then I'm ready to start on the water for the canal and the concrete top for the tow path!

I have started filling on the hill tonight, as well as getting the tow path on the canal. The brick plastikard needs to be painted and weathered and then I can get it fixed and a small layer of filler to cover the screws and give a nice surface for the tow path. The hill needs another few coats of filler (and well of some padding in the larger gaps)

I spent last night doing lots of boring measuring, cutting and sanding jobs. I also started to fix the polystyrene hillside down, which I will apply a layer of filler over at some point soon. I've cut the retaining wall for the canal and new pieces to make up the towpath at a much reduced height. Hopefully in the next few days I will get some time to put it all together ready for plastikard brickwork.

Sorry to bump this - but any feedback would be great. I'm looking to buy the signals fairly soon. Essentially, my three questions are: 1) Are the end of platform signals correct? 2) Do I need any ground signals in the sidings? 3) Anything else I'm missing?

I will be using this on my layout Martin (and have linked to your video in my layout thread too... http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/131552-new-modern-image-micro-layout-urban-station/).It's a canal, so there wont be many waves, although I will be including a bow wave on a boat.

Good shout! Thanks jrb! I will probably use 1 or 2 of the thinner MDF sheets then. I'm also working out how to do the supports for the bridges on the right hand side on the incline - I'll have a play with that this week.

I have made some more progress tonight, although not TOO much. I have made a hide side that evens out the gap in the baseboards down to the canal section. I will continue some of this onto the raised baseboard on the right hand side to make it look more natural. I have also cut some more 12mm ply to form what will be the canal bed, the tow-path and a retaining wall along it. This is the view from above. I'm thinking that before I lay the track, I need to get the canal and everything on the lower level finished, otherwise the bridges will be a nightmare to work around. I'm thinking of using the toilet paper, PVA and varnish method as seen here: The only waves I'll have are from a boat moving along the canal. I considered using Woodland Scenics realistic water, but the cost would be massive for that amount of water and I'm not sure if I can assure that PVA hasn't got to the area, and I hear that realistic water + PVA = ruined effect.

Sorry for the delay - I had to actually re-do the whole plan as I needed to shorten the layout by 2 foot, into a proper little micro layout. I have now got an even simpler track plan - so this should be easier to signal. I hope. For realism, it should be said that much like the original plan, the two sidings would eventually reach the single track leaving the platforms to form a double track working away from the station. Is the signalling below correct? In addition - where would I need to place things like cable trunking, relay boxes etc need to be placed on such a line? I'm looking to get it as prototypical as possible, and whilst I have photos of track in many locations, nothing in my area is quite like this for me to copy. Any help would be greatly received. Thanks Rich

I have a couple of pictures of the track plan.

I have had a crack at the baseboard for the layout this weekend, it's all together and is feeling good. Needs a little sanding in places, but it's a good base for the layout. I've left a gap at the back big enough to slot a 12mm board for the back scene, the three panels sticking out are just to check the slot is the right size. I just need to work out the best way to lay the track over the gap. I've also picked up a load of Peco 100 lengths, some ballast and now I'm just waiting on the turn outs which I ordered online. I was going to lay the track on a thin layer of cork, although saw the Peco track bed stuff whilst I was out yesterday. What is everyone's opinion of both methods?

I realised I made a little error with my basic maths! In fact a large one! Due to an over reliance on a unclear tape measure, and not using my brain, I was working on the VERY incorrect assumption that 4ft was 202 centimetres, not 122. Which means I've had to re-do my track plan a fair bit. I still think I've managed to get everything that I want in, but I think I'll have to make the water a canal which goes under the station (a little bit like the river Avon goes under Bristol Temple Meads. This, in my mind at least, has made up my decision about urban vs. Rural and I'm going to sticking with an urban feel, although towards the fiddle yard I will get a little more green! I picked up a load of 12mm ply last night and will start on the baseboards today! Any suggestions on the track plan are still welcome, my baseboards are going to be the same size regardless.

That's pretty much what I was thinking, and I don't have too many locos anyway.

Looking at going to get a load of baseboard material tonight - with the aim of starting the build this weekend. Just working out the best way to create the recess for the river in the bottom right corner. I was thinking about raising the track on a polystyrene banking, I'm not sure that would make connection to the fiddle yard easy, and also don't know how I'd do point motors if I did that. I'm thinking about cutting down the baseboard for that section.

I have extended the platforms a little. I'll be looking to mainly 156s, 153s, 150s and 143s. Maybe the odd 158 so I thought it was worth while. I am thinking perhaps a more urban feel, but either way I need ideas on what can fill the space between the two sets of track. I was thinking in an urban setting, it could be a wild overgrown area full of rubbish, old pallets etc. Then a couple of containers on the rail side. Do you think a fuelling point for trains would be prototypical in either urban or rural? Or is it not something that would be allowed that close to a station?

Still unsure on that really, probably mostly rural, although perhaps this terminus is on the edge of a small town.

Thanks for the feedback - I will re-draw the plans when I get a spare 5 mins. Thanks again.

Hello. I'm fairly new into the hobby after a 15 year break, and whilst I'm planning a large layout (which I'm busy acquiring stock for) I thought I would work on a small (micro) layout as a way of practicing the old skills I had and learning a load of new ones which I didn't use back in the day (DCC for one). I am going to be working on a scenic section of around 4ft by 1.5ft and will be modelling the late 90s (around the time of privatisation). I would love some feedback on the track plan and would welcome any suggestions. Especially when it comes to prototypical signalling. I have a list of must haves, as I need to check off all the things I'm looking to practice. 1) Must be DCC 2) Must be have working point motors on the turnouts 3) Must have working light signals (although manually operated is fine) 4) Must have a section of water (pond, lake, steam etc.) 5) Must have enough platform to store two 2-car DMUs (at least, 3 would be even better but perhaps not realistic) 6) Must have some other sort of working to allow some minor shunting etc. 7) Must have some different levels (although only minor differences). I have put together the following track plan and would love to know what people think. The scene break will be a road which the tracks will go under. I plan to have the sidings at the back very slightly higher than the tracks leading to the platform. The river at the bottom will be significantly lower and would run under the tracks a little further off the scene. The station will probably an un-manned one, with a small car pack. The fence will have gates to allow workers to access the two sidings if required.

I have drawn up some more detailed track plans, with some indication where I think signals would need to go on the left hand side of layout.

This is a wonderful layout! What kind of fiddle yard to you run with it?