Popular Post bmthtrains - David Posted May 1, 2023 Author Popular Post Share Posted May 1, 2023 Another shot of the layout looking south towards London. David 23 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted May 1, 2023 Author Share Posted May 1, 2023 With the layout more or less complete I’ve been reflecting on its design and build today. The layout had a long gestation, having been in the planning stage since 2013 and so was thought about a great deal while my retraining and career shift into academia severely restricted by hobby budget. A house move later and by mid 2021 the plan had been fixed and some of the key buildings were under construction. Restricted again to portable boards, this time giving 8’ in total length, I wanted the layout to capture the rebuilt WCML of the Virgin era, and as my preferred layout type is ‘watching trains go by’ I wanted the scenery to be railway related, so yards, trackside details, etc. With the boards arriving in Jan 2022, the track and electrics took an age, and the number of isolating sections across both boards used up nearly 100m of wire. Next time a much simpler track plan I think! I enjoy making layouts far more than actually running them, and there were some really enjoyable challenges on this one: the paintwork on the ROC, designing the etches for all the building windows, the signal gantry, the lineside details like lamps and signs, and getting the buddleia right - which I think really give it the WCML feel. Overall I’ve really enjoyed being back making in the hobby again, and really found my skills had improved over the ten year gap. And I now have a layout that is easy to put up and run and which captures the feel of the modern railway I set out to create. It is also probably the best I can do in the format I’ve had to stick to - the portable 8’ long by 2’6 set up. I doubt there will be another layout of this type as I think for the size I’ve squeezed in everything I could. I do have plans for another WCML N gauge layout but it is probably many years off, another house move at least, as I’d want to tackle a permanent set up with at least an extra 4’ of scenic running and a comprehensive storage yard to take at least 12 trains. For now the focus is on collecting rolling stock, partly with that next dream layout in mind, but more wagon rakes and whatever other goodies come out over the next few years. And running the layout! So nice to just pop the boards up for an hour today. Later this year or early next I’ll be starting a small 009 diorama layout as a total change of scale, period, setting, and modelling style, but there’s always more details to add to this one. David 8 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold AndrueC Posted May 1, 2023 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 1, 2023 (edited) I've always been very impressed by the detail and quality of your layout. It's something I can only aspire to. If I had a criticism (and really it isn't) it's that your ballast looks a little too clean. But in truth I can only hope that perhaps one or two areas of my layout might be as realistic as yours. Edited May 1, 2023 by AndrueC Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted May 1, 2023 Author Share Posted May 1, 2023 Thanks Andrue, The ballast is only lightly weathered as it’s intended to be very fresh, capturing the intensive renewals schedule when the WCML was rebuilt. Photos below for comparison. David 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melangoose Posted May 1, 2023 Share Posted May 1, 2023 6 hours ago, bmthtrains - David said: Another shot of the layout looking south towards London. David Some very nice pictures here David, well done. And well done on another inspirational layout (did enjoy seeing your Ring Road layout, all those years ago). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calnefoxile Posted May 2, 2023 Share Posted May 2, 2023 @bmthtrains - David Well I suppose you ought to bring it to the Calne Show at some point, especially as you bought your other 2 layouts to us, and no there won't be any offers from any of us to purchase it 😜😜 Excellent layout David. Cheers Neal. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted May 2, 2023 Author Share Posted May 2, 2023 Thanks both, I suspect this layout will be around for many years until it gets recycled into whatever comes next! David 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
porkie Posted May 9, 2023 Share Posted May 9, 2023 Picked up a copy of BRM over the weekend. Great write up you did about N brass mast's David. 👍 Hopefully it will help me out when I attempt to build mine. Cheers Phil 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted May 10, 2023 Author Share Posted May 10, 2023 Thanks Phil, There are more articles to come… David 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melangoose Posted June 18, 2023 Share Posted June 18, 2023 Thoroughly enjoyed reading about how you did all the greenery on the layout in the latest two editions of BRM. Great read with lots of advice and tips. Thank you. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted June 30, 2023 Author Share Posted June 30, 2023 Thanks Nigel! As it’s a rainy day off today I’ve been giving the 90 a run in using the growing GBRF container train. Really need C Rail to hurry up with those FSAs now. A few quick iPhone photos: David 17 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted June 30, 2023 Author Share Posted June 30, 2023 A quick video: 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMcKenzie Posted June 30, 2023 Share Posted June 30, 2023 8 hours ago, bmthtrains - David said: A quick video: Brilliant stuff, very hard concentrate on the trains and not to get distracted by the network rail building. It's outstanding (the whole layout, not only the building). 2 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post bmthtrains - David Posted February 25 Author Popular Post Share Posted February 25 Hunters Lane is featured in the Spring issue of BRM which is out now. Thanks to all on the team for pulling the article together, and to Jamie Warne for the gorgeous photography! David 19 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold jollysmart Posted February 25 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 25 Congratulations David, well deserved, an excellent, well thought out, beautifully constructed and evocative layout. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahame Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 On 25/02/2024 at 15:22, bmthtrains - David said: Hunters Lane is featured in the Spring issue of BRM which is out now. The layout looks great in the magazine, an impressive advert for British N gauge. Well done. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanks522 Posted March 15 Share Posted March 15 Just seen the article in the magazine David, congratulations! Have followed your excellent work on here but nice to see in print. Graham. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melangoose Posted March 15 Share Posted March 15 Just read the article in the BRM. A great article and fantastic photos. I have enjoyed reading your articles on how you built your slice of the WCML in model form. David have you any plans to take it to any Exhibitions or is it just a stay at home layout? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold SouthernRegionSteam Posted March 16 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 16 On 25/02/2024 at 15:22, bmthtrains - David said: Hunters Lane is featured in the Spring issue of BRM which is out now. Thanks to all on the team for pulling the article together, and to Jamie Warne for the gorgeous photography! David Apologies David - I hadn't spotted this until now! Really pleased that you love the photos - it's a truly exceptional layout, and the fact that you were so proactive during the shoot was incredibly helpful, and made my job easier! Props to the BRM team too for a well put-together article. Being my first photoshoot of an N gauge layout, I was a little nervous, but the quality of modelling and your active involvement in lining up stock for me meant I needn't have worried! All the best, Jamie 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted April 5 Author Share Posted April 5 Thanks everyone! It has been a while since I’ve set the layout up but as I had time this morning some new stock has been given a run in: two new NR mk2s and the Dapol 68/Revolution mk5 set. I was pleasantly surprised to find the latter ran perfectly fine on my outermost loop despite it pinching to well under the recommended minimum radius. David 16 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melangoose Posted April 6 Share Posted April 6 Great videos David. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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