Howl03

Thank you John. With regards to the kadee couplers. I Definitely prefer them to tension hooks, but it’s essential to get the height right. I’ve found on some stock it’s better to remove the nem pockets and attach them directly to the body. A gauge height is essential for this. I have used under track magnets on this layout, you can just make them out on post 69. It is quite expensive to change over a lot of stock in one go, so would probably recommend just doing a few at first to see how you get on. I use Kadee no. 146 whisker couplers, when I attach them directly to the body. Hope this helps, regards Paul.

Some more photos taken today. Thanks for looking. Regards Paul.

Thank you Martyn. Regards Paul.

Thank you Gentlemen. More photos to follow later. Regards Paul.

A few photos with stock running. Regards Paul.

Thank you Chris, it’s taken me about two weeks to get to this stage. The one thing I love about micro layouts is they are quick to build, which stops me getting bored. In terms of stock. I will be running all sorts. I’ve tried on purpose to keep the scene quite vague. So this way the stock can determine the location and time frame. Regards Paul.

Thank you jafcreasey. I did a few experiments with photographing the scene and found the best results were when I placed the back board about 6 inches behind the layout. Regards Paul.

Added some greenery to the scene and finished off making the woodland scenics trees. While I was looking through my modelling bits I came across a gauge master backscene that I have attached to a board this will be placed behind the layout for photographic purposes. Thanks for looking, more to follow. Regards Paul

Hi James, Thank you. Yeah I’m using the points as they come. Did a lot of testing with them before I started this project and all my locos run over them fine, even my modelrail sentinel which is tiny. You are right though in the fact that keeping the track dead flat is the key. I tend to avoid using track pins has in the past this has warped the track if they were tapped in to far. I use double sided tape instead to fix the track, works a treat. The other reason for using them as they come is I may have a good eye for colour but I’m hopeless at electrics so the simpler the better. Regards Paul.

If there is one job I don’t like doing it’s ballasting track. But least on a micro layout there’s not much to do. Next up is to add some greenery, I always feel that this is when my layouts come to life. Thanks for looking Regards Paul.

Hi Jerry. Thanks for the comments. The passenger traffic will be provided by a Heljan railbus. Regards Paul.

Built and painted the small goods shed over the weekend. Decided to replace the base on the Wills kit with something more solid. Here are the results. Thanks for looking. Regards Paul.

Today’s state of play. Small retaining wall added and Air drying clay used to form the hill. Need to wait for this to dry so will start the goods shed next. Still trying to decide whether or not to enclose the scene with a small back board or leave it open. One of the things I love about photographing City Goods is the fact it’s enclosed. Will ponder this for a few days. Still loads to do in the meantime. Thanks for looking. Regards Paul.

Over the last couple of days I have been working on the small station halt, its made from coffee stirrers, balsa wood and match sticks. I wanted it to have a rustic / neglected look. Thanks for looking, more to follow. Regards Paul.

Next to the small goods shed I’m using Wills cobblestone sheets. This is my technique for painting them. First I use Humbrol grey primer. Then I paint over a small area with black paint, and before this is aloud to dry I wipe of with a cloth, this leaves paint in the groves. I then continue until the whole sheet is painted. Then finally I weather with powders. I used the same technique on the granite sets on my Cakebox entry Canal Side. Thanks for looking, more to follow. Regards Paul.

Track weathered using Humbrol dark brown spray paint, rail tops then cleaned up and track tested. Will add further weathering to the sleepers once the track has been ballasted. Thanks for looking. Regards Paul.

Thank you Chris, well spotted with the track plan, It is inspired by Juniper Hill. A great model. Will hopefully be able to do regular updates on this build. Regards Paul.

Thank you, this should hopefully be quite a quick build. It’s one thing I love about micro layouts they don’t take to long to progress to a good stage. I may do another Cakebox challenge after this, once I’ve come up with a good idea that is. Regards Paul.

Now that my Cakebox entry is finished, I’ve decided to build a new micro layout called Rural Goods. Like City Goods this will be housed in a plastic box designed for wrapping paper. Although this time the entire board will be scenic, with a Peco loco lift used for the fiddle yard. The track is Peco Bullhead. The small station halt will be scratch built from coffee stirrers and the small goods shed will be made from a Wills kit. More to follow. Thanks for looking, regards Paul.

Thank you Mikkel, yeah I’ve got a few ideas floating around my head at the moment, although Christmas is a super busy time for me at work so probably won’t start anything until after the new year. Thank you Edwardian. Regards Paul.

Thank you Corbs. Thank you Chris, the Scalescenes kits are great for kit bashing and enhancing. Thank you Jerry, the cat is from Langley models. Regards Paul.

A big thanks to BRM for putting my cake box entry in the January addition. Really pleased, its the first time I have had anything published. Also a massive thanks to all those that have rated and left comments on this project. Earlier this year I had kind of lost my modelling mojo. But this competition has really helped to kickstart it again. Thanks for looking. Regards Paul.

And some more photos. Thanks for looking. Regards Paul.

Have painted the base black, and added a cat. Thanks for looking, more photos to follow. Regards Paul.

A few photos of city goods I took this morning. Thanks for looking. Regards Paul.