Midnight-Freight

That looks pretty good for a first attempt to me. I love some of the detail and touches you have added and it's very close to the kind of look I would like to achieve. I shall certainly be trying out some of your techniques as well as possibly 'borrowing' a few ideas here and there.

This is just incredible. I was quite pleased with my own first attempt at scratchbuilding a loco maintenance depot but your work shows I have a long way to go. Stunning!

And another

A couple more pics of where I am now. Still lots to be done but pleased with progress so far.

Looking good. I do like a modern image layout with a bit of ews action.

A few more pics. Brickwork mostly done, just needs to be tidied up a bit. Try as I might it was impossible to cut the plastic stuff I bought 100% accurately but a bit of weathering and strategically placed accessories should hide any joins. Also placed a roofing panel and wall cladding in place to get an idea of how it will all come together.

And now painted. Hopefully the brickies will make a start soon...

A bit more work done on the framework. Just need to cut in a frame for a fire exit towards the back and then it can be painted.

Well after a visit to Trains4u in Peterborough at the weekend some construction materials were purchased and the steel framework is well underway for the maintenance depot. Still a way to go but pleased with how it's looking so far.

Wow it has been a long time! I really haven't done much in the last 6 months or more. It was all becoming a it overwhelming so I've split the layout up and will concentrate on one section at a time, starting with the end where the loco depot will be. For the depot itself there's nothing out there that either fits or I like the look of, the closest I've found is the old Hornby hst shed, more recently available under the Gaugemaster brand but it's not long enough so I've decided to scratchbuild one. I've knocked up a rough one out of cardboard and quite like the way it looks so now I just need to look into where best to buy the materials to create a fairly modern looking building, mostly corrugated sheets. Any pointers on this would be great...

I really like the look of this one. Possibly because it's vaguely similar to mine, well in so much as it's an end-to-end affair made up of 3 boards. I also have a triangle of land I haven't yet decided on what to do with so there's another similarity!

Yeah that's the one.

I also want to put in a small signal box based on the one in the pic below which is local to me. With nothing off the shelf I've seen that looks anything like it this will probably be my first attempt at scratch building... It's a nice, simple structure to re-create so hopefully I can come up with something that does the original justice.

Great looking layout you have there. Will keep an eye on how this one develops.

Crikey, how time flies! I've finally managed to make some progress that's worth showing. Most of it at the depot end where the concrete base has been laid and painted along with a few other scenic bits. At the other end where the sidings are a bit more greenery has appeared. I have just started experimenting with my homemade static grass applicator so once I am happy with the results I can start adding some grass in here and there. The sidings end. I've started adding in some more scenery including the grass tufts by Peco which I think look pretty good. I used the method as described in Everard Junction's brilliant videos on Youtube to make the concrete area. It wasn't as daunting as I thought and has come out ok. This is how it looks now. I'm quite pleased with how it's turning out although there is still loads to do. My recently acquired Bachmann class 08 in EWS livery.

Oh dear, I'd almost forgotten about my thread! The layout has been gathering dust (again) since the spring and other things have taken over so nothing has changed. Once the dark evenings are here I may be more inclined to kick things off again. I am selling off a bit of my unweathered stock though so if anyone wants some Bachmann mfa wagons in EWS and Loadhaul black livery I have a few for sale. PM me if interested.

Thanks. Haha fortunately (or unfortunately?) that's not a concern of mine at the moment. Might be a bit of a passion killer when the situation does arise though...

And I'm back!! After selling most of my bedroom furniture and replacing with two rather large chest of drawers that stretch the length of the far wall I now have a convenient place to keep the layout semi-permanently. I gave it a good vacuum and cleaned the track and all was working fairly well. Hopefully now I can get on with things, probably starting with the TMD area which needs concreting and then it's a case of deciding whether to scratch build the depot building or use one of the off the shelf options. A few pics, starting with the layouts new home: Slightly under scale 360o excavator at rest with various mineral wagons in the background: My current collection of mostly Bachmann mea wagons along with a few Hornby coalfish and one solitary Hornby seacow sitting in the sidings with a pair of EWS 37's in the foreground: I clearly also need to sort out some lighting to enable me to take some half decent pics. More to follow soon I hope.

Well after a bit of shifting about the layout should hopefully have a semi-permanent new home in the next couple of weeks so I can get on with things again. In the meantime I popped along to the Nene Valley Railway Spring diesel gala today. Here's a few piccies:

Very nice indeed. Will now follow.

I've somehow managed to miss this thread until now. Just had a good read through. Not sure what I'm more jealous of, the layout or the view out of your conservatory! Amazing work, looks fantastic.

Can only echo what others have said. Fantastic work!

Can't beat a bit of class 58 action!

Unfortunately not. The layout has been stuck under my bed for the last month or so gathering dust while I decorate the house. I've kinda reached a point where I'm not sure what to do. It had always been my intention to have it as a portable layout but the reality of setting it all up and unpackaging all the stock makes that prohibitive. I don't have anywhere to set it up permanently so had thought to board part of the loft out and keep it there but this isn't something I'm overly happy about doing, as mentioned in my posts above. Not sure which direction to go at the moment.

Yes ceiling joists don't look that substantial and no sign of any load bearing internal walls, plus lots of insulation. Was thinking to cross-brace to spread the load and raise the floor height so as not to disturb the insulation too much. will have to keep researching. Thanks, I do like some of the older models but would like to add some Bachmann 37's, 66 etc.