508EMU

Very nice layout, giving me some inspiration! Is the little depot office a kit or scratchbuilt?

Its at the point now where I can actually sit down and play trains for a few hours without having a huge list of jobs to do on the layout, quick snap of 37401 through the main gate

I started a small layout in 2015 intended as a cheap fix to run the locos I have had gathering dust out of action for the last few years, we knew we would be moving a couple of times between then and now, so I needed something small and easy to move around, plus having a daughter (now having 2 daughters!) needed to be quick and easy to store when out of use to keep out of harms way, so I can have it setup or packed up in about 5 minutes. Its a first attempt at a half acceptable layout until I have time money and space for a bigger project. Its an 8x2 layout, which can split into 2 4x2 panels. there is minimal wiring underneath - only to connect the track circuit, lighting, and a few point motors. These are connected via an RS232 under the board. The 2 boards are clipped together with 2 cheap catches as visible in the photos which hold it nice and tight. There are 2 guide lugs underneath to line it up. Larger buildings such as the loco shed and warehouse are sat in place, so can be removed when storing, the smaller objects such as fueling point and cabins etc are all glued in place, and the yard lights just unplug from their mounts. I built the boards myself using parts from B & Q, its started to sag in the middle because I never got round to fitting crossmembers underneath, nothing too noticeable and doesnt affect operation, bit of a make do and mend job. Since I started the project I have moved twice, Ive had it upstairs, downstairs, outside, and has been set/packed up countless times. Ive had no issues with it and found it to be very effective. I've attached a couple of pictures in its early days to give you an idea plus one of the latest pics. It spends 90% of the time packed away. I do have a thread on here, which I havnt updated in quite some time, called Woodfield Road. Probably a shock horror to most modelers as it goes against most conventional ideas and standards, but as done exactly as I had hoped, so I hope this is of some use. *Edit* Ive also had it up and down the loft hatch a few times via a ladder with no issues, and moved it between houses in the back of a 2001 Corsa with room to spare, so quite practical.

Oily tracks, a new 37 in the form of 37401, and another scalescenes kit - this time a warehouse. Few more bits and pieces ordered for some proper details and finally might get close to finishing a railway!

First update in about 3 years. A house move and 2 children have halted progress somewhat, until recently where i've picked up again. Still a lot to do, some buildings to build and weathering to apply but its getting there and giving me hours of fun. It was never intended to be accurate or too realistic just somewhere to run my locos until I get a big loft space to start a proper layout. More foliage is on order!

I was considering buying this kit myself, I'm so glad I didn't. The proportions are way out, even the Windows on the sides are too low! If the price shown on Ayjays homepage of over £800 is correct, that's a hell of a lot of money for an inaccurate model. I bought my Vauxhall Corsa for half the price of this kit! (£450)! Don't get me wrong,you've done an excellent job, the repaint looks top quality, those stripes along the sides look pretty fiddly to do and it's only the model itself that lets it down!

Work on scenery continues. In other news, I've bought another lima class 37- 37320 from an antiques emporium. It's a respray, and is pretty good quality! Photos to follow when I get chance to go on the pc.

Some good progress made this week. Electrics are nearing completion - I've wired up the shed and fuel pump lighting using LED strips. Also fitted yard lighting for the left side of the layout which is all wired up and working. I still need to fit a point decoder for the left side of the layout, but unfortunately the wallet says otherwise! On the right side of the layout I've nearly finished the hills, the wall textures have been applied and started to apply the grass. Ive drilled the holes for the yard lighting and will fit along with an LED lit portacabin when I've finished the grass. Im still not fully decided what I'm doing with the car park/yard area, still looking for ideas. Im thinking car park, storage tanks, portacabin and some skips, but not entirely decided what and where - ill do some more research! I'm thinking of building a Scalescenes warehouse, minus 1 side, which will be LED lit to house the Hornby elite, but we'll see! More to come.. Luke

Some photos of the layout setup in its current form. Ive cleaned the rail heads and some of the stock pickup wheels yesterday so all runs a bit smoother. As you can see progress on the 2nd hill hasn't gotten very far. Over the next couple of weeks I plan to wire in the LED lighting for the shed fueling area. Ive not decided the best option for yard lighting yet but I have a few ideas. Luke

Sorry, ive not had much chance to check the forum or work on the layout. A day or so after the last update the layout was taken down and left under the stairs in preparation for a house move. Its been exactly a month since my last update, and it wasn't exactly an exciting one. So whats new? Having transported the 2 halves together side by side in a 2001 Vauxhall corsa, I can report both have made it undamaged. The layout is now set up on a more permanent basis, on the floor in the loft. The cat is currently living with my mother and layout is out of harms way. The maintenance shed has been repaired and is as good as new. Ive started work today on the retaining walls on the 2nd half of the layout, and hope to get some photos over the next few days. Luke

Well, the cat has since had a go at the maintenance shed, so im going to have to tinker with that to get it back in one piece! As predicted my 2 weeks off work hasn't been as productive as id hoped, but ive got until Monday, so maybe tomorrow work will commence on the 2nd half!

Update! Ive started the scenic on the hill and retaining wall on the left board, ie the larger hill. Decided to add the standstone brick wall effect first and then the grass and seems to look ok. The other side is untouched and is still a news paper mess! Still got some wiring to do but not much - need a point decoder for the remaining points and to fit some lighting but that's it. Im hoping to have the majority of scenics finished in the next few weeks. Luke

The in progress hill has received its first covering of paper, and finally realised work has a never ending supplly of metro Newspapers so stashed a few! I've ordered some printed sheets of sandstonebrick wall for the retaining walls, as its hugely common on the Wirral where it's roughly based. Got 2 weeks off shortly so will venture over the dark side to hattons and get some scenics .

Aye ,as its a small terrace house there's very little room, so tends to go in the kitchen when I'm working on it, anywhere when I'm just messing with stock, and when not in use lives in 2 halves standing agaist the wall in the somewhat spacious cupboard under the stairs. I had some worries about the constant moving around but so far no hitches and is pretty sturdy! We're looking at moving again soon so hopefully if we can find somewhere with a decent loft or garage it can get setup on a more permanent basis. Update with the hill-awaiting this week's paper, due this evening! Luke

The makeshift homemade hill with retaining wall is coming along, good job we get free newspapers!! Hopefully will look a bit better when its got the wall textures and scenic along the top.. If not back to the drawing board!! Luke

Had to improvise with it, didn't have most of the tools for the job- I had just a ruler, some small Stanley blades, scissors, pr, doesn't look exactly like it should and is a bit scruffy around the edges, but works out a hell of a lot cheaper than buying a decent readymade model! Unfortunately it wont let me upload any decent res photos of it. Suppose the lower the res the better it looks! Luke

Its been a good while since I last posted, and a lot has changed in that time, I've moved house, twice, and all previous projects are long gone. Ive been away from the modelling scene for around 2 years now, and my small collection of locomotives (2x Bachmann class 47, 4xLima class 37, 1x ViTrains 37, all DCC fitted) have all been sat in a display cabinet gathering dust. Around December 2014, I suddenly got an urge to build a small layout purely to run my locos on. I live in a small 2 bed terrace so am pushed for space. It would need to be a small obviously, but I realised it could be bigger if it was to consist of more than one piece. I therefore went to B&Q to look for some wood. I settled for 2 sheets of 4ft x 2ft MDF (unusual choice, ive never used MDF for a layout before and was a bit cautious- but the price was right so thought it would be worth a shot!) I wanted minimal cutting, drilling, or anything that resembled any sort of labour, so in the end settled for the 2 sheets side by side, creating an 8x2 plank. It was seemingly obvious that the best choice, would be a diesel depot given that I only have diesel locos, and a small area in which to do anything. I have little inspiration, no ideas, so took to google. I ended up on www.freetrackplans.com and settled on the plan named "8x2 Trafford Wharf Road". I then took to the internet, bought all the track I needed- I have no patience- so the standard Hornby and Peco track was used. Between December 2014 and July 2015 I have managed to construct a baseboard (still needs some work, and some sort of stand as the girlfriend doesn't like it when I pinch all of the chairs from the dining table to set it up on). Ive glued all of the track into place, fit and wire all of the point motors, although I do still require another point decoder as it is all to be powered off the Hornby Elite. Come to mention it most of the electrical work is complete. The track is ballasted. I have constructed a Maintenance depot, which can be found on scalescenes, and I think its gone quite well for a first time attempt at a kit build. I have since started to construct hills and retaining walls for the backdrop, using cat food boxes and local newspapers. Very tight budget, and will look better than a plank of wood! Let me know what you think! Luke

Well, I have started another blog... I will update the new one more often than this one, so feel free to follow and subscribe etc to get the latest updates! http://halewoodwest.blogspot.com/ Oh and I have decided on a name for it now.... head over to the new blog to find out more! Luke

Just done another search on the forum, it didnt show up before, but it is now! Still not in my content though whatever I tell it to look for! Luke