Jonnie

My all time favourite picture so far, a typical Southern Railway scene, the M7 sits at the Level Crossing having arrived with a Pull/Push service, alleviating the need to run round. The bus waits in the station forecourt to take passengers further along the line which closed in the 1930s. Rumour has it that BR were considering re-opening the line beyond Paybury... In reality if this place was a real location it would have either closed altogether or during the NSE era probably seen all the track ripped up, the level crossing removed altogether and it just a one platform station complete with bus shelter!

Few more pics and a question for anyone that might know. The DEMU is fitted with a Bachmann 21 pin decoder, everything works happily as expected but when the Unit changes direction the White and Red lights don't alternate either end (the Unit is a hybrid, one car is 1115, the other 1121 (that matches how 1133 and 1121 were when we had that Unit visit the Spa Valley in 2015) so when you depart with the Motor car leading, the white blinds stay on the Trailer car, when you reverse, the Red lights come on the Motor car but the Trailer car (when leading) has Reds up too... DEMU and a Class 22. A furniture wagon and Van C wait in the yard for unloading. I bought this bus for about £5 to add some effect, unbeknown to me it had Tunbridge Wells on the blinds and a route along the Spa Valley Railway that in my free time I volunteer at... Here it is blocking the level crossing. Class 22 in the Goods siding with a road van waiting to collect goods for onward transport. I'll get around to adding a head code to the 22 eventually.

Some scenic updates to add a bit more to the overgrown yet flowery appearance of Paybury. The Level Crossing was re-installed last week and more shrubbery added around the end of the little siding, it is poly fibre and flock with some varying coloured scatter just sprinkled on which matches the back scene. Level Crossing from road level, the road is a mix of spray paints just misted on but it is based on roads around where I live to give an idea of what it should look like, not one colour if you want it to look like a road. The other road/fence area down by the pub, this has actually been re-sprayed so in the week a set up of paper was made to block off the other scenery and it was re-misted with black and grey Halfords primers, which has worked well. The green paint had chipped off the street light, this has since been re-painted. The fence was then buried a bit more in overgrowth, this is the 1960s and a bit of a rundown old railway line that may or may not survive the Beeching Axe... The red button sets off the signal. Shunt signals were then added, they don't work however since installing them a friend of mine has decided to take on the challenge of making some that do work... More shunts. Another shunt.

A few photo updates. Paybury isn't based on anywhere nor does it have a specific location other than somewhere on the Southern Region so it's down to the type of locomotives and stock to give people an idea of where we are today... Here's an LSWR, SECR and LBSCR set up... LSWR line up with a B4, M7 and 700. SECR line up with a P, H and C Class An LBSCR line up with the Brighton Works Terrier, E4 and BR Terrier.

'Paybury' was moved from its usual location to inside where it was warm yesterday, this gave the opportunity to operate the layout which after a good clean of the track have no performance issues. The layout is DCC to allow for multiple locos to operate on the same small section at once, just because it is the end of a branch line doesn't mean you can't get three or four locos on there all at once! Class 22 waits to carry on shunting. Drummond 700 in the process of shunting, it'd just moved from the loco shed. 700, Class 22 and a B4 all engaged in shunting activities. Long lost C Class has made its way over from Kent... 700 on shed. B4 waiting in the siding behind the platform. C Class dropping off a Van C. C Class arriving with its Birdcage on a passenger working.

Thanks for the previous kind words, I hadn't really a lot of free time in December as I was dealing with 1:1 scale steam trains and their Santa services, curtailed early for reasons we've all become far too familiar with... 'Paybury' is more or less finished other than some minor detailing work and a replacement level crossing gate, which I have and just need to get around to installing. The layout will then move to 'bolt on' to the end of the other Southern Region layout I have although will remain portable should it ever go on a visit elsewhere. The fiddle yard will just be stored pending a time if it ever goes out on its own. Some running of trains took place on Xmas Eve and Xmas Day with a couple of videos posted on the Facebook Page for 'Paybury Model Railway' which also includes photos of the build (most are already on here though). My other half purchased me a Bachmann C Class which fits in with the theme of 'Paybury'. Enjoy the photos! Hornby's 700 shunting around, this has been the main 'test' loco throughout the project. Something rather large turned up working an off route Santa Special for the locals! It is Bulleid Pacific No. 34053 'Sir Keith Park'. The real one had not long passed its annual boiler exam prior to the 00 gauge version venturing out and was scheduled to operate between 28th December and 3rd January with a couple of firing turns for myself booked on it but alas that was not to be so the 1:76 version will have to do for now! 32636 shunting some off route GWR wagons. A Hornby H Class complete with Pull/Push coaches arrived, there is a video of the arrival and departure on the Facebook page. Shortly after this the decoder inside it decided to malfunction so a replacement was duly fitted. This years Xmas present from my other half, a Bachmann C Class, it spent around an hour running forwards and backwards on the circle test layout I have, a crank pin decided it didn't want to remain attached but a pair of pliers sorted this issue out. I know these have been around for a while now but it really seems to be a great model, it was paired up with one of the Birdcage coaches I have for this photo. Another angle of the C Class. It'll be fitted with a decoder shortly, it was just posed for the photos. One day it might get sound if a suitable sound chip exists!

You might be able to make it out although it is difficult to catch on camera, I've added some wires to the telegraph poles and cut off some of the insulators. It more than likely isn't accurate but then this isn't a real place and it's my own project so if I'm happy then it'll do. There is more to do on this front with wires going over to the station and signal box plus a pole or two thrown in for good measure. It adds a bit of height to the layout I think. After this job is complete it is then to rebuild the level crossing which will happen later this week. It is otherwise for all intents and purposes 'done' bar very minor detailing. Might add another tree or two in but I'm not 100% sure really! Bus blocking the road... The signal does work (red button) although isn't actually correct for a shunting movement it adds effect more than anything else. I'll probably edit the arm with an over print soon for an SR shunting one. Wire run, old insulators you can see sat on the ground, they're now in a box. Close up of the telegraph poles, they're just off the shelf, the 'wire' is EZ wire.

Another weekend with some spare time to do some further modelling on 'Paybury', this time it was adding more detail to the scenery and ensuring it all still worked. Descriptions with the pictures. Beattie Well Tank ventured out as part of the testing, I use this as if it works everything else will! No issues other than a couple of solder joints had gone high resistance and a wire had come off the underside of the board but all resolved within about 15 mins and working again. Station area overview, I've added a lot more scatter to the green areas behind the station and at the front. The pub now has ivy growing up it and an overgrown but detailed back garden. The pub itself only uses this area for the odd drinker to stagger out, otherwise they tend to sit inside. A tree and telegraph poles have sprung up through the dense overgrown bit of field that starts next to the engine shed. Looking slightly the other way, a couple of wagons abandoned by the Beattie Well tank foul any chance of running round. E4 on a mixed service train whilst the B4 sits and waits for when it needs to move some wagons next. Looking along the platform, Dapol Starting Signal pulled off, you can see through the tunnel to the fiddle yard now. The sign as people have asked says 'Tunbridge Wells West', it was produced in 2017 as part of the Spa Valley Railway Summer Diesel Gala which I've organised since 2012 and I was given it at the end of the event. Seemed a suitable place for it to go! Passengers waiting and a lonely bike on the platform, growth has overtaken the old bay platform, not used for over 20yrs now. Unless you looked for it you wouldn't see the sleepers still in the undergrowth. Close up. Looking back from the pub towards the station B4 was called to shunt some trucks. E4 waits departure. And the sheep have escaped from the local farmers field and are running havoc outside the pub, the BR lorry driver has given up and gone inside for a pint!

Thank you for the kind words, it is appreciated! A minor alteration this afternoon, the new Scenecraft Provender Store was just the right size for a building to sit out the front of the station, it arrived earlier today so a bed of hanging basket liner was laid for it to sit on, a bit of static grass stuck on top followed later on by some flock. A rather nice model that fills a gap perfectly.

This weekends little projects on 'Paybury' were to add further detailing in the form of more static grass, flock, a bit of polyfibre and finally finish off the tunnel mouth leading into Paybury Tunnel. In the land of fiction it is 589yds long and drops down on 1 in 60 away from 'Paybury'. Tunnel mouth, I didn't take any photos of the build up to this as it sort of just happened. Now with the pub back on. The build up to it is made up of hanging basket liner, static grass, poly fibre, static grass then flock on top. The flock I have spread about over the goods shed to represent an uncared for building starting to be claimed by nature. Other bits pending hoovering off. The goods shed with growth all over the end of it, this part of the line side really isn't cared for anymore. Some more flock was put on by the engine shed to see it to being reclaimed by nature. Goods siding overgrown these days. Sideways view onto the tunnel mouth. It is made up of three sections, each are resin. It was spray painted with Halfords primers, mainly red, to get the look it now has.

Little update, this time it's a replacement back scene. Since mentioning it the join between the clouds was really bothering me so on Tuesday evening after the last update here I set to work hunting for an image using Adobe Stock, I have a license to download imagery from there and not being a photographer or having a clue how to even get the right shot that seemed the best way to go about it. Several images were downloaded, tried and tested on Adobe InDesign and Photoshop where I'd created a template of 2750mm by 400mm which is a bit over length of the physical back scene by around 100mm to allow for error in my measuring! The back scene is mounted on 3mm MDF that's been curved around the main board frame. Once I'd settled on the image I sent it off to a local graphics and sign printing firm on Tuesday night. I had a quote back by Wednesday morning for £50 for one or £60 for two so airing on the side of caution I went for two prints (both are the same image) and by this morning it was printed and ready to collect. The image is a crystal laminate print which gives it a bit more protection than a normal matt laminate and stops creasing when you're applying it. It was also supplied trimmed to size so very little work for the craft knife. As it was self adhesive it was unrolled and I had it on within about 20 mins. To actually get it on I took the base boards apart for the first time since they were built and it made it far easier, the clouds I'd tried to do it with the boards in situ and it worked but wasn't fantastic. I'm very pleased with the outcome and it has again added a bit more to this little build. The next task is to fit the tunnel portal at the end leading away to the fiddle yard, still need to fit the Cobolt motors to the points and then it's more detailing here and there just to finish it all up. The board dismantled with the old back scene. You can see clearly here how the curved MDF works. It is held into place by a fair few screws to ensure it remains firm. It is two sheets of 3mm MDF with a join in the middle. Getting that to fit was quite easy when it was done initially. This is the new image rolled out and on the board, clothes pegs came in handy. I didn't take any photos after that until it was all back together so here we are all fitted and in place. Another angle showing the end and the temporarily fitted tunnel mouth. This will be built up around using hanging basket liner and static grass to hide part of the image and bend it into the trees. The branch to 'Paybury' from both sides was on a ruling gradient of 1 in 60 so you ended up overlooking the valley below the station with various other towns and villages along with the hills in the distance. I'd never tried anything like this before, 'Paybury' is my first 'serious' attempt at modelling after trying lots of things out on the previous Cornwall one which is behind this one. I am very grateful to the fantastic articles in the magazines and simple explanations on Facebook that are out there from expert modellers, especially Chris Nevard's work. Nothing here is my own idea put it that way!

Some more progress this evening and some photos of a short branch line train, worked on the odd occasion by a redundant Drummond 700 that somehow made its way to the local steam shed. Fiddle Yard, nothing spectacular but enough for short trains to be picked up and mixed around or a short rake of wagons. It has been wired up so that it can be extended in the future if needed. Looking the other way you can see the China Clay and Cornish test layout behind. An O2 and the 700 at rest in the station. Close up of the 700. Looking down 'Paybury' platform. 'Paybury' with a short freight in the goods siding, an O2 on shed (which needs real coal adding to it) and the short branch train which turned up with just the Maunsell coach and was being sent away with a Van C full of goods. The passenger traffic on the branch wasn't a great deal in these Winter months but in the Summer the branch was very busy with tourists exploring the local area, which includes the nearby but made up 'Paybury Castle' and boating lakes. Poking through the Engine Road, the sprayed up Dapol Water Tower can be seen as can the little Coal Stage (Skaledale one). Static grass needs a bit more doing to it here, and a good tidy up as it has scattered a bit too much over the place. Might replace it with a touch of hanging basket liner first. I can't quite work out if I want 'Paybury' to actually be anywhere in terms of location in England, it is Southern Region, the buildings/detailing are a mix of S&D, North Cornwall, GWR and Kent and the traction can vary from a lost trio of Beattie Well Tanks trying to hunt down some China Clay to Bulleid Pacific 'Sir Keith Park' which apparently took a wrong turn at the junction with the branch! The next stage is to fit the point motors (DCC Concepts Digital IP - what a fantastic motor) to the Fiddle Yard, give the track a deep clean as only the platform line is reliable at the moment where dirt has settled over the past few weeks then onwards to more detailing. I am in the process of arranging a different 'one piece' back scene as the join really has been bothering me. Watch this space. Hope you like!

Thanks for your kind words. Not a lot to update on other than the Platform Starter now works, I've (finally) started building a fiddle yard to go on the end and a brake van charter rocked up. The fiddle yard is nothing spectacular, just a 3ft by 18", 4 roads. It is rather short but the great hand from the sky comes down to fiddle around and the most I'll be running in terms of train length is 2 or 3 coaches. Platform Starter now pulled off. The loading gauge on the left has since been hidden under static grass. The pot of PVA on the right there for that purpose. The wooden walkway over the signal box lead away is just those coffee stirrer stick things you get spray painted with Halfords camouflage paint. It's just held together with superglue, nothing special but does the trick. Brake Van excursion seen through the hedge, maybe closure of the branch is approaching... The Station Master doesn't seem to mind burning money by having the station lighting on during the day, 'Paybury' was the first station on the branch from an imaginary place to receive electricity...

A bit of an update, this evening I finished all of the lighting on 'Paybury' and located a new goods yard crane, loading gauge and phone box. Some additional wire fencing has gone into place to break the layout up a little bit more. Looking from the pub across the station entrance. Behind the platform back in the 1930s there was a one coach bay platform and the goods siding was a lot shorter, since the line was truncated back to here in 1932 the bay line was removed as the station became a terminus. Looking at the little goods shed and 'Paybury' Signal Box. The water tower is a recent Dapol model spray painted to make it look a bit more work worn, it needs hiding behind static grass. Engine shed is a Scenecraft Kernow exclusive, Helston GWR one but it looked fairly nice on a random SR branch line a couple of wagons can be seen on the old siding. Rumour has it another line was going to branch off here once upon a time but the lack of service on the line beyond 'Paybury' rendered that plan irrelevant in the 30s. Looking back across 'Paybury', the signal protecting the level crossing is fixed at danger, last cleared in 1932 when the final train departed 'Paybury' heading off further down the branch, it only went a further 2 miles but the history of that part of the line isn't known by many. The road surface is DAS clay that's been sprayed and painted in various ways to give the look it now has. A panoramic view of the whole layout, the only bit that bugs me is the join in the clouds, the back scene does come off if needed, I might replace it with a one image scene one day. Lit up at night! I think the iPhone camera has overdone it here as it isn't as bright as the image makes out. The Signal box needs the interior walls painting as does the goods shed roof. The phone box (on the left) has unfortunately just come out as one blob of light although it doesn't look quite like this in person. Hope you like!

So for something to do as an escape from running a heritage railway I started building a new OO gauge layout that I've given the name 'Paybury'. The layout is built on a 6ft by 1.5ft base board and uses Peco's bullhead track for points and DCC Concepts bullhead rail for the plain line. It is a DCC layout and uses DCC Concepts Cobolt Digital IP Point Motor, all run using an NCE Power Cab The location of 'Paybury'' itself isn't specific but it is based on a Southern Region branch line (that sometimes see's Rocket or something GWR appear) that used to continue on to another location and was truncated back to 'Paybury' in the 1930s, making the station a terminus on what is a countryside branch line serving the village just up the road. This little bit of thinking gave me some inspiration for the way the track is laid out to make the operation a bit more interesting than just a run round loop, the track plan isn't actually based on anywhere specific either, I just played around with it until I had something I quite liked. I laid it at an angle across the board to give the layout a bit more depth and I think it has worked out quite well. Trains arrive at 'Paybury' and have to set back to run around, the loco then has to go over part of the level crossing on the old branch line before it can go via the loop line to the other end. The platform itself holds 2 1/2 carriages and as it was originally a through station wouldn't have been built to accommodate long trains. Sometimes the odd rail tour turns up with 3 or 4 coaches but anything more than that it is still off the board! So far the built has taken around 6 weeks plodding away every now and again and is approaching a stage of completion, it is mainly detailing left to do such as a bit more static grass, loading gauge, yard crane, making the little pub a bit more welcoming and finishing off the lighting. All the buildings are Bachmann Scenecraft or Wills kits, the longest task so far has been the point rodding but it really has added realism. Photos are in order of start to as we are now, I hope you find this interesting. It is my first serious detail build after a practice one in the Summer during lockdown (see the thread Southern Region China Clay) and was helped greatly by reading lots of hints and tips online from a large variety of modellers, specifically Chris Nevards fantastic use of DAS clay and hanging basket liner and referencing real life photos of Southern branch lines, specifically in North Cornwall and a little bit of inspiration. This was the start of 'Paybury' although it hadn't received it's name at this stage. You can make out the remains of an old model railway that I'd taken apart. I was aiming to have the branch line come in at an angle to add a bit of depth to the layout and my own mini goals were that it needed to allow for running around 2 coaches, have a platform of at least 2 coaches, a headshunt that could take most small SR tender engines (like the Drummond 700 here), have a mini goods area and shed for servicing engines. Everything was then spray painted, a Chris Nevard technique I tried was misting over Halfords grey, black and red primer spray paints, it really does give a fantastic result. I was fiddling around with where I wanted buildings at this stage and couldn't quite decide on the placing of the signal box or whether or not the platform should fit in covering the whole goods area. Looking the other way, apologies for the odd angle. I then decided on the platform shape, it is the Peco concrete edging and the platform fill is made using three layers of 5mm foam board, another thing I picked up from following Chris' blogs. My only real regret here was I still wasn't 100% certain on how to layout the concourse so it wasn't built into the original foam board construction. The platform here was 'setting' and I started the process of ballasting which was using a bag of fish tank sand we had left over. I used the sand on my previous China Clay trial and error model and it worked well. I didn't take any photos but a test train ran around the whole layout without issue post spraying. Ballasting nearly done. Ballasting done and flooded with the traditional PVA/water mix to allow it to set. The station platform has by now been sprayed and the surface layer added, which is more sand just stuck on with a layer of PVA. I then thought point rodding was a good idea, took a fair while but it was worth it! You can just make out behind the platform some redundant sleepers, these are the remains of the bay platform originally installed when the line was built, removed in 1932 following the closure of the line beyond 'Paybury'. More point rodding. With the point rodding done (although there is I admit a couple of minor bits still to do) the process of adding clay started. I used DAS modelling clay on the previous layout and found it worked really well for road surfaces as you can manipulate it how you like. Again, it is a technique I've used following reading Chris Nevard's modelling blogs, it really does work. I've tried the white and terracotta clays and both give a nice effect. The whole layout clayed up, pub in place, some model trains plonked on for show. I decided to make the concourse out of layers of foam board then hidden underneath clay to built up a ramped surface to give a level area out the back of the station. It too was then subjected to painting (models placed back on afterwards) so this was done using Halfords primers, mainly grey and black misted on and close up. Once dried some lighter creams were dry brushed on to give a random road effect, it has come out rather nicely I think. I used one of the country lanes around where I live for inspiration on a road surface so it took about 2 days worth of playing about to get this right. Taking things to the extreme I did on one occasion take the layout in the car to one of the country lanes and paint/spray it at the side of the road, much to the bemusement and interest of local walkers! It got me the result I wanted though and I met a person that equally models on the Southern. Amazing what you find 2 mins from your house. Hanging basket liner was then used, I'd tried this out on my previous layout following reading the article by Chris Nevard in Model Rail and found it works really well for giving a nice 'undercoat' to static grass. Here a Dapol Class 22 arrives in the station whilst a 56XX sits with some wagons in the run around loop. More hanging basket liner, you can see things starting to come to life a bit more now. The back scene was then added, I did this pre-static grass although can't remember why. I covered it in paper during that process. The back scene isn't mounted on the back board of the layout but on two 3mm sheets of MDF I had cut for the job, there is a join somewhere in the middle which unless you knew where it was on the MDF you'd have no idea. What this did result in was a nice rounded corner to each end of the layout so that it wasn't 'square'. Looking back the other way. Static grass and grass tufts were added, you can see the level crossing gate has been hung on one side here. Still the other to sort out. Fencing has been added on the platform and hedges, wild flowers etc all put onto the layout. I didn't take a great deal of photos during the static grass stage I'm afraid as I just forgot! The platform edge you may have noticed has changed colour a bit throughout, that is just the result of a bit 'splash back' from the spray paint and misting on grey or black primers and it has given a realistic weathered concrete effect. Looking along from the level crossing. Platform lights and some further lights in the background added, these are DCC Concepts lights, great way to light up a layout and would thoroughly recommend. The lamp here isn't wonky it is how the phones taken the photo. Looking through the end of what will be coming from the Fiddle Yard, when I build it! Some wood and wire fencing added, this was a lot easier than I first thought. The posts were spray painted in Halfords camouflage brown primer first, 2mm hole drilled, fence posts glued in and then wire threaded, took around 45 mins to do this whole section. An overview of the whole layout. Another overview, the Dapol water tower had by this point been sprayed up to make it look more realistic.

Some pics I took the other day of the whole model layout, quite big and still bits of extra detailing to do. Station and Goods Yard, the lights are DCC concepts mainly, the buildings are Scenecraft. Goods Yard was DAS clay with bricks scribed in then painted individually. I've no idea why I thought it was a good idea but the outcome is rather nice. Bit more station with the Drummond 700 and LWSR coaches. Signal Box/end of station area, need to add the platform ramp. The platform is just a piece of wood I found that was then given DAS clay edges to make coping stones and the gap between filled with fish tank sand for a typical SR effect. Brewery area with the 33, need to do more static grass on the nearest green bit and the bit along the back, another another touch up of blue paint in places. Cornwall on the other side of the layout with the Beattie Well Tanks and the GWR halt. The area of the China Clay bit, need to do some more on the river. Close up of the China Clay, the masking tape temporarily holding up the lights has come away in the heat! Class 33 and tankers passing the Brewery. Adams Radial in the head shunt with some bus behind, it looked old and said South Down on the box so thought it'd look nice. H-Class in the bay platform, lighting all works and the shelter is a repainted Scenecraft addition. The lack of a ramp is very noticeable here, platform now takes about 5 coaches I think. Terrier shunting in the Brewery. Beattie Well Tank in the China Clay bit. Another Beattie crossing the road, level crossing gates need to go on the 'mainline' in the background. Another view of the China Clay bit and the Cornish Cottages. China Clay with some wagons, pannier and of course a Beattie. Another Beattie Well Tank... The resident 08, which is also the layouts main test loco for everything. M7 sits in the new shed bit. This was the replaced bit whilst hanging basket lining was setting. Looking the other way, the shed is now surrounded by DAS clay. Still more to do to detail this bit though. Now with some clay, that was spray painted. Brewery and ballast. Freshly laid ballast.

So this post is slightly away from Cornwall and a bit on another part of the layout that was driving me mad, the rest of it all works but various issues kept occurring with some of my stock on the station approach/round by the Brewery so out came the lot and a lot of easing to the curves and lessening of point work. The area by the double slip to the bottom of the photos goes to the China Clay bit on the middle line, the far left line is the 'mainline' and the right hand line goes around to two goods sidings in the station area and eventually an single road engine shed under the camera. Should hopefully get the track all secured down and ballasted by the end of the weekend. Brewery, the line the coaches are on and going towards goes to a bay platform the other line to the main platform, the space to run around and get stock in the platform is 2 coaches, the platform overall though is 5 coaches, I didn't take any pics but it is the Scenecraft Sheffield Park buildings and the Shillingstone halt on the platform. Signal Box is the Kernow Boscarne Junction model so it sort of goes from Cornwall to Kent/Sussex in about 3ft! The hole by the Signal Box steps is for the Starter Signal which was taken out temporarily to avoid knocking it! The Brewery area/new curves. The Brewery and Boiler House/Chimney is the Scenecraft collection, the three main buildings are slightly higher than the track to allow wagons to pass alongside (although not prototypical for this exact brewery). The whole of the Brewery area is clay cobbles or clay block paving, the lights are DCC Concepts and all work, buildings light up too. Needs a bit more detailing on the brewery in terms of some grass tufts, people and a couple of vehicles I think. Left hand line is the mainline, middle line to the bottom goes to the China Clay Dries or back towards the station (and forms the very long run round loop) the right hand line will go to sidings within the station complex and to an engine shed on the bottom right of the photo.

Thanks for the kind words. I'll take some better pics of the river scene, its not quite finished and is at the moment my least favourite part! In essence though, all it consists of is an extra bit of lowered down baseboard with some sides added that are made out of cardboard slots, newspaper and covered with plaster cloth to give an embankment impression. The river bed and sides was then sprayed with 'camouflage brown' spray paint from a local bike shop, and sand then put over the top to form the riverbed, this was just stuck down with PVA then the excess brushed off after a good few hours setting. Woodland scenics water was then layered on top of the sand and after a couple of attempts seemed to come out ok, it does run into the sand though and it did react with some green paint which seems to have made it look a bit more 'algae' esk. It needs another layer adding to it really though but I'm waiting to do the Quay to do that bit of it. The sides were then at the top so far covered in hanging basket liner followed by static grass, which is why it is a lot higher than the baseboard. The riverbank needs some more of this adding to it which will then start to finish it all off I hope.

I finally got around to adding an embankment behind the 'mainline' and in the corner. The corner I was in two minds as to what to do with so wanting it to have an element of Cornwall I opted for the disused Engine House on a hill approach, probably nowhere near how it'd look in real life but again I quite like it and it finishes off an area that I was initially at a loss as to what to do with. The disused Engine House building is the Scenecraft one that Kernow have had produced, a great model. The backboards are painted with a 'Sky Blue' paint mix I had made up using a snapshot of the sky over my house from the past few weeks. It came out once dried as a perfect match! The hills were constructed of various cardboard, newspaper and bubble wrap with plaster cloth then laid on top. Once dried some brown spray paint was added, followed by gluing on hanging basket liner. Once the latter was dried on it was trimmed to give a very overgrown up and down type of feel, this was then sprayed with a PVA/water mix followed by some 4mm static grass applied on top. I personally like the 'Fall' coloured grass rather than bright green grass and in the photos the white you can see seeping through is the PVA whilst it set. It'll get another layer of static grass later this week before final bits of detailing are applied. Most of the buildings (and the rolling stock in terms of the 3x Well Tanks and China Clay wagons) on this layout are products of Kernow so if anyone from that shop happens to read this, thank you for getting these great models produced! I was also rather tempted by their GWR 1361 model which has tested perfectly and runs a dream, whilst this isn't 'China Clay', the next board along will go over to the GWR and feature as part of it a Quayside and onwards to a terminus station. The other side of the room (which I'll upload some pictures of eventually but it needs some tidying first) is a Southern Region terminus (LBSCR/SECR) complete with a Brewery in the corner. Completely fictional but captures an area I've always had an interest in. Embankment with plaster cloth setting. Other embankment behind the China Clay bit. The little GWR halt can be seen. Now with hanging basket liner. \ First layer of static grass. Cutting with static grass (it needed brushing off in this photo which has since been done) The little GWR 1361.

Thank you for your kind words, it's my first real attempt at modelling anything and spending a lot of time getting it right. Tonight's little bit of work was to wire up the various lights that I've popped up and bring the houses to life. A few areas that need a bit of attention to stop the light shining through and some resistance added to the little Ground Frame hut light, namely the Pagoda on the little halt but overall it's come out in a way that I'm happy with! There's a layer of water setting on what is becoming a river overnight, once dry another layer will be popped on top to give it a bit more depth (this is a very narrow portion of the River Camel if you want to relate it to Wenford Bridge and why I've done it!) again it really is just imagination and my way of trying to capture a place I have an interest in. Back scene to go on tomorrow or Thursday evening and then the Engine House will gain a hill and the mainline start to enter a cutting. Once this section is complete the baseboards to extend it by another 7ft will be put into place, it'll continue onwards to a GWR themed terminus and a small branch off to a Quay somewhere along it. Not really basing it on anywhere in particular though. Here's some pics of the area all lit up this evening. 85 crossing the road in the fading light with a China Clay wagon. That is a spare LED resting in the road and I've only just seen on the camera! 85 sitting at the Dries, the Drivers forgotten to change the head code disk for a lamp! The lamps are DCC Concepts ready painted SR ones, very easy to install. The LEDs which are inside the dries and other buildings are just some warm white ones. Overall view of the China Clay bit. The layout uses a lot of Bachmann Scenecraft buildings but they look rather good I find when blended in. Goods shed, few wagons, Ground Frame hut lighting up everywhere a bit more than a real one would! Will hide some of the extraneous light in with card and bung a resistor in to tone down the brightness. Houses lit up (Bachmann Scenecraft) Beattie Well Tank 85 appears from between the cottages (the further one is the excellent Kernow run in the Scenecraft range). The whole China Clay section lit up, Dapol SR Lattice Post protecting the mainline crossing, which will get gates this week. Little Goods Shed with an SR wagon inside, needs some grass around the base to hide where it is sitting. DAS clay, tapped whilst damp with a nail file then let to dry and a combination of paints dry sprayed or dry brushed on, I'm not really sure what I did on reflection but it came out how I wanted it to! I hadn't thought of adding the Goods Shed originally as it'd normally be gently pressed into the clay so it has somewhere nice to sit.

Never posted on here before but thought this might be of interest. These are just some shots of a little lockdown project I was able start and keep plodding along with. I've always had an interest in the Wenford Bridge Branch and I had a couple of Kernow Model Centre's Beatties so thought I'd have a go at making my own little piece of Cornwall. With some various purchases still possible, free evenings/weekends and a fair bit of 'stuff' already available I've added this China Clay/Goods Yard type set up onto my Southern themed layout. It doesn't really have a name but when I asked I call this bit 'Wenbury'. (The other side of the layout goes around to a Brewery and SR terminus which isn't really based on anywhere in particular. It sort of goes from GWR (the little halt) and LWSR (the Clay) to LBSCR and SECR at the station, I'm quite a Southern Region fan. It isn't an accurate representation, nor do I really want or have the space for it to be but I wanted to capture in my own way somewhere that gives me a great interest. There is still a fair bit to do before this section is completed, at the moment the river bed is drying ready to add some 'water' tomorrow evening. The backscene will go on now I've finished spray painting things and then various hills and other greenery will be applied to finish the edges off, the lighting just needs wiring up and then that'll all work. The Cornish Engine House will be sent upwards and a hill built up around it. The track does need a bit of a clean, the photos show up the areas I've added a touch more paint work! I've various photos of the work but I didn't 'tidy up' to take the photos so it is rather messy! If you want any details on what I've done just ask, track is Peco, point motors are SEEP, it is DCC, I use an NCE Powercab to control it all. Jonnie This is my favourite photo of the bunch to be honest.