artizen

I like how you use printed templates to lay out the strips for accuracy. I have a similar method in that I print out my walls for my brick buildings onto address labels and stick them down on the rigid PVC board that makes up the shell of the buildings. Then it's just a matter of following the black and white brick road to insanity as I lay several thousand handmade bricks until I have a finished building!!!! Love your work Ron - always nice to get a good dose of oooh and aaah early in the morning.

I just made this comment on another thread on here about water. But Troels has now done some serious water works on his layout and the results are stunning. http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=32687&whichpage=19 He is working in 1:48 but the technique is applicable to any scale. Now all you need is a really big boat loading buses for export!!!!!

This layout is as good as it gets. Even as good as this - http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=32687&whichpage=19 Only difference is the scale really Coast Line RR is being built in 1:48.

I remember this layout from somewhere else. Maybe the old RMweb? Really nice details and consistent quality. I assume from the track plan that the sidings that go into buildings are all reachable from the rear to change loads etc? Am I right in assuming Peco track? Having just wrestled with an over centre spring that had removed itself (and I won!!!) it looks somewhat familiar.

Good idea with the large expanse of water but one small problem - how does the boat get in and out of the location? You will need to build a swing bridge now!

If you need another look at the water - follow this thread to see how Troels Kirk is going about it. http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=32687&whichpage=16 His approach is to use lots of vertical depth to create actual waves. Really liking this layout now the backscenes are in. Much more better good!

More oooh and aaah!!! You could have used up the rest of the carton with a second row on top!!!!! Man, if ever any of your railway stuff weighs more than 4kg you would be in real trouble anyway. This is seriously impressive. Can't wait to see the huge overall roof when it is built. No rush, mind.

My daily dose of oooh and aaah!!!! Thanks Ron! How much of this will be seen once this bridge is placed into the model?

Looking like a ten can load will do the stress test then!!!! If this layout doesn't get into all the magazines when it is finished, it will be a real shame. This deserves to be seen by modellers everywhere.

My daily dose of oooh and aaaah!!! You do know that glue sniffing is illegal in Australia? This is coming along a treat. Thanks for posting.

I see you have adequate storage but how many different trains can you run at once? I would imagine this layout with a full timetable would be a very busy and noisy place. Heaven!

I see you have adequate storage but how many different trains can you run at once? I would imagine this layout with a full timetable would be a very busy and noisy place. Heaven!

All this modelling in one day - you must have a man cave like mine! I have to say it - ooh and aah!!! All that detail that only you know will be there - but again, by doing the underside prototypically as you are, it really increases the strength of the final model. How many full cans of beer will this one hold do you think?

I have run out of bricks - this morning laying the paving floor in the entrance to The Steamy Pudding Hotel and Café. As you can tell, it's not exactly prototypical! Rivet counters look away now! Luckily I make my own but the idea of needing about another 12,000 is a little daunting at the present. Looking forward to going ooh and aah again soon!

I really hope the paint covers the translucency of the material used in the side structures. Looking really good. I don't envy you and your 39 supports. I have just laid about 500 hand made bricks into my 1:24 scale station area and I am about to run out!!! This really will be a superb piece of modelling when it is all brought together. Can't wait to see the overall roof as well - now that gets an ooh and an aah from even those not even remotely interested in model trains when I show them the photos.

Ron - have a look at this thread about using craft cutters to make complex shapes out of thin styrene. http://therailwire.net/forum/index.php/topic,17191.165.html Unbelievable.

Love the look of your "railway room"! Would love to own something like that here (speaking as one who has just discovered termites in the basement). I guess the flagstones on the floor just add to the fun of levelling the layout! This is a really nice looking layout - please keep us updated with lots of photos. How many nice looking layouts does that make on this forum now?

Your modelling and even your guillotine are wonderful.

Really good eh!!! This is the sort of modelling that shows that you just need an observant eye and a steady hand to produce astonishing detail from flat bits of plastic. All in a miniature scale that I would struggle to even see clearly as well.

Forgot to add - how do you move such a large sculpture around? You would have to roll it along the ground maybe?

I tried to comment on the wooden sculpture sitting on top of the table yesterday but my internet connection failed. If you just french polished it and then lovingly waxed it with furniture wax I'm sure it could blend in nicely into the room and no-one would know its a railway model - more a really weird shaped coffee table top? Room for eight with a much better interpretation of the lazy susan turntable idea - cups of tea on flat wagons perhaps? Seriously though - if I took something like that upstairs and clamped it to a table I know what would happen!!!! Something that could only be done when everyone else is out of the house.

Thanks for the photo showing the relationship between the track height and people. It looks like the average punter can see into the layout without bending under the top pelmet and it also allows you to hide the lighting which if the layout was raised any more, would then be too bright (obvious). Surrpisingly the layout is smaller than I expected. I have allowed around 420mm opening between the base of the box and the top pelmet on my layout so I hope it has the same effect when viewed. Although the LED strips I bought the other day are super bright so the idea of back lighting is probably a mistake!!!!! Thanks for going to the effort of showing me this photo - much appreciated. BTW - love the nameplate. I need to design a rocket for mine!

What is the track height? Looking at the photos it appears slightly low across the top pelmet? Or am I missing something here. I know the US modellers love to lift their layouts to eye level but with a top pelmet it has to be at least able to be looked into without bending down? Just a little niggle of my own because I am building my layout on a table, it is clearly not high enough and I wonder what final height I should make the stands for my layout so punters can see straight into it.

You do all this by hand! Have you heard of buntbahn.de or finescalerr.com? I'm sure the rest of the world would love to see this!!!!