SNCF stephen

You might find some sort of plastic would work well for the concertina sections, perhaps PVC as this would give you flexibility but would be a bit more durable than paper or card. 

Some great pictures there of some interesting trams. Thanks for sharing them. 

It has been mentioned on the French Railways section of the Forum:

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/62482-hachette-ho-layout/

It looks similar to a French version that was produced last year - hence the discussion. 

Superb stuff there, I think the effects on the LNER Gresley carriages are great. It certainly gives them the appearance of being of a considerable age. 

EDIT - And superb work on the T gauge stock there. Are we to expect a T gauge layout in the future? 

Sorry to hear about your house. I hope that you can get back to the hobby at some point soon. 

Wow, those pictures are superb and really show off the rural nature of the layout. I hope that you can get back to this at some point soon as I ws always impressed and inspired by your layouts. Although my layout is in France and yours in the UK, yours has captured that rural quietness that I want to portray. Good luck with what you are doing.

Stephen

Thanks for the tips Nick. I used Tamiya tape but forgot to flatten the edges with a cocktail stick. 

It does give this little layout that little bit of something extra. Having toned it down a bit you can almost see the trees moving in a gentle breeze. 

What is noticable is how much older liveries on steam locos blended in with the scenery. The coaches really stand out against the variety of greens you have used. 

I have to say you have done a stunning job with this! 

That is a superb technique of the filler with the tin foil. Did you wait for it to dry a little first or apply and then go straight in? What brand of filler did you use? 

Superb work with the brick paper. I have used it myself on a large retaining wall for the same reason. You get the added benefit of it looking exactly like the real thing. 

Superb stuff. T gauge lends itself very well to impressive landscapes. I look forward to seeing how it goes!

It is understandable that there are days when there is not much to show despite working hard. Even though you do not have a lot to show it is always good to see pictures of your layout.

So with Christmas around the corner do you think there are any items of rolling stock that you will get?

Superb work on this module. It really looks very cold and I feel sorry for the lorry driver.

Seeing modules like this makes me want to do a winter module on my layout.

Superb work there, I am intrigued by your use of Fairy Power Spray as I need to strip down a resin shell at some point soon so I am guessing it would be more suitable than a solvent based option...

Nice work on the 3D print. I knew you would get there with that project.

I do like the buildings on this layout and the beach is very nicely done. Did you use real sand?

Superb work, as ever. Do you know how long these could be left on for before they have to be turned off due to the heat?

This is definitely one of my favourite blogs. I think it is great to see the progress each week presented in a fantastic way. Personally I have found the techniques to be extremely inspirational and have pushed me further into the realms of modelling. You never know, by post 200 I might be asking how to wire up a scratchbuilt point...

As always Tom, your work is an inspiration and I will be trying to emulate your results (if I get it looking anywhere near half as good as yours I think it will be a success).

Is there a reason why you chose the Terra Cotta type of DAS clay over the white?

It is interesting stuff. There are some videos on youtube of the trip from Pairs to Limoges in the cab. They are quite interesting. I am a bit sad that the Just Continental shop is gone as that would have been very interesting to have visited. However times have moved on again and while we have the internet for information and the like we also have it for better prices and easier access to a wider variety of goods than most shops could hope to provide.

Can you tell me where the shop was once located?

Stephen

Maybe next year we could grab a coffee or something.

Can you tell me the name of the layout in pics 6 and 7?

The layout was (i believe) Asciano Del Lamone which is HO Italian. It was a good looking layout with functional signalling. Picture 13 is the same layout from a different angle.

They look like they have a great level of detail.

I always say this about modelling but there is something special about getting a package full of goodies, it is indeed just like Christmas come early.

Wow, this project has a very impressive scope and I will be interested in watching it develop. Have you thought about slightly compressing the layout so you get the feel of the place with the added benefit of having a smaller build time?

Good luck with the project.

Wow, this is a really interesting post. FOr motive power you could do something similar to the Goldeneye missile train which was a dressed up class 20 with extra side skirts and the like.

If you want some further inspiration there is a computer game called Half Life 2 which opens on a train that pulls into a station similar to the above from about 60 seconds in:

Good luck and I look forward to seeing more