Model Railway Forum

Brian wrote: ↑Sun Jan 05, 2025 1:24 pm I think the correct URL for the video is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d93hlhv ... freyMcNeal
The 'Studio' part of the original URL should be omitted. If I'm wrong please let me know ASAP

That ammended link you made works fine for me! I saw Nessie!

https://youtu.be/d93hlhvGOcA

I fired up the Hornby Clementine, and after adding some weight, she performed very nicely. The Electrotren wagons- well, nobody on this side of the pond knows British from Continental- run both with pleasure.

The Hornby Ruxton is a sweet model. Found it at a trainshow and had to have it. Hornby did a magnificent job.

A nice video Chops - lots of detail on your layout - you have to watch closely to see it.

You have a great layout and a great taste in music.

Thank you for your encouraging words! Lots to be done, lots of bits lying about as I work towards adding them in.

A tongue-in-cheek statutory addition to Henley. The relationship of the UK to its enormous history is always a fascination.

Inspiration comes unexpectedly, thus the Nessie slaying Sir Wormwood. I've taken a little time to beef up some more areas of Henley, and the results are satisfactory given my skill set.



Came up just short of white picket fence for these house's gardens.



Added a pile of coal to this terrific coal mine from Sandy (Sandy Hills layout creator). It is a visual cue that this is a colliery.



A hard to reach spot that remained bald for a time. On the left I attempted for a stratified look, where as on the right I used a Woodland Scenics mold to paste over the bald area. I like it better than my strata attempt, but not inclined to rip it out for a more uniform look, just yet.



The goods yard needs attention. Need to set up this simple board of on-off toggles and point toggles.

Added in a bit of railway fencing, it looks satisfactory, I think. This is a unique feature of British railroading. In the United States, cattle were rarely fenced in, resulting in hamburger.





I added a few more horses and people tending horses to the "Devonshire Stables." This may be recognized as the farmhouse at Waterloo, but it did resemble my recollections of the stables where my elder sister took riding lessons. I see I will need to return the area to diminish the glue stains.

...which I recall was rather flat. Back to Rule #1.





I crumpled some discarded wrapping paper and covered it with damp paper kitchen towels and from there was able to gently press it to satisfyingly soft curves of mid-Britain. From there I cut squares of Woodland Scenics Plaster cloth and laid it on dry, and gently wetted it with water off the finger tips. It doesn't take much, and is much easier to work with than dipping it into the water and trying to lay it flat. The cloth sets up within five minutes.



Not barely dry, I paint on a mixture of green and a small amount of black tempura paint with a glob of white glue. The black dulls the brightness of the green.



While still wet I sprinkle on whatever woodland scenics ground cover I have on hand, which in this case is coarse turf, adequate for a hill. I may soften it up a bit with a lighter green later so it is not monochromus. I spray it with a mist of water to assist the foam turf to bind to the wet glue/paint mixture.

I'm not entirely sure I like the "Catford Urns" as I once did. The Urns are a spooforific Neolithic beer brewing urns, and I'm beginning to think they are distracting and probably tomorrow I will remove the urns and turn it into a much more thematic sheep pasture- like the ones I enjoyed in Wales. (I might add I visited Wales in about 1975 and thought it was one of the most beautiful regions I'd ever seen, anywhere. My goal is to get back there sooner than later).

The gate is propped up with a toothbrush whilst the glue dries. Will like relocate the gate somewhere else- maybe to the Lord Wormwood monument.

Hello chops,

Great little bits of scenic delights around the layout
It's good to hear that you managed to visit Wales and in the year of my birth as well I live 10mins away from the Brecon Beacons National Park and I travel to Brecon itself a couple of times a week with work, you're right about the beautiful scenery but sometimes I think that when it's on your doorstep you don't appreciate it enough
Hopefully one day as you say you'll get to visit this great land once again

Cheers, Lee.