Small World Layouts

1/3/05	Built the 'light-weight' base boards tonight! 18"x11.5" Poster board (Sundeala)/MDF/ and 2x1 bracing - smaller than Langwaithe and the track has to curve and rise! Good job I bought a job lot of 009 flexi-track! Not got too much of an idea as to how to provide a base for the rising curve...but hey-ho! Also - does anyone know how to cut wicker successfully?!
10/3/05	Laid the track, thanks to an ingenious plan from Mike Turner, (webmaster of the West Midlands N Gauge Society amongst other things!) Imagine peeling the an apple from the top and that is the basis for the curve and rise. The green line is the cutting line and the brown simply marks where the track sits (approx). The Engine shed has gone and there are amended plans for a through-road with cassettes either side for running in and out of the basket. Give me an excuse to play with all the trains and coaches that won't go round any of my curves!! BTW - you don't cut wicker!
13/3/05	Went to the Kidderminster show today and was definitely inspired! Take a look at the accompanying photo's to find out more... Layout is now being designed to run in, and out of the basket.
20/3/05	Amazing what you get done when you think about it! The track is down, and wired for power, and amazingly the predicted loco's (J94 and Class 08) run around it easier than on 'Langwaithe!' Mind you, it's a breathe in job through the tunnel but there's enough clearance - just! Oh, and thought you may smile at the last one; the fall out from just one small block of polystyrene. Good job it's in 'my-domain-where-the-boss-never-goes' also known as 'The Garage!'
3/5/05	Yes...I know the date but I've been busy! Anyhow enough of the nagging! There are some times when you just know that you're in the right gauge - N Gauge Picnic Tables! I found them! Shire Scenes make them complete with coasters, menu and placard advertising 'Good Food' - I kid you not! They come out a little bit on the cramped size. For scale I have the Preiser version of 'Martin Bell' included. I know it's not painted yet but how great a model is this?! Oh, I've also converted a 20t Toad brake van into the ticket office by repainting, adding glazing, a ticket shelf, screen and dodgy looking bloke behind the glass - wait till he's lit up a little! Looks like 'Christopher Lee' volunteering on the Telford Steam Railway! (Plug for favourite preserved line!) pictures of him to follow.
8/5/05	Well. One day to the next in the first two pictures here! Amazing what you get done after spending an afternoon watching others 'do!' I wanted to start getting a better idea of the 'topography.' Posh word meaning 'lie-of-the-land,' I think! So I painted everything in clay red/brown! It helped show up my dissatisfaction at the tunnel/bridge structure, so I scrapped it and made a new one. As you do! It sites better an will work better for what I need. So then out came the ModRoc - hurray! It helps to hide a multitude of sins and it does help build up the landscape quite admirably and quite quickly.
12/5/05	A bit of a chameleon this layout! It's now green and textured! More about the texturing at a later hints n tips date! Got a good idea about layout now having finished the platform section (needs bedding in, hide more bad measuring!) and painted the entire thing green. Front section still brown as there is a wall to go in there. I am going to flock most of it but main scenic element will be a ton and a half of carefully placed and balanced trees. Still finding type I like (see thumbnails).
10/7/05	I know, I know. Don't nag! Pressures of work etc. Anyroad...never try and rely on a 'Sparky' to do owt quick! Never going to happen! But 'No Picnic' has achieved electric light! And buildings! And rock effect - kinda! Oh and there are nasty rumours circulating about the staff at 'No Picnic...' make sure you enlarge the thumbnails to find out more - that's all I'm going to say...

24/7/05	Right! I have this 'ex-friend' that has now (after seeing this picture) renamed the 'No Picnic' layout - the 'Swimming Fish!' However... Moving swiftly on. All the flock is down and it is looking a little 'hairy' but the trees (Bluebelle scenics) have been prepared and look great and are going in right after the DIY Fencing surrounds most of the higher track edge. the walls are from Langley Models. Not convinced at first but quite like them now. After more bedding in we will be on first name terms, I'm sure.
3/8/05	The end is nigh...laddie, and stuff! Well all the bedding in of the walls have happened, we like it and its called 'William' (see below). The fencing is done, I can now knit fences with the best of them. We even have colour in the form of some 'flower' fleck stuff from Germany. Good bit of advice from Unc Graham (arty type) - "Nature is rarely the same colour green." Well done. Good advice for us all. Therefore we have flowers and pretty things...ugh! Anyroad, check up the close ups of the railings etc. like it lots.

18/9/05	Well it happened again. Went to the Redditch Model Railway Club's show today and was inspired - again. Saw a lot of nice stuff, bought very little - some dustbins in fact! Was very impressed with a automated 'OO,' remote control layout from Austria (? - could have been Switzerland!) with remote control added extras! Anyway I digress - drum roll...came back and...'No Picnic' is finished. I added the last of the people, made a sign post (too tight to pay £2.45!) and there you go! ( Isn't it shocking that it's taken over 6 months, according to this page!!)
All that is left is for you to do, is to take a look at the completed photo's if you haven't already! (Click on the picture!)