How to Add lineside features

DECIDE ON YOUR ERA

Lineside signs are another feature which can subtly indicate a layout’s era, and while the differences are not large, costly mistakes can be avoided by carrying out some careful research beforehand. Source reference photographs from a local archive.

WATCH YOUR SPEED

You see speed limit signs all over the railway. Make sure the signs on your layout are realistic: tight curves will not have high-speed limits and neither will entries to platforms. Similarly, straight sections won’t have 5mph limits without good reason.

IT’S NOT ALL SIGNS

Look carefully next time you go out and you’ll see there aren’t just signs on the lineside. Rubbish and disused sleepers are commonplace where the ballast meets the foliage, and strategic placing of these adds to the realism.

TELEGRAPH POLES

Once a common sight on the railway, telegraph poles can add an extra dimension to a layout. This is particularly true in flatter sections, where they show the train isn’t the only thing with height. Make sure you space them out realistically for the gauge you’re working in.