STEP BY STEP

BUILDING THE BASIC LAYOUT

1

The 4ft by 2ft baseboard was formed from a 9mm thick plywood sheet and a framework of 2in by 1in softwood, glued and screwed together. A 6in tall hardboard support strip was added to the rear edge

2

Using a slightly truncated version of Paul Lunn’s plan, the track was laid out in order to derive the dimensions for the platforms. The main island platform would be 7in wide, while the narrower ‘branch’ platform would be 3in wide.

3

The points provided a handy guide for discerning the correct separation of the tracks. Use a metre rule or a long straight piece of wood to mark out the locations of the platform edges and tracks.

4

Once the track had been pinned down, it could be ballasted. I shook a cup of ballast liberally over the tracks, then refined it with a large, flat paint brush. Take the time to get the fine material neatly arranged around the sleepers.

5

A useful tip for tidying up the ballast is to gently tap the baseboard. Just like a tamping machine in real life, this helps the scatter material settle around the sleepers. Form the ballast ‘shoulder’ with a straightedge for a neat appearance.

6

Good old PVA glue, mixed 50:50 with water and a few drops of washing-up liquid, was applied sparingly along the edge of the ballast. The fluid then seeps naturally under the ballast without disturbing it.

7

The roadway was formed from 9mm plywood, supported with softwood stanchions between the tracks, checking for adequate clearance. The stanchions were then covered in printed brick paper and the roadway painted black.

8

The retaining walls, platforms, paving and brick paper are from Metcalfe, while the steel bridge spans are plastic mouldings from Peco. The Metcalfe platforms require a latticework of supports to be fitted first.

9

Once the platform bases had dried, the upper surfaces could be installed, trimming the card sections to fit around the bridge supports. Keep joints between card sections neat and tidy, with plenty of support to prevent warping.

10

Add a bit dash of colour with some different shades of green scatter material applied adjacent to the ballasted track. Brush a coating of slightly diluted PVA onto the baseboard before sprinkling the scatter over the top.

11

The Peco girder spans were painted and added to the sides of the overbridge, while a row of pavement slabs (Metcalfe) was fixed along the edge of the road. The Metcalfe retaining walls at the rear were also built and installed.