Fulfil your layout dream

Decided to build a layout? Chris Nevard guides you through the process – and offers some tips to scenic success.

Chris Nevard outlines his approach to building dream layouts.

The term ‘dream layout’ seems to conjure images of epic roomfillers, with a sea of track and trains everywhere. But that’s not everyone’s dream. Some people would be happy with a modest layout, as long as it represents the area and detail they want.

I built ‘Neath Riverside’ for a client who wanted a fictitious South Wales junction somewhere between the Valleys and the coast. It’s set in the early 1960s and the railway is in its last year of operation.

Although you might have an idea of what your dream layout might look like, you can always change it. For example, I was supplied with some splendid model buildings by acclaimed model maker Iain Robinson, which had been salvaged from a recently scrapped layout. I initially struggled to place them, but then decided to run the railway underneath. Of course, in reality they’re probably not high enough above the railway to justify a tunnel, but with model railways we have to take some liberties, especially when space is limited. The resulting tunnel really adds character to the layout and contrasts nicely with the harbour scene at the other end.

At just 6ft by 18in, this is a modest layout but it’s full of interest. Here are some of my techniques and tricks to enable you to create a dream layout of which you too can be proud.

Drill the holes through the baseboard for the feed wires. Always feed power to the toe-end of the point. Also, mark where the point motor pins will go through the baseboard and drill holes for those too. With the feed wires threaded through their respective holes, I could then secure the track in place with PVA.

It’s best to wire the layout before you undertake any ballasting and painting. Cut away short sections of plastic webbing under the track, clean with a glass fibre pencil and place a blob of solder on each of the rails and the ends of the feed wires. Press the wires to the track and sweat the joint together with a hot soldering iron.

Layout wiring can be as complex or as simple as you want. With only a simple trackplan, there were only a few point motors to install (I use SEEP solenoids) along with the Dapol signal. I like copper tape as it’s easy to solder power droppers to.