STEP BY STEP

Spray your baseboard with Halfords grey primer to create a uniform base and, when dry, mark the rough course of the track.

To create the ballast shoulder I decided to lay the track on a thin layer of cork. I laid two pieces of track a scale distance apart and marked the edge of the trackbed.

Cut the trackbed using a scalpel at a 45º angle to create the shoulder; this was done freehand as it does not have to be 100% accurate.

For curved track, cut the chamfered trackbed into thin strips to make it easier to bend. Glue into position using PVA.

Build up the surrounding ground contours using pieces of expanded polystyrene. To smooth these out I laid small strips of Woodland Scenics plaster bandage.

Briefly soak each strip in water and lay it in position. Criss-cross the pieces for strength. Smooth out the plaster using a small brush.

Spray the dried plaster with Plastikote Suede brown paint. Its slight texture represents earth in ‘N’. Then spray the trackbed grey. When dry, position the track with pins and fix it with PVA.

Weather the Peco cable trunking with small amounts of weathering powder to take away the uniform appearance. Spray the signal relay boxes with Halfords grey primer.

Glue a small rectangle of cork next to the track to form the base for the relay boxes. Lay and glue the trunking up to these. Use small rectangles of Plastikard to represent paving slabs.

Lay ballast in stages. Pour slowly and carefully into the centre of the track from a cup and spread out with a finger. Dribble on Woodland Scenics scenic cement onto the adjacent side of the ballast.

Pour on ballast around the outer edges of the track and move into position using a small spatula. Wet with water and glue from the sides again. When nearly dry, apply more glue to ensure that it’s fully saturated.

Remove any stray granules from the railsides with a cocktail stick. The ballast should surround the cable troughing, covering it in places. Now you can scenic the surrounding landscape.