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Model Rail issue 333 is now available!

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12 gifts for model railway fans

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Win a Hornby R1272M Freightmaster train set

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HOW TO USE HAIR TO CREATE A WATER FEATURE

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HOW TO BALLAST YOUR TRACK

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Modelling Against the Clock

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South Coast spectacular

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Ahead of the curve

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HOW TO PLAN & SET UP A MODEL SCENE

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Muck and Brass

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HOW TO GET THE BEST FROM CHEAP TREES

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HOW TO: USE GRASS MATS AS A BASE FOR REALISTIC SCENERY

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A layout with hex appeal

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Choosing the right location for your train set

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How to choose which model train set to build

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How to build model railway scenery

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Receive a copy of the latest **_Model Rail_ manual _How to Build a Model Railway 2024_, worth £7.99**, when you subscribe! Our railway manuals have proven hugely popular over the years, and we're offering a special edition as a welcome gift to new _Model Rail_ subscribers.

Crammed with practical hints and tips on all aspects of the layout building journey - from baseboards and wiring to adding scenery and fine details, all in our easy-to-follow, step-by-step format.

**Enjoy this manual for FREE when you subscribe to Model Rail magazine.**

**Model Rail magazine is Britain's brightest and most informative magazine for model railway fans.** We cover every stage of the hobby, from buying a first model train set right through to museum standard fine-scale modelling in a lively style that encourages readers to get involved in the world's greatest hobby. Model Rail magazine is full of helpful tips, advice including model train layouts, details on model train sets. **Click the button below for the latest subscription offers!**

**In each issue of Model Rail magazine, you will find:**

Whether you're looking for the latest :a[digital edition]{href='https://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/model-rail-magazine?utm_source=model-rail.co.uk&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=bau_modelrail&amp;utm_content=digital_edition_text' } or a :a[monthly subscription]{href='https://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/model-rail-magazine?utm_source=model-rail.co.uk&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=bau_modelrail&amp;utm_content=subscribe_monthly_text' }, Model Rail magazine will help you get the most out of your hobby.

The Model Rail app is the perfect way to enjoy your subscription on the go. You can have all your issues stored in one place for easy reading and enjoy handpicked rewards!

#### Wondering what gifts to buy for your fellow railway modellers – or yourself? **George Dent** marks the 12 days of Christmas with a dozen suggestions for stocking fillers and more substantial treats.

Postcard Models is a family business, producing a delightful range of laser-cut building kits in various scales, each designed to fit within postcard-sized packaging. They’re great fun to assemble and depict fabulous prototype structures from various parts of ritain, but especially those with a Kent or Sussex flavour.

This lovely ‘N’ gauge kit of Bodiam station, on the Kent and East Sussex Railway, features plenty of detail and an authentic timber grain texture. The platform canopy is included, and the kit provided an enjoyable evening project – it’ll be just the thing for helping your

Christmas pudding digest! And for something a little more whimsical, why not plump for a kit of Brighton Pier’s iconic Helter Skelter, or the Art Deco tower from Margate Lido.

Add festive cheer to your layout with these new Christmas-themed packs from Modelu. As well as Santa driving his reindeer sleigh with a sack of presents in tow, there’s also a more pagan Victorian Father Christmas figure, plus a pack of gifts (including a steam loco). There’s even a very cute trio of snowmen.

All are 3D-printed and are available in virtually any scale, from ‘N’ gauge upwards. All you need to do is paint them.

I’ve only recently discovered GodHand tools and they’re superb, combining high ‐quality materials and modeller-friendly design. While cheaper tweezers are freely available, few are as good and reliable as this set.

Crafted in Japan from high grade stainless steel, this set of tapered tweezers sits comfortably in the hand and the fine tips align perfectly without deforming, ensuring a firm grip of even the smallest object, drastically reducing the risk of the part flying off into the abyss of the carpet. Once you’ve tried these, you’ll avoid cheap tweezers like the plague!

The festive holidays are a great time to learn new modelling skills, so an airbrush starter set would make an ideal gift. This Sparmax kit provides all you need to get started, in the form of a handy little ARISM compressor, which is pretty quiet in operation and, at just 160mm long by 90mm wide, it’s ultra-portable too. It features a pressure regulator and even sports a Christmassy sparkling red finish!

A Sparmax MAX-3 airbrush is provided, along with a storage wallet and 2 metre braided hose. Extra accessories include a glass cleaning pot (with spare air filters) with built-in airbrush holder and a set of cleaning tools. As a bonus, a pair of Christmas-themed stencils, acrylic paints and jar of cleaning fluid are also included. The

MAX-3 is one of the best budget airbrushes around, and the 0.3mm diameter nozzle makes it great for working on smaller models or for detailed weathering jobs.

Low ‐relief buildings are a key feature of so many layouts and these user-friendly kits from Scale Model Scenery provide an enjoyable assembly project – and superb results. The laser-cut MDF structure slots together easily, with printed overlays providing a convincing brick texture (there’s also an option of whitewashed stone for the ‘Backs’ kit). The sash windows are assembled from various layers to provide convincing depth and plenty of smaller details are provided, including gutters and downpipes, along with pre ‐weathered roof slates.

Building a row of these cottages will provide the perfect backscene to a layout or diorama, and the kits offer plenty of scope for customisation and adding interior detail, and lighting too, perhaps.

Do you have plans to tackle one of those brass kits you’ve squirrelled away, or take care of some electrical repairs? If so, this tool will make life so much easier, solving the modeller’s perennial problem of a lack of a third hand.

Four adjustable gooseneck arms, each fitted with a spring clamp, are fitted into a sturdy metal base, allowing components to be held securely and leaving your hands free. Ensuring parts do not move during the soldering process is essential for avoiding ‘dry’ joints, so this tool will definitely prove its worth.

Additionally, the base is equipped with a sponge and wire cleaning ball for keeping your iron’s tip clean, plus a jar of rosin flux. There’s also a handy spindle which can be wrapped with solder to act as a handy dispenser.

Spread over two separate, landscape format volumes, these collections of old photographs are a joy to browse. Northern England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland feature in one volume, while Southern England is the subject of the other. Each hardback book contains over 100 black and white images of historic locomotives in a wide variety of locations and settings, all captured during the Victorian and Edwardian periods. Many of the images are published for the first time and the captions and early chapters provide plenty of useful information about steam locomotive development.

As well as standard gauge railways, narrow gauge and light railways also feature, with many well-known railway companies and locomotive types covered, but also plenty of more obscure and esoteric subjects, such as the Jersey Railway, Liskeard & Caradon, and the Easingwold Light Railway.

The geographic demarcation of subject matter across the volumes is a bit hit and miss (is Liskeard in Northern England?). However, the focus of each book is firmly on the locomotive types and there are plenty of weird and wonderful designs I hadn’t seen before, some of which would look equally at home in a Wild West movie. Perfect fireside reading material.

I’ve given up on cheap straight shank twist drill bits, as the smaller diameter bits invariably break and the cutting edges dull quickly when used for cutting into nickel silver, brass or whitemetal. Larger diameter shanks may reduce the working length of a bit, but do provide more resilience, and this set of bits from GodHand have proved the best so far.

Contained in a tough, clear plastic holder, this set of bits (0.5mm-0.9mm) feature a 2.5mm round shank which then morphs into a 4mm hex shaft which can be held in a regular drill chuck or, for more convenience, a matching magnetic pin vice.

Manufactured from high ‐quality steel, the bits feature an obtuse cutting angle to prevent the bits from ‘digging in’, encouraging a truer, round hole while also prolonging the tool’s life.

The pin vice features a magnet to hold the bits more securely and the plastic finger grip makes it comfortable to operate.

Millions of travellers rely on transport maps every day and, thanks to the likes of Harry Beck, whose London Underground maps have become part of the British consciousness, they have turned into a real art form, marrying function with style.

This fascinating new book looks at how public transport maps have developed around the world over the last 160 years, with chapters organised by continent. Locations include Berlin, Cape Town, London, Montreal, Tokyo, Chicago, Beijing, Delhi, Amsterdam and Sydney. It’s fascinating to see how different designers have approached the task and the book also includes insights from passengers and operators, while also re‐imagining transit maps for the future.

Anyone with an interest in travel or in the art and science of mapmaking will find this an absorbing read, and it may even influence your holiday destinations for the new year.

Model Craft’s masking putty is easy to shape and sticks to virtually any surface, making it ideal for masking up awkward surfaces prior to painting. It’s also easy to remove, leaves no oily or sticky residue and can be re-used.

Supplied in a round tin, simply break off the desired amount and knead or roll it into shape, pressing it onto the model’s surface. It’s perfect for protecting clear glazing when weathering locomotives and coaching stock and I’ve also found it perfect for masking elements of steam locomotives during full or partial repaints. Masking boilers, bufferbeams and smokeboxes can be tortuous with traditional tapes, but this putty does the job quickly and effectively – just tease the material around handrails and fine details with a cocktail stick.

Ideal for use when airbrushing or spraying aerosol paints, it can produce clean demarcations between colours. The putty is also handy for gripping delicate components while painting, especially miniature figures.

This top-notch set of nippers is designed primarily for cutting plastic kit parts from sprues, with the super-sharp, tapered jaws set at a 28º angle to help them reach into the tightest spots. Using tools like this, rather than a blade, ensures even the most delicate of plastic parts is removed without damage. They’ve also proved ideal for trimming away the support structure from 3D-printed parts and figures, drastically reducing the risk of breakages.

With a sprung action, comfortable grips and carbon steel jaws (made by the famous Kobe Steel Ltd), these nippers will last a lifetime if cared for properly. A pot of special maintenance oil is also available, to keep the jaws moving freely and prevent corrosion. The jar even features a built-in applicator brush.

**Products:** GodHand • GH-CPN-120-S Tapered Nippers (£32.50) • GH-NMO-SET Nipper Maintenance oil 5ml (£10.96) **Web:** _:a[www.airbrushes.com]{href='https://www.airbrushes.com' }_

Most of us were introduced to this wonderful hobby through the gift of a train set, with everything you need to get started contained in one box. Hornby still leads the market in train sets, with packages to suit different budgets. One of the most colourful packages in the current catalogue is the Freightmaster set containing Class 20 20132 _Barrow Hill Depot_ in Railfreight ‘red stripe’ livery, along with an inter-modal wagon loaded with two containers, a bogietippler wagon, Mk 1 tool van and a standard BR brake van. An analogue controller, power connector, oval of track – with points and siding – and colour track mat are all supplied. The locomotive is DCC‐ready too, so there’s scope to go digital in future.

It’s the perfect Christmas gift for a budding enthusiast, as well as providing fun for all the family.

In the December 2024 issue of Model Rail, we provide you with everything you need to make Christmas gift buying easier for the modeller in your life with our handy gift guide. Whatever your budget, we’ve got something for you.

There’s also a Masterclass on the Ruston & Hornsby 48DS, and we show you how to give your Heljan ‘O’ gauge model a new lick of paint, meaning there’s no excuse not to dive into the world of ‘O’ gauge modelling! If you need some more inspiration there are two fabulous layouts for you to enjoy as well as 10 reviews, as some of the latest models to hit the shelves come under our reviewers’ magnifying glass.

Finally, Peter Marriott shows you how you can use your pet’s fur in your latest build!

It’s all in Model Rail issue 333, on sale now!

In each issue we cover every stage of the hobby, from buying a first model train set right through to museum standard fine-scale modelling. Model Rail magazine is full of helpful tips, advice on model train layouts, details on model train sets, step-by-step articles and more! Choose the right subscription option for you and get instant digital access to the latest issue. :a[View subscription offers]{href='https://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/model-rail-magazine?utm_source=model-rail.co.uk&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=bau_modelrail&amp;utm_content=article_new_issue' }

Most of us were introduced to this wonderful hobby through the gift of a train set, with everything you need to get started contained in one box. Hornby still leads the market in train sets, with packages to suit different budgets. One of the most colourful packages in the current catalogue is the Freightmaster set containing Class 20 20132 _Barrow Hill Depot_ in Railfreight 'red stripe' livery, along with an inter-modal wagon loaded with two containers, a bogie tippler wagon, Mk 1 tool van and a standard BR brake van. An analogue controller, power connector, oval of track - with points and siding - and colour track mat are all supplied. The locomotive is DCC-ready too, so there's scope to go digital in future.

# Enter the form below for your chance to WIN this train set this festive season!

https://xd.wayin.com/embed/ea39a95f-0e27-44c0-857a-3c58bf4baeee?mode=responsive&scrolling=no

**TERMS AND CONDITIONS**: Promotion closes 18th December 2024.  Open to UK residents aged 18 or over only, except any employee of Promoter, its affiliated companies, any promotional partners or their families. Up to 1 entry per person. No cash alternative and prize is non-transferable. Your information will only be used to administer this Promotion in accordance with our privacy policy.

#### **Peter Marriott** shows how the family cat helped add flowing water to his fountain! {#block-d89b18f6-f4ee-4ebc-b780-3e0e16214a57}

Every time I attend a model railway show, I look for detailing parts that can add something to my layout. In 2023 I was fortunate to attend the Kleinserie event at Bauma, Switzerland, and there I picked up a model water fountain from the Swiss Model Rail stand (CHF 15, _:a[www.swissmodelrail.ch]{href='https://www.swissmodelrail.ch/' })._ This measures just 22mm x 7mm x 2mm and it was crying out for some water to be added and a water flow into the trough. I set myself the challenge of attempting to make the water flow, and that is when one of our pets gave me the answer to how to do it. {#block-fd6e4c4b-527d-43a2-b8e7-2a4ff6ca72f6}

Although not a feature you would likely find in the UK these days, water troughs like this are still common throughout Switzerland, both in rural and urban locations. Many of them are converted livestock drinking troughs, and provide a source of flowing water for people and animals. Most of the time it is safe to drink, because the water has originated from springs and, if it’s not, this warning is generally indicated with a sign. Despite not something seen on our streets at home, you could revert one of these models back to its original purpose of a livestock trough and place it in a rural setting on your layout, using exactly the same techniques as outlined opposite. {#block-76a310b3-fa5e-4897-8257-da6d900fffbf}

This small project was a lot of fun to do and didn’t take a lot of time, either – if you don’t take into account the drying time. It’s also made my cameo scene of the Health Centre more realistic. Upon its completion, I showed the finished fountain to our cats, but I’m honestly unsure if they were impressed or not! {#block-f1ab869b-85c3-481f-82c4-3a91558ab857}

#### What you will need {#block-f74be2a4-a4b3-4e51-982e-9a22e2b91ba0}

**SHOPPING LIST** {#block-e43190f2-33da-4610-a92b-7a79c8a20a14}

**TOOLS** {#block-25a3d04c-c761-4dd1-bbe5-4fbe82908ba1}

#### **STEP BY STEP** {#block-e5ed76ac-dc4d-4f80-9e09-7b0d2bcc2e89}

**1** The first step was to seal the inside of the water trough with Busch Modellwaser Aqua, which I rubbed around the base and sides of the trough using a wooden coffee stirrer. The thick fluid comes out of the bottle opaque but had dried clear by the next day. {#block-e9a3ad21-cda0-4080-a767-ae7160934f08}

**2** Once the first layer of water fluid had fully dried, I used Vallejo Still Water which I knew would dry nice and clear and shiny, to add the second and third layers of water. I poured on just a few drops at a time to ensure that I did not overfill the trough. {#block-a4ff1af6-f9a3-42ad-a43a-cdd733869d2d}

**3** The first layer of Still Water fluid by Vallejo dried well overnight but still needed an extra layer to bring it nearer to the top of the stone sides of the trough. As is the case with all water, going slow and steady will yield the best results. {#block-12c0098e-4264-4e12-add6-c60bb2b1b99c}

**4** I experimented with several methods of making a flow of water from fountain to trough as the stream needed to be thin. I found one of our cat’s hairs on my iPad case, and tried various water fluid products to produce a steady but thin trickle that would fall into the water. {#block-b184ec86-f368-4ac9-83de-414f28dc4baf}

**5** Here I experimented with two water fluids. At the top is Still Water by Vallejo and below is a little Vallejo Foam Effect. I chose to use the top portion of the cat’s hair, which captured the appearance of water a lot better – the water flow in the lower portion was too thick. {#block-c7a2dab8-b3d2-466e-b5e0-c67442e350a4}

**6** To fix the hair in place I used Deluxe Materials Making Waves, a milky, sticky fluid that dries clear and is good for making a variety of water effects. I applied it with a thin brush and a wooden stick, add a little of the fluid to the fountain and the trough. {#block-1cf47bd4-a26c-4e9d-bda0-b01ec21ac9d8}

**7** As the Making Waves was drying this is what the cat’s hair looked like before it was cut to the required length. The Making Waves dried clear including the small ripples on the water in the trough, which gave an effect of moving water. {#block-ee0369a9-5922-4239-9a3b-2b3dc8fac728}

**8** To add a more time-worn effect to the sides of the water trough I used a small piece of 1200 grit finishing paper. I also painted the tap using rusty brown acrylic paint to represent a pipe and tap that was in need of a replacement. {#block-2d64677f-7ea8-4ffb-9fee-7e634b03f9db}

#### One of our most frequently asked questions from aspiring model railway builders is how best to ballast the track. **George Dent** describes a tried-and-tested approach. {#block-21f9aa00-1fc6-4ad7-98c3-b351cfcae21a}

The ‘N’ gauge ballast pack provides a finer blend of stone chippings, which would also be ideal for ‘TT:120’ layouts.

Ballasting – it’s definitely a ‘Marmite’ kind of endeavour. Some modellers have told me that they find it extremely therapeutic, whereas I used to despise it, treating it as a necessary evil. But then, after trialling a few different methods to those I’d grown up with, I soon found it much less onerous. {#block-cf19aea5-ea1d-43f5-9b32-884c9b0645fd}

Like many practical tasks, it helps to use good quality products, in terms of the ballast itself and the adhesive employed to bond it together. Happily, compared to when I started out in the hobby, there’s now plenty of choice among modeller-friendly scenic materials and glues. Furthermore, once I’d learned to employ Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) as a wetting agent before applying the glue, ballasting became far less of a chore. {#block-fd03e1db-33c1-486d-84e9-dbc6ceb253f5}

Practice also makes perfect, and ballasting is a task that gets easier with repetition, so {#block-c116ba86-37a9-471d-893c-a3d980b4205d}

I heartily recommend trialling techniques on small dioramas or test pieces before tackling your layout. Glueing offcuts of track onto a scrap of plywood or sheet of foamboard creates a cheap and simple workpiece. {#block-bb02b82d-6f50-4414-81f1-3d5e3debe353}

For this demonstration, I treated a pair of dioramas, in ‘OO’ and ‘N’ gauge, both about a metre long. The application of the ballast took less than an hour on each diorama, and that includes stopping to take the step-bystep images. That said, I was only treating single lines of plain track, and working around points and crossings requires more care to ensure the moving point blades are not hindered. {#block-525225b3-03b3-4fc4-973d-411c6a6d1270}

We’ll look at ballasting in more detail in a future issue, but the basic principles are laid out here. I’ve trialled some new packs of blended stone ballast from Geoscenics, featuring a slightly aged appearance that’s suitable for steam and modern ‐era layouts. It has been graded into packs branded for ‘N’ and ‘OO’ gauges, with the former naturally featuring a finer grade of chippings. {#block-1022e315-3cab-435e-8b93-93b1ee13f034}

I’m really pleased with the finished results, with the ballast presenting a slightly lived-in appearance, but still presenting well maintained permanent way. I’d suggest that the ‘N’ gauge pack would also be perfect for ‘TT:120’ layouts, as well as for ‘OO’ scenes depicting quieter branch lines or within sidings or stations. {#block-cd5464a0-397e-450a-bdda-19b05176950e}

#### What you will need {#block-726ec9d9-9fe1-449d-a3df-2c9818767bc3}

**SHOPPING LIST** {#block-94bda2d8-ec5f-49e8-83c6-64afbcab967a}

◆ Deluxe Materials Pinpoint Applicator Tips {#block-0b107051-1ff7-4b71-bfc7-31f4b52e41ce}

◆ Isopropyl Alcohol (rubbing alcohol), 1 litre {#block-ac7d9923-6158-4ab7-833a-612c30daa8a7}

**TOOLS** {#block-acd8e999-0426-4040-b5a7-4f108c5c05fc}

◆ Teaspoon  
◆ Flat paintbrushes  
◆ Pipettes  
◆ Track rubber {#block-79ff41f1-a173-477f-b27a-8e6514423838}

#### **STEP BY STEP** {#block-a19e5ad0-471d-4e2c-97dd-981cd6fef8fa}

**1** Having fixed the track in position, use an old teaspoon to gently sprinkle the ballast into place, working it between the rails and along the outer sides. Apply it sparingly to begin with, rather than creating a deep layer.

**2** The most time-consuming stage is tidying loose ballast, although a soft-bristled flat brush makes the job easier. Work the ballast into gaps between sleepers and under rails, then tidy the edges too. Sweep up the excess for later re-use.

**3** To bond the ballast in place, we need a thin PVA-type glue that can penetrate between the individual chippings. Geoscenics’s Ballast & Scenery Glue is effective and can be used neat or thinned with water and a syringe is supplied in the special ballast packs to make application easier. Extra pinpoint applicator tips, a pipette and a bottle of Isopropyl Alcohol are also extremely helpful.

**4** Working on about 20cm of track at a time, gently wet the ballast with Isopropyl Alcohol, applied with a pipette. Only a small amount is needed – just enough to turn the ballast a uniformly darker shade of grey, revealing that the fluid has spread evenly.

**5** I thinned the Geoscenics glue slightly with water and, using the supplied syringe and a pinpoint tip (from Deluxe Materials), the adhesive was applied. Wetting the stone with the alcohol allows the thin glue to be drawn among the chippings by capillary action.

**6** You’ll be able to see the white glue penetrating through the stone. Slowly move the syringe tip along the length of the track, applying the glue sparingly. Working between the rails, the glue will spread outwards, but if the outer edges remain ‘dry’, add a little more glue.

**7** Repeat the process of wetting the ballast with alcohol and applying glue, moving steadily along the track. After 6 hours the glue had turned tacky, so I refined the ballast in a few areas, working it away from the rails and keeping the tops of the sleepers clear.

**8** In a warm room, the glue dries relatively quickly. Allow a minimum of 24 hours (I waited 48 hours to be sure) for the glue to harden completely before cleaning the rails with a track rubber. Vacuum away the debris and any loose ballast chippings.

###### ‘OO’ GAUGE LAYOUT **‘NORTH TYNESIDE’** {#block-b3d0303c-8889-4708-9128-e89ead586286}

#### Surely building a layout should be relaxing and fun? Not for **Kyle Humphries,** who enjoys the challenge of working to a deadline. {#block-0f60b873-dbad-43dd-a996-f752d2e82351}

Words: **Chris Gadsby** Photography: **Chris Nevard** Artwork: **Andrew Mackintosh** {#block-bff58d77-ed6e-4c26-877c-d25ddfb93d3e}

#### **What makes this layout great?** {#block-b60abcc8-594a-4535-9505-9ddb6068c119}

**This layout gives you a tangible sense of scale. The people look tiny compared to the locomotives, and here the locomotives look tiny compared to the shed. You really feel as though you are looking at the site from a hot air balloon.** {#block-793f52f2-b0b5-4364-a946-9466e057f579}

Modelling to a deadline adds a whole new dimension. Every time something doesn’t quite go according to plan, you glance up at the calendar – two months to go. On the opposite wall, the clock, normally an innocuous device, glares down at you menacingly as you refill your static grass machine for the seventh time. Tick, tock, tick, tock. ‘Why won’t this post stay upright?’ you think to yourself as beads of sweat drip off your forehead, the heating on full blast as you try desperately to cure the resin water for the canal scene at the other end. It sounds more akin to something out of a horror movie than building a model railway. Wasn’t this meant to be a relaxing hobby?! Fortunately, for a seasoned modeller like Kyle Humphries, who has a wealth of experience, the heat of building to a tight deadline is quite natural and this is his eighth commissioned piece. We have featured several of Kyle’s layouts in _Model Rail_ before, and his latest one is now available for all to see in a north-east museum. {#block-aeab9691-ab62-420e-9e42-0e097c1ad3dc}

“I was invited to take my previous layout ‘Margam Moor’ (GBMR2023) to an open day at the North Tyneside preserved railway, as one of the railway’s locomotives, No. 401, was originally built for Port Talbot, where ‘Margam Moor’ is set. There was a reunion gala with 401 and 403 which are both ex-Port Talbot locomotives, so it was felt that having the layout at the gala would be fitting. Conversations were had, and a model of North Tyneside was agreed upon. The plan was that it would be in the museum for the gala the following year.” {#block-63f9a801-cbea-4969-a740-adb77db9f379}

#### **3 things we like** {#block-7291e14c-602d-420f-97b7-b9dc64babd93}

**1** These trainspotters having their photograph taken.

**2** Can you tell which lamppost is a different height?

The build was completed ahead of schedule and appeared at the 2023 Warley exhibition, attended by Kyle and members of the North Tyneside railway. {#block-994d5503-0175-471d-8f72-73a2c6426f2c}

“It was an ideal situation. I had been on the Warley shortlist for a couple of years with ‘Margam Moor’ but I’d sold it before I got the invitation. Given that ‘North Tyneside’ is of a similar spec (16ft by 2ft 6in) they were happy for me to exhibit this instead. It was perfect. I could spend a couple of days showing it and teaching its new owners how to operate it but not have to take it home. They bought a van with them so I wouldn’t have to drive it to Newcastle.” {#block-315bf02f-de79-4851-a602-3fdb01b7e2aa}

#### REAL ‐LIFE CHALLENGES {#block-df21bfd5-c0db-4e8f-8058-6cf23f3eeffa}

Modelling a real location is a unique challenge that requires a different set of skills. It’s not about coming up with fresh ideas, but about capturing the essence of a place, making it true to life. For Kyle, this was a journey filled with intriguing non-negotiables that he had to include in his layout. {#block-983beb14-702e-4cd3-8a1c-bef42881a791}

“There are so many quirks. The headshunt has a kink, which was a vital feature to include as everyone involved on the railway knows it is one of the defining features that sets it apart from the rest. This took a lot of pinning and trial and error to get right. There’s also the platform. Somebody messed up during the build with the lampposts, and now one is a couple of feet taller than the rest. It’s not noticeable until you see it, at which point you cannot ‘un-see’ it. Also, on the platform, the benches are different, with one GWR and one NER. It was both strange and fun to model!” {#block-195c3701-c85a-4251-b2d8-8cf156cf4913}

Staying with small details, many of us know the frustrations with threading wire through fence posts. Now just imagine having to do it not once but twice. {#block-a111e79e-e364-4f0c-b502-c1fbf8694842}

“Every post is laser ‐cut and the holes are incredibly fine to thread the wires through five times per post. There are over 80 posts. It was a right pain and then, just as I had finished, my son kicked a football that landed on the layout and I had to do the fencing all over again. Lucky me. The fence was one of the areas where I did compromise though, as I pulled it off-scene a little early compared to the prototype, but there was no way I was going to have it cross a baseboard join.” {#block-07aba9f7-09f7-4a9c-8720-07694a4e04a8}

Of course, we can’t discuss ‘North Tyneside’ without highlighting the large and impressive shed to the right-hand side. This was Kyle’s most significant undertaking by far, and he spent almost 50% of the entire build time on this one structure. {#block-58dbeb54-c58e-41ec-964a-f7209e59aba5}

Present at ‘North Tyneside’ is a heavily modified Bachmann Class 37, depicting a prototype undergoing restoration. Kyle’s friends thought he was mad to tear apart a new locomotive, but adding a smoke unit and a West Hill Wagon Works engine has created an eye-catching feature.

“The shed has a foamboard core with plasterboard attached on either side of it and plastic card on the top of that – a five-layer structure, so to speak. With part of the roof open to allow viewers to see inside, I had to make the interior look as good as the exterior. Luckily, I have my own 3D printer. All of the small details have been printed at home, and I’ve only had one bad print in the 18 months since I started using the printer. Some worry about the cost of resin, but a single £30 bottle can go a long way when printing things so small. I use it for everything from small details to wagons. It is possible to make a rake of 30 wagons from a single bottle of resin which costs around £30. This is a lot cheaper than buying them!” {#block-2f9d7137-e7c0-47b6-aad2-2235beb52aa6}

Some modellers find building to a deadline is the best way to make a layout, particularly if they have lots of ideas. Kyle is one such modeller. He wants to model a lot, but he doesn’t have the space to store everything, so it suits him that the layouts can move on. The only question now is, what will he do next? {#block-0246309a-93b3-4ae8-bc03-60ae6b9b9bb4}

#### **FACTFILE: ‘NORTH TYNESIDE’** {#block-e7627932-6310-4b69-9ce0-e2c84bd9a449}

#### **MODELLER CV: KYLE HUMPHRIES** {#block-40ffb55b-17c3-473e-a131-7857547b9af4}

“I average a new layout about every year, or every other year at least. My interest lies more in trying to do something that nobody else has done before and pushing the boundaries, doing something that’s a bit different. My full-time job is within modelling, so I have lots of time to think up new ideas.” {#block-8a55d626-565e-4731-a89d-5340772ac93f}

#### **SEE MORE** {#block-6687af30-b4e2-478f-aaff-3994bcfe0346}

The North Tyneside Steam Railway museum is free to enter with free parking next to the museum entrance. Heritage train rides also operate on Sundays and Bank Holidays during the running season and on Thursdays during North Tyneside school holidays. {#block-7d573a1f-4a3e-42d6-a177-d5cd4e56b932}

###### ‘OO’ GAUGE LAYOUT **MARAZION AND MOUNTS BAY** {#block-a4ddeace-7cc2-4386-940d-7c0674997c67}

#### Having worked on the real railway, **Paul Taylor** was determined to make his fantasy ‘forever layout’ as authentic as possible. {#block-22c7fee9-b912-4c2a-8081-f2c9bb3390ab}

Words: **Chris Gadsby** Photography: **Chris Nevard** Artwork: **Andrew Mackintosh** {#block-f1fd7a71-3893-4d70-b72a-070190b32efd}

#### **What makes this layout great?** {#block-8582ecb2-ce6b-4e60-8459-fc28c0efe8be}

**‘Forever’ layouts tend to receive plenty of care and attention, and this is no exception. Paul has spent 13 years carefully crafting each aspect of this build and you can see the results. Nothing looks out of place and everything has apurpose.** {#block-71c637df-94d5-44b4-8066-a96548ab4f0f}

Building a model railway is a labour of love. Each part has been carefully planned, carefully designed and carefully placed over a period of many years. Paul Taylor started building the baseboards in 2010 for what was intended to be his ‘forever’ layout, but a house move means ‘Marazion and Mounts Bay’ is now awaiting reassembly. {#block-e3d5f60c-bb92-4ce6-8e81-a65663558ad3}

“When I started to build the layout I didn’t think we would ever be moving house, so I gave the baseboards the real belt and braces treatment of glueing and screwing them all together, meaning it was a right pain in the posterior to take apart and get down through the loft hatch for storage. Hopefully, I can get it put back together before too long.” {#block-57243165-dbed-402d-914f-1780474340d2}

Let’s not dwell on a layout that’s currently in pieces though, and rewind the clock to 2023. Paul’s layout fits snugly into the loft, measuring 12ft 9in by 10ft 6in at its widest point, and consists of a main line, small through station, two branch lines, a viaduct, gradients all over the place and a fiddleyard. Quite the spectacle. Set in the mid-1970s to early 1980s, ‘Marazion and Mounts Bay’ is Paul’s ‘what if’ scenario of Cornwall. {#block-5b0a02e7-0374-4af1-978f-27444b34c7a8}

The locomotives and rolling stock are a mixture of second-hand and new, but only when the layout was finished did Paul set about standardising couplings, improving the wheels, replacing missing parts, renumbering and weathering.

“I was brought up in Plymouth and when I began to work for British Railways I was based out of Laira, so the Western Region has always been my favourite and the one I go to for inspiration. My take on reality is that the line did not pass through Redruth and Camborne; instead, it went much closer to Falmouth as the principal town in the area, heading west along the coast and going to Penzance that way. Since the line approaches Penzance from a more southerly location, the branch to St Ives comes off from Mounts Bay. {#block-68009f1f-cdf8-42a6-925a-2e466ec223e6}

I didn’t quite have the space to model it all, as Penzance should be where my fiddleyard is! The Devon main line was perhaps characterised by long expresses, but the Cornish main line was quieter and had a better mix, including more local freight, albeit principally clay trips” {#block-182361ea-1900-4c56-b902-4ce858b136f1}

#### **3 things we like** {#block-3a36e389-1bde-4c79-a249-8e35497d749a}

**1** The interior of Marazion signal box.

**2** Paul’s attention to detail extends to the road signs.

Paul thought he would enjoy making trees and initially aimed at making particular types. However, his first attempts, with spray glue and cheap hairspray, just ended up in a smelly mess. His third attempt, using watered‐down Mod Podge as an adhesive, proved the most satisfactory.

With his plan in place, Paul began to create the baseboards, taking it right up to the eaves of the house. This has meant a sloping backscene in places, but more scenery. With the height dictated by roof joists at 4ft, Paul wanted to use the space as much as possible. Then it was time for track. Having worked for BR for so long, Paul wanted everything to look perfect, and was a stickler for detail. {#block-9fede6a7-2d04-4bf5-a5b8-4eb3e3d799cd}

“The track is a mixture of Peco streamlined wooden and concrete sleepers where appropriate. For both, I altered the sleeper spacing to make it more suitable for ‘OO’ gauge. This meant cutting each piece of track at a scale 60ft length (240mm). On the wooden sections, the sleepers are slightly more spaced out than they are on the concrete sleeper sections, again accurate to real life, and every turn over 5mph is canted. Doing the track was my favourite part of the build because that is the most railway type of thing. Getting the layout planned correctly, ensuring there is enough space for DMUs, for example, and getting the smoothest transitions you can get from straights to curves was very enjoyable. The points on the main line and those feeding into it are operated via a small feeder panel, but those in the fiddleyard are controlled via the ‘hand of God’. I couldn’t face wiring those up. The electrics were the most difficult part of the build and I found doing it in the winter when the solder didn’t take as well made it extra difficult.” {#block-d5303936-c01d-426e-95c1-250c4ffb0dbe}

With a significant part of his working life spent in the Safety and Standards departments, and later in re-signalling projects on the railways, Paul enjoyed designing signalling for the likely traffic pattern across the layout and adapting Ratio signals for particular circumstances, though they were extremely fiddly and delicate.

#### LAY OF THE LAND {#block-4c4d6fbf-13c7-4c91-8f91-370e68441036}

Our world isn’t just railway lines. Once the track had been done and ballasted, he began work on the surrounding areas. {#block-12b5572b-7fd8-4260-9c40-a2548eeef1cf}

“Although a certain amount of inside information from working for the railways was useful, much reference was made to the railways and surrounding scenery illustrated in the photographic albums of John Vaughan, Roger Siviter and Brian Morrison. To get various elements as close to reality as I could, almost everything required selective compression. The scenery is very basic, made from chicken wire, papier ‐mâché and some extruded foam. I also used hanging basket liner. Like others, I decided to put myself through the torture of doing lineside posts and wire fencing. I made the concrete posts out of old bits of plastic card and for the wire I used Lycra thread that I sourced from a firm in London. I got 3km on a small spool and it was easy to apply, even if it was mindnumbingly tedious. The buildings are mostly kit-bashed. Marazion’s signal box was a particularly fun one to create because the interior of the box overhangs the layout. There is a row of terraced houses and a pub that is scratchbuilt from wood, the stonework scribed into a filler coating. I’ve tried to replicate the typical houses you get in that area and the pub is inspired by two in Plymouth.” {#block-12350eb3-70d0-44ca-b900-5533545c1737}

The most striking feature of ‘Marazion and Mounts Bay’ is Paul’s viaduct, which spans a large section of the front of the layout. It is not only a significant feature but a stunning piece of design. {#block-fe36de93-d417-40c3-b692-2011699f1990}

“The viaduct is of plywood construction with hardboard infilling the arches and covered in lightweight filler, again scribed. Another long-winded task. The inside of the arches are brick and the viaduct is based on a number in Cornwall, all of them slightly different. The river is varnish, made up of lots of layers, and has an abandoned waterside warehouse with a couple of boats I made from balsawood. Getting the colour right was challenging because it seemed to depend on the angle from which I looked at the river! On each side of the river, I have a myriad of trees and bushes made from wire and a lot of scattered material that brings that unkempt section to life. At the rear, a hand-painted backscene shows the water a slightly different colour to the scenic section, as on the backscene you are looking along the water rather than down through it.” {#block-487bc2e2-0cef-48e5-ae5c-c9397047a5cd}

#### FUNNY FEATURES {#block-21fa37fd-2bdb-4c07-90ea-b7ba4008670c}

Not one to take things too seriously, Paul has added some amusing features to the layout. {#block-f2d84dfb-76ec-4800-9264-c40455f62d1b}

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