When a picture is worth a thousand words

Things are coming together

 (Don’t worry, I won’t write 1,000 words).

 It can take a lot to please me when it comes to my model railway projects. I think that may be why I flit from project to project, scale to scale. I’m trying to find a way to create that indefinable "it" quality that I see in other peoples work that drives me on in this hobby. Like when I first saw pictures of the old Model Railway Journal O scale layout Inkerman Street. That layout had the "it" quality for me. So therefore, I reasoned, if I want to produce a model railway with the "it" quality, I must model in O scale. Or if we choose a more up to date layout. James Hilton's Canal Street Wharf also has that personal "it" quality. Therefore I should model in 006.5 if I want to produce a layout with those qualities. Of course we all know that’s not the case. It’s what YOU put into YOUR layout that gives it that quality.

 For me, this new picture of my layout has that quality, the atmosphere that I’m after. It feels like the corner of a yard on a small industrial or estate railway system somewhere. The elements are there. The workshop with tools and equipment on view. (I may yet lay a temporary section of track into the workshop, so I could display something in there). The wall on the left hand side looks the part. It was the correct decision to go with this rather than the hedge I originally considered. The track in the back corner is getting buried up to rail level. I wanted a short section of buried track. I didn’t want to bury it all as I’m quite proud of what I achieved with Plastruct sheet to make the sleepers. I may yet use this back corner for a working tipper feature, as was the original plan and also on Carl’s layout. The corrugated building will be used for loading the skips. Much like the original Squarefoot. I’m very pleased with the way the angled wooden building draws your eye towards the loading shed. 

 Just peeping into the picture is the Landrover view block. That works surprisingly well, The Amberley loco is a little too tall to be totally hidden by it though. Shorter locos are hidden very well.

 In my minds eye I can now see the weeds, litter, and other detritus on the ground all adding to the atmosphere. Buildings need to be bedded in, bargeboards, gutters and down pipes added. Some weathering needs to be done, but its getting there.

The layout is really coming together now.