We rate this N gauge layout as one of the very best with its use of height and improved track standards and appearance. In many pictures, Andrew's scene defies its scale.
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There are various things in life that make people stop and take a good look, perhaps even sometimes drawing a small crowd. For example, a large aircraft passing low overhead will cause people to momentarily freeze and look up in sheer wonderment. It is something that is naturally quite exciting, even if you know nothing at all about aeroplanes! A similar level of interest could perhaps be directed at the passing of a large ship as it gracefully manoeuvres close to the shore. Given the right set of circumstances, the passing of a train can also attract an appreciative audience. For example, a long train, perhaps very heavy, making lots of noise, possibly rounding a gentle curve atop of an embankment, passing over a large bridge structure and then finally disappearing into the darkness of a tunnel. That would undoubtedly make one or two people stop and stare. What is more, if another train then appeared, travelling in the opposite direction and passed by, right next to the other train, the level of interest would probably increase several fold.
Eight years ago, back in 2012, this was the vision I had built up in my head for a new model railway project. At the time, I was modelling in 4mm scale and had built a small Western Region branch line layout in EM featuring china clay trains with a strong emphasis on the shunting of goods wagons. That layout had given me a good ten years’ worth of pleasure and I had built up a reasonable collection of kit built stock. However, I did fancy a change, and, for something completely different, I wanted to create a section of main line railway where I could literally just watch trains go past, without having to stand there with a controller in my hand. As I only had the space that was currently occupied by my existing branch line layout, it soon became obvious that to accommodate my planned new mainline ‘roundy roundy’, I would have to change to a smaller scale.
In the past, I had dismissed N gauge as being inferior. In fact, I had dabbled with it as a teenager (a long time ago!) and actually gave up. I seem to remember that the best runners I had at the time were the Minitrix diesels but the accuracy of the models left a lot to be desired. However, in more recent times, I had noticed that some of the more up-to-date locos and stock actually did look rather smart and I began to see the potential for creating a very respectable railway in this scale.
I purchased a small number of N gauge items in order to have a little ‘play’ and try some detailing work. I needed to satisfy myself that I could comfortably work in this scale and achieve the results that I desired. One of my first priorities was to replace the couplings with something much less visually intrusive and so I made up some ‘hook and bar’ replacements from 0.5mm brass wire. These consisted of a horizontal ‘U’ shaped bar protruding from the bufferbeam on one wagon together with a corresponding vertical hook on an adjoining wagon which sticks out from the bufferbeam and then down at 90 degrees. All very simple indeed with no moving parts. Vehicles are coupled permanently together whilst on the layout as well as being held close together. Not much use on a shunting layout, but ideal for a ‘watch the trains go by’ type of layout that I was about to embark on.
I then turned my attention to the actual track itself. If possible, I wanted to build my own. Some research had made me aware of a product from the 2mm Scale Association called ‘Easitrac’ which is a series of components intended for the construction of finescale track to the slightly wider gauge of 9.42mm using code 40 rail. Sections of plain running line are formed by sliding lengths of rail into preformed plastic sleeper/chair mouldings, whilst pointwork can be made up by soldering the rail to copper-clad sleepers. I had been advised that normal N gauge wheelsets could be run on such a system as long as the track gauge of the pointwork narrowed slightly from the 9.42mm of the plain track to 9.0mm in the area of the frog and checkrails. I set about building a test point and kept passing a wagon through as construction progressed in order to determine that all was well. After completion, I wired the point up and tested a Graham Farish diesel which sailed through without a hitch. I think this just goes to show how tolerant modern N gauge wheelsets are. In the time since I built the track for my layout, a new product has become available from a company called FiNetrax who supply flexible N gauge track with code 40 rail together with readymade point work.
It was now time to make a difficult decision. If I was going to proceed with this N gauge project, I was going to have to sell my EM layout as quite simply, I would need the space. I advertised my layout on RMweb and it sold within a few days. This was the point of no return. Suddenly I had the space to build a new layout and I was now modelling in N gauge!
Construction of the new layout began almost immediately as I had already done most of the planning. The whole idea behind moving down to N gauge was to fit a spacious looking main line into the space previously occupied by a small branch line and there were several key features which I wished to include in the new project, the main one being a substantial viaduct. In order to accommodate this viaduct in a realistic manner, quite a lot of scenery was going to have to be well below the level of the track. This in itself was another key feature for me as I like the very three dimensional effect that it creates as trains pass through. It is however very important to allow for this at the very beginning of the construction stage as any land that is lower than the track has to be taken into consideration when building the baseboards. My trackbed is chipboard which is built up on wooden blocks several inches above the initial flat wooden frame which forms the base of the layout. Any land which is higher than the level of the track can be easily added at absolutely any stage of the layout construction, but for anything below track, it is vital to pre-plan.
The scenic part of the layout is ten feet in length by eighteen inches wide. This consists of two baseboards both five feet long. In addition to the two scenic boards, there are two boards of similar size which form the storage sidings behind, as well to two semi-circular boards which form a continuous run. These semi-circular boards carry a curve with a radius of two feet. (four feet wide). I had experimented and found this was necessary to prevent any kind of locking between vehicles, particularly coaching stock, that utilized my hook and bar close-coupling system. Therefore the overall size of the layout is about fourteen feet by slightly over four feet wide. The track through the scenic section is very simple comprising of double track for the main running lines, between which there is a trailing crossover. There is also a goods loop in one direction and a trailing siding off of the other running line. In order to make the scene as realistic as possible, I placed a strong importance in only having very gentle curves within the scenic section. The track is ballasted using very fine white sand that was being sold for use in tropical fish tanks.
Like all my previous layouts, and probably any that emerge in the future, Blueball Summit is a purely fictitious location based somewhere in the West Country during the 1970s and early 1980s. It is, quite unashamedly, an attempt to rekindle teenage memories of watching a seemingly endless procession of holiday expresses together with quite a lot more freight trains than there actually were! Despite steam having given way to diesel traction, it was still very much a ‘traditional’ railway with all the associated atmosphere such as mechanical signalling, locomotive haulage of passenger trains and drivers that would invite you up onto the footplate!
I do enjoy making model buildings and one of the benefits of moving down from 4mm scale to N gauge has been the increase in space available to fill with buildings and scenery. My EM gauge shelf layout actually had very little space for scenery, just a few inches either side of the track bed. Apart from the station and signal box, most of the buildings were either low-relief or very small huts. Certainly, the inclusion of a castle or large mill building would have been out of the question. All the buildings and structures on this new layout are built from plasticard, with roofing slates made from strips of overlapped paper. Some of the windows are made from 0.3 microstrip (very thin strips of plastic), although some, like the signal box, have utilized brass etchings for window detail. I like the character of groups of old buildings that sit together in a cluster, with differing roof angles and walls. Most, such as the mill, the pub, and various cottages are based on real ones from around the Stroud area, where I live. The castle on top of the hill is based on Blaise Castle at Bristol. The station footbridge was inspired by the one at Bodmin Road. That’s why it has a bracket signal right in front of it, just like the real one had during the 1970s and early 80s. Talking of signals, they are all assembled from brass etchings from Model Signal Engineering and no, they don’t work. I am not that clever! The tunnel mouth is based upon Somerton.
There is a lovely picture of a Western diesel emerging from the western portal in a book called ‘Western Glory’ by Chris Chapman. I drew up a plan from what I could see in the picture. Like all the plans I draw up to work from, it’s just a reasonable approximation of the real thing, utilizing a combination of estimates and guesswork! I situated the tunnel and viaduct very close together for maximum dramatic effect! I love watching trains emerge from the tunnel and then almost immediately run across the viaduct. At the non-scenic end of the tunnel, a long cover made from Plastikard sits over the track. Therefore, when you peer into the tunnel mouth, it is pitch black. Trees are made up from lengths of very thin wire which is twisted together to form the required shape before having a mix of plaster and PVA brushed over the trunk. The foliage is teased out Woodland Scenics and added in small clumps to the branches.
The layout was designed to be viewed and operated from the front, including at exhibitions where I find people often appreciate a visible face if they wish to chat or ask any questions. There is quite a high backscene together with a lighting unit containing ‘daylight’ florescent tubes intended for use above aquariums.
Now that the layout itself is largely complete, I can concentrate on building up my collection of locomotives and rolling stock. I have a very strong interest in BR wagons and enjoy modifying and improving ready-to-run items as well as building from kits. My favourite train is my rake of clayhood wagons which had a strong affiliation with Cornwall and Devon. I am currently working on the 6V53 southbound empty clayliner train. These wagons differ slightly from the clayhoods, being of a longer wheelbase and many had corrugated ends. Mine are plastic body kits from the N gauge society, running on etched chassis kits from the 2mm Scale association. I do have a slight weakness for coal trains although in reality they were never very common in the South West in blue diesel days. Perhaps there is an imaginary power station near-by with an insatiable appetite for long trains of coal! As mentioned earlier, my stock is fitted with a close coupling system and the coaching stock if fitted with corridor connections supplied by nbmodelrailwayproducts.co.uk which are made from black paper. All of my locos and rolling stock are weathered as this was a strong characteristic of rolling stock during my chosen period. I use a combination of dry-brush and airbrush. Reference to original photographs of rolling stock in actual use is vital in order to achieve the correct results. I usually finish off models with a spray of matt varnish that has a small dab of white paint mixed well in, as I feel that the colours of the trains benefit from being toned down slightly, especially in this small scale.
On reflection, I am glad I changed down from 4mm scale to N gauge, although it was not an easy decision at the time. For various reasons, I have spent far more time actually modelling than I did previously and now that I am running a main line instead of a branch, I can easily justify a much greater variety of trains.
THE LAYOUT IN DETAIL
OF COURSE, THERE'S MORE TRAINS, MANY MORE!
Thank you to Andrew for sending along further images of his most recent masterpieces in miniature!
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