'U' Drive

Mountain falls

A short film of this layout can be viewed on YouTube.
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=81vuKkng-RQ&feature=related
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=d2kOjlJgxTM&feature=related

The unit is a 4ft X 4ft mold and has the hills, tunnels and levels already formed. The unit itself was designed for HO. However I began to model to N gauge. When I joined the Tumut Railway Modelers I though maybe it was time to put it to use and have it as a 'U' drive so the “Lima Units” began its new life as an N gauge layout, the use of N gauge also made the unit seem much larger.

Laying the track

The track plan is an inverted figure of eight with two sidings. The track is Atlas code 80 flexi track and the two points are manual. To give the track a raised profile when ballasted, Trackrite was used. Trackrite is a flexible product and can be cut easily fit points and curves with ease. Laying the flexi track was made easy because it fitted into the Trackrite .

TIP. Solder two lengths of flexi track together. This will make it easier to lay track around curves and keeps a better electrical circuit.

Leads to power the track were connected near the front and at the rear of the unit to stop any drop in current. Before ballasting, the track and electrical wiring were tested.

Ballasting and Landscaping

HINT. Being careful when ballasting will save having to remove any of the ballast from the sides of the rails. If any ballast is on the insides of the rails, the loco may derail.

TIP. Make up some “wet water” by making a mix of water and few drops of dish washing liquid.

I used a teaspoon to put the fine grade ballast on the track and a small paint brush used neaten it up. Then the ballast was sprayed with wet water. To glue the ballast, diluted glue 50/50 (water/ PVA wood glue) applied via an eye dropper

TIP worked in short lengths of track at a time. Test points don’t become fouled by ballast OR stuck by glue!

The layout has an English landscape appearance. Darker greens for grass and a mid-tone browns for earth areas. A light colour ballast for diversity. Small bushes are dark green lichen and clump foam all from Woodland Scenic.

TIP. Consider the layout setting. Choose landscaping materials that reflect what you want your layout to look like.

Working in small sections, a layer of PVA was painted on the unit and the ground cover was then glued down using the same method of wet water and the glued mix as the ballasting. The grass was sprinkled over the unit using a either a teaspoon, carefully from the packet or from a lid from a jar. The ground covers can be mixed. Some areas had a number of different ground covers to create up an overgrown or unfrequented area.

TIP. For diversity, use different materials such as saw dust or sand to achieve a diverse landscape.

The tunnel entrance was redone to be suitable for the N scale using foam. It was carved to shape with a home made device that worked very well. Both entrances are removable, it also makes it easy to clean the track, when the foam was glued it was painted a mixture of green as a base colour. This helped to cover the foam areas that may not get covered with the landscaping materials.

HINT. Painting a base colour can help make landscaping materials go a little further!

The trees are hand made from twisted wire covered with paper and painted brown, the leaves are lichen.

Impasto was used to fill small holes and to create a bit rougher texture to the hills, the rocky parts of the hill were painted grey with tinges of brown but people still think its "snow".

HINT paint can be painted over!

The level crossing is a thin bit of MDF and Plasticard. The MDF was used to raise the level crossing to the height of the track and the Plasticard was cut to fit between the rail lines. The roads were painted a mid tone grey using a sponge roller to give a texture. The road into the goods yard was painted the same grey and then dry brushed with a very light brown.

The backdrop is sky colours and hill with similar colours to the landscaping materials. Starting with a dark blue at the top of the board and working down blending to a much lighter blue near the bottom the sky was fairly easy to do.

The Lake was relatively easy, starting with a mix of watery colours, not straight blues but dark blue and greens I swirled them from the centre of the lake to the outer edges, I then, with the paint still wet painted a mud colour around the banks, I found the more green and brown compared to blue I used the better it looked I left it to dry before I painted over it with clear gloss coat.

Buildings

The buildings that are made from plaster and reflect an English style. All the buildings are removed for transportation. All the buildings are either kits or plaster castings.

As a 'U' drive the unit is prone to little hands and such detail will be added when a cover is made to protect it.