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My own 'N' Gauge Layout
Part One
By Daniel Cousins
This is the first time my N gauge layout has appeared on the website. As can be seen from the pictures it is far from being complete.
I first started building the layout in November last year after seeing how N gauge has developed recently. The layout is completely fictitious and could be set in the midlands as all the buildings are being painted in maroon despite most of the buildings are Great Western designs.
At first a baseboard of a size of four feet by three feet was made out of plywood with two by one inch bracing. The base board was then painted brown and a track plan was chosen from a Peco setrack plan book. I based my layout on plan 4 in the plan book and made changes to suit my needs, this made the job of buying and laying track much easier.
All the track work used is Peco setrack and this was pinned to the baseboard and then ballasted using Wood Land Scenics fine ballast using diluted PVA glue with a couple of drops of washing up liquid. The station and the platforms were made from Ratio kits. Both of these have been weathered by dry brushing.
Goods Shed
The next model to be made was a ratio goods shed. To go with the goods shed a weigh bridge and hut was made also a Ratio kit. The vehicles in the yard are from Langley models.
Other Ratio kits were added such as a yard crane and coal staithes with a hut.
The Station Masters House
The Station Masters house in one corner of the layout is a Hornby Lyddle End ready to use building as is the garage in its drive. The garden has been detailed by adding two ladies hanging washing out, a gravel drive made out of scatter materials, bins from Langley Models and trees added.
Field & Tractor
In the other corner is a field made from cutting tea bags and using it like scatter materials. The hedge around it is made from washing up pads cut up into strips of about 10mm high and then scatter material glued to it.
The tractor spraying in the field is a Langley Models kit made and weathered.
Changes
Recent developments on the layout have led to changes to the track work and a extension. The main reason for the changes track work came to be mainly to increase operational interest and to change the points in the goods shed to electrofrog to improve shunting.
The curves on the Station Masters side of the layout has been taken up so that the extension could be bolted to the layout. The extension will be a fiddle yard and therefore non scenic. This will also enable more operational interest as well as enabling the sidings in the goods yard to be increased in length.
In the next update it is hoped that all the track work will be completed with further developments to the goods yard.