Another project for the Hornby Collectors Club, though this was a project I'd been thinking about for a long time... producing a model railway for £100. With the cost of railway modelling skyrocketing in recent years, potentially putting off newcomers, I wanted to have a crack at making a whole layout for less than the cost of a modern locomotive.
The inspiration came from a few of the smaller preserved lines around the UK, principally the Derwent Valley Railway in York, at the Yorkshire Museum of Farming...
...and the Dolgarrog Railway, in Wales.
...with a bit of the Middleton in Leeds. 3 smallish railways, all using small locomotives and simple passenger stock.
The foundation for the project, the traditional train set, with some extra track. All bought second-hand to keep within the budget.
Baseboards largely from reclaimed and upcycled wood.
Bridges and retaining walls from foamboard, and card, and printed stonework.
Landscaping from packing foam.
It was carved to shape...
...and covered in papiermache.
The platforms were old Triang bits from model railway show bargain bins.
A bit of scribed plasticard gave an impression of the concrete used by the prototype railways I'd been looking at.
Ballasting the trackwork was done with a trip to the pet shop, cheaper than using model railway items at this stage of the project, with money becoming tight.
The scenery was done with grass mats; I got a few from the second-hand section at Frizinghall Models.
Reeds for the various water courses were done with a paintbrush.
Painting the platforms.
Another bargain from a model railway show; a box of reclaimed model trees, with other scenic bits, for a fiver.
The train from the set; I thought a little preserved railway like this would probably not be using steam, in its earlier days, so all this would need to be modified.
Inspired by the Dolgarrog example, I acquired a second-hand brakevan body, and stripped the body off the coach to re-use the chassis. The coach body could then be used as a grounded building at the station.
Shopping at an online spares dealer turned up a selection of bits for the locomotives.
The basis for both engines in use would be the Barclay 0-4-0 class 06 shunter, and I planned to do some rebuilds to create some unique variations.
Needing a fuelling stage, and not needing the crate off the lowmac wagon, I took a razor saw to it.
Combined with some spare platform bits and broken fencing, I bodged it together.
Various items awaiting spray painting.
The rebuilt diesel shunters.
Primer applied, ready for detail-painting in acrylics.
The finished layout.
Shooting the pics out on the driveway, with my (somewhat scruffy) backgrounds. I really need to get around to doing some new ones. I had hoped to shoot some pics with natural backgrounds, find somewhere with nice rolling hills, but time was against me.
Passenger coach from an old Triang clockwork range coach; I thought it gave the impression of the one used at the Derwent Valley.
Inspired by something I'd seen at Bristol Harbour, I converted the open wagon into makeshift passenger accommodation.
Wish I'd done a slightly better job aligning the bodies, it shows up in certain shots.
And that, indeed, was that. All told, it went a little bit over budget (hey, inflation, this project had been on the go quite a while) but it was a good one to do. Also gives me a set for taking pictures on, as well as a nice little layout to play with at some point.
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