A new chapter begins

Well, I went off a bit half-cocked last month. As it turns out, the grain hoppers weren't finished. But after some white paint on the handrails and a spray of dullcoat, they're finished now.

Brake Detail

Brake Detail

I've been thinking about building a layout for some time now, but there's a number of problems with this. Firstly, I rent, so any layout has to be portable. Secondly, I don't really have much space. I have a spare bedroom, but it only measures 3m x 3m, which would be just big enough for a loop, but nothing else really.

So instead, I decided I'd build a diorama. That way, I'd have somewhere to photograph my trains other than my kitchen bench. And it would also be a good opportunity to experiment with layout building and scenery techniques before I build a proper layout sometime in the future. So I went down to Bunnings and got myself a sheet of 12mm plywood. Originally, I was going to build a single module, 1200mm long by 600mm deep. But when I started construction I realised I'd have plenty of leftover plywood, so I decided to build a second module. The end result is a 2400mm x 600mm "diorama" made up of 2 modules, supported on some trestles (which I also knocked). The whole thing makes for quite a sturdy base to work on.

My 2400 x 600 "Diorama"

What will go on top of all the wood will have to wait until the next post...