Finally made a start after 40 years.

[dropshort105]

[derek]

When you say "finally made a start after 40 years", what do you mean exactly. I suppose it's obvious, but I'm still asking

[dropshort105]

I have been collecting bits and pieces and planning to build a layout for 40 years, I have finally started building it.

[Galteemore]

Well done. Some good work there 

[leslie10646]

Brother, that is truly remarkable for a "First effort".

You'll soon be challenging for the "Top Spot" here if you keep this up!

[Patrick Davey]

Lovely scenes!!  Now you have got started, keep going!!!  Thanks for posting.

[jhb171achill]

Superb, as are the scenic details.

I love the oul ruined cottage!

[dropshort105]

Thank you all for the encouragement, but most of the credit must go to YouTube

[dropshort105]

The landscape is hiding one of two planned Helix leading to a subterranean fiddle yard, at least that's the plan, trains disappear into the tunnel down the helix and park up for a while and a different train appears at the station.

[dropshort105]

Tunnel mouth is done, my mother loves the whitethorn trees at this time of year so I figured I would try making some, I'm happy with the result.

[jhb171achill]

Those bushes really look the part. Substitute yellow, and you've gorse too. How did you make them?

[dropshort105]

9 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

Those bushes really look the part. Substitute yellow, and you've gorse too. How did you make them?

I will make some more today and take some pics of the process, it only takes a couple of minutes.

[dropshort105]

Plastic flowers and dry moss from The Range, some brown paint, hairspray, important safety tip ( do not steal it from your wife ). Some green scatter and some light gray coarse ballast, although I'm sure some household condiments like semolina would work just as well. Clip off a couple of the stems, pull the flowers off and chuck em, they are way too big. Paint the stalks. 

Shove dry moss in between the branches and apply a liberal coating of hairspray. Apply more hairspray and liberally apply scatter, I alternate between colours, this gives it a bit of shading and reduces uniformity.

Apply another liberal coating of hairspray and then the gray ballast.

Drill a hole, and shove it in with a little PVA, 15 minutes and you are done.

 

[west_clare_wanderer]

Fantastic stuff. It's inspiring to hear that you have finally got underway with a layout. It looks great. 

Keep on sharing. 

[dropshort105]

3 minutes ago, west_clare_wanderer said:

Fantastic stuff. It's inspiring to hear that you have finally got underway with a layout. It looks great. 

Keep on sharing. 

Thanks, but I must admit, I am getting a little obsessed with this one little corner of it, I really need to wrap it up and move on.

[jhb171achill]

On 18/5/2025 at 11:44 AM, dropshort105 said:

Thanks, but I must admit, I am getting a little obsessed with this one little corner of it, I really need to wrap it up and move on.

You’re inspiring me to get to work on more scenery…..!

[raymurph]

Your layout looks great! Especially for a first effort too. Thanks for sharing the bush making tutorial, it'll come in handy for my layout as well.

And you've built a helix! Quite a challenge to get working from what I've heard. Look forward to more posts.

 

 

[Niles]

If that's your first effort and I can't imagine how good your 'experienced' one is. 

[dropshort105]

2 hours ago, raymurph said:

Your layout looks great! Especially for a first effort too. Thanks for sharing the bush making tutorial, it'll come in handy for my layout as well.

And you've built a helix! Quite a challenge to get working from what I've heard. Look forward to more posts.

 

 

I will post on the next helix build so

I have some more tree building tricks to try, will post if any of them work.

[dropshort105]

As it is very difficult to get under the landscape for wiring lights and whatnot, I run a 12v circuit around the frame with copper tape, one positive one negative, I run a third strip wired to the 12V positive via a 3V resistor, the gives me a 3v circuit as well. I can then run 12v or 3v power along along the surface to wherever it is needed, then hide it under roads, buildings or even the flower beds. A great benefit is that I don't need to individually fuse 3v lights etc as they can simply be wired directly to the 3v circuit. Of course the circuit on the frame will have to be covered over later for safety.