Pizza The Scenery

I'm pretty good at excuses for putting outdoor chores to one side and playing trains. Living in deepest mid Wales it's usually a case or rain starts play, but over the bank holiday weekend it's been too hot and sunny for one so delicate as me. Out came card, glue, sawdust and plaster and down went the basic landforms on the pizza. The landscape at the front of the layout was blocked in some weeks ago, but that to the rear is corrugated card. Having tried out both I think I prefer the card; once the ground mix (patching plaster, pva and sawdust) is slapped on then smoothed out with a cheap and nasty paintbrush all the angular edges disappear. It is less messy than hacking polystyrene about and glues take to it better. Anyway here's a few photos of the state of play.

Round the Bend

My latest layout isn't the only pizza that I've built, nor does it push the boundaries of what's possible in four squre feet. Several years ago I used the same two by two footprint for a finescale OO gauge layout. Like my current narrow gauge project it was aimed at an exhibition audience; the similarities also encompassing punter push button operation. Obviously only short wheelbase stock was comfortable with the ten inch curves on the main line (the sidings being purely decorative) but even the six wheels of my 03 and 04 shunters made it round the corners. The limiting factor was actually the three link couplings, which to stop buffer locking had to be temporarily lengthened to four links. Anyway here are some photos and trackplan of the layout.

Though the layout is long gone there are a few remains. The buildings sit gathering dust on one of my playroom shelves waiting till I find a use for them, and somewhere I have the point and crossing formation though I seriously doubt I'll ever manage to recycle it into any layout.