Model Railway Forum

Actually, modelling the rear of houses is very realistic as it is what one sees as one travels along on the railway.
What surprises is the amount of natural scenery one can see when approaching towns and cities, as with some of them one may not even realize one is going right up the centre of a sprawled out built up area. If one gets off the train and out the centre one may see miles of town-like or city-like streets. Yet some towns and cities such as coming into Cardiff on the main line, one can almost be surprised that one is in a massive city! It is a complete contrast to the approach by road.
Having said that, where one does have houses, shops or other buildings on the way in, it is the backs of them with the sometimes untarmacked back lanes that one sees, with all the typical rubbish and scrap accumulated due to having very small areas to put unwanted items out the way. Example. If one had to put an old fridge or washing machine that had given up out the way until one was ready to deal with it if one didn't have a suitable vehicle to take it away, it would be very noticable out the back of a small yard but if one has a smallholding or a farm etc, it would hardly be noticed due to the size of the landscape around one has to put the things in. So clutter of many descriptions such as old bicy les, trampolines, swimming pools and other outdoor clutter are far more noticable in cities towns and villages than it is in rural locations.

It is all fun to model!

Something that came in and went during certain years being modelled are satellite dishes, certain types of TV aerials such as the large H pattern type etc (My friend has a thing about TV aerials and masts etc so he could describe them in detail about the frequency ranges each aerial design will pick up and when and where they were used...).

It is all visible fun to model, and don't forget CB and radio ham enthusiasts which have very noticable aerials and mini-masta...

Great pictures and modelling Carl - the weathering is very good - look forward to seeing the level crossing.

Also, if you're modelling the last few years, back alleys will have multiple wheeley bins.

That you, I appreciate all the comments and ideas, I can’t wait to clutter some back yards.

Something that was really starting to bug me……. why did I leave the centre road a dead end?



So out came the track laying gang, and it now provides a run round, which makes much more sense. It bit of tinkering to do with the alignment, but it’s nearly there. It’s going to have to be a surface mounted point motor, but it will be behind the booking on building.

I was always making little track alterations on my past 00 layout! The thought behind the track improvements and the testing what can be done and I was in my element!

MG, I totally agree; I could actually take it a stage further, I’d love to start all over again with a clean sheet and the benefit of numerous exhibition visits. Are we ever content?

Carl L wrote: ↑Sat Nov 15, 2025 8:24 am Are we ever content?

No. I'm constantly looking at my layout and thinking that I could have done something better or different. My ongoing irritation is a lack of a fiddle hard but I'd need another shed for that (and a divorce ).

I could go on about this for hours, and frequently do, to the annoyance of the project manager, who reminds me I’m at the wrong end of the age spectrum to start again.

I keep wanting to do this junction; I contemplated it when the track was initially being laid but didn’t bother. I’m not sure why I want to do it, not sure what it achieves, other than a variety of running options. The reality now is that it involves moving too many other points, so it’s a non starter. However I quite wish I’d seen the likes of South Pelaw Junction and Hornsey Broadway before I’d started.

Resistance is futile.
Get it done.