Foxbury MKII

I started the layout in March of 2020, just as Covid-19 was making it's mark on the country (and a year later it's still here).  Progress on the layout has been pretty quick, not that that's down to me being furloughed or anything, far from it as being categorized as an essential worker I was busier than ever! However, everything that would normally keep me distracted in my free time was closed (model shops, preserved railways, virtually everything was for a period last year and not wishing to watch daytime TV at weekends I got cracking on the layout. Whilst the purpose of this blog is not to show progress on the layout I thought a brief explanation might be in order.

I had already ordered the baseboards from Grainge and Hodder. One of their chaps was at the Stafford Model Show in the February of that year and I was impressed with their laser-cut baseboard kits. They do off the shelf ones as well as bespoke ones.  A link to their website is on the right of this blog, well worth having a look and I would certainly recommend them.

One of the 2 boards built and inverted to show the framework.

I added fascias and backscene boards to the basic ply units supplied. After laying 1/16th cork sheet the track was added. I still use 12mm gauge which is admittedly under the scale width of 14.2mm but having to re-wheel all my locos and stock was simply too big a task to contemplate, at least for this layout as I wanted to get something running. So, armed with some of the excellent flexi-track from the 3mm Society and some very nice hand-built pointwork from a fellow 3mm Society member I set to work. Membership of the society is certainly recommended in this scale for it's wide range of kits and bits plus it's excellent quarterly journal "Mixed Traffic". Again, a link to the society website is shown on the right of this blog.

     

Track down, wired up, rails painter and backscene added (from ID Backscenes). As can be seen from the control switches on the left of this shot, I will be operating from the front on this layout.  

A few months of work has brought it to this state. Ballasting done, platforms and terrain built up on a framework of stout card. The buildings plug-in to the platform to enable removal. 

The completed station area with my AC Cars Railbus in the platform. All the figures on the layout (with the exception of the railbus driver and passengers) are from the excellent Modelu range, their detail comes to life when carefully painted.  

Couldn't resist a black and white version of the same photo.

The diminutive signal box which is a scratch-built model of the one at Watlington. Someone must have pinched the point rodding etc......must get around to adding some.

The local permanent way gang's hut together with the grounded coach body which acts as a store and mess room. The prototype for the hut is from St Mary's Crossing on the Gloucester-Swindon line.