Archive
All videos
Planting trees on a hillside with tweezers
A bag of tiny trees, a dab of glue and how to make a hillside look like a wood, not a bristle brush.
Painting a card signal box
Thin coats, a fine brush and the three colours that make a small box look worn and lived in.
Pouring ballast along a stretch of track
Fine stone, a soft brush and the glue mix that holds it without a shine.
Lighting a station for night
Tiny lamps, a lit waiting room and a train standing in the dark.
Cutting and folding a goods shed
A knife, a steel rule and the order I fold in so the corners come out square.
Drawing a track plan before you buy anything
A big sheet of paper, a pencil and the loops that fit in a small room.
A walk along an old railway line
A cutting, an embankment and what a real line leaves behind for a model to copy.
Bridges and viaducts for a small layout
Where a bridge goes, how tall it needs to be and how to hide a join.
Soldering a small locomotive chassis
A steady hand, a cutting mat and a small iron: the quiet half hour at the bench.
Choosing the view for a train over a bridge
Low angles, soft light and why the camera lives at track level.
Newsletter
Layout Notes
A short letter every other Saturday from the attic: one building, one trick with card and one thing to try.