Author Archives: alan long

Backdrops are what define your layout, it could be and industrial scene, country scene, hillsides or plain old sky. They are fixed to your back board using double sided tape which will help stop the “bubbling” effect you get with glue. Once you have your back boards done then you can add the tunnel mouths,Continue reading “BACKDROPS, CUTTINGS AND MASKING TAPE!”

Hello and welcome once again to my blog on building my model railway SHIREBROOK YARD. So last time the track plan was decided, checked on the base board so now for the fun part! In the end a model railway is about bringing a diorama to life, I can assure you the moment you turnContinue reading “RUSTY TRACKS BUT WE HAVE THE POWER!”

Welcome to this week’s blog, you join me having spent a day track laying and electrics. Now I’ll be the first to admit that electrics ain’t my strong point but thankfully modelling in DCC it’s fairly streight forward. This will be covered in a future blog so let’s move on to todays blog. Last timeContinue reading “STARTING TO TAKE SHAPE”

Hi and welcome my latest Shirebrook yard blog. Somebody once said “measure twice, cut once”. Now I agree if you cutting wood that’s great advice and from a railway modellers point of view I can’t stress enough how important planning is. Soon we will get on to the good bit, track planning but before thatContinue reading “I HAVE A CUNNING PLAN.”

As promised here is HORBY Junction in pictures. I should stress up front like most layouts this is not the finished article (See back drop). Two pannier tanks readying for a days work and plenty of passengers for the first service of the day. The morning shift at the goods yard getting ready for oneContinue reading “HORBY JUNCTION A PICTORIAL GUIDE.”

HORBY JUNCTION. Welcome to the second blog in this story of my love of model railways and how I turned a hobby into a cottage industry. As I’ve already said like most model railway fanatics it all stared with a Christmas gift when I was just a lad. So how I hear you say didContinue reading “Horby Junction”