Layout in a Boxfile

3rd November 2007

Having sold my 00 gauge layout earlier in the year I found myself in need of a test track for my 00 locos and somewhere to have a spot of shunting from time to time. Inspired by, amongst other things Neil Rushby's layout featured in Railway Modeller, I decided to have a go.

The box file has it's base raised with a combination of balsa wood and foam core, with a trackbed from foamcore with a layer of cork over. The extension board is from foam core with a ply frame to bolt it to the box file. The sector plate is from 60 thou plasticard. Track is Peco code 75.

My visual concept is the boundary between a scrap yard and BR in the Sheffield area, with a high fence forming one end of the layout. My reason for choosing scrap as a traffic was that I could have this high fence along the edge of the box, and traffic would also be carried in 16T mineral wagons, which have a slight length advantage!

3rd June: Track laid, wired and tested. 709x531	A view of the sector plate, made from plasticard! 709x531	One of my 08s on test. 709x531	Testing the sector plate. 709x531
Shunting the front siding. 709x531	9th June: Track painted. 709x531	10th June: Track balasted and inset areas filled. 709x531	Close up of the track, re-spaced Peco code 75. 709x531
Close up of the area to be inset. 709x531	19th June: Retaining walls in place. 709x531	I have cut away the front of the box to allow a clearer view in. 709x531	Close-up of one of the bolt holding the sector plate in place. 567x425
The captive nut that holds the bolt. 567x425	24th June: The retaining walls have been varnished and weathered. 709x531	A comparison of the weathered (R) and untreated (L) walls 709x531	8th July: The original plan for the wall and building. 709x531
21st July: The new fencing made to measure and primed for painting. 709x531	The building turned through 90 degrees and completed. 709x531	12th August: Progress! Fence painted and in place. 709x531	A close up of the gae with photographic image behind. 709x531
The building in it's new home. This is removeable. 709x531	Trying out two S-kits sofas for size on the wasteland. 709x531	An extension to the building from Townscene and Builder Plus parts. 709x531	20th August: An assortment of junk, trying out different arrangements. 640x480
Abandoned domestic appliances from S-Kits 'junk' pack. 640x480	Gravestones from Hornby's Scaledale range, grass from Silfor. 640x480	A cut-down Ratio concrete fence marks the end of the graveyard. 640x480	Spear fencing will seperate the graveyard from the railway. 640x480
27th August: The pipe bridge under construction to hide the fiddle yard exit. 640x480	This is a small scratchbuilding project from girder, pipe and styrene section. 640x480	The completed and painted pipe bridge in place. 640x480	19th September: The clutter eventually got stuck into position. 640x480
22nd September: Trying out some photos from magazines as a backscene. 640x480	12th October: The pictures cut and stuck to the backscene with some hills painted in the distance. 640x480	At the end of the layout piles of scrap and distant hills were added behind the fence and existing backscene. 640x480	An overall view of the layout - almost complete! 640x480