BUILD ME A MILL

Within the latest issue of Model Rail magazine (MR272), which goes on sale this week, we reveal the winner (and 9 runners-up) of our Design Us A Layout competition. The winning plan has been built by the MR team, with the four individual sections being divvied-up between myself, Peter Marriott, Chris Leigh and Dave Lowery.

My board demanded the inclusion of a mill/factory complex as well as a river. The mill proved easy, with a few Metcalfe card kits providing the perfect materials but the river proved to be a challenge. Dave had already built the baseboards with a flat plywood top, so I had to carve out a recessed riverbed that could pass under the trackbed.

This is the first time I've tried modelling a water feature for a few years and I took the opportunity to trial a new(ish) product from Deluxe Materials - Aqua Magic. A one-shot medium, there's no need to mix a resin and hardener and it turned out to be simple to use and it looks pretty effective, especially poured over a bed of fine sand. Aqua Magic needs to be applied in thin layers, with each allowed to cure completely, so it took a few days to get the river to the required depth, but it was well worth the effort.