O Gauge layout Kimington Quay - adding in some layout lights and running some trains

With the layout set up in the lounge last weekend, I continued with adding in some of the details. This involved gluing in some of the buildings to the dairy platform and wiring in the the lights, alongside adding some lights to the area at the end of the platform and at the quay masters cottage. The wiring for these lights is really simple, just using a 9v battery attached to the side of the layout, with each circuit have a simple Gaugemaster on/off switch mounted on a little control panel. In total I added in four separate circuits, one for the dairy warehouse, one for the dairy office, one for the lights at the end of the platform and one for the Quaymasters office and lamp post. I also wired in the lights for the pub, but as this was on a different board at the other end of the layout, I installed a separate 9v battery holder with integral switch was installed under the layout. All of of this was simple enough to do, albeit with some awkward soldering, but the end result really provides some atmosphere to the layout. In a few places there is some light bleed to sort out, which only became apparent when I turned the lights on in the dark. 

Lighting control panel at the front of the layout.

Light at the end of the platform, as a class 25 heads down the line.

A class 25 shunting in the diary platform in the evening.

The lights are on in the local.....

The Quamasters cottage, with the lamp on the quay front.

The dairy platform with the lights on.

Alongside installing and wiring in the lights, I also had a good time running some trains over the layout. Some of the photographs I am really pleased with and I feel the layout is really starting to come together. It was also just so relaxing and fun to run some trains and get a feel for how the layout works. There are definitely some knacks to the operation of the layout - but this is all good and I can have a lot of fun operating the layout as it is, despite the simple track plan.

A class 25 running some wagons down the line.

Some open wagons in the diary siding.

A class 33 heading back towards Barnstaple with an engineers train.

A trip down the line!!!

A class 25 running into the diary siding in the dark.

So the next steps of the layout. I am currently constructing a number of shallow relief buildings to add to the backscene behind the platform. I also have a lot of detailing parts currently being painted in the paint boxes, including bottle crates and barrels for the pub, some speed signs, mile posts and gradient markers for the line side, some more fence posts and fencing for the line edge and the station signs. The next really big job will be adding in these details and these buildings when I next set up the layout. I also need to make some custom signs for the diary and the quay front, although I am not yet sure how to tackle this. Anyhow, plenty of projects to keep going at the moment and some really good momentum to try to finish the layout off this year!