‘N’ GAUGE LAYOUT HOPELESS
Concrete ambition
When the itch to create a new layout came, Pete Latham decided to spare his wallet and use what he already had in stock.
Words: Chris Gadsby
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Pictures: Chris Nevard Artwork: Andrew Macintosh
What makes this layout great?
“Pete has done a superb job of making the railway appear to be part of a wider world, with significant elevation changes both above and below the tracks. ‘N’ gauge allows modellers to create a more extensive area in a small space, and Pete has leveraged this potential to maximum effect.”
As model railway enthusiasts, we tend to accumulate a lot of ‘stuff’. Sometimes, it’s things from previous layouts, items we have been gifted, or simply scenic items that we had to buy in a pack of six, and we only needed two. Pete Latham is one such modeller who has accumulated a large quantity of ‘stuff’ over the years. His layout ‘Claremont’ was featured in the 2023 edition of Great British Model Railways, and after deciding that his ever-growing pile of buildings, track and accessories was getting too large, he set about building this ‘N’ gauge layout ‘Hopeless’.
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“ Most of the buildings that were in my railway room had come from older layouts. Rather than let them gather dust, I wanted to use them again”